Has anyone gotten and used the GMG add on for HLO? I need a good npc/monster builder but I haven't seen any reviews or videos for the HLO mod. I want to make sure it's what I'm looking for before I shell out $50.
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Front page has shown Beginner Box "Releasing April 24, 2019" since I don't know when. There's a new hardcover coming out this month and another soon. Blog updates are current, but these are major releases. Did SF get forgotten? 
You have traveled the Crusader Road north for uncountable miles, intent on a destination far more perilous than the journey you undertook to reach it. Although you are accompanied by others in your caravan with similar ends in mind, your individual reasons are as varied as the autumn-shaded leaves of the surrounding woods. Are you on a quest for glory, for righteous defiance against the evil of the Worldwound, or seeking riches in mercenary work, or maybe even a noble death? As the wagons creak along the well-worn path, there is ample time for these thoughts to cross back and forth through your mind. The Crusader Road has now taken you into the River Lands, a motley collection of small kingdoms and proxy fiefdoms of the surrounding powers. Petty kings are everywhere, but the security of law is harder to find. One bastion, however, lies a few leagues ahead on your path: Fort Inevitable. Standing in the rolling hills on the edge of the Echo Wood, this Hellknight fortress defends the road and would-be-crusaders from the predations of brigands and worse. Some of these outlaws come from nearby Thornkeep, a wretched hive of scum and villainy set in the heart of the Echo Wood. Midway between these two hubs is the fabled Emerald Spire, which you hear a few experienced caravaners mention, though few of them have actually seen the strange Thasillonian ruin.
Setting up a discussion thread for the new campaign! Some quick notes to help flesh out character backgrounds... You are traveling north on the Crusader Road, ostensibly to join the latest campaign from Mendev. You are currently passing through the River Kingdoms among a caravan laden with supplies for the war effort. I don't expect a party of paladins and goody 2 shoes, but try to keep personalities on the light side of the spectrum (that is, unless *everyone* wants to play a dark mercenary type -- that works too). As for the edition, I'm happy to give 2nd edition a go. I'll have to do a little reading, but I think it'd be an easy conversion on the DM side. I'm already familiar with Starfinder, and most of the big changes from PF 1st to 2nd are there. I also think a dungeon crawl is a good place to try out new rules (especially the tactical ones) in a relatively limiting environment. From the JR thread, sounds like everyone was amicable... any strenuous objections or pushes for 1st edition? Lastly, a warning: this *is* a dungeon crawl first-and-foremost! We all know play-by-post dungeons can be a slog. I'll do my best to keep things moving and engaging, and we'll probably have to lay out some party guidelines to keep from stopping at every intersection: "so, left or right?". That being said, I will certainly work in the NPCs and story elements, and how much you interact with the folks is up to you to keep it engaging.
So, we're about a month out from the start of Against the Aeon Throne. There hasn't been any fanfare or build up. I mean, we don't even have a separate sub-forum for it yet. I assume the Paizo writers have got something planned, but for now I find the lack of hype disturbing. I'd love to get some discussion going, but what do we know? Any juicy tidbits from the authors?
Hello,
Thanks!
Hello,
Thanks! 
For your own reasons -- a chance to explore, travel the universe, seek out lost treasures and lore, or just a decent paycheck -- you applied to join the Starfinder Society. You were brought to Absalom Station, specifically the Lorespire Complex, and subjected to a battery of tests and background checks. After three days of these, ranging from exhausting physical trials to patience-trying boredom waiting, you are accepted and awarded a medallion of membership. For your demonstrated talents and trustworthiness (or lack thereof), you are assigned to Nomad Section. Rumors tell you this team is often responsible for 'rough' missions -- usually exotic, often undesirable, and always dangerous. One of the small perks of Starfinder Society membership is a place to call home. With your Nomad Section assignment, you receive a tiny closet-sized apartment within the team's hangar in the Lorespire Complex. Its small, but its secure, and a place to sleep. You are told to meet with your new teammates and the Nomad Section commander, Venture-Captain Sarigar, at 0700H.
