The other thing for everyone to keep in mind in this game is that things are very rarely solved by just hitting them a lot. I advise making sure any character you submit has other options besides pure combat... it is a tricksy game where we get in ethical conversations with goblins and nobody seems to be pure evil, so you have to walk a fine line where you solve the problem without murdering anyone.
It makes the game super interesting in some ways, but just try to make sure that your character isn't going to be bored if we aren't hitting things. Maybe come in with a hobby or a non-combat sidequest so you always have something to be asking about or pursuing as we go.
It could be an opportunity to do nifty things that usually get overshadowed in normal hack and slash games too... like illusion magic, mind manipulation, traps, or a high intimidate or bluff skill could really be useful in some of our situations... other ways to make things happen.
Hey Robert. Yeah, if you want to come in as Ryan, we already have an NPC that you could take over, but Grumbaki is right. Be whoever you want. Always sad to play the game as a character that you aren't invested in.
Also, just pointing out that Astella can find and disarm magical traps like a rogue, so she is already in that niche for the party. Not saying we can't have someone even more skilled of course. :)
I needed some secret rolls too for a level zero funnel I was running which had some unusual sized dice that I didn't just have... and then since I already knew the thread I also used it for rolls in a Gamma World game where the other players aren't supposed to know these particular rolls. Thanks for making the thread. I know there are others out there, but this is the one I found this time. Hope you don't mind me posting here. :)
There are only four classes, so someone is going to have to double up anyway... I don't mind if you want to be an examiner too. The world needs us all. :)
Question for Insnare: the book suggests that we get 250+1d10x10 domars to buy equipment (Tech III level). Is that what you want, or do you have specific rules for us regarding equipment purchasing?
Interesting and fun stuff... can't decide whether I want to be a badger for the burrowing speed, or a human for the robot recognition, or a sentient plant because the DM says we need one. :)
Hmm, okay... since we have two animals already, I'll try Altered Human. Pure Strain human seems too far, since I mean... why play a game like this if you aren't going to get some fun mutations? But since I am new to it, maybe I'll keep my sentient badger idea for when my first character dies. :)
No power score for Achilles Heel... just pick a fist-sized place on my body where I am weak. I'll go ahead and say the entire eye socket around my left eye which was badly harmed in a robot incident as a child. If I get hit there, double damage and can't do anything for the next round.
No power score for Sonar... I get antennae and I can just use inaudible sound to see.
Chameleon Power:4d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 2, 2) = 11 (9)
Body coloration automatically matches the color of any background within a meter. (Clothes don't change) ... Can choose to change to any single color at will, or to look normal. When it is active, the Remain Unseen score goes up by 5+the modifier (0).
Heightened Physical Attribute random attribute:1d3 ⇒ 2
Okay, so Dexterity increase of 6 minus the mod of the original value (1). (2 minimum increase) ... so, 5 (added above)
Radiating Eyes:4d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 1, 6) = 18 (17) 5+modifier (3) intensity radiation beam from eyes (recharges one point per round after expended). Head is immune to radiation and add +2 to health score versus radiation.
... looks like that is as far as the others got, and I need some sleep, so pausing there. Totally fun so far. Looking forward to seeing how the character develops... but have to think about how a high dexterity, low senses person gets along... mostly by luck, right? Or sonar? :)
"Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!" -- Cervantes
Hi! My name in real life is Suzanne, and the only Traveller experience I have is a DM who explained a bit about it to our group when I was living in New York because he wanted to play some, but we never did because he got a job with Paizo and moved to Seattle I believe. So... Zero experience, with added trivia for flavor.
(Note that I did buy the player's handbook recommended for the game, so I have a reference, but still might need help from time to time.)
Tabletop RPG experience though, I have a lot of. Used to play Dark Sun and some Planescape in college, and played a lot of 3.5 and Pathfinder 1e since then... have also dabbled in other games, more recently D&D 5e, Pathfinder 2e, Starfinder, Warhammer Fantasy, and even a little bit of people's self-published stuff.
"Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!" -- Cervantes
Hi! My name in real life is Suzanne, and the only Traveller experience I have is a DM who explained a bit about it to our group when I was living in New York because he wanted to play some, but we never did because he got a job with Paizo and moved to Seattle I believe. So... Zero experience, with added trivia for flavor.
(Note that I did buy the player's handbook recommended for the game, so I have a reference, but still might need help from time to time.)
Tabletop RPG experience though, I have a lot of. Used to play Dark Sun and some Planescape in college, and played a lot of 3.5 and Pathfinder 1e since then... have also dabbled in other games, more recently D&D 5e, Pathfinder 2e, Starfinder, Warhammer Fantasy, and even a little bit of people's self-published stuff.
I want to generally do a polymorph theme, but there just aren't enough polymorph spells at lower levels, so I am more trying to work with Transmutation as a first choice, and Conjuration / Evocation as second choices... avoiding necromancy and enchantment because you said those are the ones that are most scrutinized... but there are also other ones because I just don't know how a magic using character can get along without Detect Magic, etc.
I figure that cantrips will be the most diverse since they are easier to learn, and maybe she has some subconscious spiritual memory of them, but the theme will get stronger as I actually have access to spells of the polymorph subschool.
... if that doesn't work though, I could probably do a lot stronger theme if I change my bloodline to something else and stick with a specific element or something like that.
That said, I'm just talking in general about spells here, but taking a trait just to get that cantrip... maybe a different trait would work better. I will take a look and see if I can find one that is more thematic.
Question... could I take Stabilize with the Two-World magic trait? Wasn't sure whether that counted as divine magic or not. It's not exactly a cure spell, but it could come in handy if it is allowed. If it is, then I will take an appropriate drawback and add it to the character.
Also, let me know if anything seems incongruent with the world. Happy to change it up.
Sounds good. I'll put something together and see if I can make a compelling character, who obviously used to be morally bankrupt, but who knows who she is now after losing her memory. :)
If I am not hiding, how would we work it... would one of the other characters be monitoring/supervising then?
I'd be interested to try playing a mind-blanked "created" sorcerer. Would any bloodline be available, or a limited selection based on what they might have had? Also, could I be in hiding, pretending to just be a normal human, or would I have to be supervised by someone? ... I would be cool with either way, since the supervision part would also be interesting to play, but she might be working towards freedom.
Idea: She was a mage that was so enamored of the idea of this new magic that she experimented on herself... kept extensive journals about the process and the origins. So, the knowledge from those was enough to fake her way as far as pretending to be who she used to be. The same face helps... but the journals didn't have the important things (if any) about her home life or her parents or significant other, or anything of the sort. As far as she knows she was a hermit, staying in the rooms where she woke up, and she's continued writing in the journals, though her handwriting seems to have changed somewhat.
She's trying to keep up, but then she has to go on this... trip... with people she doesn't know, and leave the rooms that she knows, and she's frightened, and quite aware of the consequences if she is found out.
Okay with playing it another way too though... and how extensive is the mind blank? I am assuming they don't forget language and motor skills... just surface memories, but if it is more extensive, let me know.
I don't have any official Starfinder Society characters, but if you are open to me making a character at an appropriate level (or even bringing over an illegal clone of Zharis, who is at the appropriate level if that makes it more acceptable), happy to jump in and help make it happen.
Could be slow just because of the weekend though, so if you get enough people, no worries. Just offering in case you need someone.
Hmm. This might be slightly off-topic, but on the GM Shortage issue, maybe those smaller modules you were talking about could be kind of a DM Training round.
People apply to have you coach them through running something fairly short... and once they have done that, they are allowed to apply for a reward game. Or no reward, just the coaching as a reward unto itself.
A lot of players are just frightened of trying to DM, so something like a DM training module with other people that also want to try in a safer environment could get people started.
... as far as the forever DMs that keep running games here, I think they deserve a chance to play more as well, but that could be mixed up in the whole thing. They could have guaranteed spots in the training games, and then also to sign up for training you have to agree to prioritize the addition of the people who helped you learn in your first few games... which actually would benefit both sides. The new DM who is going to be nervous *wants* someone like that there to get advice from, and the forever DM has a chance to kick back and play... I mean, answer a question now and then too, but much less stress than planning the whole thing.
