Aye-Aye, Cap'm! Thanks GM!
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@GM Harley:
In an effort to support more fully your declared goals for this game, I added two hooks to Zsófia's background.
1. I elaborated a bit more on Zsófia's fey heritage. Her mother is one of Nyrissa's servants who offended her mistress by dallying with Zsófia's father and giving birth to a mortal child when she was supposed to be investigating House Surtova. She is now nameless and imprisoned by Nyrissa as punishment. 2. I also added the secret that although neither she nor her father know it, they are both of them descended from Choral Rogarvia, and their deaths are essential for the dragon and his sister to complete their ritual. Zsófia's fey heritage keeps her hidden from the dragons' blood-based divinations, but they will soon locate her father despite his precautions against being found, so it will not be long before they capture him, interrogate him to learn that his daughter is in the Stolen Lands, and kill him. :) One thing this style of game is going to need, I think, is what J. Michael Straczynski (of Babylon 5 fame) called "trapdoors". Basically, when writing a serial story that was subject to vicissitudes like cast members leaving or studio executives deciding to cancel seasons, the writing team needed to leave failsafes for their characters so that important plot points could still happen even when the intended character suddenly vanished. It's unfortunate, but in the play-by-post format, losing characters because the player has retired is not uncommon, and it would suck if this exciting game idea ground to a halt because someone important suddenly stops participating for whatever reason. It's worth thinking about what you'll do if that happens when encouraging players to personally take large meaty chunks of the story upon themselves. :)
I finally sat down and wrote Neela Greentongue's Ten-Minute Background, as well as another more specific character background and a brief description. I think she's ready for you to review, GM, if you are looking for more submissions. (It took me like three hours. Ten-Minute Background my hide!) :)
This looks fascinating! Count me in! I'll put together a character proposal for you. I'm a big fan of storytelling game mechanics and troupe-based gaming from my Ars Magica days. My favorite Kingmaker character that I've never gotten past the beginning is a Rostland Bravo swashbuckler named Zsófia Dobós, with political ties to House Surtova instead of the Swordlords-- she hates the Swordlords and likes to show them up with their own weapons whenever she has the opportunity. Also, she is smitten with the beauty of the duel, and follows Shelyn in memory of her mother, who was a priestess of the goddess before she died. The king of Brevoy is sending her to the Stolen Lands to claim her father's ancestral birthright, since he has been exiled and cannot restore it himself. She's probably human, though she might be a Scion of Humanity aasimar. She's not very wilderness-oriented, but she is very Brevoy-oriented, and she has no reason to like the fey. More details on Zsófia, if you're interested:
10 Minute Background: Step 1 (Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged!)
Step 2 (List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.)
Step 3 (List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!)
Step 4 (Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.)
Step 5 (Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.)
Background: Zsófia grew up in what she always thought was a special school for gifted and talented girls in Restov. Her guardian, Sister Hannah, was a priestess of Shelyn, and she looked after Zsófia and twenty others in her tiny temple, all of them children of minor nobles or wealthy burghers. Zsófia had no idea who her mother was, but she did see her father from time to time as he stopped in to visit her while on his travels. He was a ship captain in the north, and he was always bringing her exquisitely-made presents that he acquired while working his trade. She thought she heard the Sister Hannah say once that her mother was from Taldor, so she always imagines her as a beautiful princess with purple eyes and blond hair.
Perhaps her favorite gift she ever received from her father was an intricately carved wooden sword that was shaped like the dueling swords of the Aldori swordlords. She played with it for her whole childhood, until it almost became an extension of her arm. The temple school had a strong artistic bent, and Zsófia incorporated the sword into everything she did: when she danced she waved it and clacked it against the floor, and when she sang she punctuated her words with it like a conductor's baton. Her father was impressed when next he visited; his eyes glimmered and Zsófia was so proud. When she was sixteen years old, he brought her an actual dueling sword, a true work of art, and cautioned her on the importance of her practicing with it, so that nothing she did while holding was ever an accident. She was growing into the perfect young noblewoman, he said: accomplished at culture and grace, but also agile and sharp, and this sword was all of these things. She must become the sword, and let the sword represent her. With great dedication she devoted herself to this task, anxious to please her father again. Soon Zsófia came of age, and her father asked her what she wanted to do. He had put aside money for her, and she could do whatever she wanted with it. He would buy her a house in the city if she wanted to practice a trade, or she could travel. Timidly, she asked if she could come join his ship's crew and learn to be a sailor, and he frowned. She quickly changed the subject and suggested that she would like to study at the Aldori academy instead, if she was good enough to gain admission. This also surprised him, but he enthusiastically smiled. Zsófia applied immediately to join the school of the great Aldori swordlords, and while she waited to be called she joined a smaller dueling school-- more of a club, really-- to perfect her art. It was run by a rebellious young street bravo named Moldov, who believed that to win a duel one had to employ unorthodox methods, methods that traditional duelists did not like. As the only woman in their dueling circle, Zsófia received a lot of notice, and found she liked embarrassing hotheaded proud young men who underestimated her abilities. And like she did when she was young, she developed her own style of fighting, where she would dance while she fought, and she found that there was a kind of divine magic in her steps, almost like a prayer. Each day she would stop by the academy and ask about the status of her application, but for some reason the porters always put her off. Zsófia was not used to being ignored; she had a loud voice and specifically dressed flamboyantly to gain attention, after all. Yet for more than a year she could not get an audience, and finally she complained to her father in a letter. The next time he visited, he had bought her a title. She was now a