OK, made some item purchase tweaks and wrote up more detail on backstory and whatnot. Thanks!
Appearance:
Bannog is a short and stout goblin, at a height of just under 3 feet but looking very solid. When he looks at you, he often tilts his head slightly to the side like a dog who has heard an interesting noise, and his ears flop about to match the dog look. He is usually showing a toothy grin, and his beady yellow eyes focus on you with his full attention. He wears a vulomtuous wizard's robe that tends to flop down past his hands, almost looking like a child playing pretend in an adult's robe. Out of one of the deep pockets of his robe pops out the white furred head of a beautiful white rabbit, wholly inconsistent with the offputting ugliness of the goblin that holds him.
Background:
Bannog liked to pretend he was a wizard, even though he was nothing of the sort. Do you know how hard it is to become a goblin wizard? Even for a goblin of above-average intelligence (for a goblin), it just seems to be a joke to most people. Well, Bannog didn't need their fancy schools and their books and their learning. Right from the beginning of his career he was able to lob lightning bolts left and right, without ever having to study a scroll. Nobody believed a goblin could be a wizard (and by and large, they are right), but that didn't mean that Bannog couldn't act like a wizard. So he took the tricks he knew and tried to expand on them, adding in all sorts of fun things with air manipulation, and eventually even took to the sky. And he somehow managed to win the loyalty of Caer, a familiar of above-average intelligence (for anybody) who for reasons far beyond any understanding became loyal to a pretend wizard goblin. Once Bannog and Caer had made enough money, they added in certain magical items that completed the look, and by and large became an almost-believable wizarding act. Now he, his floppy ears, his pointy hat, and his fluffy rabbit were going to take up the call to be a Hero Wizard and go into the dark lands and make them not-dark. After all, he didn't call himself Bannog the Great and Powerful for nothing!
Schtick:
Bannog is a trap finder and can disarm traps anywhere within close range with telekinesis. He is also a ranged striker with both an electric and a bludgeoning ranged option. He also gives some decent utility, and I tried to mix up some various other handy abilities in there.
Bannog the Great and Powerful:
Bannog the Great and Powerful
Goblin aerokineticist 7 VMC wizard
CN Small humanoid (goblinoid)
Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +17
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Defense
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AC 21, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+5 armor, +1 deflection, +4 Dex, +1 size)
hp 80 (7d8+42)
Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +4
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Special Attacks kinetic blast, metakinesis (empower)
Kineticist Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +6)
. . Constant—feather fall, fly Kineticist Wild Talents Known
. . Defense—enveloping winds
. . Infusions—extended range, kinetic blade, thundering infusion (DC 18)
. . Blasts—electric blast (4d6+2 electricity), telekinetic blast (4d6+9)
. . Utility—air cushion, air's reach, basic aerokinesis, basic telekinesis, telekinetic finesse, wings of air
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Statistics
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Str 8, Dex 19, Con 20, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +5.25; CMB +8; CMD 18
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Alertness, Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Extra Wild Talent[OA], Power Attack, Precise Shot
Traits child of the streets, trap finder
Skills Acrobatics +10, Disable Device +17, Disguise +9, Fly +16, Perception +17, Profession (Magician) +11, Sense Motive +3, Sleight of Hand +15, Stealth +15
Languages Goblin
SQ burn (2 points/round, max 8), elemental overflow +2, expanded element (aether), finesse weapon attack attribute, forewarned, gather power, infusion specialization 1, internal buffer 1, prescience (3/day), specialized school (foresight[APG])
Combat Gear cloak of the hedge wizard (divination)[UE]; Other Gear mwk mithral chain shirt, hat of disguise[ARG], handy haversack, heavyload belt, quick runner's shirt, belt pouch, blanket[APG], masterwork thieves' tools, trail rations (5), waterskin, 1,244 gp, 1 sp
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Special Abilities
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Agile Maneuvers Use DEX instead of STR for CMB
Air Cushion (Sp) Constantly under the effects of feather fall.
Air's Reach (Su) Air talents have range doubled.
Burn 2/round (7 nonlethal/burn, 8/day) Burn HP to gain greater effects on your wild talents.
Combat Expertise +/-2 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Deadly Aim -2/+4 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage.
Deliver Touch Spells Through Familiar (Su) Your familiar can deliver touch spells for you.
Electric Blast (Sp) Level 3; Burn 0
Elemental Overflow (Ex) Gain a bonus to hit and damage with your blast when you use burn.
Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar.
Expanded Element This is a dummy ability to consolidate the expanded elements into a single entry in the statblock. We can't do this through the normal channels, because both primary and expanded elements are added to the same table on the class.
Extended Range Kinetic blast has range of 120ft.
Familiar Bonus: +4 to Initiative checks You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach.
Finesse Weapon Attack Attribute Finesse weapons use Dexterity on attack rolls.
Foresight Associated School: Divination
Forewarned 3 (Su) Can always act in surprise rounds.
Gather Power (Su) Move: reduce the burn cost of a blast by 1 or Full-round: reduce the burn cost of a blast by 2
Infusion Specialization 1 (Ex) Reduce burn cost of blasts with infusions by 1
Internal Buffer 1 (Su) Store burn for use later
Kinetic Blade (Light Weapon) Create a blade of pure energy.
Kinetic Blast (Sp) The kineticist can unleash her kinetic blast at a range of 30 feet at will.
Metakinesis (Su) By accepting burn you affect your kinetic blast as if using a metamagic ability.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Precise Shot You don't get -4 to hit when shooting or throwing into melee.
Prescience (3/day) (Su) Roll a d20 at the beginning of the round, and use that result as the result of any other d20 roll before the next turn.
Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch.
Speak with Animals (Ex) Your familiar can communicate with animals similar to itself.
Speak with Familiar (Ex) You can communicate verbally with your familiar.
Telekinetic Blast (Sp) Level 3; Burn 0
Telekinetic Finesse (Sp) Use telekinesis to perform Sleight of Hand and Disable Device checks.
Thundering Infusion (DC 18) Blast deafens its targets
Wings of Air (Sp) You are constantly under the effects of fly.
Caer the Mighty:
Caer the Mighty CR –
Rabbit (sage) (Ultimate Wilderness 204)
N Tiny magical beast (animal)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +1
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +2 size)
hp 40 (1d8-1)
Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +3
Defensive Abilities improved evasion
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Offense
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Speed 50 ft.
Melee bite +10 (1d3-4)
Space 2½ ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks deliver touch spells
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Statistics
--------------------
Str 3, Dex 16, Con 9, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 5
Base Atk +5.25; CMB +6; CMD 12
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Power Attack, Run
Skills Acrobatics +3 (+7 to jump with a running start, +11 to jump), Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +9, Knowledge (engineering) +8, Knowledge (geography) +8, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (local) +9, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge (nobility) +8, Knowledge (planes) +9, Knowledge (religion) +9, Stealth +15
Languages Common (can't speak); speak with animal (same kind only), speak with master
SQ empathic link, finesse weapon attack attribute, sage’s knowledge +3
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Special Abilities
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Agile Maneuvers Use DEX instead of STR for CMB
Combat Expertise +/-2 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Deadly Aim -2/+4 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage.
Deliver Touch Spells (Su) Deliever master's touch spells.
Empathic Link (Su) You have an empathic link with your master.
Finesse Weapon Attack Attribute Finesse weapons use Dexterity on attack rolls.
Improved Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save; half on failed save.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Run Run 5x your speed in light/medium armor or 4x speed in heavy armor and keep Dex when running.
Sage’s Knowledge +3 (Ex) Attempt all Knowledge checks untrainted and gain bonus on all Knowledge checks.
Share Spells Spells with a target of "You" can be delivered by a familiar with a range of touch.
Speak with Animals of its Kind (Ex) You can communicate verbally with animals similar to yourself.
Speak with Master (Ex) You can communicate verbally with your master.
So, I don't have all the fluff done yet, but I wanted to get some initial info submitted anyway. Basic idea is that Bannog here wants people to think he is a great wizard, when in reality he has some nice ability as a kineticist and a few other tricks to fake it. His familiar, Caer, is a rabbit (for pulling out of hats, of course), that is a Sage familiar trained in all knowledge skills and a fair bit smarter than Bannog. Caer uses the fact that the rabbit can only speak to him and not to others to pretend that any knowledge actually comes from him (the super smart wizard) instead of the rabbit.
I'll work on getting all this more formalized into a solid back story, but wanted to get the idea and the crunch out there for any initial feedback. Thanks!