Setting this thread up for game development and OOC discussion. Alrighty... I was originally considering two main campaigns to run: the published 'Dead Suns' AP, or a conversion of the old 'Age of Worms' 3.5e AP. While I think AoW would port perfectly into the Starfinder setting, I am still pretty unfamiliar with the new rules. Its a good possibility I'd get bogged down in the conversion grind and slow down the game. AND THEN I started reading through 'Dead Suns', and while it has some cool elements, its also a bit generic in places. Not very inspiring so far. =/ However, its a very good platform to introduce the Starfinder rules and setting. AND THEN I read a recent blog announcement -- Starfinder APs are going to a 3-part (vs the current 6-part) format! I'm a huge fan -- PbP games are notoriously slow, so the ability to run a complete story arc in potentially less than a decade is inspiring. Plus, it makes the idea of weaving multiple adventures into a campaign with the same PCs a lot more realistic. AND THEN I read that the next AP is 'Against the Aeon Throne', featuring the Azlanti Star Empire as villains! I'm already more interested than in the current AP. Problem is the first chapter doesn't come out until August... bah! So, in the meantime, I'm happy to run a low-level introductory scenario. There's a couple Starfinder Society modules that would work perfectly. What do you think?
Hello,
Hello,
Please comment if you see something horribly wrong! *** (advanced Rokurokubi Unchained Rogue variant)
DEFENSE
OFFENSE
STATISTICS
Based on my party's needs (and a riff off of some stated concerns about the healing capacity), I re-built Winter as a spiritualist. I also sketched out a background to fill in the gaps and explain how she ended up with the Pharasma church. If Mr Daigle or Schnieder swings by, I'm curious if there is any unpublished (cut for space) stuff for Winter. Specifically looking at her changeling race... any interaction with her green hag mother, etc? Obviously **SPOILERS** and my players need to keep out! =P Stat Block:
Winter Klaczka
Female changeling spiritualist 3 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 29, Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures 72) N Medium humanoid (changeling) Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +3 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +1 natural) hp 27 (3d8+3) Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +7; +4 bonus vs. mind-affecting -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee mwk dagger +4 (1d4+1/19-20) or . . 2 claws +4 (1d4+2) Special Attacks bonded manifestation (6 rounds/day) Spiritualist Spells Known (CL 3rd; concentration +6) . . 1st (4/day)—burst of adrenaline[OA], compel hostility[UC], cure light wounds, deathwatch, protection from evil . . 0 (at will)—guidance, light, mending, message, stabilize, telekinetic projectile[OA] -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 12, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 17, Cha 15 Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 15 Feats Emotional Conduit[OA], Mother's Gift: Hag Claws[ARG], Skill Focus (Appraise), Skill Focus (Bluff) Traits blessed touch, undead slayer Skills Appraise +3, Bluff +5 (+7 vs. creatures sexually attracted to her), Heal +9, Knowledge (religion) +6, Sense Motive +9, Spellcraft +6; Racial Modifiers +2 Bluff vs. creatures sexually attracted to her Languages Common, Varisian SQ bonded senses (3 rounds/day), etheric tether, phantom (Autumn, jealosy), shared consciousness Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds; Other Gear mwk chain shirt, mwk dagger, cloak of resistance +1, 150 gp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Bonded Manifestation (6 rounds/day) (Su) When phantom is in consciousness partially manifest it on self. Bonded Senses (3 rounds/day) (Su) As a standard action, share the senses of your manifested phantom. Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only). Etheric Tether (Su) Lose hp to prevent dam to phantom that would banish it to ethereal. Phantom must remain close when manifested or concentration required. Phantom (Shared Consciousness) Phantom can manifest as a separate creature or provide bonuses while sharing your mind. Shared Consciousness (1/day) (Su) Gain skill focuses and +4 vs. mind-affecting when not manifesting a phantom. -------------------- Background: Winter knows next to nothing of her actual parents. She grew up under the foster care of a merchant family from a village just outside of Caliphas. Although they knew she was not truly their child, her parents raised her as one of their own. Until fifteen years of age, Winter's life was mostly unremarkable.
Her older sister, Autumn, was a natural child of her foster parents. As they matured into teenagers, Winter's natural beauty and charisma -- aspects of her true heritage -- developed quickly. Autumn, although physically strong and agile, was of average appearance and over time became more and more resentful of her foster sister. Autumn's jealousy led ultimately led to tragedy, On the occasion of Winter's fifteenth birthday, Autumn plotted a trick to embarrass her sister. The trick turned against her, however, and she fell from a great height. After she died, Autumn's spirit lingered to haunt Winter, driven by her jealousy and bitter anger. The tragic event had a profound impact on Winter, both emotionally and physically. Despite the one-sided rivalry, Winter still loved her sister. Witnessing Autumn's untimely death awakened occult power from Winter's true mother's blood, binding Autumn's restless phantom into a shared consciousness. Autumn's death and Winter's burgeoning powers took a great toll upon her foster parents. Unable to cope, they sent Winter away, giving her into the care of the temple of Pharasma in Caliphas, hoping the clergy would be able to free Autumn's spirit to move onto the afterlife. Unfortunately, they only discovered that Winter's life and Autumn's unlife were intertwined. Winter was taken in for mentorship, and over the next few years learned to control her gifts, focusing them into spells, as well as enhancing the bond between her and her sister's phantom. Winter is not a purely divine spell-caster, but she believes most of her spiritualist abilities are a gift from Pharasma. She adheres to her church's tenets closely. Her changeling heritage and spiritualist powers usually only raise uncomfortable questions, so she strives to avoid drawing undue attention to them. Similarly, she only opens up about her past to the most trusted companions. Her relationship with Autumn is strange and stressful. Autumn still harbors strong jealousy of Winter, including now of her continued life. When manifested, Autumn regularly rebukes, curses and insults Winter. Conversely, resonating from Winter's love for Autumn, their bond also includes a powerful protectiveness, and Autumn viciously attacks any who threaten her sister's safety.