baroness of a small estate somewhere in the Stolen Lands, willed to her by a Brevic noble family that had died without issue. If "Zsófia" was unpalatable to the swordlords, "Lady Zsófia" did no better. It seemed the Aldori family did not want to teach her for some reason. Hurt and angry, the new baroness threw herself into her dueling club with renewed vigor, and decided to embrace the term "bravo." She commissioned a specially-tailored dueling costume, with a plumed hat, long cape, and ruffled sleeves. Her reputation spread quickly, especially her hatred for Aldori swordlords, with whom she was especially brutal when dueling, cutting as deeply with her words as her blade. They began to call her "Prima Sophia," like Prima Donna, and joked that she was the queen of the bravos. Eventually she grew bored with the Restov dueling scene, and became curious about her estate. She decided to prepare for an expedition into the Stolen Lands to visit and take possession of her lands, and learned that the king was sponsoring expeditions into the wilderness to combat the bandits. She hired teachers to go over with her some of the skills she would need to travel in the wild, and she purchased equipment she would need to make the journey. Finally she wrote to her father to let him know her plans, so that he could come to say goodbye. When he arrived, he said that he thought she was old enough to hear the truth. He was not just a simple ship's captain, but in fact an infamous pirate. And that wasn't all, he was also the final descendant of the noble line that claimed title to all of the Stolen Lands, not just a small estate within them as he had said before. Because of her father's illegal activities, his good friend King Surtova had been forced to place a bounty on his head and could not acknowledge his title-- but certainly his daughter Zsófia Dobós would be able to claim the kingdom in her own name. With documents proving her lineage, Zsófia made her way to New Stetven and an audience with the king. She charmed the herald into announcing her to the court as "Prima Zsófia Dobós," and to her great delight it was clear from the whispers and raised voices that the Swordlords in attendance knew who she was. The king proposed that he could affirm her ancestral claim to lands in the River Kingdoms, but that since large parts of the territory were uninhabited or overrun with wild animals and other hostile creatures, she would have to secure the lands herself. Prima Dobós agreed. It was whispered in the court that King Surtova was pleased to be able to send a representative to the new kingdom who did not owe her allegiance to the Swordlords, and that the two of them had an understanding that would help assuage the king's doubts that the new kingdom would be only an ally to Rostland, not Brevoy as a whole. Armed with her royal blessing, Zsófia has arranged to join a company of soldiers and explorers hired by the Swordlords to travel to Oleg's holdfast and discover the state of the region. Once she has proven herself capable and trustworthy to her new companions, she intends to then breach the matter of her title and holdings. She would like to get a sense of the layout and culture of the new kingdom as it develops and especially her barony (the Narlmarches, as it is apparently called) and its seat at Candlemere. The more she knows about these lands she intends to make-- at least in part-- her own, the stronger her claim upon them will be. Description: Zsófia looks to be in her late twenties, still young for a human, with blonde hair dyed red and blue sticking out below her wide-brimmed plumed hat. She wears a luxurious blue cape, weighted at the base, over exquisitely-made leather armor and boots, both laced with blue ribbons. At her hip is a finely-crafted Aldori dueling sword with an oversized hilt. She has a rich, high and cultured voice, and wears pleasant-smelling rose perfume. She looks fit and perfectly at ease in her surroundings, buzzing with wiry and gleeful prowess. Personality: Zsófia is ambitious, curious, flamboyant, and rebelliously proud. She is generally kind and merciful, though she does find it fun to embarrass people who underestimate or oppose her. She believes the Stolen Lands are hers by birthright, and she will show everyone that disagrees that she is worthy. She is usually high-spirited and optimistic, and not very sneaky. She often sings while she travels and also while she fights. Because of her upbringing she is surprisingly pious, and she honors Shelyn with prayers before meals and before bed. She loves jokes and witty humor, and especially loves mocking her enemies.
How about…in his plane hopping, Fei joined up with Neela’s gang, happily doing whatever they wanted because it was interesting. This included converting. Not because he believed it but because he had never heard of the deity before. When the novelty began wearing off he decided to return to Sigil. With Neela coming with, to spread the faith across the planes. Well, I have to give that some thought, because the 'gang' I mentioned in her little opening blurb was meant to be the team of adventurers that the accepted characters are part of. :) I have no idea yet how she came to Sigil or joined up with the troubleshooters. It might be moot, since you have to reenvision your character without Spheres of Might, but I was thinking instead something like the two of them come from the same plane and escaped some kind of massacre or cataclysm-- something that made them both focus on acid. After landing at Sigil, they stayed close because they considered each other family of a sort.
I made similar changes to Neela. Gear took the most time, since so many of her original purchases were replaced by ABP!
eriktd, want to have a joint background for this? Sure, that would be awesome! I love elementalists. I built a cold elemontalist (I called him an elemintalist) for an ill-fated game once that I adored playing for as long as it lasted. Let's confer!
I'm shocked we aren't seeing more rogues, or trap specialists I think a Hinyasi brawler (or any character focused on improvised weapons) would be really good in this campaign too, because of the Dockside Brawler trait. I'm surprised no one's taken it yet! :)
I think you meant inspire courage. Also keep in mind that inspire courage doesn’t stack with heroism but even those with heroism will still get the damage bonus. Actually, the bonus to attack and damage is a competence bonus, not a morale bonus. There is also a morale bonus vs fear and charm that doesn’t stack. :) Inspire Courage (Su): A 1st-level bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard's performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +4 at 17th level. Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability. Inspire courage can use audible or visual components. The bard must choose which component to use when starting his performance.
I put together a cute little kobold (Sorcerer//Wizard) who likes to do acid: Neela Greentongue. Still working on the background, but she's a total glass cannon blaster.