Bannog the Great and Powerful:
Bannog the Great and Powerful
Goblin aerokineticist 7 VMC wizard
CN Small humanoid (goblinoid)
Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +22
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Defense
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AC 21, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+5 armor, +1 deflection, +4 Dex, +1 size)
hp 80 (7d8+42)
Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +4
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Special Attacks kinetic blast, metakinesis (empower)
Kineticist Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +6)
. . Constant—feather fall, fly Kineticist Wild Talents Known
. . Defense—enveloping winds
. . Infusions—extended range, kinetic blade, thundering infusion (DC 18)
. . Blasts—electric blast (4d6+2 electricity), telekinetic blast (4d6+9)
. . Utility—air cushion, air's reach, basic aerokinesis, basic telekinesis, telekinetic finesse, wings of air
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 8, Dex 19, Con 20, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +5.25; CMB +8; CMD 18
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Alertness, Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Extra Wild Talent[OA], Power Attack, Precise Shot
Traits child of the streets, trap finder
Skills Acrobatics +10, Disable Device +17, Disguise -1 (+9 to appear as a plainly dressed Small human child, adult halfling, or adult gnome), Fly +16, Perception +22, Profession (Magician) +11, Sense Motive +3, Sleight of Hand +15, Stealth +15
Languages Goblin
SQ burn (2 points/round, max 8), elemental overflow +2, expanded element (aether), finesse weapon attack attribute, forewarned, gather power, infusion specialization 1, internal buffer 1, prescience (3/day), specialized school (foresight[APG])
Combat Gear cloak of the hedge wizard (divination)[UE]; Other Gear mwk mithral chain shirt, cap of human guise[ARG], eyes of the eagle, handy haversack, heavyload belt[UE], belt pouch, blanket[APG], masterwork thieves' tools, trail rations (5), waterskin, 744 gp, 1 sp
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Special Abilities
--------------------
Agile Maneuvers Use DEX instead of STR for CMB
Air Cushion (Sp) Constantly under the effects of feather fall.
Air's Reach (Su) Air talents have range doubled.
Burn 2/round (7 nonlethal/burn, 8/day) Burn HP to gain greater effects on your wild talents.
Combat Expertise +/-2 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Deadly Aim -2/+4 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage.
Deliver Touch Spells Through Familiar (Su) Your familiar can deliver touch spells for you.
Electric Blast (Sp) Level 3; Burn 0
Elemental Overflow (Ex) Gain a bonus to hit and damage with your blast when you use burn.
Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar.
Expanded Element This is a dummy ability to consolidate the expanded elements into a single entry in the statblock. We can't do this through the normal channels, because both primary and expanded elements are added to the same table on the class.
Extended Range Kinetic blast has range of 120ft.
Familiar Bonus: +4 to Initiative checks You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach.
Finesse Weapon Attack Attribute Finesse weapons use Dexterity on attack rolls.
Foresight Associated School: Divination
Forewarned 3 (Su) Can always act in surprise rounds.
Gather Power (Su) Move: reduce the burn cost of a blast by 1 or Full-round: reduce the burn cost of a blast by 2
Infusion Specialization 1 (Ex) Reduce burn cost of blasts with infusions by 1
Internal Buffer 1 (Su) Store burn for use later
Kinetic Blade (Light Weapon) Create a blade of pure energy.
Kinetic Blast (Sp) The kineticist can unleash her kinetic blast at a range of 30 feet at will.
Metakinesis (Su) By accepting burn you affect your kinetic blast as if using a metamagic ability.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Precise Shot You don't get -4 to hit when shooting or throwing into melee.
Prescience (3/day) (Su) Roll a d20 at the beginning of the round, and use that result as the result of any other d20 roll before the next turn.
Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch.
Speak with Animals (Ex) Your familiar can communicate with animals similar to itself.
Speak with Familiar (Ex) You can communicate verbally with your familiar.
Telekinetic Blast (Sp) Level 3; Burn 0
Telekinetic Finesse (Sp) Use telekinesis to perform Sleight of Hand and Disable Device checks.
Thundering Infusion (DC 18) Blast deafens its targets
Wings of Air (Sp) You are constantly under the effects of fly.
Caer the Mighty:
Caer the Mighty CR –
Rabbit (sage) (Ultimate Wilderness 204)
N Tiny magical beast (animal)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +1
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +2 size)
hp 40 (1d8-1)
Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +3
Defensive Abilities improved evasion
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Offense
--------------------
Speed 50 ft.
Melee bite +10 (1d3-4)
Space 2½ ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks deliver touch spells
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 3, Dex 16, Con 9, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 5
Base Atk +5.25; CMB +6; CMD 12
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Power Attack, Run
Skills Acrobatics +3 (+7 to jump with a running start, +11 to jump), Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +9, Knowledge (engineering) +8, Knowledge (geography) +8, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (local) +9, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge (nobility) +8, Knowledge (planes) +9, Knowledge (religion) +9, Stealth +15
Languages Common (can't speak); speak with animal (same kind only), speak with master
SQ empathic link, finesse weapon attack attribute, sage’s knowledge +3
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Special Abilities
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Agile Maneuvers Use DEX instead of STR for CMB
Combat Expertise +/-2 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Deadly Aim -2/+4 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage.
Deliver Touch Spells (Su) Deliever master's touch spells.
Empathic Link (Su) You have an empathic link with your master.
Finesse Weapon Attack Attribute Finesse weapons use Dexterity on attack rolls.
Improved Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save; half on failed save.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Run Run 5x your speed in light/medium armor or 4x speed in heavy armor and keep Dex when running.
Sage’s Knowledge +3 (Ex) Attempt all Knowledge checks untrainted and gain bonus on all Knowledge checks.
Share Spells Spells with a target of "You" can be delivered by a familiar with a range of touch.
Speak with Animals of its Kind (Ex) You can communicate verbally with animals similar to yourself.
Speak with Master (Ex) You can communicate verbally with your master.
Alright, I think I have a submission ready here for Zeru Oroitz, a halfling telekineticist/rogue. I tried to give a lot of detail in the crunch about the various mechanics in case you were unfamiliar with them. Please let me know if you have any questions or think I should clarify anything more. I'm open to tweaking the background as well if desired if something doesn't fit what you had in mind for the setting.
Party Role:
Rogue-ish trap finder/disabler, general utility, ranged DPS
Personality and Outlook:
Zeru is a hopeful, determined, and slightly arrogant man, prickly about his size, and eager to prove himself. He has been preparing for his whole life to enter the tower, and is both excited and terrified of finally going inside.
Appearance:
Zeru is very short, just barely topping three feet. His dark red hair is kept very short, long enough to be able to see the vibrant color of it, but short enough to not get in the way and to be easy to forget about. His piercing purple eyes shined with the hope and zest for life that lifted his eager feet into the sky so easily. His shirt was an immaculate white, a light and airy piece of clothing that flowed easily around him. There was a slight disturbance hovering in the air around him, some sort of distortion effect that was there one second and gone the next, never something you could focus on but always there nonetheless.
Background:
The Tower had been a major part of Zeru’s life for as long as he could remember. His father, Luken, had been obsessed with it; he talked about it constantly, taught Zeru all the odds and ends he had managed to learn over the years. Luken was convinced that the tower was somehow related to the Atlaeans, that their ancestors must have been the ones to build the tower and that it was their blood right to conquer what was left there.
Zeru was 14 when his father entered the tower. After years of planning, preparing, and training, Luken had gathered together a team and they left on their quest. Luken had been a mighty wizard, and he was convinced that his magic was up to the task of conquering the tower and unlocking its secrets.
For the days and months that followed the festival that year, Zeru would go out every night and stare at the dark expanse of the tower, looking for a sign that his father was OK. He dreamed about the adventures that his father was surely experiencing even then. Until the night of the magical lights came, anyway. It wasn’t much, no longer than a shooting star, but for just a moment he saw a weaving of magical signs in the sky around the tower. At the time, he was sure that signaled his father’s victory over the tower.
As the months turned to years, his belief in his father’s success wavered. Entering manhood, he could no longer avoid the far more likely truth that he had failed in his quest. Yet he never stopped looking up. The skies called to him, the heights of the tower, the same call to adventure tugged at his heart as it had his father.
So Zeru took up the same preparations his father had gone through. He had one advantage, though - his magic came not through the hours of study that Luken had gone through, not even through the blood magic of the outlandish sorcerers, but rather through the sheer weight of his mind and his will. As he developed his talents, he came to realize the potential benefits they gave him in taking on the challenge that the tower represented. He practiced disarming traps at a distance, to avoid any blowback from any mistakes. He pushed the boundaries of the weight he could lift with his mind, until he was moving several hundred pound objects. And he prepared himself in every way he could think of, with a wide array of magical trinkets that he thought would be helpful and every local rumor or historical nugget about the tower that he could find.
Like his father, he believed that his Atlaean blood gave him an advantage in the tower. He felt that it was his birthright to do what nobody else had been able to do. But for him, it was also personal. He wanted to know what had happened to his father, his childhood hero. He wanted to know what those magical lights were for. He wanted everything his father had sacrificed to not be in vain. He wanted to do what nobody in the centuries before him had ever been able to do - he was going to enter that bloody tower and he was going to beat it.
