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I'm thinking about submitting a Time Mystery Dual-Cursed Oracle, Half-Elf, who has been sort of coerced into a bargain with Shyka to carry out some tasks for The Many (join the party and stop what's coming) in return for something the character desperately wants. Would the Feysworn prestige class be allowed? I've wanted to make a Shyka worshipper for the longest time.
Hello and good morning! Thanks for selecting me GMMichael! Here's the tentative build for Sidonia: Sidonia A few things to mention. 1. I've wavered quite a lot on whether to go the Dex 4 and Cha 3 versus Dex 3 and Cha 4. I think it's fairly obvious the idea with Sidonia is to be more on the face and social side of things compared to straightforward combat and thievery. This would suggest a Cha 4. On the other hand, the first couple of levels at least tend to be more 'all hands on deck' where combat is concerned, with characters really finding their niche after a few levels. This would suggest a Dex 4. I'm open to opinions and suggestions here. 2. Possibly connected to Thing 1, I haven't decided on an archetype for level 2. Mostly I'm looking at out of melee options like Bard, Sorcerer, Dandy, Captivator, or Celebrity(?). Again leaning more into non-combat development. This could be misguided? I was ready to consider knowledge oriented archetypes, but with an Investigator in the party it seems there's no need. 3. When I saw the background with a connection to Jubrayl Vhiski I almost scrapped this version of the character in favor of a Thief racket Rogue instead. That one would be a person looking to get out from under Jubrayl's thumb, having reconsidered their life choices thus far. Such a move would require protection, and attaching to a new group of heroes in town would be just the right opportunity to make the move. This version is still possible. There might not be enough for a more specialized social character to do? Anyway, as I mentioned I have very little experience with 2e so I'm leaning into the confessions of uncertainty with an aim toward getting feedback form others.
Hm, well looking at it through that filter I would suppose Chelaxian. But the more precise answer would be whatever a very style conscious young aristocrat from Magnimar would be wearing, etc. It looks like Sandpoint was founded in 4666 AR and it's presently 4707 AR. That's about 40 years. The Valdemar family were already established in Magimar before that, presumably already nobility, and that would have taken some unknown amount of time as well. So, the question to me would be: how long do externalities representing one's particular ethnicity remain when faced with competition or pressure to adapt other, more "mainstream" replacements? The answer would certainly be "it depends". So, what might it depend on? In a large, homogenous immigrant population that interacts mostly with each other, which allows them to meet most of their needs internally might retain a distinct ethnic appearance and so forth for a considerably longer time. But, there is no Little Kalsgard in Magnimar like there's a Silk Quarter in Kalsgard, and nothing indicates large numbers of Ulfen people among Magnimar's population. In a very small population where most contacts and interactions outside the family are with other ethnic groups, not terribly long, maybe 2 generations give or take. But, even more important here is class position. Magnimar's aristocracy is a tiny slice of the population as a whole. Fitting in, being able to move more easily among one's peers, strategic marriages instead of ethnic marriages, lots of immediate advantages to assimilating, would speed up the process. So I'd argue that Magimar Valdemars are distinguished primarily by class and wealth signals rather than ethnic ones. Physically Sidonia has black hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. She's of around average height. She's also thin because all the best people are. Now, on the off chance the Valdemers make some fetish for insisting on wearing bearskin cloaks or whatever, Sidonia has no time at all for that kind of foolishness. Does she speak Ulfen? Maybe some and badly? So, how does she read to people in Sandpoint? Like a bleeding edge cool aristocratic kid from Magnimar. She has recently turned 18 since arriving in Sandpoint though. Wow, that birthday party was such a huge drag. Sidonia spent most of that evening crying in her room. Or maybe as a more concrete answer, how Tian does Ameiko seem? Take that amount and reduce it by 3/4 because A. the Kiajitsus are more recent arrivals, and B. because Sidonia is way more motived to fit in amongst her peers, and her peers do NOT live in Sandpoint.