Hello!
If it is too late, no problem, but please cancel the PACG subcription for future shipments. I will keep my Adventure Path subscription active, so no change there. Thank you!!
All around you is a wall of sickly yellow fog, tumbling through the alley's canyon of crumbling, gray brick walls like some jaundiced flash flood. Ahead, the unfamiliar alley splits, curving to the left and right. Behind, from the silent swell of mist, emanates the sound of footsteps -- slow, but somehow keeping pace with the careening, hungry fog.
Starting up the discussion thread to give us a place to hash out character creation and campaign details. Take a look at the Strange Aeons Players Guide for some character build suggestions and campaign traits. Play-by-post can be a grind at times with large groups and combat mechanics, so I want to run this a bit differently, focusing on the campaign's mystery and horror elements and, while certainly not eliminating combat entirely, make the set pieces manageable for a small party... and rewarding ingenuity in avoiding or turning confrontations without combat. I will use the alternate fear, sanity and Unchained disease and poison rules. Taking a look at the Wound Threshold rule too. Let me know what you think.
Hello... I have the CotCT hardcover on pre-order. I would like to upgrade that to the limited edition, if able. Should I cancel the existing pre-order and create a new order?
Hello,
Thanks, 
So, I've been playing through the Base scenario in WotR. I was looking forward to running through the adventure card path, because I truly enjoy the background material, but the cards are crushing my will to play. I've already failed two scenarios, both due to running out of turns on the blessings deck. I've had 1 character die, and others down to their last cards at the final encounter. I like that the scenarios are challenging -- its satisfying to get through victorious. But, each game is such an attrition grind that I'm finding it less and less enjoyable, and not really motivated to continue (even though I have all the decks 1-5 now). So many encounters are just punishing... arboreal blight and demonic horde are known issues, but monsters like the mongrel wizard and ranger and several others that do automatic damage before *and* after the encounter... most monsters are 10+ difficulty, requiring a blessing/weapon/spell just to succeed. It seems like I'm just discarding constantly. I don't dare "waste" a blessing on trying to win a decent spell or weapon. Kinda sad when encountering "temptation" barriers are a relief because I can pretty much ignore them. I don't remember anything this painful when playing through S&S scenarios... they were challenging, and we hit some tough spots, but it didn't feel like a gauntlet every game. I want to continue, but the game so far is sucking away my motivation. Am I doing it wrong?
Hello,
Thanks!
First off, I'm as excited as anyone for this AP! I think CoT was kind of a missed opportunity to cover some of the iconic aspects of Cheliax, and I cheered when I first saw Mikaze's post from PaizoCon announcing the AP. Well, I just read the product page description, and it sounds like a straight knock-off of CoT. While I expected some overlap (they're both in Cheliax...), I didn't think it'd be this close of a facsimile. Swap "Kintargo" for "Westcrown", "Paracount Thrune" for "Council of Thieves", and "rebels known as Silver Ravens" with "... Children of Westcrown", and you probably get my gist. Anyone else get that impression?
The first sensation you recognize is pain... a horrible throbbing ache in your head, as if some nightmare creature from the Dark Tapestry were consuming your brain. Nearly as awful is the sickly tang of cheap wine that pollutes your mouth. A rancid bilious stink fills your nostrils, but you cannot find its source. Everything is dark, but enough light breaks through wooden beams overhead for you to make out your surroundings. You lie on a hard wooden floor in a cramped, low-ceiling room. The room sways slowly from side-to-side, and you can hear rhythmic creaking in the distance. Around you are four others in a similar hungover state, slowly coming to.