Crunch:
Halfling telekineticist 8/unchained rogue 1
CN Small humanoid (human)
Init +4; Senses Perception +18
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Defense
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AC 23, touch 16, flat-footed 19 (+6 armor, +1 deflection, +4 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)
hp 119 (9d8+53)
Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +8
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft.
Special Attacks kinetic blast, metakinesis (empower), sneak attack (unchained) +1d6
Kineticist Wild Talents Known
. . Defense—
. . . force ward (regenerating temporary hit points = 8 + 4*burn)
. . Blasts— can alter with 1 substance infusion, 1 form infusion, 1 metakinesis
. . . aetheric boost (won’t use, it sucks),
. . . electric blast (4d6+2 electricity),
. . . telekinetic blast (4d6+9)
. . Infusions—
. . . bowling infusion (substance, 2 burn, blast also trips),
. . . extended range (form, 1 burn, increase blast range from 30 to 120ft),
. . . kinetic blade (form, 1 burn, blast as a melee weapon)
. . Metakinesis—
. . . Empower (1 burn, all variable, numeric effects increased by half)
. . . Furious (1 burn, add +8 damage)
. . Utility—
. . . air's leap (always on, always considered running start on jump, jump 2x as far),
. . . basic aerokinesis (create light breeze that gives +2 vs heat, cloud vapors/gasses),
. . . basic telekinesis (like mage hand except up to 20lbs and can move magic objects),
. . . kinetic healer (1 burn to heal amount = blast damage, 4d6+9),
. . . telekinetic finesse (Perform any sort of fine manipulation in close range, including attempting Sleight of Hand and Disable Device checks),
. . . telekinetic haul (increase basic telekinesis weight limit to 800lbs, 1 burn to increase to 8000lbs for 8 minutes),
. . . telekinetic invisibility (at will invisibility, but stealth bonuses are halved),
. . . telekinetic maneuvers (perform combat maneuvers within close range with telekinesis using dex/con instead of str for CMB)
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Statistics
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Str 8, Dex 18, Con 21, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +6.75; CMB +4; CMD 19
Feats Expanded Metakinesis (Furious), Extra Wild Talent, Extra Wild Talent, Iron Will, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (kineticist blast)
Traits natural flyer, scholar of the great beyond
Skills
. . . Acrobatics +16 (+1 while flying, +8 to jump from Air’s Leap talent, -4 to jump from base speed),
. . . Bluff +8 (+1 vs humans),
. . . Diplomacy +4 (+1 vs humans),
. . . Disable Device +19,
. . . Escape Artist +8,
. . . Fly +19,
. . . Knowledge (history) +15,
. . . Knowledge (local) +14,
. . . Perception +18 (+1 to locate traps),
. . . Sense Motive +10,
. . . Sleight of Hand +16,
. . . Stealth +20
Languages No idea what makes sense here, just picked some off the top… Common, Dwarven, Elven, Halfling
Combat Gear
. . . cloak of the hedge wizard (divination);
. . . mwk mithral chain shirt,
. . . boots of the cat[UE],
. . . campfire bead[APG],
. . . eyes of the eagle,
. . . handy haversack,
. . . headband of the wolf[ACG],
. . . heavyload belt[UE],
. . . ioun torch ioun stone[APG],
. . . ring of sustenance,
. . . robe of infinite twine[UE],
. . . bedroll,
. . . belt pouch,
. . . blanket[APG],
. . . masterwork thieves' tools,
. . . subversive vest[UI],
. . . trail rations (10),
. . . 2,453 gp, 4 sp
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Special Abilities
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Elemental Overflow (Ex) +1 to blast hit/damage per burn taken. +2 to dex/con if 3 or more burn taken.
Gather Power (Su) Move: reduce the burn cost of a blast by 1 or Full-round: reduce the burn cost of a blast by 2
Infusion Specialization 2 (Ex) Reduce burn cost of blasts with infusions by 2
Internal Buffer 1 (Su) Store 1 burn for use later
Sneak Attack (Unchained) +1d6 Attacks deal extra dam if flank foe or if foe is flat-footed.
1) How long is the portal open for? I assume since the current PCs are in there already, and more are going to be joining them, the answer is longer than a single day?
2) If nobody ever returns, why do people still go into it? Is there any known benefit, or is it purely for the sake of curiosity/exploration of the unknown?
3) What is the one name on the exit list, and does it belong to a still living person, or a person that anyone still living has met? Is there any known information that was given by this one person on their exit?
4) How many people tend to go into the tower during any given festival? How long has this 9 year rotation been going on for? Is there any lore on the history of the tower, when it was built, who built it, etc, or is it this unchanging thing that has always existed to kill the moths stupid enough to touch the light when it turns on?
5) Is there a skill I could take to represent having studied everything available about the tower? Something like Lore(Tower)?
1) Can any given person enter the tower once every 9 years, or can everybody enter the tower once every 9 years? In other words, is it like the Olympics where the tower opens every 9 years, or is it a personal time measure where you can choose to enter at any time, but once you leave you have to wait 9 years to try again?
2) Is the quest a one time only thing, and once you have completed the quest you can enter the tower any number of times thereafter, or do you have to redo the quest every 9 years also?
3) What is the normal end condition of the tower? Is it a fatal exercise for many people, or do most people just stop and retreat at a non-fatal point? Is there a "win condition", and if so, how many people reach it?
4) Is it normal to wait to try the tower until level 9?
The character I'm planning is someone who grew up in Korryn in the shadow of the tower, and entering the tower has been his lifelong goal, so I'm trying to find out more details of what that would look like.
Fair enough - I also just really like the kineticist in general. Would you consider that class, even though it is from occult? It is kinda unique in the occult classes in that it doesn't really have that occult flavor. I could do a 1 level rogue dip to get trapfinding too.
I am interested! Looks like you are currently lacking in rogue type areas, yes? I have been really wanting to play an aether kineticist VMC rogue lately, which has the ability to fully function in the trap finding / disabling role while also supplying a ton of utility and decent ranged damage. Being an occult class and requiring VMC (to get the ability to disarm magical traps), I know this requires approval, so thought I would ask out of the gate and see what you thought. Thanks!
Dotting - tentative plan right now is a human telekineticist with the Child Explorers trait to serve as a skill monkey / trap disarmer / ranged DPS. Basic outline of back story is an orphaned gutter rat type character looking to finally get a financial leg up. I'll work up more detail in a bit!
You are absolutely right, sorry, I thought I had those things in there but I don't. This isn't by usual format, I use HeroLab and usually leave my crunch in that format but I was trying to match up to similar styles of other players and manually converted, but apparently missed some things. I will get that updated.
I already deducted the retrain fee from my funds.
- Why do you want to play an ex-paladin?
In order to get Battle Herald, I need some source for Inspire Courage. Originally I had one level of Bard for that, but I needed +6 BAB to get Harrying Partners, which is key for my build. Oath of the People's Council Paladin is the only full-BAB 1 level source for Inspire Courage. However, my last two main characters I have played were both paladins, and I didn't really want to play another LG holy knight type. As I toyed around with things more, I grew to really like the idea of a beaten down on the run ex-paladin, who has pulled down to LN instead of LG after having seen, and possibly done, some seriously bad stuff. He has lost faith in Irori, and has fallen back to relying on his inner resolve instead. This means that I lose access to his original 8 rounds of Inspire Courage, and only have the 8 rounds of Inspiring Command instead, and that I also lose Detect Evil, but wanting to play pretty much a pure marshal support character I was OK with the removal of those features. I feel like I can contribute plenty in way of support without them.
- Do you see atonement as something that Tanu is actively pursuing right now? Because if not, you may never re-gain those abilities.
It is not something he is actively pursuing at this time. As a player, I feel like working toward that could be a fun RP goal, trying to see if and how he does come back to that place, but am also perfectly fine if he never gets there.
- What was he doing right before the adventure starts?
Running. Whatever nebulous bad event happened to drive him away from home is still having repercussions. He believes that people from his past may still be looking for him, which is why he ran all the way from Vudra to Cheliax. He may very well have kept running, but was already far enough away when he saw the call for the campaign at the Bloodsworn Vale that he feels safer stopping. He misses his life, he misses being part of a group and in the thick of battle, and figured this is as good a place as any to start over.
Approaching completion on my character I think - looking at a cavalier 4/bard 1/battle herald 1, though I've been rebalancing over and over again so that class balance may still change :). Basic thought is to be able to supply attack/damage buffs via Inspire Courage or Sound the Charge and from the flagbearer feat, and to also be able to deal out teamwork feat(s). Might swap out for Holy Tactician paladin, unsure. Rough outline of the character background is that he was a commander in another group, but some sort of tragedy struck and everyone else was killed. He is now looking for a new group to join - money/land is nice, but camaraderie is his real draw. Going to look at some drawbacks and try to work the story of his lost group into it, like maybe Empty Mask because said tragedy was his fault and he is now running from the repercussions of that.