I also have fond memories of playing in that game with Toby! :)
Here's my character's profile: Jacques Lacrimoisi. I changed my mind and decided to make him an Inspired Blade swashbuckler, but he will still become a Siege Mage wizard at level 2 and eventually take a few levels in Eldritch Knight before the campaign ends. Theme song. :)
Avast! It be too late to repel boarders. Keep a weather eye out, and hold on tight. With both hands, if you please. There be squalls ahead! (8)
Arr, I be rerollin' one o' them 8s. (16) Aye, that be an acceptable array, cap'm! I am thinking of reviving a character I've always wanted to play for this AP, a human Siege Mage. He'll start as a gunslinger at first level, but then go into wizard at 2nd. As far as typical role on the ship, I'm guessing mate probably fits best, since there's no 'gunner'. x 10 Ooof, average of 175 it is!
Hi there! I'm the player Grumbaki invited, and since the other player has declined, I'm here to make a divine caster with a focus on healing. I'm putting together a proposal now! Looks like it's a 20-point buy with two traits? Any house rules I should know about?
I’ll give YBD right of first refusal, but otherwise I could put something together pretty quickly!
As a cleric of Shelyn, Theophania is pretty diplomatic. She may not have any ranks in the skills yet, but she could. Plus there's good Shelynite spells on the cleric list like tap inner beauty and enhanced diplomacy. Technically stoic negotiator and iron citizen can be combined, as stoic negotiator gives a racial bonus, while iron citizen an untyped...though that is somewhat cheesy I recently discovered that racial bonuses stack! Usually, a bonus has a type that indicates how the spell grants the bonus. The important aspect of bonus types is that two bonuses of the same type don't generally stack. With the exception of dodge bonuses, most circumstance bonuses, and racial bonuses, only the better bonus of a given type works (see Combining Magical Effects).
I've written up my character for this recruitment: Theophania Song, a human cleric of Shelyn. Kind of unorthodox for a dragonslaying party, I know, but it seemed like it would be fun!
= 14
Bah, pretty mediocre. Lots of cursed rolls in this thread! :) I'm thinking maybe a 20-point buy human cleric of Shelyn?
One more post with all the applications, this time for the GM. :) (I think I got everything correct, but my sincere apologies if I missed anything!) Dslak: Petre Costu, CN human cleric (Varisian Pilgrim), Expert Explorer Chuck8: Halleran 'Hal' Vereen, CG human bloodrager, Healthy Leonfire99: Darian Fairholt, NG human fighter (Aquanaut), Athletic Veniir: Renshaw Blackburn, NG human shaman (Deep Shaman), Following in the Footsteps eriktd: Ommerra, NG human investigator (Questioner), Following in the Footsteps Timing: Katarina Haventide, CG human sorcerer, Athletic shumatsu: Hugh Marvos, NG tiefling kineticist, Expert Explorer DBH: Amari Silverskin, CG aquatic elf arcanist (White Mage), Expert Explorer Grumbaki: Torgald Frostbeard, dwarf kineticist, Set Mind SodiumTelluride: Mestim, catfolk rogue (unchained, Sylvan Trickster), Employee [Lyra Heatherly] Qunnessaa: Tsia Troian Malynova, CG elf occultist (Silksworn), Resourceful Wyshart: Maximina Scaevinus, CG human sorcerer, Pathfinder Recruit Malinor.: Tocash, N half-orc alchemist (Aquachymist), Pathfinder Recruit KoolKobold: Ninra Vison, NG halfling gunslinger (Mysterious Stranger), Athletic Ironperenti: Brand the Bold, NG human ranger (Tidal Hunter), Azlanti Scholar AGM Lemming: Aleece, NG human witch, Azlanti Scholar Mark Thomas 66: Ma'oa, skinwalker (Seascarred) ranger (Guide / Skirmisher), Employee (Ramona Avandth) BloodyNoseViking: Kalana Stormcaller, N sylph sorcerer, Resourceful Linnea the Diviner: Tiye Soumral, NG half-elf psychic, Azlanti Scholar Archpalain Zousha: Persifor Johstonne, LG human paladin (Pearl Seeker), Eagle Knight Recruit GM_Drake: Mackerel "Mack" Brinebeard, N dwarf oracle, Expert Explorer Billybrainpan: Aisovir Brinewood, N undine brawler (Hinyasi), Azlanti Scholar
Might as well update the list here, since I've been keeping it more or less up to date. :) Dslak: Petre Costu, CN human cleric (Varisian Pilgrim), Expert Explorer Chuck8: Halleran 'Hal' Vereen, CG human bloodrager, Healthy Leonfire99: Darian Fairholt, NG human fighter (Aquanaut), Athletic Veniir: Renshaw Blackburn, NG human shaman (Deep Shaman), Following in the Footsteps eriktd: Ommerra, NG human investigator (Questioner), Following in the Footsteps Timing: Katarina Haventide, CG human sorcerer, Athletic shumatsu: Hugh Marvos, NG tiefling kineticist, Expert Explorer DBH: Amari Silverskin, CG aquatic elf arcanist (White Mage), Expert Explorer Grumbaki: Torgald Frostbeard, dwarf kineticist, Set Mind SodiumTelluride: Mestim, catfolk rogue (unchained, Sylvan Trickster), Employee [Lyra Heatherly] Qunnessaa: Tsia Troian Malynova, CG elf occultist (Silksworn), Resourceful Wyshart: Maximina Scaevinus, CG human sorcerer, Pathfinder Recruit Malinor.: Tocash, N half-orc alchemist (Aquachymist), Pathfinder Recruit KoolKobold: Ninra Vison, NG halfling gunslinger (Mysterious Stranger), Athletic Ironperenti: Takeda Mon'tar, LN tiefling magus, Azlanti Scholar AGM Lemming: Aleece, NG human witch, Azlanti Scholar Mark Thomas 66: Ma'oa, skinwalker (Seascarred) ranger (Guide / Skirmisher), Employee (Ramona Avandth) BloodyNoseViking: Kalana Stormcaller, N sylph sorcerer, Resourceful Linnea the Diviner: Tiye Soumral, NG half-elf psychic, Azlanti Scholar