Ahoy, mateys! I'm still pondering character creation guidelines, restrictions, etc, but you can start planning out character concepts, roles, etc. Make sure you take a look through the S&S Player's Guide for the campaign traits. Big picture, you character should encompass two things into his/her personality: a desire to be a pirate, and/or adventure on the high seas of Golarion; and a more 'shades of gray' outlook than your average heroes. I'd like to avoid any pure evil sociopaths, etc, and good characters are still welcome, though more in the Han Solo/Lando 'scoundrel' territory. I'd like characters that fit the campaign theme (i.e., paladins and monks need not apply). The swashbuckler in the new Advanced Class Guide looks like a great fit for this type of campaign. It's not on the PRD yet, but should be soon. Lastly, don't sweat not having a completely role-balanced group (tank, healer, caster, dpr)... If you all end up playing warriors and rogues, I'll balance out the threats appropriately.
Hello! Unfortunately, I need to cancel my Adventure Path subscription. I also sent an e-mail to this effect. If able, can I please cancel before the new AP 'Iron Gods' ships? Thanks!
I know this topic has been brushed over a few times, but I did not find any full conversions for the Athasian bard into Pathfinder. I originally considered just designing a bard archetype, but the loss of all spell casting is a bit beyond an archetype's scope. The bard version on Athas.org is good, but seems very weak in combat, even more so than the rogue. While the performance abilities are strong, the loss of additional buffs from spells takes a huge toll from the bard's utility. This version is basically a mash up of the original bard, with rogue/ninja tricks tossed in to offset the loss of spells. The theme of Dark Sun bards was always that of performer-by-day/assassin-by-night, so the poison abilities are prominent. Concerns: While this bard has songs, tricks and poison, I'm still afraid it comes up weak in the combat department. Rogues and ninjas have sneak attack to offset (a little) of their flaws, but sneak attack didn't seem appropriate here. Rogues/ninjas are stealthy types, while bards seem to favor bluffs and misdirection. I'm considering ways to buff that theme here. Any and all suggestions are much appreciated!! Athasian Bard: Hit Die: d8.
Level / Special
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the bard’s friend, crossbow (any), garrote, greater blowgun, whip and widow’s knife. Bards are also proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields). Bardic Knowledge (Ex): Per the standard bard class feature. Bardic Performance: Per the standard bard class feature. Poison Use: At 1st level, a bard is trained in the use of poison and cannot accidentally poison herself when applying poison to a weapon. Versatile Performance (Ex): Per the standard bard class feature. Well-versed (Ex): Per the standard bard class feature. Trade Secret: As a bard gains more experience and notoriety, they gain access to secrets of their clandestine trade. Starting at 4th level, a bard learns one trade secret. She gains one additional trade secret at 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th and 19th level. Unless otherwise noted, a bard cannot select an individual trade secret more than once.
Lore Master (Ex): Per the standard bard class feature. Jack-of-All-Trades (Ex): Per the standard bard class feature.
Placeholder thread for an upcoming campaign idea. If any lurkers-by are curious, I'm slowly putting together some conversion house rules, which I'll be posting on the campaign tab. I'm still outlining the adventure, which will be set in/around the City-state of Kalidnay just before its mysterious destruction.
Kalidnay was once a magnificent city-state, as large as Tyr and as wealthy as Balic. The sorcerer-king who ruled it lived in an immense palace in the heart of the city, surrounded by the mansions of his nobles and templars. Judging from all of the abandoned trading emporiums, it must have been a wealthy city indeed. In the center of the city, there was even a huge ziggurat. Now, the streets are littered with skeletons, the palaces have fallen into ruin, and the ziggurat has been cracked open like an immense earthen egg. No one knows what disaster caused the downfall of Kalidnay, but there can be no doubt that it came rapidly and unexpectedly. - The Wanderer * Kalidnay was once a great power in the Tyr Region. That changed centuries ago when a force unknown to the other sorcerer-kings abruptly destroyed the city-state, leaving its citizens slain and its sorcerer-king, Kalid-Ma, missing. To outside observers, one day Kalidnay was a vibrant city; the next, it was an empty shell bereft of life. - Dor-Nosmoht of the Silt Coast * The little we know today of old Kalidnay are but scraps of lore and bits of archaeological finds, pieced together into a rough mosaic. The broad strokes are clear from a distance, but any close study reveals the large gaps in our collected knowledge. Those gaps are the untold stories, lying there among the dust and skeletal remains; the eye witness accounts of those unfortunates who lived... and died, through the death throes of this once great city. - The Nomad Sage
