Welcome! Come on in and get yourselves nice and comfy. Before long we're going to get started with Devastation Ark! In the mean time, let's get some introductions rolling if you haven't crossed paths on the boards here before. Once you're nice and situated, we've got a whole bunch of things to go over.
Right now I've got four of you here, but we may yet get a fifth coming.
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Player's Guide
You can find a custom player's guide for Devastation Ark right at this link. This should cover the narrative set up for the Devastation Ark trilogy, as well as give you the character building rules. I tried to cover all the important topics, but if there's something I missed, don't hesitate to ask and I can add it.
House Rules
It's mentioned in the player's guide, but I'm planning on using this game to test out a few house rules. I have high hopes for them, but if we get into using them and it feels like they're having a negative impact on the game, we can always drop them. You can check them out via the player's guide, or right here.
Building the Party
So far, no one has yet mentioned a character or class they're really locked into, so it sounds like you'll have some discussion about who plays what over the next week or so before we start. Note that I'm happy to make minor accommodations within the starship combat rules, like letting people use Wis for Gunnery in place of Dex, if it means people get to play the characters and classes they're interested in. So don't feel you need to give up on something just to cover starship combat bases.
Expectations
Everyone here has played in a game I GM'd before, but if you need a refresher on my expectations, you can check out my GM Alias' profile. Be good and kind to one another, make use of discussion or PMs to engage with your fellow players and GM rather than staying quiet about things you're unhappy or unsure about, and stay active and always pushing the game forward with every post.
I'm looking to get us started around the 18th of April.
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Hello! Very excited to be joining this game. For whatever reason I've kept my Starfinder play to a minimum so I experiment less with characters in that system and think about each somewhat more exhaustively.
I was Lenny in Dead Suns, and am currently a space minotaur along with Cellion in a Fly Free or Die game.
I have NO idea what I want to play here, and if there should be some connection to Lenny (since this game is related to Dead Suns). I might like to play a spellcaster to change things up (interestingly that's what I overwhelmingly do in the classical fantasy games).
For others, who I may not have played with, it's important to me to contribute good RP, but I also like to be minimal(ish) about it. I'm not the guy writing a novelette every post. I like interacting with the other characters to make it feel like we're doing more than texting the GM :)
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Hello, everyone! I'm quite excited to join this game. I've played a decent amount of Starfinder, though I have done significantly more GMing than Playing the last two years (so I'm a bit unfamiliar with character options from recent releases).
I've GM'd through Dead Suns, and would love to give my character some relation to the PC's who went through that AP. Partially for nostalgia, and partially to give my character a bit of the knowledge of the AP that I have out of character.
The player's guide looks fantastic, I'll keep digesting it over the next few days. The house rules look sweet, too! I hadn't seen some of these before, they look like great improvements. I would also be down to try the squadron starship rules, I haven't played with those before! Starship via PbP is always an... interesting experience so I'm very open to new variations.
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I'm not committed to a character idea yet, but I've come up with a few! In order, I'm leaning towards:
1. A ranged biohacker. This NG female Ikeshti congregant is seeking to prevent “the disease of riveners” and find medical aids for her people. This character could be a Engineer, Science Officer, or Pilot.
2. A melee solarian. This LN male Kasatha is an Abadarcorp agent/enforcer who believes that achieving balance aids the economy and Abadar. I almost envision him as an unofficial paladin of Abadar, who gets sent by the corporation to restore balance. This character could be a Captain or a Science Officer. (To be honest, melee solarians seem to struggle in starship combat, and I haven't found a solution yet.)
3. A melee (Junk) technomancer. This NG female formian wants to go out into the world and do good in the name of her people, in repentance for the war with the lashunta.
4. A ranged operative. You can always throw an operative into a party.
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Good morning! I'm actually one of Cellion's older players from the Dead Suns campaign he finished running a few months ago, and I was looking to reprise my role as Arcalinte Soter, Sola of the Order of the Empty Orbit, devout Sarenite and Starfinder in good standing.
Hey everyone!
@PaleDim: I'm not much of a novelette writer myself, and I think you'll be in good hands with this group. :)
@Ewok: Lots of great ideas. The whole group here has played through Dead Suns, so no one has to worry about spoilers or anything. As for junk technomancy, Zousha is playing exactly that in my Dawn of Flame game right now, so they can probably fill you in on what it's like. The cache augmentation alternate class feature seems almost mandatory in order to keep up.
@Zousha: Ooh, are you thinking of keeping Arc as a solarion or doing a rebuild?
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As a matter of fact I was about to ask about the possibility of retooling Arc a tad to incorporate the new Cycle Scholar archetype from the Horizons of the Vast AP. Arcalinte was built way back near the beginning of Starfinder, so there weren't many options outside the vanilla stuff at the time, and this archetype really reflects a direction I'd wanted Arc to go in from the beginning, as a leaderly type.