I'll repeat my summary for the new page, with a few additions and corrections. Dslak: Petre Costu, human cleric (Varisian Pilgrim), Expert Explorer Chuck8: Halleran 'Hal' Vereen, human bloodrager, Healthy Leonfire99: Darian Fairholt, human fighter (Aquanaut), Athletic Veniir: Renshaw Blackburn, human shaman (Deep Shaman), Following in the Footsteps eriktd: Ommerra, human investigator (Questioner), Following in the Footsteps Timing: Katarina Haventide, human sorcerer, Athletic shumatsu: Hugh Marvos, tiefling kineticist, Expert Explorer DBH: Amari Silverskin, aquatic elf arcanist (White Mage), Expert Explorer Grumbaki: Torgald Frostbeard, dwarf kineticist, Set Mind SodiumTelluride: Mestim, catfolk rogue (unchained, Sylvan Trickster), Employee [Lyra Heatherly] Qunnessaa: Tsia Troian Malynova, elf occultist (Silksworn), Resourceful GM_Drake: dwarf oracle, Expert Explorer
I did a quick pass to collect all the applications so far. My apologies if I missed anyone or got anything wrong! Dslak: Petre Costu, human cleric (Varisian Pilgrim), Expert Explorer Chuck8: Halleran 'Hal' Vereen, human bloodrager, Healthy Leonfire99: Darian Fairholt, human fighter (Aquanaut), Athletic Veniir: Renshaw Blackburn, human shaman (Deep Shaman), Following in the Footsteps eriktd: Ommerra, human investigator (Questioner), Following in the Footsteps Timing: Katarina Haventide, human sorcerer, Athletic shumatsu: Hugh Marvos, tiefling kineticist, Expert Explorer DBH: Amari Silverskin, aquatic elf arcanist (White Mage), Expert Explorer Grumbaki: Torgald Frostbeard, dwarf kineticist (Aquakineticist), Set Mind GM_Drake: dwarf oracle, Expert Explorer
Here's my character submission, Ommerra. Ommerra's background and description: Ommerra's earliest memories are hazy, floating in warm water and hearing harsh voices.
As a young girl, she was found on the seashore near Claes by a kindly family of halfling beachcombers, who took her in and cared for her as their own. They discovered that she had an incredible affinity for languages, which they encouraged. As she grew older, her strange origins drove her to question everything and learn as much as she could about the world around her. Her family supported this quality by bringing her books about the history of the lost continent of Azlant, which she would read voraciously before trading back for new ones. Many of these books were fairy tales, others books of facts and famous figures, and some talked about the magic of their ancient bloodlines, or the flora and fauna of the islands that sank into the sea. Last year, one of Ommerra's older adopted siblings joined a government-sponsored expedition to explore and colonize the islands, as a sailor on the ship Peregrine. After returning from delivering the first group of people and supplies, they wrote home to share what they knew. Apparently the sponsors were considering sending a second trip of specialists, and if Ommerra traveled to Almas she could apply for a position. Excited, she put this plan into action, and after an impressive interview she was soon on the open water heading for the Isle of Ancorato. Ommerra has tanned skin and light-colored hair that she dyes blue. She also has vibrant purple eyes that are slightly larger than normal for a human. She dresses in simple travelers' clothes, light and easy to move in. There is an indefinably alien quality about her that does not seem quite part of this world. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and her curiosity is nearly boundless. Ommerra's stats: Name Ommerra
Race Human (Gillman) Alignment Neutral Good Class Investigator 1 Abilities Str 12 (+1), Dex 12 (+1), Con 14 (+2), Int 14+2 (+3), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 8 (-1)
HP 10/10 (8[HD]+2[CON])
Fortitude +2 (+0[base]+2[CON])
BAB +0 Weapons
Human Aquatic Ancestry, Focused Study Favored Class Bonus Investigator, +1/3 inspiration points Investigator (Questioner) 1 inspiration, inspiration for subterfuge, spells (CL 1), trapfinding +1 Investigator Spells (CL 1)
Feats Racial Heritage (Gillman) (level 1), Skill Focus* (Linguistics) (human) Skills Diplomacy 0+0 (trait), Disable Device 1+5* (masterwork tool +2), Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1+6* (free inspiration), Knowledge (history) 1+6* (free inspiration), Knowledge (local) 1+6* (free inspiration), Knowledge (nature) 1+6* (free inspiration), Knowledge (religion) 1+6* (free inspiration), Linguistics 1+9* (free inspiration), Perception 1+5* (trapfinding +1), Sense Motive 1+5, Stealth 1+4* (free inspiration), Swim 1+4 Languages Aboleth, Aquan, Azlanti, Common*, Halfling Equipment bell x3 (3 gp), compass (10 gp), earplug x2 (.06 gp), fishing kit (.5 gp), hammock (.1 gp), longspear (5 gp), magnet (.5 gp), masterwork backpack (50 gp), masterwork thieves' tools (100 gp), signal whistle (.8 gp), sorcerer's kit (5 gp: bedroll, belt pouch, iron pot, mess kit, soap, 10x torches, 5x trail rations, waterskin), spell component pouch (5 gp), traveler's outfit (free), wandermeal x4 (.04 gp) Ommerra's role: Ommerra is designed primarily as a support character, specializing in aid another during combat (at level 1 she grants a +5 bonus) and providing lots of skill and spell utility starting with knowledges and trapfinding and then developing exceptional face skills (Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate) by level 3.
I've started putting together a human Questioner investigator (with some distant Gillman heritage). I'll post the character as soon as I have it ready.