Campaign page is HERE. We have been running for just over two years, and are currently halfway through the 4th adventure (Forest of Spirits). If you know nothing else about the AP, they are currently in Tian Xia, enroute to Minkai. We lost one of our players recently, and I'd like to bring the party back to 5 PCs, maybe... I say maybe because I'm not 100% sure I want to disrupt the party chemistry, so I'm going to be up front and say that I'm planning to be very picky over any submissions, and reserve the right to take none if they don't suit. I agree that sounds pretty silly, but... well, you know. What I'd really like is an active player to infuse some RP blood into the ongoing story. I'd like someone that gets into the NPC/PC interactions and discussion. The party currently consists of a monk, 2 x gish melee (magus and vanguard) and a healbot. They really need either a skill monkey, arcane caster, or both, so I'll be partial to those roles. For the crunch, I'm looking at a 10th or 11th level character, 20 point buy. Equip with 50k gold in gear, standard considerations and restrictions. For the fluff, since this PC wasn't around for the start of the AP, they won't have the tie to the major NPCs that the other PCs do, but you also aren't shackled to them either. Since they are in Tian Xia, oriental-style characters may be easier to work in. Lastly, let me know if you have any knowledge of the AP. Not a big deal, as it can help me weave the player knowledge into the character's story. I'll keep the recruiting open 'til I make a pick. Let me know if you have any questions, and I look forward to seeing what you've got... =D
The Path of Aganhei, Week 16:
Dates: 22 Kuthona 4711 - 28 Abadius 4712 Route: The Wall of Heaven -> Ordu-Aganhei Distance: ~300 miles (Total: ~3900 miles) Weather: Clear Special Events: Formal Greetings After leaving behind the Path of Spirits, it takes Ulf about a half-day to rejoin the Path of Aganhei descending from the Last Pass. From there, you make excellent time across the open expanse of rolling hills. The weather remains clear, and still cold but unseasonably warm, actually reaching temperatures above freezing at mid-day. After months in the polar regions, it is a welcome break. A day out from the city, you start to pass small collections of farmers huts. Ensconced in winter, the locals do not emerge and pay you no mind. Ulf explains that Hongal's people are mostly horse nomads, and tend to enjoy the southern climes during the winter months. They keep only two major permanent settlements, one of which is the city of Ordu-Aganhei, and only because of the lucrative trade route through their lands. You see few living people until you reach the city gates...
When you crest a hill and take your first view of Ordu-Aganhei, you see the city is built in a ring around a large sulfur-rimed lake, which is surrounded by a parklike garden. Thermal springs create a veritable forest of steam plumes across the lake. One side of the lake is flanked by a massive palace on one side, and a large temple on the other. The rest of the city is a confusing array of winding streets and tall timber-framed buildings. A stout timber wall, forty feet high, circles everything. As the caravan nears the northern gate, a decorated tower with a single thirty-foot high reinforced iron door, a platoon of twenty guards emerge to greet you. They are openly surprised and suspicious of your appearance, but Ulf explains something in their native tongue, and the sergeant in charge nods. Nevertheless, they begin a strict inspection of the caravan.
Done! I welcome you as players and owners of this experiment. I'm still not entirely sure where this is leading, but I've got some ideas in low orbit. Feel free to improvise and stretch boundaries a bit.
LINK ... and see where it goes.
The tavern’s battered front door bursts open, letting in a gust of cold air and swirling flurry of snow. The people within, a handful of patrons, the proprietor and her maid, look up in surprise. Business this time of year is slow, and generally limited to a few local regulars. The figure now standing in the door, letting out the comfortable warmth, is not one of those. With a sigh of relief, the new arrival pulls off his frosted scarf and throws back his hood, while kicking the door shut behind him. Warm air from the twin fireplaces rushes in to banish the frigid draft. He is an older man, perhaps in his fortieth winter, and the silver shows in the week’s growth of beard on his rough face. His eyes are a warm hazel, reflecting the drab green of his woolen cloak. The man’s face is unscarred, but the bridge of his nose is notched from an age old break. Marta, the proprietor, stands up from beside the right side fireplace, where she had been poking the embers to new life. “Welcome, stranger. We don’t see much patronage here this time of year, but we can accommodate you. What will you be needing?” She starts toward the short bar.