Here's a bit about my character submission. I'm sticking with Human, Rogue (Scoundrel), and Party Scholar. I'm figuring by this time, in Maginimar at least, the Valdamars are not purely Ulfen (that would be a whole bunch of inbreeding by now), so she's Ulfen and Chelaxian. Her mother is the Valdemar, and her father is a member of the Niroden family. Her paternal grandmother or great aunt, whatever works better, is a member of Magnimar's Council of Ushers. Sidonia Valdemar-Nirodin has been living the rural life in Sandpoint for close to a year now. She's in a sort or soft exile for a while due to an very embarrassing incident that occurred (or more bluntly she initiated) in Maginimar. If you want to know what exactly the incident was, just ask her. Sidonia will happilyy share the details. It was a very clever scheme in theory. Her family hopes that spending some time with her rural, more grounded relations there will instill some degree of uprightness in her. Sidonia is miserable in Sandpoint. As far as she's concerned the place is absolutely the ass end of the world. Even worse, rather than letting her mope through her sentence, the local Valdemars insist on assigning almost daily tasks to her involving their commercial concerns in shipbuilding and fishing. It's gross and degrading, like she's some sort of mercantile worker bee. In her still copious free time, Sidonia seeks out ways to keep herself entertained and stimulated in town. Her dread is that all the time away from Magimar will cause her to lose her edge. After all, styles and fashions change, and who knows what she will find to be terribly outdated when she returns home. Sidonia's two great talents are self-promotion, and her ability to be a social chameleon. Despite what she really thinks of Sandpoint and its people, she has been on a charm offensive during her time in town. Alienating everyone around her would serve no purpose except to cut her off from opportunities (though the gods know there's none of any real value in the town). At the least it keeps her mind active and gives her something to do, which helps the time pass.
I have about a teaspoon full of experience with 2e, but I'd like to give it a go. I'm thinking a Human Rogue, either Thief or Scoundrel, who's led something of an unsavory life up to the present. I'm unsure on other build details right now, I'd need to do some looking around at the available options. EDIT: If I went with Scoundrel could I be a cousin of one of the local noble families, say Valdemar? I'm thinking they're from Magnimar and went off the rails down there. Sent to Magnimar to dry out and let enough time pass for the cloud on the family's name to clear. Party Scholar would be the background.
If it was me deciding where to place a location agnostic campaign in Golarion, I'd go with somewhere that's seen less traffic and development due to Adventure Paths and Modules. The eastern border of Brevoy and into Iobaria could be cool. There's also Isger. It's a (neglected) Chelaxian vassal state, but also depopulated and wild. Just about anything could easily be dropped into either location due to all the blank space in those areas. Oh, interested as well. :)
A top contender? Who could possibly compete with Shohreh?Avasarala! A top contender for my favorite character in The Expanse! Great voice. I'd put Drummer and Amos right up there as well.
I'm putting together a Halfling Swashbuckler (Inspired Blade) - Cleric (Divine Paragon) of Chaldira Zuzaristan. As much as Virtuous Bravo Paladin sounds juicy compared to Swash, I'm too addicted to skills to actually do it. Why is she in Mendev? She lost a bet (or did she?). Is this a comical character? Maybe, but don't say anything suggesting so to her.
Avasarala! A top contender for my favorite character in The Expanse! Great voice.
I didn't more than take a look at Sentence, making something for it was clearly going to be beyond what I could do. But this I can handle for sure. On the chance you're not full up with Sentence applications, I'll throw my hat in the ring as very interested. I have 3 ideas I'm in the process of pairing down to one for submission. 1. A human ex-Gray Maiden who is looking to make up for past misdeeds (either Sister in Arms Cavalier or Vanilla Fighter / Bard. Might go into Heritor Knight later). 2. An aasimar from Qadira who's mother is revered as practically a saint in the Sarenite church. She's trying to live up to her mother's legacy. (Whirling Dervish Swashbuckler / Divine Paragon Cleric). 3. A human Kellid worshipper of Pulura fighting to drive out the World Wound's demons and restore her homeland. (Transporter & Tanglebriar Demon Slayer archetypes archer Ranger / Inquisitor of Pulura).
@Violant Well, if it's a reroll for each stat at 10 or below I can reroll 3.
So that would be 12, 12, 13, 15, 11, 13 That's still pretty garbage, but could work for a wizard or sorcerer I guess. It's technically an 18 point buy, but about half the points are wasted. I'll still pass. Edit: Actually if the scores are giggled just right, they might work for a Virtuous Bravo Paladin of Chaldira Zuzaristan. CotCT isn't usually prime Paladin territory, but Chaldira might just have the wriggle room in the code for it to be okay. Tinkering...