Anyway, all that said, I do have a handful of questions:
1) Does the automatic bonus progression apply to animal companions? If not, are we allowed to buy static +1 type items for them?
2) If I pick up Pack Flanking and use tactician or drill instructor to share that with my allies (they don't have to meet prereqs for either of those abilities), would the benefit apply to them if they don't themselves have an animal companion?
3) Can my animal companion take Pack Flanking even though he does not have the ability to acquire an animal companion?
So, just for fun, I went ahead and built her, and it ended up pretty awesome I thought! I might even like this character better than my first submission, but unsure. If you'd allow a second possible entry, or just want to be entertained a little in the wait time, please take a gander at Professor M, Alteration-sphere specialist incanter! She has an Implement of Power (previously SoP Staves, but they updated them to something more generic that can take on other shapes as well, so hers is a wand) that is her Focused Casting drawback focus object, and can swift action transform into a tabby cat and back at will.
Sidenote: I discovered that officially the ABP weapon enhancement can be applied to the Implement of Power's CL enhancement bonus (source).
Appearance:
Professor M is an older lady with wrinkled light skin, graying black hair, and sharp and bright green eyes. She is most often seen wearing long dresses, a hat of some sort, and a small pair of glasses. She has a stern look to her, the result of years of trying to wrangle students and push them to greater heights. She has extra wrinkles around her eyes, frown lines for sure; but she also has a smattering of laugh lines as well. This is a woman who has glared and frowned often in her life, and found little enough time to laugh.
The Professor is able to shift forms into that of an ordinary looking tabby cat at will, a thin cat with silver hair and black markings and striking green eyes. The cat's long tail often flicks around her as she daintily walks around the neighborhood around Ridgeview College.
Personality:
Professor M is a stern older woman, not given to frivolous fancies, but keenly focused at the task at hand. Unless you know her well (which few do), you would assume that she has no sense of humor whatsoever and almost never gives in to any lazier tendancies. You'd be right about the latter, but incorrect about the former. If you see more than a simple smile out of her, it is a sign that she trusts you enough to let her guard down.
She has a love of magic for the sake of magic, a fascination with what it is and how it works that few other exceed. She also has an educator's heart, longing to pass the knowledge of her passion on to others who are interested in learning (and maybe a few who don't actually care but patiently listen to her anyway). In particular she is enchanted by the ability of magic to reshape reality into new forms. Alteration is her first and foremost subject of study, and she has learned to manipulate matter in all sorts of interesting ways.
History:
M was born in a small village in the Scottish Highlands, and learned the art of magic from her mother. It may not surprise you to learn that Europe in general, and Scotland in particular, is a little more willing to believe in magic and allow for the teaching and education thereof than most of the rest of the world. It still isn't exactly common, and the majority of people would probably still tell you that magic doesn't exist, but it isn't unheard of there either. Her mother was able to get her a wand (9 and a half inches, fir, with a core of dragon heartstring) very early on, and this wand has been in her possession ever since. It is the focal point of her magic, and it is almost impossible for her to cast without it; the wand is also a connection to her mother, who has long since passed on.
When M came of age, her mother and father had saved up enough money to send her off to Ridgeview College in Fever, a place known in the supernatural community as one of the finer schools of magic in existence. She dove into her studies with a ferocity and intensity that tended to drive off the people around her; she didn't care, though, as what drove her was the magic. It was incredible! Everything she hoped it would be and more. She quickly advanced within Alteration studies in particular, finding the mechanics of altering the shape of things came naturally to her. Eventually she became so skilled at this that she even learned to control her own shape without straining her magical limits at all, and became able to take the form of a small tabby cat at will. This proved to be remarkably helpful in many different ways, not least of which was that she found a surprising ability to converse with and even have a modicum of control over any other felines she encountered.
After graduating, she tried making it out in the real world, but at the end of the day she found herself drawn back to Fever. After all the things she had seen and learned to do, she couldn't imagine returning to life in the "normal" world. So she sought after and received a teaching post at Ridgeview, and has been happily teaching there ever since.
Stats:
Professor M
Human (doppelganger-spawn) incanter 6
NG Medium outsider (native, shapechanger)
Template Animal Lord (Common Cat) Init +4; Senses Low-Light Vision, Scent, Perception +14
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+1 deflection, +4 Dex, +1 enhancement)
hp 44 (6d6+18); shapeshifter’s renewal (3 HP)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +10 (+1 to Will saves against Charm and Fear effects)
Weaknesses focus casting, somatic casting, somatic casting, verbal casting
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee
2 claws +6 (1d2+3), bite +6 (1d3+3)
destructive blast +6 touch (3d6)
Special Attacks battleshaping
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Statistics
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Str 16 (12 from point buy, +4 from Animal Lord)
Dex 19 (15 from Common Cat, +4 from Animal Lord)
Con 16 (12 from point buy, +4 from Animal Lord)
Int 27 (18 from point buy, +4 from Animal Lord, +2 from ABP, +2 from human, +1 from level)
Wis 16 (12 from Common Cat, +4 from Animal Lord)
Cha 20 (16 from point buy, +4 from Animal Lord)
Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 21
Feats Extra Magic Talent, Extra Magic Talent, Extra Magic Talent, Shifting Disguise, Silent Spell, Sphere Focus
Traits Favored Curse (Animalistic), Old Family
Skills Bluff +11, Climb +7, Diplomacy +11, Fly +13, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +17, Knowledge (history) +17, Knowledge (local) +17, Knowledge (nature) +17, Knowledge (planes) +17, Knowledge (religion) +17, Perception +14, Profession (teacher) +12, Spellcraft +17, Stealth +8; Racial Modifiers +4 Climb, +4 Stealth, Shifting Disguise
Languages Catfolk, Celestial, Common, Dwarven, Elven, French, German, Scots, Scottish Gaelic
SQ agile transformation, alter, animalistic transformation, avian transformation, casting, create, destroy, destructive blast, drowning blast, easy focus, effects, extended range, fire blast, illusion, invisibility, mass alteration, ranged alteration, repair, shapeshifting, size change, specialization (sphere specialization [alteration]), twisted transformation
Combat Gear Attendant Alteration Implement (wand) +1 (ranged alteration talent); Other Gear eyes of the eagle, 1,000 gp
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Special Abilities
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Alteration: Agile Transformation Traits: Dodge, Initiative, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge
Alteration: Animalistic Transformation You can give your shapeshift target the quadruped form
Alteration: Avian Transformation You can give your shapeshift target the avian form
Alteration: Mass Alteration You can shapeshift additional targets
Alteration: Ranged Alteration (2) You can shapeshift targets from further away
Alteration: Shapeshifting (3 traits, 5 targets, DC 23) You can bestow the Blank Form
Alteration: Size Change (+/- 2 size cat.) You can change the size of your shapeshift target
Alteration: Twisted Transformation 4d6 Spend 1 SP to have shapeshift damage targets who fail to save against it
Battleshaping +1 (Bite, 3/day) (Su) You can grow a natural weapon as a swift action
Casting (CL 6, MSB +6, MSD 17, Concentration +14, DC 21) You can cast sphere effects.
Creation: Create You can create objects
Creation: Destroy 1d4+3 Damage an object for 1d4 +3 hit points
Creation: Repair 1d4+3 Repair a damaged object for 1d4 +3 hit points
Destruction: Destructive Blast 3d6 Ranged or melee touch attack deals 3d6 damage
Destruction: Drowning Blast (DC 21) (Bull Rush +14) Destructive Blast deals bludgeoning damage and can nauseate target
Destruction: Extended Range Increase the range of your destructive blast
Destruction: Fire Blast (DC 21) Your destructive blast deals fire damage and can ignite targets
Easy Focus Maintaining a sphere effect takes a move action instead of a standard action
Focus Casting (DC 23) You must make a concentration check to use magic without your focus item
Illusion: Alter Make minor illusionary changes to an object or creature
Illusion: Effects Create illusions that are unconvincing, but can have some utility
Illusion: Illusion (DC 21) Create illusions that may fool observers
Illusion: Invisibility (DC 21) You can make creatures or objects vanish from view
Shapeshifter’s Renewal (3 HP) (Su) You can heal yourself when you shapeshift
Shifting Disguise (Su) As a full-rd action, alter your body to mimic another creature your size (+10 to Disguise)
Silent Spell Cast a spell with no verbal components. +1 Level.
Somatic Casting You must have at least 1 hand free to use magic, and may be susceptible to ASF
Somatic Casting You must have at least 1 hand free to use magic, and may be susceptible to ASF
Sphere Focus (Alteration) Gain +1 DC with abilities from chosen sphere
Verbal Casting You must be able to speak aloud to use magic, and may be susceptible to ASF
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Animal Lord looks like a really fun template. I kinda want to build another character with that and choosing Common Cat as my animal, build up a Minerva McGonagall style animagus :D
I had considered a dog-based Animal Lord myself, early on. It does sound like it could be a fun build.