Welcome to the *Curse of the Crimson Throne* adventure path! My goal is to have (another) PBP campaign with strong longevity. By their very nature, these are slow going, and can take years to get through. Luckily, I'm not in a big hurry! =) I'm not a taskmaster DM, but I'd request you post/check the thread daily. Things will eventually settle into their own rhythm. RL has the ultimate priority, but just let me know if you're going to be offline or limited access for any extended period (vacation, moving, etc). Experience points will be notional, and I'll award level-ups based on overall campaign progress. I will run fewer combat encounters than the printed AP, but generally beef up the encounters some (especially with 6 PCs). I use MapTools to build the combat maps, and will shotgun those out to you round-by-round via e-mail. If you're comfortable, please PM a good e-mail to use. If not, I can flex to a image hosting site. As far as the mech goes, I leave most of the dice rolling in the hands of the players. If you declare an action with a specific dice check, go ahead and be proactive with the dice. I'll spoiler Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and other skills of opportunity. The rest, I'll handle "back stage". I'll detail Dungeon Crawl Mode and Flex-time in a later post. For now, please finish up any refinements for your characters. I'll go through each with a closer look and ask questions, if required. The going-in expectation is your PCs have never met, but if you see some synergy in your backgrounds, we can probably work in a prior acquaintance. If you have questions, fire away. I hope to get the game thread rolling this weekend. Welcome again! =)
I've been waiting a while to run Curse of the Crimson Throne, but I just keep getting distracted by newer, shiny APs. Well, it's time! ;o) I'm looking for a group of about 5-7 characters. What I need... Like any good PbP game, the momentum comes from player inputs and interaction. I need players that can post regularly, at least once a day, to keep things moving along. I understand real life things come up, and they have priority. All I ask is that you let me know before you take an extended absence. For the characters... If you're interested in joining, post your character concept here. Looking for a balanced party, of course, so finding an unfilled niche may improve your chances to make the final cut. The campaign traits for CotCT are all tied to Gaedren Lamm, and are detailed in the Player's Guide. Be sure to look them over carefully and include details on your relationship to him in your character concept. I don't need the fully stat'd character now, but if you want to get a head start, use a 15-point build and average starting gold. Up front, all of the Paizo published products are in play... except gunslinger... just, no. Choose 1 campaign trait (as above), and 1 other trait. I want to run this AP gritty, rough, and a little more R-rated than the usual fare. I understand that isn't for everyone, but I ask up front you be respectful to the tone of the campaign. Also, because its a PbP, I plan to run more RP/dialog encounters than just straight tactical battles. Lastly, while I won't restrict alignments or personality concepts, understand the AP is built around a "heroes of the people" premise. Don't be so anti-social or narcissistic that you hinder the campaign. Let me know if you have any questions. I'm planning to start next weekend, depending on how many applicants come in. I'll choose the final group once I have enough to choose from...
I'm considering starting a new PbP campaign, and Kingmaker is on my short list. I was curious though, if anyone that has run it via the PbP format has any advice/warnings for the AP. Because of the exploring/kingdom aspect of the campaign, I can see it being difficult, and I'd like to know up front if there are any big pitfalls to avoid. Thanks in advance! =D
The Path of Aganhei, Week 1:
Dates: 5 - 11 Lamashan 4711 Route: Lands of the Linnorm Kings (Kalsgard -> Stormspear Hills) Distance: 280 miles Weather: Cold snap Special Encounters: The Harrowing, Ice Spire You roll the caravan out of Kalsgard in the half-light of early dawn, passing through the gates just as they open. The first day is spent heading east, until you reach the first bridge and cross the Rimeflow headed north. The smoke and haze of Kalsgard fade into the horizon behind you, the farms thin out and by the end of the second day the last vestiges of civilization are behind you. A cold snap settles in that evening, an early harbinger of winter, leaving a frost across the landscape. The sky remains clear, a stark cerulean blue. The further north you go, the farmlands and plains get gradually more rugged and hilly. By the end of your fourth day out of Kalsgard, you can see the white tops of the Stormspear Peaks on the horizon. Two days later, you climb into the hills saddled between the mountain ranges, east and west. The road begins to grow more and more faint. *
About mid-day, the ground slopes down into a steep valley, surrounded by sparse forest, at the headwaters of the Vyalldehun river. Ulf suggests it as a good place to stop early and rest up for the hills ahead. As you scout around the new camp, you see a peculiar sight on the western horizon. Perhaps ten to twenty miles away, a single standing spire rises from the otherwise featureless terrain. Even miles away, you see it glitters with reflected sunlight.
The dawn breaks cool and clear with the scent of autumn blossoms on the wind. With breakfast preparing, you pack up your things and make the final preparations for the journey to Kalsgard. As Bevelek and Vankor tie down the wagons and ready the draft horses to move out, Sandru calls you over to confer.