@GM Itzi: No problem, I wasn't counting on that Ranger archetype working out, just figured I'd ask and see. I haven't conclusively decided between Warpriest or Inquisitor yet, but her background and so forth will be the same regardless of which of the two classes I choose. I've gone ahead and posted BAP portions below. Background:
Vigny was born in Southmoor, the most southern part of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. When she was barely 4, her parents decided with some friends and relatives to establish a small hamlet in the wild lands close to the Varisian border. It was a perilous place to try to live, but her parents had no use for overlords or taxes, and wanted to be well outside the reach of the regional capital at Jol. When Vigny was 13, the danger caught up to her family. Less than a day into a journey north to buy winter supplies, a group from the hamlet, Vigny among them, was set upon by a band of Nolanders who had crossed over into Southmoor to raid. In a short and brutal fight, Vigney's parents, along with an uncle and her teenaged cousin were killed. The raiders took Vigny, the only surviver, south as a captive into the Nolands. After a couple of days of travel, the band spied a caravan. They decided to probe its strength by approaching with an offer to barter. The caravan's owner Sandru Vhisky saw through the ruse and surprised them by agreeing. The raiders actually had nothing to offer in trade except Vigny, for which Sandru traded away much of his food supplies and other materials as well. Sandru was careful that the raiders found no exploitable weaknesses, and since they had done far better in the exchange than they expected, the raiders left the caravan in peace. Sandru reassured the frightened girl, and took her with the caravan to Riddleport. There, he placed her in the care of Caylenite priests who ran an orphanage. Vigny spent the rest of her childhood there, going from ward and student to temple tavern worker. Eventually Vigny joined the church formally as a _________. During those years she only saw Sandru a couple of times when he stopped by to check in on her (she's pretty sure that's why he stopped by. Surely that's why he stopped by...). After becoming a ________ of the church, Vigny decided that it was time for her to travel. She wanted to find Sandru and travel with him if possible. Knowing he was from Sandpoint and stops there regularly, she went to the town hoping to catch him there when he next passes through. Appearance and Personality: Height: 5'8" | Weight: 135 | Hair: Light Blond | Eyes: Medium Blue Appearance
Personality
She has come to love him based on her view of events. He saved her from several possible fates worse than death, and probably death too. He gifted her with her entire life since her capture, and even if he never loves her back, she believes she could never repay him for what he did. She also sees Sandru as a prototype of the roguish do-gooder type she is modeling herself on. Life with the Brothers and Sisters of Cayden Cailean in Varisia has been an altogether sunnier experience for Vigny than Southmoor was, and she has embraced their values. She is optimistic and usually cheerful. She's quite brave really, and a fierce enemy of slavery and oppression. One tendency from her early life in Southmoor has persisted. Growing up so near the Grungir Forest, Vigny heard many stories about the forest's fey inhabitants, all of them to some degree grim and cautionary. She still views fey anything with suspicion and some degree of fear. She is good at getting to know other people, and skilled at talking up strangers due to her time serving in the Caydenite tavern. Vigny is confident and assertive, but somewhat naive in her idealistic, open views and opinions. She sees the world as mostly white, with some irritating black spots that can certainly be dealt with given enough determination. Grays are something she's not yet accustomed to seeing all that well. Vigny isn't a genius, and isn't particularly subtle in her thinking. She can also be a bit day-dreamy and absent-minded, and therefore clumsy from not paying attention to her surroundings. Vigny is NOT a loner. She is much happier when around other people. Games, stories, drinking, telling stories about drinking games, whatever will keep her interacting with people is her go to means of steadying herself. While she's not a perfectionist, she appreciates the value of having the right equipment, and keeping it in excellent condition. Weapon, armor, and equipment maintenance can be a relief for nervous hands or boredom. While she is not much of an art and craft hobbyist in the usual sense, Vigny may find wagon repair to be something interesting. Certainly it would keep her in proximity to Sandru. Exercise is a good way for her to get her mind off troubles. Weapon practice, swimming, whatever gets her moving and sweating is a good balm. She's not given to sitting around and perseverating about doubts or problems. Vigny is very much a woman of the common people. Class and hierarchies bother her. She finds them distasteful at best, and usually harmful. Such things run against her communitarian instincts. This could present her with a dilemma later, how does she justify working to enthrone an empress, even one who is a friend, given her social and political leanings? On the other hand, Vigny is less concerned with tinkering with the "good enough" aspects of the world than with eliminating the bad. She isn't radically anti-establishment in an anarchic sense. She is happy to leave the questions of exactly how a society, polity, or community should work to the philosophers as long as it meets a minimum criteria of not promoting greater suffering.