Grumbaki, maybe another Vocation talent for your bonus skill sphere? There’s one that’s basically Skill Focus. That way we don’t presume too much on YBD’s tolerance. (Unless YBD is okay with Faction of course.)
Also I looked over Mahmoud. I don’t know enough about the war sphere to offer any advice, only that it seems like a good choice with Warpriest fervor to get things up and running without losing your…uhm…momentum. Anyways. It's got a pretty powerful punch with a pretty minimal investment. Lots of variety in the five talents I took-- there's defense, movement, and even boring old bonus damage. :) I think I can replenish his momentum pool with fervor if necessary, since it's a sphere effect that only affects him (while others can use the pool, they don't actually get one, so it seems like fervor should apply). Fervor's also lay on hands for quick healing or fighting undead, and he can even channel energy with it. (Though with only two of us, it's more efficient to use fervor for single-target healing, since channels are double the cost.) Wonderfully flavorful casting tradition. Exactly the type that the system encourages. The entire build works well together with both the casting and martial classes given how they both center around movement (and knife work) Thanks! I love the synergy between the Performance sphere and the Shadowboxer talent from Boxing. Also how starting a dance lets him replenish his momentum pool as a free action (with the Vicious Performer feat) and maintaining a dance allows him to regain martial focus with Mobile Focus. For your build plan, I’m curious: are you going to be sticking to war? Enchantment might prove useful, or even protection, to dip into as well. My plan is to take a couple more Momentum talents: Demoralizing Momentum (since we are both pretty good at intimidation), and more instances of Resourcefulness (to give his momentum pool more points). But I don't think I'll take any other Spheres of Power. It's true that Enhancement or Protection have useful stuff in them, but Mahmoud already has pretty good boosts from Warpriest (sacred armor and sacred weapon) and Fighter (the Warrior Spirit advanced weapon training ability basically gives him any magic weapon quality when he needs it). I'll take more combat talents with the rest, so he can do more debuffy things with his attacks like demoralize. ;) Maybe that's inefficient. He will have a good amount of spell points, and I don't know how quickly we'll blow through momentum points in the pool. I figure we'll probably get by with only one spell point per fight, and that will leave him with a lot of spell points unused each day. But we might find that we go through momentum like candy, and he might have to replenish it multiple times in one encounter. If I need to fine-tune it, I'm very open to suggestions for what to take instead! That said, he is still insanely versatile-- with martial spontaneity, Barroom Brawler, and later Warrior Spirit (Training) he can flex into three combat feats at the same time that last for one minute. Since he has blended training, and Extra Blended Training Talent is a combat talent, that means that he can get up to three temporary talents to deal with emergencies. For example, say Aerith gets petrified? Mahmoud can pray to Pharasma for the Life sphere and Break Enchantment. Or say Aerith dies? He might be able to get Life sphere (move with martial spontaneity) and Resuscitate (swift Barroom Brawler combat stamina trick) and use Cure on her in one turn to bring her back. He should be able to deal with a lot of things that would otherwise grind us to a halt. Thanks for your feedback and compliments and suggestions! I really appreciate it. Oh by the way, I'm going on another vacation tomorrow morning, where I'll be gone for a week. I will have my computer with me, so I'll be able to check my games periodically through the day, but I might be a little less alacritous about it. ;)
Oh, wow, especially since all your attacks are Dex-based, Talented Tie-Up seems absolutely essential! That -4 penalty to all your rolls would sink you otherwise. The character I played a while back with lots of grappling was a White-Haired Witch, which doesn't get the grappled condition when she grabs someone, so I forgot about this. Smart thinking! Then add “chink in the armor” which just adds an extra attack as a touch attack. Which effectively pushes through more damage. Chink in the Armor is fantastic, and it should work well with your action economy once you've got Champion Strike. Also inescapable grasp does sound like it’s very IC. I think you are right on dropping gladiator altogether and focusing on wrestling. That looks great! :)
Hey Grumbaki, I was thinking about your build, and I have a couple of questions/suggestions for you. I'm not sure I know what your blended training talents from Shifter are. It looks like you get two. I'm guessing they are Wrestling sphere at level 2, and Power Slam at level 4? But how are you getting the Gladiator sphere? I'm probably missing something. Have you considered taking the Constrictor drawback with the Wrestling sphere? I don't think you need Improved Unarmed Strike for anything, and you can't use it with your natural attacks. Plus, getting Hammerlock for free is nice because it increases the grappled penalty when Aerith grabs something. I wonder if you're going to be getting very much from Power Bomb. It's a nice little bit of damage early on, but later it's kind of piddly, and the fatigued effect on a Fortitude save is okay as long as we're not fighting undead. :) You're probably thinking that you'll be dropping the grapple each time you attack with your claws, so you might as well add some damage to that, but the immediate action cost seems too steep to me, since you can save it for a swift on your next turn for another attack or Arcane Strike. Also, you have to drop the grapple on your turn to do it, which means the enemy isn't grappled on its turn. Maybe you'd do better to take Inescapable Grasp? Aerith is already good at Warp stuff, so it seems pretty appropriate to her character that she could keep enemies from teleporting away. Plus it beats freedom of movement at BAB +10, which otherwise can prevent all your grapples completely. I also worry you're going to run out of actions when you try to use Boast, at least before level 7 when you get Champion Strike. Until then, you'll probably want to use Arcane Strike on every turn, and if you use a boast you won't be able to. I'm not sure rolling one attack twice is better than +2 damage on every attack in your chain. Maybe if you can get Bloodthirst earlier, since another attack is always awesome-- and if you time it right, I think you can add your Arcane Strike damage to the extra attack from the Boast! But if you don't have enough talents, it might be better to forgo the sphere completely and take another Wrestling talent like Iron Grip instead. You'll need all the help you can get to beat high-level CMDs! Just some thoughts, hope they help! No worries if you don't agree with anything. I look forward to seeing Aerith in action regardless! :)