As on many evenings, you gather at the Rusty Dragon with friends for some drinks and companionship. The late summer air is balmy and heavy with moisture from the sea, but a cool breeze flutters through the open windows with a promise of coming autumn. Tonight is notable because Sandru and his caravan just returned to Sandpoint earlier today, and he has spend most of the night regaling you with tales from the road - most of them 'enhanced' for better entertainment. Now near midnight, Sandru stands on the bar, dagger out, as he displays a recent duel he witnessed. Ameiko sits in a chair by the cold fireplace, tuning her samisen as she listens to Sandru with a smile. Sitting nearby, Koya runs her finger around the edge of her wine glass. Shalelu is present as well, but she remains silent in her corner seat by a window, as she usually does. "And as the rogue falls on his back, hands raised in surrender, the priest's rapier at his neck, he squeals 'Yield! I yield! You can keep the pig!' Sandru ends the tale with a dramatic punchline, throwing the Dragon into a chorus of laughter. As the laughter begins to die, Koya speaks up. "But which were you, Sandru? The rogue or the pig?" she jokes. Laughter spreads again through the tavern, from Sandru most of all. He jumps down from the bar to kiss Koya on the cheek. "How I've missed you, mother!" Story finished, the tavern breaks into the din of a dozen conversations, as patrons head to the bar to refill their drinks and others beg off to leave for their beds. You have an opportunity to mingle and reaquaint with friends.
Welcome to the Jade Regent adventure path! My goal is to have a PbP campaign with strong longevity. My experience running these things is that they can take years to get through - I hope you guys are in for the long haul! :) From what I've seen, the biggest killers in these games are DM burnout and lack of momentum. I will do my best to keep things rolling, adding posts as often as I can. DM posts (especially combat) take a little more work, so may have delays depending on Real Life home and work commitments. All I ask from the players is to check the thread regularly, post often (daily, if able) and keep the momentum up! Similarly, if one player drops off from posting, and we don't know why, it can be disruptive. Please let me know if you're going to be off the net for any extended period (vacation, emergency, etc). As far as the game mech is concerned, I'd like you guys to control the "dice" for your called skill checks, combat rolls, etc. If your character is actively using a skill, put the dice roll in your post... pretty standard. I'll work the "behind the scenes" dice, most saving throws and passive skill checks. Experience Points are going to be notional. Because the PbP games are slow-rolling, I won't add in random encounters or similar time sinks to get the xp count. Instead, I'll tell you when you're leveling, generally based on campaign progress. I like to use MapTools to build the combat maps, and shotgun those out via email. When able, please private message me a good email address. I promise I won't send you spam! :) Lastly, I'll use my DM alias profile to keep a campaign journal, track quests and major plot points, NPCs, and house rules. During the campaign, if you have anything you want me to put there for future reference, let me know. That's all I can think of, for now. Use the next few days to refine your characters and iron out the details. I'd also like to compare NPC relationships, and how those will tie you six together. Feel free to discuss/modify/interpret, as desired. Assumption is that you know (of) each other at the opening scene. Campaign traits, as they stand right now:
Of course, if you have any questions for me, fire away! I hope to get the actual game thread going this weekend! Welcome again!
I'd like to start up a play-by-post game following the Jade Regent adventure path. I think it looks exciting, and I know there'll be more than a few people interested in this new series! I'm looking for a group of about 5-7 characters. What I need... Like any good PbP game, the momentum comes from player inputs and interraction. I need players that can post regularly, at least once a day, to keep things moving along. I understand real life things come up, and they have priority. All I ask is that you let me know before you take an extended absence. For the characters... If you're interested in joining, post your character concept here. Looking for a balanced party, of course, so finding an unfilled niche may improve your chances to make the final cut. The campaign traits for JR are tied to the four Sandpoint NPCs detailed in the Player's Guide. Be sure to look them over carefully and include details on your relationship to them in your character concept. These relationships will play out through the run of the campaign. I don't need the fully stat'd character now, but if you want to get a head start, use a 20-point build and average starting gold. Up front, all of the Paizo published products are in play. If you want to pull a class, PrC, feat, spell, etc from an older 3.5e product, ask me first. Let me know if you have any questions. I'm planning to start next weekend, depending on how many applicants come in. Also, if you're putting your character concept up for more than one JR game, just let me know in advance.
Put your out-of-game, out-of-character discussion here (including character stats, game mech questions, and random AC musings).
You have all been aboard the Jenivere for some time, as its made its way from distant Magnimar enroute to your final destination of Eleder. As you've progressed further south, you've left behind the cold winter days of the north for balmy tropics. Some of you have been on the ship longer than others. For example, Zaen boarded off Mediogalti Island, whereas Ki, nominally one of the Jenivere's crew, has been aboard the entire trip. On the long, boring days at sea, you've had ample opportunity to meet and speak with your fellow passengers ().