Maybe we should all rebuild as dog-based Animal Lords and spend all of our non-adventuring time as dogs in a pack. We could even pick monstrous races that only leave dog shape when we're not around normals. Fun would be had!
Animal Lord looks like a really fun template. I kinda want to build another character with that and choosing Common Cat as my animal, build up a Minerva McGonagall style animagus :D
For 2., why not just take the Mostly Human alternate racial trait? I’m considering a Mostly Human Sylph myself.
For two reasons - one, I really like the idea of a full blown freaky inhuman ifrit that is super intimidating, goes with the template I want. And two, I didn't know it existed :D.
JonGarrett wrote:
Hmmm. It's extremely strong, even for a CR2 template, with a lot of abilities. I'm not opposed, but I may ask for some of the abilities to get toned down a bit if they become disruptive to play.
Fair enough, I'm down to tweak as we go.
JonGarrett wrote:
I think we'll rule yes, but the aura can be turned on or off. Limiting how much the aura without disrupting the team can be used would certainly be a restraint on some of your more impressive abilities.
Turned on or off how? I was planning on relying on Transformation for turning it on and off, but I can easily adjust. We can also just suss out the details if I get picked.
So, the idea I'm working on right now is a Slayer with the Implacable Stalker template. A few questions have come up during the building process:
1. Any issues with using the Implacable Stalker template? Seems in line with creation guidelines, but always a good idea to check.
2. Would I be able to use the Ifrit race provided I take the Transformation feat choosing Anthropomorphic? That way I can shapechange into a human without a limited duration, which would allow me to pass as a business man heading for a jog just fine. This would also suppress the fear aura from Implacable Stalker so I'm not scaring people around me all the time.
3. Speaking of fear aura, does that aura also affect my teammates?
4. If I take the Shadowstuff Armament feat, can I make my ABP weapon/armor attunement bonus apply to the shadow items I generate?
I noticed the link for the half-faerie dragon race doesn't work on your homebrew site. Assuming that is a valid race, can you fix the link and/or share a direct link here?
Alrighty, let's give this a go! Applying first for CotCT, though I wouldn't mind the goblin runelords as a consolation prize.
20 questions! (or, you know, 10):
What's your experience with PbPs?
I've been in many PbPs over the course of the last 4 years. I've played in multiple PFS scenarios as well as several long running scenarios. In that time I've only once flaked out when I hit a bunch of real world crud and I ghosted for a couple of months; when I came back I apologized to those groups who were still playing and I successfully rejoined one of those games. I am now much more careful in what I take on so that I can manage things better even if real world crud comes up again. I am currently only active in two campaigns (Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous) and feel more than capable of adding a third.
I really enjoy PbP for the creativity and detail it allows, as well as the flexibility over live tabletop games. I like the story book feel that these games ultimately deliver.
Homebrew?
I've played in one full-on homebrew campaign which was played live, not PbP. Really enjoyed it. The two campaigns I am currently in are not entirely homebrewed, but they are very heavily houseruled. I'm able to keep up with that just fine, and find myself really enjoying it.
Spheres of Power/Might?
Love them both to absurd extremes. I played a Shattered Star campaign that used SoP and was a time/space incanter, and I played a RotRL using SoP and SoM where I was a melee-focused shifter. I've also built several other SoP characters, and I've never regretted using the system.
What's your ideal blend of roleplay vs roll-play?
I really like both, though I tend to lean a little bit more toward roll-play if I'm not careful; however, I recognize how boring a game can get with just roll-play, so I always am careful to add more depth.
Flavor vs power?
I will admit to being a power gamer; I enjoy finding powerful combinations and building a well-crafted character. However, I also pride myself on being able to build out the flavor to match the power, and if I can't make it fit flavor-wise I don't use it. There is often a badge of honor to be had by playing sub-optimal choices intentionally, but I find just as much challenge and fun in finding the flavor that matches the mechanical choices I want to make.
Sandbox vs railroad?
Overall prefer railroad if just because sandbox seems to have a higher rate of sluggishness when nobody knows what to do next. I'm not too concerned either way personally, just an observation.
How do you handle rules disagreements or inter-party conflict?
I present my case to my fellow players and/or the GM, then allow the GM to make the final call. Rules are rules but GM is king :D.
As for inter-party conflict, it hasn't happened to me very often at all; when it does happen, I'm more than able to admit when I screwed the pooch and own up to my mistakes. For a lovely example of just such a thing, see: me copping to sucking
What's your stance on PvP?
It has a place for sure, as long as it is agreed upon beforehand. One of my favorite campaigns was this 1-on-1 PvP tournament. That being said, it should only be used when fully planned and agreed upon by all. Hostile IC PvP generally should be avoided, IMO, because it is hard to overcome story-wise and can make for a tense gaming environment. But friendly PvP in the right atmosphere can be a lot of fun!
In-game, are you a leader or a follower when it comes to party decisions?
I've been both, though I tend more toward the follower side. Reluctant leader would be the best classification; if someone else can lead, I'm glad to let them, but if nobody else will I will to make sure the job gets done.
What time and how often do you typically post?
I typically post between 8-5 central time, though I absolutely do still post after hours also. I can and do post multiple times a day if the situation calls for it, though I also don't want to flood things with my posts so I pace myself to make sure everybody gets a chance.
Play examples Out of Combat - from here to the top of the next page is a good thread to show interpersonal roleplay out of combat. I am Domitian.
In Combat - a recent example of combat for a complex battle environment. This game is mythic and gestalt, so lots of moving parts to keep track of.
Laughing Hideously - another fun little character moment, in combat but no actions this post, just flavor
Finally, I'll direct you to the Background spoiler here: Jazdac Background. This blurb was my attempt to justify a stonelord paladin of Angradd fighting in the worldwound, given that stonelords tend to defensive style combat defending existing strongholds while Angradd is all about offense and the worldwound is an offensive war. The justification was received happily by my GM and the game is now well underway.
I would absolutely love to play a gestalt spheres character! I love gestalt, love spheres, and am very comfortable with heavily house-ruled high powered games. Currently in two, would love to add a third. For me, CotCT would be my top pick of the four, but they all sound amazing.
About me:
I am a software engineer who works from home, so I'm at a computer pretty much always. I've been playing PbP pathfinder for a few years now I think, and love the flexibility and creativity it allows. I've been in two different gestalt house-ruled campaigns, both still running, if you're curious to get a feel for my play style - Kingmaker (been running for 3+ years, I'm Domitian Albercoft), Wrath of the Righteous (just recently started, I'm Jazdac Strazdec). The GM who runs those games hates spheres, though, so I would absolutely love to get in on a spheres-based one. I've had a few different short lived spheres games, would definitely be up for a longer lived one.
Only for the bound one. They're a part of the bargain, and you would not.
How does that work with the ability to spend magic talents to get form abilities for the bound companion? Can I choose what form talents the companion gets, or would he be limited to just the one free form or type that you would pick?
Cool. Just to be clear, by saying you'll handle that end, you mean that you'll take whatever companion I build and make sure it ties in with whatever dark deal is made?
I would be the one building the companion.
Do you build all companions, or would this just be because it is a bound companion? Do I get to have input into how the companion is built?
That is a cool idea... just debating on how that complicates the relationship with Terexaltherin. Would you still be looking for a not-familiar when you have such a companion?
I think it would still work out fine - my gnome still *wants* to be a wizard, still patterns himself off of the wizards he observed, and wants what they have. My companion is equivalent to their summons, but they would have also had familiars, which I also would want. I think it all still works.
The Lost Voice wrote:
That definitely has storytelling potential.
Don't worry about the companion, since I'll handle that end. It would also account for the stat changes as part of how you came to be bound to that companion.
Cool. Just to be clear, by saying you'll handle that end, you mean that you'll take whatever companion I build and make sure it ties in with whatever dark deal is made?
GM, I was considering taking the Bound Creature boon, and was thinking about tying that in with the dark bargain for the stat reroll - my gnome was a washout failure of a wizard, flunked out of The Acadamae, and struggling to get by. Then he makes a pact with dark forces, and in return gets better stats *and* a companion through which he can strengthen his magical abilities. The gnome himself is still good aligned, pushing neutral but not quite there, but considers the dark pact worth it for the greater good, ends justify the means and all that.
I think this has a lot of story telling potential, but I'm also not crazy about the idea of having an evil companion. Do you think it would work so that the actual companion himself is neutral, even if originating from a dark pact type thing?
I'm currently planning on taking the Construct type talent twice for him to give him some solid durability, and the Martial Companion archetype with the free Battle Companion talent in exchange for the natural attacks, so he'll be a bipedal polearm-wielding part-construct bodyguard type thing with some exposure to the lancer sphere.
OK. So far I haven't noticed too many differences, the biggest one so far is they seemed to have hit the incanter specializations with a gimp stick pretty hard, at least at low level.