... personally, I have only DMed really small things for family, in-person, and I am very intimidated by the the idea of the whole thing, so that is the perspective I am writing from, so I am not sure if my perspective of the long-term DMs is accurate. Maybe training would just be extra work piled on top?
"Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!" -- Cervantes
Sounds like a good plan.
Azen helps her sister set up the tent, and then clears ground and gathers firewood for their night in the woods. She was looking forward to this. Old structures fascinated her.
Yeah, that's why I said technically. My best option still had me at 53, so it was lose three points or switch to point-buy where I could distribute them elsewhere, which when I did the numbers actually helped me get a couple of other improvements, at least bonus-wise, even though I think the overall total was a couple of points fewer.
Overall I like the randomness of rolling and playing with what you get, but when I saw that the normal ways to add points were set at 5 and 10 and you couldn't distribute the numbers across different scores, then rolling just didn't seem to make sense anymore.
From level 1. I think it's the only way, rules as are, to go over the 50% limit at level 1.
Not the only way... As a Nephilim I took angelic heritage *and* chastity, which both give you +10 to Willpower, so I could have technically gone over 50 if I hadn't switched to point buy and planned for that hard stop. :)
But cool. I'm going to have to take a hard look at my talents and see if any of them are worth trading for attribute increases.
Question on the Attribute Increase talent... says you can take it every 5 levels, once per attribute. Does that mean you can take it at first level, or does it mean that you can't take it till level 5?
So ANY Paizo material is fair game.....as I want to be sure....
Good question... I took it with an implied "within reason," and didn't make a centaur. :) If something is questionable, you should probably run it by the GM specifically.
I'm interested. I'll make a rogue with lots of good trapfinding. Or, it *could* be a ranger. I think that there is an archetype that turns a ranger into a good trapfinder as well, so might go that route. Will work on it after work.
it looks like the description of the ring is wrong... probably copied over from stave.
I was thinking about taking the foci drawback, so if you have time, I would like to know how it works. If I take a ring as a focus object, but not the drawbacks of having to use motions or words, can I still cast spells without being seen to have done so, or is the drawback of the focus object that you might lose it, and then would be powerless?
The character sheet, in the talent area, should probably have some way track how many action points things cost, cooldown times, etc. as well as just the talent itself. Or a separate section for magic if that only applies to those talents?
Question... On the luxomancy halo talent, it looks like rank 4 is either wrong, or I am not understanding it. At rank 1 you get +5% to hit, but at rank 5 it says to increase the bonus to 5% (which is where it already is). Does it maybe mean to increase it by 5% (to 10%)?
___
On the gate talent I think you mean "living matter" rather than just matter in the rank 1 description, because water *is* matter (solids, liquids, gasses are all states of matter). Living matter is problematic too, but you could clarify that clothing and things that are being held come with... and you might want to modify that even further... does intention make a difference, for instance, or if you opened a gate in the ocean would fish just spill out into wherever the other side is from, if a school of them happened to be swimming that way, or would they have to *want* to use the gate? How that works is going to greatly impact gameplay, so it is probably important to get that wording right.
Also, not sure I understand how the initial starting talents work:
This page tells me that I get any 2 combat talents:
https://genericum.weebly.com/character-creation.html
I follow the link to here:
https://genericum.weebly.com/combat-talents.html
and I see magic talents. Mmm. Want me some magic, so I follow THAT link to here:
https://genericum.weebly.com/magic-talents.html
And I see teleportation talents, which looks useful, so I go here:
https://genericum.weebly.com/magic-talents.html#teleportation
and then here:
https://genericum.weebly.com/teleportation.html
... but honestly not sure if I can have these as a starting combat power or not. The links seem to point here, so it *seems* okay from the path I followed, but my mind is going... uh, is this okay for a starting character?
Hmmm... interesting, and reading more about it, I am liking the system so far.
So, maybe a Nephilim, drawback Natural Born Liar balanced with Refined. Weakness is lying, but is very good at it perhaps.
will have to read up a little more to take it further. Not sure if I want to be adventurer or Skilled... have to look into how the different options balance out. Interesting so far though. I'm liking it.