@Zousha: Seems like a fun archetype. Society hasn't yet gotten to approving that book, but it looks A-OK as far as I'm concerned.
Sounds great! I look forward to meeting Zousha's solarian! With that and PaleDim's caster, we're fairly balanced so far. I'm still leaning towards a ranged biohacker but I could go melee biohacker (or melee junk technomancer).
@PaleDim: Not this time, since we're rolling with house rules that already tweak spellcasters. The set of house rules includes both havoc specialization for improved spell damage, and regaining slots on 10 min rest. Those two combined should give blasty casters more than enough oomph and resources to last a full day, I hope! I don't want to muddy the impressions by adding another variant rule on top.
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Ideas:
An Ikeshti precog who survived his mating battle with a bit of luck and time on his side. He went on to become a local news anchor. (I'm imagining Morbo from Futurama, except the correct shape, who's good friend is Richard Nixon).
A Witchwyrd elemental evoker technomancer who began traveling widely after he joined the Scrutineers. He desperately wants to make a name for himself but his current magical exploits have not gained a level worth re-telling. In the meantime he makes his way as a trader of magical toys and minor effects.
A kalo mystic with an arcane connection who is obsessed with learning and mastering the strategic games (a-la chess/go) of all cultures. A Xeno-boardgamer if you will. He's just learned about dad jokes.
An elf precog who was transported from pre-gap Golarion and is still trying to orient herself in this very different time. The impedance mismatch for her is very high as her expectations are challenged daily. A strange, pirate-themed gym on Absalom Station is her most comfortable refuge against the drastically different elements of the new reality.
A formian nanocyte who, as an ad executive, has found an innovating new way to spread his lucrative messages. SphereTok is the nanite cloud of the Infosphere. It's most infectious. And totally works.
What great ideas! The ikeshti precog and formian nanocyte definitely stood out to me as extra cool concepts.
Thinking more on my biohacker idea... As an Ikeshti woman, she became a congregant many decades ago after surviving mating. Afterwards, she left Akiton to study at Qabarat University on Castrovel - going on to be a professor of Akitonian Genetics. She recently gained a minor in Neurochemistry. While working at the University, she met a group of adventurers who had just explored the famed Drift Rock. She is a staunch supporter of the Xenowardens, donating financially and with expert advice on occasion. Her work with the Qabarat University and the Xenowardens brings her out into the field, both on Castrovel and other outlying planets. The ikeshti people are always on her mind and her work is often centered around akitonian diseases and ecology.
I think ranged works better for a biohacker, but it could be a feasible melee character if the party needs another front liner. Please let me know what you think!
I love the Kalo PaleDim, but all of them sound like fun. Don't forget that these are 13th level characters, so they should have had not only a lot of fighting and adventures in their past already, but they could easily be movers and shakers in their area of expertise. I know Zousha's Arcalinte will have a lot of history and connections going into this, so it would be good for the rest of you to also bring some impressive legacies.
Same for you Ewok. That ikeshti seems great, but more 'legacy' would be good. As for melee vs. ranged, I've seen one melee biohacker in action, and it seemed pretty decent, but very restrictive. You don't get a lot of choice in what weapons you can use or in how you keep up with damage. That was low level though, so who knows how it'll look in the high teens!
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I didn't forget about level 13, thought I suppose that does make the out-of-time elf more difficult. I'm currently leaning towards the Kalo or the Witchwyrd.
Some of those backstory/personality elements aren't necessarily restricted to the randomness that came off the top of my head, so the end result will likely be a mix/match of some of the elements. Whoever I pick will have spent the first 12 levels doing missions for some magic-focused organization (I like a lot of the ones in Galactic magic).
Hey all,
Just checking in after Spring Break with my family. I'll review the Player's Guide and everyone else's choices and weigh in on some ideas for my character.
Looking forward to playing with all of you!
-PatheticWretch
Welcome PW!
Looking forward to it PaleDim!
Just to be clear, can we play any of the Races/Classes listed in the link you posted then (including Other Races and not just Core Races)?
Another question as I look at possible builds--what level do we cap at?
Yeah, all race options should be fine. If its not normally legal in Society, just mention it here. I don't think there are any races that are way out of control, but I'd appreciate the chance to check.
The AP is a 13-20. You'll hit level 20 right near the end.
I've spent a little time going through options. I'm willing to adjust based on what the group needs most.
So far, I'm liking the idea of playing a Borai trying to piece together how she died. I'm drawn to Solarian but know Arc is already playing that--I am also considering a Vanguard but can't find a lot of info out there on the class. I'm thinking of something tanky/hard to kill. Anyone see it played or otherwise have any thoughts on it? Or other class options that might fit that idea?