Looking for some advice from my friendly community gamers... I'm planning on starting up a Serpent Skull campaign with some friends, but played entirely via the internet in live-play sessions. I'm thinking a combination of voice-chat (Vent, Skype, etc) and a virtual tabletop of some kind. I'm not looking for anything mind-blowing - just a tactical map and dice roller, really. Even the map is optional if I can easily display graphics for the players to see. I've tried OpenRPG in the past (circa 2005), and it always seemed clunky (and now looks really dated). I saw d20Pro, and it looks nice, but I'm curious how usable it actually is - I don't have the time to figure out a new programing language, so I'm hoping the GUI is easy and intuitive. Has anyone here used either of these recently, and/or do you have any recommendations for alternatives? Appreciate any inputs... Thanks! :)
Paizo,
Thanks!
Hey all, This may have already been posted in the past, but I didn't want to wade through the archives. I'm currently running TFoE, currently 2/3 of the way in. The PCs have cleared the Hextor (Mockery) and Erythnul (Keeper) sections of the temple. While doing so, they've come upon a couple curious keys... Theldrick has a stone key in his chamber, while there is a silver key found on Grallak's body. In the text for Theldrick's chamber is the following: "The stone key opens the door that leads to the caves of Erythnul. It is marked with that god’s holy symbol." I totally missed this in the fine print the first time through... There is no such comment in the grimlock section regarding the silver key. I can only assume the silver key is meant to open the Vecna (Shadow) section of the temple. In the room details for the central cathedral, and in the opening comments for the three areas, there is no mention that the doors are locked, or that any special keys are required. I'm guessing that this was an editing oversight or was removed for space. It makes sense, if a bit of railroading, to keep the party going from Hex-Ery-Vec, in order. Anyway, I only just figured this all out, so now my party has two keys with no locks - they are, of course, mysteriously intrigued. I plan to give TFO a third key, the three of which can be used to open up some kind of special treasure at the end, perhaps... Again, this may all be common knowledge, but I wanted to pass it along to anyone prepping/running TFoE who are similarly comfused by the forgotten keys.
Okay, some design notes for those who've made it this far... Basically, my biggest targets were the dead levels and infusion list. The original artificer, while a pretty damn cool class as written, didn't have much in the way of interesting progression beyond about 10th level. I decided to spread-load the abilities out, add a couple new ones, and use a slower infusion progression, all to keep the class levels interesting up into the high-teens. Dweomer Sense was a great idea I stole from others on this board. I limited it to a number of times per day, and to touch only. Adding the identify and analyze dweomer abilities at the expense of an infusions slot keeps them from being redundant as infusions. The biggest challenge I had was redistributing some of the infusions to different levels, due to the changed progression chart. Because the infusions are gained at higher levels than before, they didn't equivilate (sp?) well with other spells of that character level. Some of the infusions I shifted to lower levels - for example, originally 3rd level infusions were gained at 5th level, now 3rd are gained at 7th - some original 4th level infusions made more sense as 3rd now. I hope that makes sense. Here's a quick rundown of the changes/additions/removals:
In no particular order... Moved:
Removed:
Added:
[Rant]
The way I see it, infusions are temporary magical patterns that an artificer adds to existing, physical items. Direct attack spells, any spell that creates stuff out of nothing, wall and force spells, etc - these just don't make sense as infusions. What is the artificer imbuing when he casts blade barrier? Move earth? I don't get it... so I took them off the list. I'm still not happy with some of the infusions I left on the list, but I didn't want to completely nerf the class. I left a couple of the wall spells there, and the cretion spells, with zero range. I can see an artificer touching the ground, making a magical pattern or something that brings the wall into existance. [/rant] Anyway, because the infusion progression was spread out to later levels, I also brought in some higher level spells that were previously unavailable - no 9th level ones, but some 7th and 8th equivalents. I especially like body of war - "Julian d'Sivis completes the infusion and touches his mithril shirt. Suddenly, the gnome's armor twists, expands, overlaps - growing around Julian until a moment later, standing before you is a massive, warforged titan. Echoing from within the hulk comes a high voice with a slight metallic tinge, "Let's go, boys!"" Hehe... I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but please post your criticisms, comments, anecdotes, questions, etc.
Hey everyone!
I'd like to see if any of them will be useful for my AoW campaign. I don't want to get all the PDFs and find half of them are "meh". Thanks in advance!
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