Hmm. I am thinking perhaps a human sorcerer. Is a non-core bloodline okay? I was thinking maybe a Rakshasa bloodline, but Psychic or even just draconic would be okay too.
At work just now, but I can do the rest of the application soon...
here is a link to a game I am in now as an example of roleplay though: https://paizo.com/campaigns/v5748p75ivm4z/gameplay&page=1
"Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!" -- Cervantes
Just a note: Character will be named Zarine. This is just my main profile. I'll switch over to that profile when I get it all built out... hopefully tomorrow.
I like Hans' idea about being sent to recover elven artifacts/protect elven interests. No need for a financial stake... just was an idea about why she would be slumming with the party and trying to fit in with their treasure-hunting ideals, but an official non-monetary reason could be better, and being official makes it much less likely that she would need a bodyguard in the first place.
Which leads into the personal servant issue. Totally fine with having a non-combat companion. It was more of a storyline idea, but I'll go with something else. Not the lady in waiting type though, plus wood elves can't have the servant career, so... thoughts:
--Maybe spy is too strong, so how about an Advisor? Then the background would work with the above... my character is young for an elf), and my family/house is worried about how my actions will reflect back on them. My companion would be female in that case... someone sent to serve me, but also keep me in line in a way, or at least ensure that I do not negotiate really horrible terms or treaties, but who actually is also a friend and someone I'm willing to listen to (who also gives great political advice, which my character likely needs in a foreign place where everything she does will influence how people think about elves as a whole).
The sharing Fortune/Fate and Resolve/Resilience is fine if that's how you want it, but it seems less doable here because your character as a human had at least 6 points to share. Wood Elves get 2. I think that is one of the balances for higher stats... much fewer rerolls. So sharing would likely just not happen... probably doesn't matter much, since she would be non-combat and just stay at home if we are going into something dangerous (at least if we know it is dangerous), but just my token protest. :)
"Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!" -- Cervantes
Okay, another question...
One of my "trappings" is a personal servant.
Wondering how that works. Does it have to be like a bodyservant, or could it be someone I picked up from any background... like a thief that was caught trying to steal from my family and who I rescued from prison/execution by taking into my service... something like that?
Or maybe I need a bodyguard out in the wide world as a female...
Do I roll up a person for that, or do I choose, and is this an NPC under my control that participates with us, or just kind of a background person that hauls my stuff around and does the cooking and cleaning?
If it is up to me, I want it to be a wood elf that is older than me... he's been my servant for a very long time, and he feels affection and loyalty to me from our long association, looks at me as perhaps a daughter figure, but aside from that maybe is something dangerous, like spy/outlaw/wrecker, or mostly anything a wood elf can be in the warrior class. Perhaps a gift from my father who I saved from punishment/death by asking for him as a personal servant, and who has been charged with keeping me safe no matter what, but who is loyal to me, and not to him.
Happy to roll for it though, or have DM decide, or party decide what would be most beneficial to the party to have along.
Acute Sense (Vision) [One of your primary five senses is highly developed, allowing you to spot what others miss. You may take Perception Tests to detect normally imperceptible details with the associated sense, as dictated by the GM.]
Second Sight [You can perceive the shifting Winds of Magic that course from the Chaos Gates at the poles of the world.]
Night Vision [You can see very well in natural darkness. Assuming you have at least a faint source of light you can see clearly for 20 yards per level of Night Vision. Further, you can extend the effective illumination distance of any light sources by 20 yards per level of Night Vision.]
Rover [When using Stealth in a rural environment, bystanders do not get passive Perception Tests to detect you; they can only spot you if they are specifically on look-out, or watching for hidden spies.]
Very Resilient (+5 Toughness)
Okay, not done, sorry, but need to do some things and get some sleep... I'll come back to it tomorrow (or sometime over the weekend) and make a profile for her (well, already did, but fill it out, you know).
General thoughts for background right now though... somewhat hotheaded young noble who is pretty good at dueling, not so good at gambling, and has lost a lot recently. Doesn't want to go back and face her family without earning some of it back and get laughed at, so she's downplaying her background and totally up for treasure hunting, singing at inns to make a little coin, etc.