Champion’s Strike Ooo, I hadn't seen that before! An excellent choice! How's this for my little informational spoilers? Momentum Pool (6 points):
Allies within 30' can spend
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
Entwining Prance (dance):
Mahmoud: move action (optionally move 5'-15') to start, move 10'-15' to maintain; allies within 15': move action (optionally move up to half speed) or 5-ft step to join
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 15) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends). Guarded Twist (dance): Mahmoud: move action (optionally move 5'-15') to start, move 10'-15' to maintain; allies within 15': move action (optionally move up to half speed) or 5-ft step to join
A creature can pick up an item from the ground, retrieve a stored item, sheathe a weapon, or stand up from prone as part of the movement required to join or maintain this dance. Dancers taking the actions listed above do not provoke an attack of opportunity (including when they initially take the action to become a dancer). Additionally, whenever you begin or maintain a dance with this talent, roll a Perform (dance) check with a circumstance bonus equal to the number of dancers, which cannot exceed your operative ability modifier (minimum +1). All dancers may use your Perform (dance) check result in place of any Acrobatics check to avoid provoking an attack of opportunity for as long as they continue the dance. If you have at least 6 ranks in the associated skill for this package, the dancers also get a +1 dodge bonus to AC for every 6 ranks you possess. (+0)
Speaking of which, eriktd, I’ve never seen war sphere in use. But it fits the character well and I look forward to seeing him put the war in Warpriest. Should I drop arcane strike? +2 damage is pretty nice for each hit, but if you have plenty of swift action effects to give I can take something else. I'd probably take something else instead of Arcane Strike, but that's just me. When we have the momentum points, another bite attack totally overshadows (ha!) it, but when we don't, adding 2 or 3 damage to every attack in your sequence is golden. And it's nice to be able to choose! Mahmoud has a lot of immediate action reaction stuff, so I was thinking it's a good use of the action economy to use a swift when I have it to take another attack, and when I don't have it because I've used an immediate on or after my turn, oh well. A suggestion for eriktd: When they're active, add a blurb to the bottom of your posts listing your [dance] and [momentum] abilities with associated costs. Both Spheres potentially have reactive effects, and that sort of thing can be tricky to handle via PbP. Absolutely, will do! I'll make up a little spoiler with all of the details and stick it on the bottom of my posts when it's applicable.
Oops, my bad! :) Well, as far as I can tell, the [dance] package of the Performance sphere doesn't use any of the new mechanics in Spheres of Guile. It unlocks skill leverage, but none of the talents I'm interested in actually use it. It's more about movement than social interaction.
I'm planning on having Mahmoud invest in the War sphere (appropriate for a Warpriest, no?), specifically Momentum talents. Aerith will be able to benefit from them too, and I thought I should call out some of the tricks that this will enable for her. Aggressive Momentum: Save your swift actions, because this basically lets you use them for another bite attack every round, as long as we've got points to spend! Damaging Momentum: Adds a small bit of damage (+3) to one attack. Aggressive Momentum is probably more cost-effective, but you can do both as long as we've got the momentum points. Focusing Momentum: Lets you use momentum to regain martial focus, as either a move action or a swift action. Nice that Aerith doesn't have to take a focus-regaining talent. Marauding Momentum: You can move up to 20' without it costing an action, and I believe this is in addition to a five-foot step. It provokes, but oh well, that's still pretty good. :) Resilient Momentum: It's kind of like damage reduction 3 that isn't damage reduction. A small amount, but every bit helps, right? I also want to take the Performance [dance] sphere, which lets Mahmoud begin a dance as a move action, and lets Aerith join the dance simply by moving somehow, even just by taking a five-foot step. Being part of the dance gives a lot of benefits depending on the dance, including an entangling effect on adjacent enemies; or using Mahmoud's Acrobatics total to avoid opportunity attacks, a dodge bonus to AC, standing up from prone, picking up an item, or retrieving a stowed item-- all without provoking or costing any movement. Mahmoud is a dancer first and foremost, and that should be evident in his fighting style as I picture it. But it's pretty cool that this helps both of us, isn't it?
Since your dragon form is handled by the Transformation feats, I wonder if you can use the enhanced Alteration talents to improve your humanoid form? Like, boost all your skills and vision and stuff that would be excellent when you are out of combat (and might hold over when you change into your dragon form?) You can theme it like Aerith perfecting her elven form while she's perfecting her draconic form, too... I'm not super-familiar with Alteration, but there are a few talents that might serve you well no matter which shape you're in. Adaptive Physicality boosts your Influence, and Agile has lots of cool benefits. You can also get things like fast healing or pounce pretty easily, which are never bad!
The main thing the archetype gives in combat is grab on the bite attack. That’s awesome, but I can live without it. I've never played a Shifter (let alone the Johnsonfinder version) but can't you just take Grab as a Bestial Trait on a base shifter?
As much as I would love to keep playing in a game with gyrfalcon and/or Wyshart, I can't resist the siren song of gestalt. I mean, Mahmoud already has one foot in the grave-- it wouldn't be at all difficult conceptually to make him into a Warpriest cleric of Pharasma.