The character's personality would be similar to Laori from Curse of the Crimson Throne--an overly-enthusiastic character with an affinity for Zon-Kuthon who submits to pain to feel something--anything--in this new undead form.
Welcome, PatheticWretch! Vanguards seem pretty cool, very tanky with some adaptability during combat. If you're wanting to go tanky, I'll definitely go ranged. That seems to fit the biohacker better anyway.
Same for you Ewok. That ikeshti seems great, but more 'legacy' would be good.
Ah shucks, good point! That backstory is super low level. It's been a while since I made a high level character from scratch! How about something more like... The scholar has long since left the university, preferring to take her studies to the field. While at Qabarat, she joined the Xenowardens. After realizing how many newly discovered worlds were exploited immediately by corporations, she decided to work to protect new worlds and alien races. After all, if a new ecosystem is immediately destroyed or harvested by an unfeeling corporation then medicine and scientific research will not be able to advance and incorporate the discoveries available there. This would all feed her base drive to support the Ikeshti race through medical and scientific research. Within the scientific community she is something of a celebrity, known for her willingness to go anywhere against any opposition to make a new discovery. Though some professional organizations have condemned her willingness to examine new flora and fauna, whether she had the legal right to or if that belonged to a corporate entity, many others have praised her for it.
As a member of the Xenowarden scientist corp, she has travelled to numerous newly discovered worlds in the name of cataloguing and science. As a tie to the Dead Suns AP, perhaps she visited Nejeor VI - or Istamak even - after the members of that adventure. Though she is not a zealot against capitalism or the government, she has been in conflict with many large organizations as they have attempted to pillage new worlds. (EJ Corp, Abadarcorp, Gideron Authority, Eox could be examples) She values science and progress over profits. Her work has led to the saving of native species of sentient and non-sentient life, research that supported the Pact Worlds protection over various planets. Maybe she even dabbled in the occasional bit of eco-terrorism to "encourage" corporations to go do work on another planet.
How does that sound, is that a bit closer to the legacy we're looking for? I'd love feedback on how combative her history with corporations/governments should be. I can see her as either a pure scientist who has a distaste for violence or as someone who is hardcore and willing to do whatever is necessary to progress her studies. (Is she standing in front of the bulldozer, or did she tamper with the machine's fuel the night before?) The combative one has a lot of fun personality quirks in it, but might need to be toned down if we're working with Abadarcorp a lot.
@PW: Theoretically, vanguards should be super tanky at high level thanks to their damage reduction mechanics, especially if they're bringing a shield as well. That said, I'm currently playing one in Ewok's Fly Free or Die, and my vanguard is currently on the brink of death in that game. It doesn't feel all that tanky at low levels.
@Ewok: Sounds great to me, especially the Dead Suns connection. I think the potential past conflicts with big corps could also lead to some fun RP. Definitely has a lot of legacy. There's a little working on the same side as Abadarcorp in the beginning of this adventure, but there are other hooks to bring all sorts of characters in, rather than working directly for them.
@PW: Theoretically, vanguards should be super tanky at high level thanks to their damage reduction mechanics, especially if they're bringing a shield as well. That said, I'm currently playing one in Ewok's Fly Free or Die, and my vanguard is currently on the brink of death in that game. It doesn't feel all that tanky at low levels.
I'm sure Ewok will spare you or his life expectancy in this campaign will be short. ;P
Okay, I think I'm rolling with the Borai Vanguard. I need to lock down way too many character ideas so I can start working on backstory.
Vanguards do have a tendency to attract damage! Or maybe that's Large characters... hard to tell.
I'll keep developing the biohacker's backstory, but that sounds like a good direction. I'll make sure she can work with corporations, but is a fun amount of distrustful of them.
Large size definitely doesn't help, but I think the real problem is that low level vanguards just don't hit as hard. You can't take damage from things that are already dead after all.
I like the sound of these characters already :)
Character is coming together--once backstory is further along I'll see if I can tie in with any of you.
On another note, I'm getting into gear purchases and I'm wondering if anyone has thoughts about maximizing AC. I am torn between heavy armor and shield vs. power armor and shield. Any thoughts about pros/cons? (I have a feat to either put in Fleet if I have heavy armor or Power Armor Proficiency if I go power armor.)
I just added two more NPC/background connections some of you might like to the Player's Guide: a member of the missing expedition team, and a reporter currently down on Jedarat.