The Second Sight thing is part of her family heritage... they are nobles that have some magical talent. Some have studied magic, some have been witch hunters since they are able to see the weaves of spells. She isn't either, but it does help her to know if someone is cheating when dueling or gambling. :)
The only language available to me is Eltharin... not sure how Warhammer handles that... does everyone know a common language already, or do I have to buy another language to talk to the party? :)
"Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!" -- Cervantes
Bulletsong Bard sounds interesting. :)
Question for you... how soon are we starting? I am on vacation this week, should be back Thursday night. Can I wait till I get back to tweak and finish up my build, or are we starting right away? I can carve out time if I need to... just didn't expect recruitment to go that fast. :)
Personality: Open, curious, mostly logical and practical, but oddly (for an android) passionate about certain things (for instance, the Swarm).
Background:
(spoilered because it ran longer than I was expecting)
Zetara is a survivor from a Swarm-ravaged world, attacked by a mindreaper who mistakenly thought she was human and then left broken, many of her memories harvested and her psyche harmed, but her mind still (mostly) intact since she was without an organic brain to harvest. In the process of her partial memory-wipe, all of her bottled up emotions were unleashed all at once. The attack left her largely inoperable, but conscious of everything that was flooding her non-organic and incomplete mind, and she went a little bit crazy, at least in android terms, being trapped, finding holes where information should be, and unable to regulate her emotions for quite a long while.
She was rescued and imperfectly repaired by scavengers/slavers coming to scour the ruins of the planet for anything they could sell, and they patched her up and then sold her into slavery, but she doesn't hold that against them. She was glad that someone came by that was willing to restore her, for whatever reason. Plus, it was practical. She needed time to restore herself emotionally, and took the time to work off what she felt was a fair price for her purchase price at standard rates, decided that she had fulfilled her obligation, and then left. Being significantly more intelligent than the man who had purchased her made that fairly straightforward, and since the slavery was illegal, she was confident that he would not attempt to recover what he saw as his "property."
After she left, she worked odd jobs until she could afford some real repairs, and even some upgrades, and then when she was able, she joined the Stewards as a junior officer, working on a task force to combat psychic threats.
Let me know if that combo seems too weird for you/your game, and I can adjust. Also working on the details of the character, but you said you would ask if you wanted more, and this seems long enough for a brief description. :)
I would like to apply for this, but I am going out of town this Friday for a week, so I wouldn't be here for any follow up posts until next weekend.
Would you rather I not apply, or can I get you the requirements above before I leave and still be considered? (I am a very consistent player normally... this just hits at an inopportune time for a vacation I had planned.)
I am thinking an android technomancer offhand, but wanted to make sure you were okay with the absence before I submitted anything officially.
Hey GM, my character Zania is actually the owner of a small Travel Agency. (I talked about her college years in there too though, so sorry for being confusing.)
2. Aasimar (of Human Parents) Arrowsong Minstrel Bard
3. Zania is an only child born to a wealthy couple (Religion: Mormon) and they jumped on anything that looked like a budding talent right away, and got her extra tutoring and coaching. She went through chess, singing, writing, and she is fairly good at all of these, but when she found archery, that is where she felt she wanted to compete, and her parents were happy to take her around to different tournaments and find her good coaches. So during her traditional high school and college years she's been around the world, learning languages, practicing archery, and singing karaoke every chance she gets. Now that she's graduated (double major in vocal performance and business, and was captain of the archery team), she owns a travel agency, which uses her talents and supports her habits quite well.
4. Her exceptional beauty and unusual hair are just attributed to good genes and good stylists. Anything more than that are just seen as weird, and looked at like "personal superpowers" on the level of always being able to get a good parking space, or being able to win those radio contests... Zania never gets dirty and never smells bad, but that is just seen as luck/good grooming, not some inherent quality of being.
5. Why Bodega Bay: Zania is always on the lookout for the "genuine native" experience for her tours, and likes to visit small towns and find a museum or a restaurant that she can bring a tour to on her way somewhere else... she scouts and enjoys whatever she can find, and then sees if she can help other people duplicate her favorite experiences. This Fishing Fleet Festival sounds promising.