Of course it's up to you, YBD, what you want to run! I'd like to help make whatever you feel inclined to do fun for all of us. I really enjoy the games you steward and I've felt lucky to be included in all of them. Of course it's too bad that Carrion Crown is ending, but you're right that it makes sense with where everybody is right now. I will try to reconcile myself to that sad fact. :) I'd really like to continue playing Mummy's Mask. I've been really happy with how our characters have been maturing, and I think both Aerith and Mahmoud have reached a point where they are functioning as they are supposed to in their chosen areas of expertise. I've played in multiple games of this adventure path that never got past the House of Pentheru, and even though I've run the first book myself, I've never read ahead to learn what is happening, so I'm super excited to learn more as you reveal bits and pieces of the story to us. Of course I'll happily play in anything you want to run. That said, I'm kind of over-saturated with Kingmaker, because I've played it so many times. (I played through the video game on multiple occasions.) If you're looking for suggestions for APs to run, I might suggest Iron Gods or Hell's Rebels as games that I've played some of but never enough? :) If you're saying you're considering starting a new gestalt game for us and ending Mummy's Mask, hear me out-- what about continuing Mummy's Mask as a gestalt game? As much as I'd love to make a new character for an exciting new adventure path with you, I'd also love to continue playing our Osirion adventure even with a dwindling number of Shadows. I'm certainly interested in Zeitgeist, based on what I've read about it. Both Grumbaki and I made fairly complex and (in my humble opinion) compelling characters for Pasha's potential campaign. I don't know if Pasha is ever going to return, or how involved they will be in running a game if they do, but I'm sure you could find more potential players from that recruitment if you decide you want to run it. Also sad to hear Strange Aeons is ending, but yes, I agree that it has been a struggle to keep the players engaged and moving forward. Sigh.
I’m still working on my Human Guardian Palacle, Alikiya.
I'm actually working on a Guardian. :)
Glad to see you back, GM! I don't think there's been any changes to folks' characters or last-minute entries since I left for vacation two weeks ago, but I still have my list of applications so I'll post it here for you. CHARACTERS SUBMITTED Grumbaki: Kardin Shieldshatter, dwarf Gunsmith blacksmith (Techsmith) 5 // incanter 5 // Mad Shootist 1 Philo Pharynx: Tavius, deva Skyseer elementalist 1 / hedgewitch 4 // incanter 5 // Applied Astronomist 1 eriktd: Lacrimadia, tiefling Spirit Medium incanter 1 / soul weaver (Shepherd of the Lost) 4 // technician (Innovator) 5 // Urban Empath 1 ChrisAsmadi: Annalina "Lina" Vell, deva Docker striker (Voidrusher) 5 // summoner (Champion Summoner / Sphere Summoner / Void Conduit) 5 // Notorious Celebrity 1 Violant: Ana Brunas, catfolk Technologist gunslinger (Gunfighter / Musket Master / Siege Gunner) 5 // technician 5 // Steamsuit Pilot 1 Crisischild: Captain Zephyr Aetherlock, human Yerasol Veteran armorist (Martial Armorist) 5 // conscript 5 // Monument of War 1 namo: Léonie Crouet, human Technologist conscript 5 // rogue (Ghost Stepper / Shade) 5 // Steamsuit Pilot 1 Slyness: Ayreth, changeling Eschatologist druid (Spirit Mender) 5 // hedgewitch 5 // Logos 1 Johnny_Panic: Lady Calista Lisia Da Romano, drow Vekeshi Mystic eliciter 5 // investigator (Detective) 5 // Vekeshi Excoriant 1 Fury of the Tempest: Arcantos Asari, kitsune Docker kineticist (Fusion Kineticist / Legendary Kineticist / Sphere Kineticist) 5 // incanter 1 / hedge witch (Guileful Hedgewitch) 4 // Notorious Celebrity 1 EXPRESSED INTEREST Master Han Del of the Web
Since I'm leaving early tomorrow morning on a vacation for two weeks, I might as well post the list of applicants I've been maintaining one last time. Apologies for any errors! CHARACTERS SUBMITTED Grumbaki: Kardin Shieldshatter, dwarf Gunsmith blacksmith (Techsmith) 5 // incanter 5 // Mad Shootist 1 Philo Pharynx: Tavius, deva Skyseer elementalist 1 / hedgewitch 4 // incanter 5 // Applied Astronomist 1 eriktd: Lacrimadia, tiefling Spirit Medium incanter 1 / soul weaver (Shepherd of the Lost) 4 // technician (Innovator) 5 // Urban Empath 1 ChrisAsmadi: Annalina "Lina" Vell, deva Docker striker (Voidrusher) 5 // summoner (Champion Summoner / Sphere Summoner / Void Conduit) 5 // Notorious Celebrity 1 Violant: Ana Brunas, catfolk Technologist gunslinger (Gunfighter / Musket Master / Siege Gunner) 5 // technician 5 // Steamsuit Pilot 1 Crisischild: Captain Zephyr Aetherlock, human Yerasol Veteran armorist (Martial Armorist) 5 // conscript 5 // Monument of War 1 namo: Léonie Crouet, human Technologist conscript 5 // rogue (Ghost Stepper / Shade) 5 // Steamsuit Pilot 1 Slyness: Ayreth, changeling Eschatologist druid (Spirit Mender) 5 // hedgewitch 5 // Logos 1 Johnny_Panic: Lady Calista Lisia Da Romano, drow Vekeshi Mystic eliciter 5 // investigator (Detective) 5 // Vekeshi Excoriant 1 Fury of the Tempest: Arcantos Asari, kitsune Docker kineticist (Fusion Kineticist / Legendary Kineticist / Sphere Kineticist) 5 // incanter 1 / hedge witch (Guileful Hedgewitch) 4 // Notorious Celebrity 1 EXPRESSED INTEREST Master Han Del of the Web
I agree! Also the Muscle Reflexes feat, to get Str-based attacks of opportunity. The problem is that both Technologist characters submitted so far are primarily Dex-based gun- or finesse weapon-wielders, so boosted Strength really does nothing for them. Wearing the steamsuit also limits their max Dex to +0, so it feels like it is somewhat suboptimal, even with an ACP of 0! (Neither of them are wearing it, it looks like.)