Much better! Good to know the dice roller respects dark bargains.
I'm not focusing too much on crunch, but it helps to flush out the character background. I went through the whole background generator process and came up with something I like, trying to put it together into a cohesive whole now.
Fluff work in progress:
He Who Shall Not Remain Nameless
Male Gnome Incanter
Age: 55
Height: 3ft 5in
Weight: 39lbs
Homeland: Korvosa
Parents: Both Alive
Siblings: None
Circumstance of Birth: Lower-Class Birth. You were born among peasants or slum denizens. You grew up working the land around a village or manor, practicing a rudimentary trade, or begging in a settlement.
Parents' Profession: Serfs/Peasants
Major Childhood Event: Academy Training. You attended a private academy where you studied a number of skills and gained training in your current profession. Whether you were a brilliant student or a dropout, the university environment was your home for a good portion of your formative years.
Class Background: Failed Wizard. Although your arcane aptitude was evident at an early age, you were pushed toward wizardry as the conduit for your magic. While you never mastered magic in this fashion, your time spent studying arcane tomes gave you obscure but often pertinent knowledge.
Influencial Associate: The Mercenary. With this person, there was always a cost. No deed was done making a trade for something of equal or greater value. Whether this individual’s actions tended toward good, evil, or pure balance, he was always fair in his dealings. You respected this trait and it influenced your own philosophy.
Conflicts:
Minor Theft. You stole several small or inexpensive items that belonged to someone else. (2 CP)
Subject: Clergy
Motivation: Family (CP +3)
Resolution: Denial (CP +1) You feel little if any regret, and deny the event mostly so others won’t judge you. Few if any know of your part in the conflict, and your constant denials are meant to keep it that way.
Alignment: Neutral (4) Good (3)
Deity and Religious Philosophy: Undecided. You have remained undecided when it comes to your faith, but are accepting of others’ faiths and are at least somewhat open to the idea of joining an organized faith should you find one that strikes your fancy.
Romantic Relationships: One Significant Relationship. You had a true love once, but that time has passed.
Drawback: Family Ties. Your family is extremely important to you, and you feel disheartened when you can’t do what they ask. When a family member makes a request of you, you must fulfill that request or take a –2 penalty on all Wisdom– and Charisma-based ability checks and skill checks until you either do what was requested or succeed at a DC 20 Will saving throw, which you can attempt once per day at the start of each day.
Alright, I have an idea forming for this Almonihah. I'm building up a gnome incanter that grew up in the poor side of Korvosa. He attended the Acadamae briefly, hoping that his budding magical talent would be effective in wizardly studies, but ended up not making it there because his magic comes from charisma rather than intelligence. He still wants to consider himself a wizard, though, and so hooks up with the similarly-failed-at-wizardness pseudodragon as a "familiar".
Mechanically I'm building him as a Charisma-based incanter with most early talents invested in Conjuration to give us a passable front liner. I'll also dip into Destruction, Life, and Time.
Questions for the GM:
1) Do you have a preference between the Ultimate version of spheres vs the Old version of spheres? My vote would be for Old, because I have all the HeroLab files for that, but can go the other direction if you prefer.
I'm definitely interested, big Spheres fan, not really interested in PoW. So, maybe looking at you Almonihah? I really like the spheres caster roles, I wonder if I could go with an incanter to whom your Pseudodragon rogue used to be beholden to? I could still think you're my familiar, and be continually annoyed when you act all independently.
That was the only particularly synergetic idea that comes to mind. Other ideas I've had in the past, in case any take your interest:
* An unbodied wraith (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/old-unbodied) - think Bob from the Dresden Files. Could potentially play it as a ghost that haunts the other player and/or an "imaginary" friend that ends up being not so imaginary
* Always enjoy a good shifter or mageknight resizer, melee fighter that plays with size changes mostly
This sounds like fun! I am working on a character, a kineticist/mageknight(resizer) gathlain that likes to hang out all Diminutive sized and flying around and make use of the Guardian sphere to be a tiny little tank that runs around challenging all the big things it encounters.
Wondering about something - can my telesmae be flavored as an ioun stone floating around my head? I wanted to make my character somewhat more chaotic neutral, and have my telesmae be more lawful and/or good, and have it act as a sort of morality reminder. Ideally with the ability to thump me on the head when I misbehave.
Here is a first pass at my submission. Still might tweak it a little, but needed to get it out there before heading out of town.
Bob the Skull
Male Gathlain Incanter 1 Wraith (Unbodied) 4
Chaotic Neutral Small Fey
Init +2; Senses Perception +10
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 15 [+4 Armor, +2 Dex, +1 Size]
hp 24 (5 HD; 1d6+4d8-5)
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +7
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft, fly 40ft (poor)
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Magic
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Caster Level 4; MSB 5; MSD 16; Concentration +10
Tradition Mental Focus, Rigorous Concentration, Witchmarked CAM Int
Spell Points 11
Telekinesis - CL 7; DC 19; Duration Concentration; Range Medium (170 ft); Talents Dancing Weapon, Divided Mind (8 targets), Greater Speed, Increased Range, Powerful Telekinesis; Drawbacks None
- Bludgeon
- Catch
- Hostile Lift
- Sustained Force Invisibility - CL 4; DC 17; Duration 4 minutes; Range Close (35 ft); Talents Invisibility; Drawbacks Disappearance
- Invisibility
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Statistics
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Str 7, Dex 14, Con 8, Int 21, Wis 10, Cha 16
Base Atk +3; CMB +0; CMD 14
Feats Extra Magic Talent, Extra Wraith Haunt, Sphere Focus (Telekinesis);
Skills Fly +7, Know(Arcana) +13, Know(Dungeon) +13, Know(Local) +13, Know(Nature) +13, Know(Planes) +13, Know(Religion) +13, Perception +10, Sense Motive +4, Spellcraft +13, Stealth +11;
Traits Kinetic Drain, Resilient
Languages Common, Sylvan, Draconic, Elven, Goblin, Orc, Abyssal
Other Gear Bone Skull, Explorer's Outfit, Handy Haversack, Cloak of Resistance +1, Headband of Vast Intelligence +2, Telekinesis Staff +1, Mithral chain shirt
Haunt Path Path of the Poltergeist
Wraith Haunts Ranged Possession, Object Ride
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Special Abilities
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Easy Focus Maintaining a sphere effect takes a move action instead of a standard action
Illusion: Invisibility (DC 18) You can make creatures or objects vanish from view
Telekinesis: Dancing Weapon Improve your use of lifted objects as weapons
Telekinesis: Divided Mind (8 targets) Lift multiple objects at once
Telekinesis: Greater Speed Move lifted objects more quickly
Telekinesis: Powerful Telekinesis Move larger items with your telekinesis
Telekinesis: Telekinesis (Large, Speed 55 ft, DC 20) You can move objects and creatures with your mind, with several applications
Telekinetic Impediment -1 (3/day) (Sp) Immediate action imposes a penalty on an enemy's attack
Telekinetic Stability +2 (Su) You gain a bonus to Fly, Acrobatics, and CMD
Permanent Wraith (Su) Permanently locked in wraith form, 2NL damage each round not possessing
Possession (Su) Actively or passively possess a creature within reach
Manifest (Su) 12 min/day manifest physical body as a move action, return to wraith form as a free action
Path Possession The poltergeist may actively possess unattended objects, animating them to serve. These objects count as being willing. The object must be of a size the wraith could animate per the Animate Objects talent of the Enhancement sphere, using his class level as his caster level. The object gains the statistics and abilities as an animated object per the Animate Object talent of the Enhancement sphere.
Ranged Possession The wraith may attempt to possess valid targets within close range (25 ft. + 5 ft. per 2 class levels).
Object Ride The wraith may spend a spell point to passively possess an object for up to 1 hour per level. Attended objects receive a Will save. The object can be no smaller than Tiny and no larger than Huge. At level 10, the minimum object size decreases to Diminutive and the maximum increases to Gargantuan. The wraith retains his normal senses while possessing an object. Additionally, the wraith may designate a single object within the normal limits as his refuge. Possessing the refuge does not require a spell point. Designating an object as a refuge requires a 1-hour ritual. Designating a new object causing any previous refuges to cease functioning as a refuge.
...learning to disguise his dark skin and light aversion...
Just so you know, if I'm in the game, my character is routinely going to be a Large sized (by 5th level Huge sized) source of Bright Light, with Encompassing Light being on in most battles. Might be tricky to disguise light aversion in that situation. Obviously, you do you if you can get the GM to go along with it, but just wanted to give that heads up. Assuming we both get in, that would put you blinded for the first round of every combat, and dazzled for all of all combats, unless you have a way to counter that.
You know what's fun? There is nothing restricting the use of both Physical Paragon and Mental Paragon. All 18s, across the board, would be very interesting. Didn't take that route myself, but just thought that was fun.
Character Creation Rules wrote:
You may have one Horrifically Overpowered feat per level.