@PW: Power armor and heavy armor tend to be pretty similar AC-wise. The fixed strength scores of power armor can be both a blessing and a curse, but should be pretty good for a vanguard. But as you saw in Dead Suns, power armor tends not to be available as widely as loot, so its a big investment in credits to stay up to date as you level up. They're pretty comparable to me. (As for Fleet, it doesn't work with heavy armor)
@PW: Power armor and heavy armor tend to be pretty similar AC-wise. The fixed strength scores of power armor can be both a blessing and a curse, but should be pretty good for a vanguard. But as you saw in Dead Suns, power armor tends not to be available as widely as loot, so its a big investment in credits to stay up to date as you level up. They're pretty comparable to me. (As for Fleet, it doesn't work with heavy armor)
Okay, noted on Fleet.
What do you mean by a blessing and a curse for the fixed strength scores of power armor?
Just so I'm sure, if my Str score is 15 and the power armor says 20, my Str is 20 in the armor, correct? Do you just mean it's capped at that and even if my Str is 22 it's still 20?
Also, are we limited by item level or just the total credit value and limit on a single item's credit value?
Do you just mean it's capped at that and even if my Str is 22 it's still 20?
Exactly
Also, are we limited by item level or just the total credit value and limit on a single item's credit value?
No item level limits because the adventure assumes you had access to Absalom Station AND you had picked up powerful loot from previous adventures.
Thank you.
Two days left before we're getting started! Lets see those characters :)
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Okay, I'll go first!
Introducing Achlyss Sadow, Borai Vanguard!
Consider this a first draft both of my backstory (embedded in my character sheet) and my gear. My gear should be mostly done but I have about 15,000 credits left, give or take. Let me know if there's any gear I should consider.
I'm happy to make any character connections from any of you that feel there's a thread there. Also, this is only the third character I've made for Starfinder, so feel free to let me know of any corrections I need to make to the character sheet.
Looking forward to playing!
That is one BEEFY vanguard. 26 CON! Lots of defensive bonuses! Bunch of active vanguard abilities that prevent damage! Wow.
I'll take a full look tomorrow, but one thing that immediately stands out is the Enhanced Resistance feat. It got errated a few years ago so now you have to pick a type of kinetic damage that you're resistant to (rather than getting blanket DR against all kinetic damage). Some online tools never updated to incorporate that errata.
Backstory sounds good Achlyss. I think the big detail that remains to be determined with the group is if you all knew each other before hand, if only some of you know each other, or if you're mostly strangers brought together by the various requests for help.
13th level characters are pretty complicated. I took a look through all your sheet and the only other thing I think doesn't work is the deflective reinforcement in the shield. The armor upgrades that can fit in a shield are super limited (you can find them at the bottom of this page). Luckily I think you still have an open upgrade slot on the armor, because the grandchild's cloak function doesn't take up a slot.
lol! I suspect its Easter weekend at work.
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Thanks for checking that--I'll make a tweak then.
Also, since it appears I'm playing this alone, can I level up to 20? ;P
"Greatness takes time, sweetheart! You don't make Pact Worlds Medicine Magazine's 40 under 40 list three years running without a bit of time studying in the library!"
Introducing Shoccar Nemmac, also known as Shocka to her friends. Her profile is still in work, I need to spend her creds, but she is getting closer! She's looking to be a debuffer first, medic/buffer second, and a damage dealer third! Which should work out amongst this group. Her personality is coming together in my head, a combination of all my favorite Aunts.
Lenny/PaleDim's Kalo here. Work-in progress, will add the background and purchases tomorrow.
An interesting issue for Kalos: they essentially need to rely on their armor environmental protections 24/7. On a ship I assume they can switch out batteries constantly, but this limitation will become interesting if/when they head into the wild.
Also the profile-pic options for this kind of character are limited. This is a very rough approximation.
An interesting issue for Kalos: they essentially need to rely on their armor environmental protections 24/7. On a ship I assume they can switch out batteries constantly, but this limitation will become interesting if/when they head into the wild.
A suit of armor’s environmental protections last for a number of days equal to its item level.
I suppose at level 13+ we shouldn't be away from civilization for 2+ weeks.
Your Resolve Points (RP) are equal to 3 + your key ability score, as opposed to one half your level plus your key ability score.
This means to say "ability score modifier", correct?
Your Resolve Points (RP) are equal to 3 + your key ability score, as opposed to one half your level plus your key ability score.This means to say "ability score modifier", correct?
Correct. Fixed.
And yeah, environmental protections last quite a long time at this point. Plus you can recharge them at your spaceship.
@Achlyss: You should check your RP is 3 + your key ability score modifier modifier. I think you're calculating it the old way right now.
@Everyone: If you haven't already, dot into gameplay so you have updates on the game. One thing I have for a couple of games is a Discord server, which we'd use for quick questions and OOC discussion. Is that something you guys would be interested in?
Also, the plan is to start tomorrow evening with the opening post. You won't need everything 100% done at that point, but you should have your broad story detail sorted. The big question to answer right now prior to the opening post is whether you have already met and are together at the start, or if this adventure is bringing you all together. Let me know your votes and I'll get us going that way.