Interested! Thanks for running a campaign Itzi! I'm considering a Caydenite Inquisitor or Warpriest with the Childhood Crush - Sandru campaign trait. But before I decide, I want to ask whether a Ranger with the Transporter archetype would be compatible with the campaign? Along with this, how will you be handling the caravan and romance subsystems? Sorry if I missed anything you said about them above. I read through twice but I also have a nasty head cold right now so I'm not very sharp presently.
I could be interested depending on the AP chosen. Regarding Wrath of the Righteous: I've played a little bit of it and I could see it working well for this concept. I've also heard terrible things about mythic, but there are also workarounds. Gestalt and maybe mythic limited to 2 or 3 levels, or a higher point buy and gestalt, or some other combination of milder substitutes could work to keep things sane. Regarding the social combat rules from Ultimate Intrigue: I've played with the social combat rules a little in War for the Crown and mostly I don't think they would be all that helpful for speeding things along, with the possible exception of the part about structuring social encounters as events. You might find some ideas in that part about how to set up social encounters so they're more linear and efficient to play through.
@Robert Henry: Thanks for keeping the list! Tambry is now a Cleric rather than an Investigator
Yeah, the first one didn't work so I reposted the link in the subsequent post copied above. Although alchemist bombs don't work the way you seem to believe they do, it's probably not worth getting into. I suppose I could work up a Sea Singer Bard or something similar.
Hm, the link didn't work. I'lll try that again. GRENADIER It' not 3rd party, it's official Paizo material from the Pathfinder Society Field Guide so it's been around forever. The book isn't on your list though. By default alchemist bombs do fire damage. But, it's not really one of the better options. There are alchemist discoveries to change the damage type. At 4th level the character could easily have a couple of other damage types to use instead, acid, frost, and/or tanglefoot bombs are accessible instead of fire. The character is actually an old one that I used in a Skulls and Shackles campaign a few years back. Here's the character, which hasn't had any adjustments made to it so far. If you don't want to include grenadier though, I'll consider something other than an alchemist.
I'd be interested in making a character for the Desna slot. Looks like you need martial characters so for Desna I'd say either a Swashbuckler or a Bloodrager. Since Desna is in the Tian pantheon I think I'd go with that ethnicity. I think with Swashbuckler I wouldn't take an archetype, but is there a way to get katana and/or wakizashi as a weapon? I think I'd like to flavor the character as a sword saint type rather than 3 musketeers standard Swashbuckler. If Bloodrager, maybe the same flavor as the Swashbuckler but strength based. Probably the Destined Bloodline to make a lucky warrior. Seems to fit nicely under Desna's rubric. However if Melda wants Desna, I think I'd go with either a Fighter or Paladin for Abadar. Knight of Coins Paladin seems made for Abadar, but I'm not sure it's particularly useful in this context since the changes are mostly about getting more for selling loot. Probably vanilla Paladin and for that matter vanilla Fighter. Taldan might be the better ethnicity for Abadar.
Hm, this sounds interesting. I don't know the setting very well, never played using it before, but a quick google scan later and I have some starter ideas. For Vilhon Reach maybe a Druid, but I'm not sure what to make of the "yuan-ti patron" part. That sounds a bit disturbing from what I know of them. Old Empires, I think it has to be an Oracle. Shadowdale, maybe a martial character. It's pity Slayer isn't on the class list, but maybe Fighter or Ranger.
@Tara: Same question as above, but with a couple of specific examples. 1. If an archetype replaces the Witch's familiar, like Bonded Witch, does the Witch get the bonded item and also keep the familiar? 2. For Oracle archetypes that replace mystery spells (most of them I think), does the Oracle get both the archetype spells and the replaced mystery spells? Same question for Oracle with class skill replacements. Also, do you think this campaign would be compatible with mounted characters like Cavaliers?
My heart says Tyrant's Grasp for the 1e converted group. I wish the the last couple of 1e adventure paths would get more love than they do. But, my head knows Tyrant's Grasp (or Return of the Runelords) isn't going anywhere. So, my vote goes to Curse of the Crimson Throne because it's one of the greats and I love an urban adventure. For the 2e group it came down to Strength of Thousands or Quest for the Frozen Flame because of the new locations. My experience with 2e is dime-thin so if I'm going to be in new territory, I want new territory all the way around. I'll vote for Strength of Thousands because from what I hear it leans more toward RP, which I always like.
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