Both Mental and Physical Paragon state they are taken at 1st level.
Nope! Both have specific conditions that happen if they are taken at first level, but it doesn't specify that they must. In fact, the fact that they both have that conditional "If you take this feat at first level" itself implies that it can be taken at later levels.
You know what's fun? There is nothing restricting the use of both Physical Paragon and Mental Paragon. All 18s, across the board, would be very interesting. Didn't take that route myself, but just thought that was fun.
yeah, but are the bonuses from that better than the other options? I think there's actually a pretty low impact to that, considering the other things HOP feats can do.
Yeah, probably not. Maybe if this was a one or two player game, and we were trying to wear many hats, but on the whole not so much.
You know what's fun? There is nothing restricting the use of both Physical Paragon and Mental Paragon. All 18s, across the board, would be very interesting. Didn't take that route myself, but just thought that was fun.
As River said, with one exception - we also get a Fighter-type progression with Mythic feats, in addition to the one per tier. So we get two mythic feats at first tier, two more at second tier, one more at third tier, two more at fourth, and so on.
Ynja, that is not a typo - the feats listed under Mythic Feats on my sheet are the Mythic versions of those feats, so Mythic Cleave and Mythic Physical Paragon. Mythic Physical Paragon is my second Horrifically Overpowered Feat. It gives you an untyped bonus to Str, Con, and Dex equal to your mythic tier.
Just to make sure I've got the feats right:
At third level, we would have a total of 5 feats; one per level (3 feats) plus fighter progression (1 feat at both first and second level). Potentially plus the human bonus feat and any regular class bonus feats. Right?
With mythic feats having the same progression, how does that work? Do we get one mythic feat per tier, plus a fighter-type progression where we get one bonus feat at mythic tier 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10? So being at tier 1 to start, we would have a total of 2 mythic feats? Is that right?
I am also confused about how no-iteratives and unchained economy interact. I'm familiar with both rule sets, but both change full attacks in different ways.
In no-iteratives, there is still a "full attack action", and the number of hits you get in that action is based on how far above AC you get on the one roll, still limited based on your BAB (with a potential max of 5 attacks at 20BAB). There is still a normal attack action in this system, which is only one hit no matter how far past the AC you go.
In unchained economy, there is no "full attack action" only regular attacks, which take one simple action to perform. As far as I can tell, there is no limitation based on BAB; at level 1 or level 20, you can potentially make a total of 3 attacks by using 3 simple actions, with penalties on the second and third attack. Without natural attacks or TWF, there seems to be no way to get more than 3 attacks.
So with both in play, how does that work? Is there still a "full attack action" that is based on the 1 roll, and if so, is it a simple or complex action? How many actions does it use up? Is it limited to BAB or not? What is the max number of attacks you can get? It isn't entirely clear how these two interact.
I'm interested. One question - how do you want to run Gestalt for Spheres material? There is this, on the SoP wiki, but it is not "official", as there are no officially released rules for gestalting spheres. Thoughts?
Looks like a good time, and I'm always game for some Spheres action. I already had a spheres incanter that I really enjoyed playing from a Shattered Star game that had to stop from attrition, so I leveled him down and tweaked the background to fit with the listed campaign options. Let me know if you have any questions.
Funds:3d6 ⇒ (3, 6, 4) = 13 x 10 = 130
Background:
Ivan is a noble of House Kaddren from Magnimar… at least he was, before becoming exiled. The young man has a fondness for comfort and is a skilled magician, who discovered how easy it was to cheat at cards when you could manipulate time. Unfortunately, his penchant for cheating his way into the easy life caught up to him, and his cheating was discovered. His name saved him from any severe punishment, but it was the last thing it did for him. No longer welcome or recognized by his family after that debacle, Ivan took whatever he had and left. Hoping to go someplace that doesn’t know about his downfall, he hit the road, and it took him to Sandpoint. This rinky backwater town isn’t much, but hopefully he can make a name for himself here away from his exile.
Crunch:
Ivan Kaddren
Male human incanter 1
CG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +1
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Defense
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AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)
hp 8 (1d6+2)
Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +2
Weaknesses aligned combatant, energy focus, magical signs, somatic casting, somatic casting, verbal casting
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Offense
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Speed 50 ft., fast 10 ft.
Melee destructive blast -1 touch (1d4)
Incanter Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +5)
. . 3/day—slowing touch
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Statistics
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Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 18
Base Atk +0; CMB -1; CMD 11
Feats Extra Magic Talent, Extra Magic Talent
Traits affable, city born - magnimar
Skills Acrobatics +2 (+10 to jump), Bluff +5, Diplomacy +10 (+12 to gather information.), Intimidate +5, Knowledge (local) +6, Knowledge (nobility) +6, Linguistics +6, Perception +1
Languages Common, Kelish, Thassilonian, Varisian
SQ augment healing, agile feet (7/day), casting, cleric domains (liberation, travel), crystal blast, destructive blast, easy focus, extended range, haste, liberation (1 rounds/day), ranged teleport, ranged time, shift time, slow, specializations (cleric domain, cleric domain, sphere specialization [time]), teleport
Other Gear 130 gp
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Special Abilities
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Agile Feet (7/day) (Su) For 1 rd, you ignore difficult terrain.
Aligned Combatant (Good) Your destructive blast deals full damage only to creatures of your opposed alignment
Casting (CL 1, MSB +1, MSD 12, Concentration +5, DC 14) You can cast sphere effects.
Destruction: Crystal Blast Destructive Blast deals piercing damage (d4's) and can entangle target
Destruction: Destructive Blast 1d4 Ranged or melee touch attack deals 1d4 damage
Destruction: Extended Range Increase the range of your destructive blast
Easy Focus Maintaining a sphere effect takes a move action instead of a standard action
Energy Focus (Crystal) You may only make a destructive blast of a single energy type
Fast (10 feet) (Su) You gain a +10 bonus to your base movement speed
Incanter Domain (Liberation) Granted Powers: You are a spirit of freedom and a staunch foe against all who would enslave and oppress.
Incanter Domain (Travel) Granted Powers: You are an explorer and find enlightenment in the simple joy of travel, be it by foot or conveyance or magic. Increase your base speed by 10 feet.
Liberation (1 rounds/day) (Su) Act as if you had freedom of movement for 1 rounds/day.
Magical Signs Your use of magic is obvious to all observers
Slowing Touch (1 round, 3/day) (Sp) Touch attack staggers target
Somatic Casting You must have at least 1 hand free to use magic, and may be susceptible to ASF
Somatic Casting You must have at least 1 hand free to use magic, and may be susceptible to ASF
Time: Augment Healing Custom talent
Time: Haste Target can make an extra attack during a full attack
Time: Ranged Time Use alter time abilities at range
Time: Shift Time Target can "borrow" an action against their next turn
Time: Slow (DC 15) Target becomes staggered
Verbal Casting You must be able to speak aloud to use magic, and may be susceptible to ASF
Warp: Ranged Teleport Teleport other targets within Close range
Warp: Teleport You can teleport yourself as a standard action
Here is where I am leaning with my submission. I really like the Wraith class, and feel like it would fit in well with this sort of dark/gritty magic game. I haven't fully figured out my equipment yet (probably Specialist package, but unsure). Might still tweak things, but wanted to get it out there to get thoughts. Let me know if there are any issues or questions.
TL;DR:
Gunter is an unbodied wraith, locked in an incorporeal form, who can sometimes manifest a body and will more often possess other bodies or objects. He is private in his use of magic, and his magic is a purely mental activity. In combat, he will usually possess one or more things, and also use telekinesis to bludgeon things. His possession ability is his man schtick, though, and he will use it liberally both in and out of combat.
He is quiet, generally untrusting, and has a fierce hatred of the German government. He doesn't particularly have any loyalties, but will play along with just about anything that can further his goal of bringing down the Germans.
Background:
Gunter was an odd child. Very intense, very quiet, and yet was someone that drew people to him. He was born in Berlin, Germany, in April of 1922. He grew up relatively happy, with his parents and two siblings. As he grew, he began to find that he was different than most. He had a natural gift for magic, able to understand the world on a fundamental level and move things in it with just his mind. For the most part, he tried to keep this weirdness quiet; he was naturally private anyway, and certainly didn't want to stand out in any way.
That was all well and good until the fall of 1939. 17 years old, and with all the passion and invincibility that youth brings, he did something rather stupid. His father got into an altercation with the local police; it was over a simple misunderstanding, but it got heated. When the police started beating on him, Gunter got angry, and began using his abilities against them to try to protect his Dad. The officers were surprised, to say the least, and quickly left.
The next day, the Ahnenerbe-SS came; not that he knew who they were, though he would find that out quickly. They came and took Gunter. When his father tried to stop them, they shot him in the head. They quickly executed the rest of his family, and then set fire to their home. It was all over in a matter of minutes; Gunter was dragged off, bound and gagged, and despair settled into his soul.