Also, for characters with Unarmored Training looking for armor that isn't armor, there's leather armor made from stable shadowstuff, which may be slightly cheaper than clothborn. And, unlike clothborn or leatherborn plate armor, you don't have to have heavy armor proficiency to wear it! (Though granted, there's no penalty for wearing armor without proficiency if the ACP is 0.) I wonder if a steamsuit (see the Steamsuit Pilot PrC) can be enchanted with clothborn? Might make it more useful for Dex-heavy Technologists if so. :)
Lacrimadia is done. If you're going to review applications, GM, I'll post an updated list to make finding them easier for you. CHARACTERS SUBMITTED Grumbaki: Kardin Shieldshatter, dwarf Gunsmith blacksmith (Techsmith) 5 // incanter 5 // Mad Shootist 1 Philo Pharynx: Tavius, deva Skyseer elementalist 1 / hedgewitch 4 // incanter 5 // Applied Astronomist 1 eriktd: Lacrimadia, tiefling Spirit Medium incanter 1 / soul weaver (Shepherd of the Lost) 4 // technician (Innovator) 5 // Urban Empath 1 ChrisAsmadi: Annalina "Lina" Vell, deva Docker striker (Voidrusher) 5 // summoner (Champion Summoner / Sphere Summoner / Void Conduit) 5 // Notorious Celebrity 1 Violant: Ana Brunas, catfolk Technologist gunslinger (Gunfighter / Musket Master / Siege Gunner) 5 // technician 5 // Steamsuit Pilot 1 Crisischild: Captain Zephyr Aetherlock, human Yerasol Veteran armorist (Martial Armorist) 5 // conscript 5 // Monument of War 1 namo: Léonie Crouet, human Technologist conscript 5 // rogue (Ghost Stepper / Shade) 5 // Steamsuit Pilot 1 Slyness: Ayreth, changeling Eschatologist druid (Spirit Mender) 5 // hedgewitch 5 // Logos 1 Johnny_Panic: Lady Calista Lisia Da Romano, drow Vekeshi Mystic eliciter 5 // investigator (Detective) 5 // Vekeshi Excoriant 1 EXPRESSED INTEREST Master Han Del of the Web
It's Annalina, not Annaline, btw. Whoops! I updated the file for the next time, sorry.
You'll want to take another look at the campaign guidelines, specifically the part about Backgrounds and Campaign Traits! Every character chooses a Character Theme from a specific list of nine in the Extended Player's Guide. These supercharged "campaign traits" have a related theme bonus feat and a specific three-level prestige class that every character gets the first level in to start. :) I really like these characters. All seem unique, despite everyone using the Tinker sphere lol I suspect this is because of the character themes. They all have really strong flavor, and that helps the players carve out something really distinct with each of them!
Updated the interest list for the new page. Again, apologies for anything that I've gotten wrong! CHARACTERS SUBMITTED Grumbaki: Kardin Shieldshatter, dwarf Gunsmith blacksmith (Techsmith) 5 // incanter 5 // Mad Shootist 1 Philo Pharynx: Tavius, deva Skyseer elementalist 1 / hedgewitch 4 // incanter 5 // Applied Astronomist 1 eriktd: Lacrimadia, tiefling Spirit Medium incanter 1 / soul weaver (Shepherd of the Lost) 4 // technician (Innovator) 5 // Urban Empath 1 ChrisAsmadi: Annaline "Lina" Vell, deva Docker striker (Voidrusher) 5 // summoner (Champion Summoner / Sphere Summoner / Void Conduit) 5 // Notorious Celebrity 1 Violant: Ana Brunas, catfolk Technologist gunslinger (Gunfighter / Musket Master / Siege Gunner) 5 // technician 5 // Steamsuit Pilot 1 Crisischild: Captain Zephyr Aetherlock, human Yerasol Veteran armorist (Martial Armorist) 5 // conscript 5 // Monument of War 1 Slyness: Ayreth, changeling Eschatologist druid (Spirit Mender) 5 // hedgewitch 5 // Logos 1 Johnny_Panic: Lady Calista Lisia DaRomano, drow (Theme?) eliciter 5 // investigator (Detective) 5 // (prestige class?) 1 EXPRESSED INTEREST Master Han Del of the Web
@eriktd: I assume you're talking about this text? "If you gain a gizmo talent temporarily, or retrain a gizmo talent you already possess, you can no longer maintain that gizmo (including gizmos crafted with costly projects) and the gizmo becomes completely nonfunctional after 10 minutes of losing the talent." That's just a clause there to prevent people from cheesing the system to gain permanent features for effectively no cost. That's the bit I was thinking of, yes. :) Thanks! That makes moldable inventorship a much cooler class feature. As for making gizmos permanent, I'd allow that, but with certain restrictions that prevent abuse. Examples of abuse would be creating a mechanoid army at virtually no cost, creating boatloads of civilian appliances that end up derailing the game and turning it from an AP into a crafting sim, etc. That makes perfect sense, thanks. Don't worry, I won't try to cheese them! If you don't require Lacrimadia to maintain her mechanoids each day, I don't need to try and make them permanent. (Though, maybe I should think about giving them permanent arms and legs so I don't have to spend active gizmos on them every day...)
Re: Firearm Proficiency and gun training, in the current setting all our characters are automatically firearm trained, because they are treated as simple weapons with Guns Everywhere. The rule that gives gunslingers gun training at level 1 is to make up for the fact that their proficiency with guns is redundant in that setting. So, I'd argue that under Guns Everywhere, any character that gets proficiency with all firearms should also get gun training instead. |