The experiments began soon after. The things that they put his body through were unspeakable. They were trying to unlock his full potential, they said. Figure out how he did what he did so naturally. See if they could discover those secrets. Finally, though, they pushed him too far. Some combination of the drugs they injected him with and the electric shocks they were running through him galvanized his entire body, and suddenly he didn't have a body anymore. He was a pure spirit.
The germans didn't have anything ready to deal with that. Gunter's "body" passed right through the restraints that they had holding him. Unbound and unleashed, he made short work of the captors in the room with him, and then just walked out of the building. Right through walls and locked doors. He started moving, and just didn't stop.
He didn't really know what he was anymore. Was he dead? A ghost? Or something else entirely? He didn't know, and he didn't really care. All of his thoughts were consumed with revenge. Everything they had done to him, everything they had taken from him, the anger coursed through his thoughts and left nothing else behind. He began to attack the germans where he could, learning to use his new gifts in the most destructive ways possible. While he was doing so, he met a Russian operative who had the same goals as he did. The Razvedka took him in, trained him, helped him to understand his abilities better, and unleashed him on missions against the germans.
Gunter didn't really care about the Russians or anything else. They were helping him to achieve his goals, and that was enough for him.
Appearance:
When he is able to manifest his body, Gunter is a skinny and lanky youth, with dark hair and pale skin. The single overriding feature, though, are his eyes. They are a clear, sharp blue, the color of a frozen ocean on a clear day; and when he isn't trying to suppress it, his eyes glow with a fierce intensity, clearly not normal.
When he is not manifested, he is similar in appearance, but completely translucent. When in this form, you can still see the marks on his temples where the electricity was delivered; they show up as black burn marks. Despite the translucent nature of his body, his eyes still glow with exactly the same intensity as his manifested body.
However, the most common way you will see Gunter is as a floating object. The object may vary, but that is where he is most comfortable.
Crunch:
Günter Schmidt
Male human incanter 1/wraith 6
CN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +3; Senses Perception +9
Spell Points 16
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+1 deflection, +3 Dex, +2 enhancement, +1 natural)
hp 43 (7 HD; 1d6+6d8+7)
Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +9
Defensive Abilities telekinetic impediment
Weaknesses Energy Focus, Witchmarked, Mental Focus, Emotional Casting, Coy Caster
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee destructive blast +7 touch (4d6)
Incanter Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +7)
. . 3/day—telekinetic impediment
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Statistics
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Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 22
Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 19
Feats Extra Wraith Haunt, Extra Wraith Haunt, Hidden Heretic, Extra Magic Talent, Extra Magic Talent, Weapon Finesse
Traits Razvedka Operative, Favored Damage
Skills Acrobatics +11, Appraise +11, Bluff +17, Diplomacy +13, Fly +15, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Linguistics +7, Perception +9, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +15; Racial Modifiers telekinetic stability
Languages (4 points) German (Native) Russian (Proficient) English (Proficient)
SQ committed deception, acid blast, alter, casting, dancing weapon, destructive blast, divided mind, easy focus, effects, greater speed, illusion, illusionary sound, invisibility, powerful telekinesis, silver tongue, sorcerer bloodline (rakshasa[UM]), specializations (sorcerer bloodline, sphere specialization [telekinesis]), telekinesis
Haunt Path Path of the Poltergeist
Wraith Haunts Hidden Rider, Hidden Possessor, Ranged Possession, Object Ride
Other Gear masterwork backpack[APG], 450 gp
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Special Abilities
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Casting (CL 5, MSB +7, MSD 18, Concentration +13, DC 18) You can cast sphere effects.
Destruction: Acid Blast Destructive Blast deals acid damage
Destruction: Destructive Blast 4d6 Ranged or melee touch attack deals 4d6 damage
Easy Focus Maintaining a sphere effect takes a move action instead of a standard action
Energy Focus (Acid) You may only make a destructive blast of a single energy type
Illusion: Alter Make minor illusionary changes to an object or creature
Illusion: Committed Deception You may increase the casting time of an illusion by one step to reduce its total spell point cost by one (minimum 0).
Illusion: Effects Create illusions that are unconvincing, but can have some utility
Illusion: Illusion (DC 18) Create illusions that may fool observers
Illusion: Illusionary Sound Add sound to your illusions
Illusion: Invisibility (DC 18) You can make creatures or objects vanish from view
Rakshasa At some point in your family's history, one of your ancestors was tainted by the influence of a rakshasa. Though most of your family seem entirely normal, you have always felt your own skin is a prison from which magic allows you to escape. Your birt
Silver Tongue (9/day) (Su) At 1st level, you can draw upon your outsider heritage to spin amazingly convincing lies. Activating this ability is a swift action. You gain a +5 bonus on one Bluff check made to convince another of the truth of your words (similar to using glibn
Telekinesis: Dancing Weapon Improve your use of lifted objects as weapons
Telekinesis: Divided Mind (9 targets) Lift multiple objects at once
Telekinesis: Greater Speed Move lifted objects more quickly
Telekinesis: Powerful Telekinesis Move larger items with your telekinesis
Telekinesis: Telekinesis (Large, Speed 55 ft, DC 20) You can move objects and creatures with your mind, with several applications
Telekinetic Impediment -1 (3/day) (Sp) Immediate action imposes a penalty on an enemy's attack
Telekinetic Stability +2 (Su) You gain a bonus to Fly, Acrobatics, and CMD
Permanent Wraith (Su) Permanently locked in wraith form, 2NL damage each round not possessing
Possession (Su) Actively or passively possess a creature within reach
Manifest (Su) 12 min/day manifest physical body as a move action, return to wraith form as a free action
Path Possession The poltergeist may actively possess unattended objects, animating them to serve. These objects count as being willing. The object must be of a size the wraith could animate per the Animate Objects talent of the Enhancement sphere, using his class level as his caster level. The object gains the statistics and abilities as an animated object per the Animate Object talent of the Enhancement sphere.
Hidden Rider While possessing another creature or object, the wraith may hide from the divine ability of the Divination sphere and spells of the Divination school and pass through wards that would affect a possessing creature such as magic circle against evil or the effects of a forbiddance spell. The wraith must attempt a Will save against the spell or sphere ability (even if it doesn’t normally allow a saving throw). If he succeeds, the spell treats him as if he were his host (for instance, Divine Alignment would reveal only the host’s alignment, and forbiddance keyed to the host’s alignment wouldn’t damage the wraith). If the wraith’s saving throw fails, the spell functions against him as normal.
Hidden Possessor Creatures that are not aware of the wraith or do not count the wraith as a hostile creature take a -2 penalty on saves against his possession ability.
Ranged Possession The wraith may attempt to possess valid targets within close range (25 ft. + 5 ft. per 2 class levels).
Object Ride The wraith may spend a spell point to passively possess an object for up to 1 hour per level. Attended objects receive a Will save. The object can be no smaller than Tiny and no larger than Huge. At level 10, the minimum object size decreases to Diminutive and the maximum increases to Gargantuan. The wraith retains his normal senses while possessing an object. Additionally, the wraith may designate a single object within the normal limits as his refuge. Possessing the refuge does not require a spell point. Designating an object as a refuge requires a 1-hour ritual. Designating a new object causing any previous refuges to cease functioning as a refuge.
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Drawbacks
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Witchmarked Some aspect of your characteristics is a dead giveaway about your magical nature. This could be any purely cosmetic modification or sensation that is hard to hide such as a vestigial tail (or tails), glowing eyes, an aura visible to the naked eye or the stench of death clinging to you. The intensity of this trait grows proportional to your power. You take your caster level as a circumstance penalty to Disguise checks. Anyone who sees you and/or beats your Disguise check is able to identify you as magical and may make a Knowledge (arcana) check DC: 20 - your caster level (minimum DC 0) to learn your caster level and what base magic spheres you possess.
Mental Focus Your magic requires you to have a focus that is not always possible to achieve. You normally have focus, but lose it whenever you fail a save versus mind-affecting magic, have a critical hit confirmed on you, or a condition causes you to lose the ability to concentrate (such as being nauseated or helpless or failing an enforced concentration check such as from being entangled). Using magic without your mental focus requires you to make a concentration check (DC 20 + 1/2 caster level) to produce the desired effect. Failure means time (and any spell points) are spent, but no effect happens. If focus is lost, the caster can refocus by meditating as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
Emotional Casting Your magic requires heightened emotional states of mind to use. When subject to a non-harmless magical effect that invokes an emotion (such as fear effects, spells with the (emotion) descriptor, or charms such as Fear or Hostility) you are unable to use magic.
Coy Caster If you attempt to use magic while you know you’re being observed, you must make a concentration check (DC 15 + 1/2 the caster level) to produce the desired effect. Failure means time (and any spell points) are spent, but no effect happens. If you believe you are hidden or alone, even if you’re not, you may use magic normally.
