Hey, guys. My gaming group is just starting to gear up for the Rise of the Runelords campaign. We only play twice a month...and for the purposes of RotRL we'll probably be alternating those play sessions so that we continue some other games, so we'll really only be playing RotRL about once a month. Thus, we're not too far out before we get underway and the players are starting to ponder their character options.
First, thanks for the preview you gave us of the core pantheon. That's definitely helping the guy who intends to play a Cleric, with plenty of background for him to consider. If you were to recommend only one deity to be represented by the party's Cleric, which would it be? Sarenrae? Desna? Iomedae? Pharasma, maybe?
Keep in mind that our party breakdown is lining up as follows:
1) A Human Cleric
2) A Human Wizard
3) A Dwarven Fighter
4) A Half-Elven Rogue (who will eventually multiclass to Ranger)
5) An Elven Bard (who may eventually multiclass to Cleric)
That's what we've got in the hopper so far. I'm advising the Fighter to be a Dwarf (since the AP will include so many giants). And I've advised the Rogue-to-become-Ranger on which Favored Enemies he'll probably want to select (i.e., goblinoid, undead, giant, giant, giant). I'm setting the Bard up to eventually become a Cleric (probably of Shelyn or Desna)...in order to add some more healing power to the group.
The two spots I'm not ready to advise the players on are the Human Cleric (should it be Sarenrae, Desna, Iomedae, Irori, Nethys, Pharasma?)...and the Human Wizard (should he specialize?...and if so, which school?...and should he be a Sorcerer rather than a Wizard?).
Any advice those of you with insight into the AP can provide, would be greatly appreciated by this ahead-of-the-curve DM.
Thanks,
--Neil
Contributor
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Crap.
You just made me realize, this campaign would be perfect for a character that I've wanted to try for a while. A dwarf Ranger with giants as a favoured enemy.
I always thought this was a combo that would only work well in a giant-focused campaign. But it's still going to be over a year before we play RotRL, and I'm going to be the one running it.
You just made me realize, this campaign would be perfect for a character that I've wanted to try for a while. A dwarf Ranger with giants as a favoured enemy.
I think that type of character would work out REALLY well in RotRL. Heck, a Dwarven Ranger with favored enemies of golinoids, orcs, and giants would work well for a lot of things. With all the racial bonuses against those types of creatures...stacked with the ranger's class bonuses for favored enemies...that kind of character would put the smack down on a lot of nasties over the course of his adventuring career. Even moreso if he trained his pet cave bear to get after them, too. ;-)
--Neil
Chances are I will be running the next two AP's instead of playing in them, but my next character is going to be a stoic, pragmatic cleric.
I am leaning towards Abadar and cannot wait to find out more about him. Though I am glad that Core Beliefs will live on in some incarnation, and am grateful for any of these deities write-ups.
Desna's probably the best choice for now, since in Pathfinder #2, there's going to be a big article about her, Core Beliefs style.
Check.
If our Bard eventually multiclasses to pick up some Cleric levels devoted to Desna, that might work out fine. And with her Core Beliefs-style article not showing up until Pathfinder #2, that might be the prime time for multiclassing anyway, since the Bard will already have advanced a level or two by then.
In the meantime, what would your second choice for a primary Cleric be other than Desna? In other words, if you knew you were already going to have a Cleric of Desna covered, what other deity would you choose for a second Cleric in the party that would fit perfectly into the storyline?
Lastly, any insights on what the Wizard should do? If he chooses to specialize, should I steer him towards being a Transmuter because of the sin magic involving Greed in the RotRL storyline? Or should I go with an opposing school like enchantment or illusion? What would you hope to have in the party if you were GMing this group?
Much appreciated,
--Neil
Creative Director
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Desna's still my favorite choice, since she's the most closely aligned to the type of characters I prefer to play. A close second wouuld probably be Sarenrae; someone elsewhere on the boards pointed out she's kind of like Eilistraee but with the sun instead of the moon and not tied just to drow... that's actually a pretty close approximation to her role in the world, actually.
In any event, the six non-evil deities who have the most influence in Varisia are: Abadar, Erastil, Desna, Gozreh, Sarenrae, and Shelyn. If your cleric worships one of them, he'll have plenty of in-game opportunities to interact with elements of his faith in the adventure. Other deities aren't nearly as common in Varisia, but they're not unknown.
As for the wizard and specializing, I'd think that transmutation, enchantment or illusion would probably be the coolest as far as storyline goes. If he's a transmuter, he can fight fire with fire and perhaps even be tempted by Karzoug's power. If he's an enchanter or illusionist, he'll kind of have a built-in motivation to oppose Karzoug.
There will be two dwarven characters in my group and I already started to think about what reason they would have to journey to Sandpoint.
One is a ranger a "fallen paladin" who turned his back on the civilized lands and wishes only to keep his mountains (Mindspin Mountains) clean. Accidentally he killed his own brother during a serious discussion on the matter to punish a young half-orc who stole a loaf of bread. As it turns out he became a criminal. Could it be that he is a member of the Sczarni?
The other one is a cleric who is somehow connected to Volioker Briskelbend and asked by the locksmith to help him with his troubles concerning a certain gang of criminals. Does Volioker Briskelbend play an important role in the RotRAP? Is there something I should know?
I thought Janderhoff sounds quite dwarven so I told the players it would fit when their characters call this place home. I also made up a small conflict in which a lich tried to claim the lands around Janderhoff as his own. He was a priest of Urgathoa who sent orcs to lure the dwarven armies high in the mountains, slaying corps after corps only to be trapped between two battalions: one living, the other one undead. This "War of the Fallen" is especially important to both characters as both of them lost their faith in Torag in it.
On the subject of wizards in Varisia, what potential explanations exist for how a wizard came by his arcane training? Are there any schools of wizardry or arcane societies to which my player's Human Wizard could belong to in-and-around Sandpoint? Or would he need to have had that kind of schooling in a more distant land and simply journeyed to Varisia as more of an outsider?
Any thoughts the designers can share along those lines?
Thanks,
--Neil
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Creative Director
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On the subject of wizards in Varisia, what potential explanations exist for how a wizard came by his arcane training? Are there any schools of wizardry or arcane societies to which my player's Human Wizard could belong to in-and-around Sandpoint? Or would he need to have had that kind of schooling in a more distant land and simply journeyed to Varisia as more of an outsider?
Any thoughts the designers can share along those lines?
Thanks,
--Neil
There are certainly wizard schools and wizard guilds, especially in Magnimar. The wizard tradition is relatively new to Varisia; neither the native Varisians nor the Shoanti barbarians have many wizards, and those who do learned the trade from the new Chelish colonists.
As for Sandpoint, while there's no wizard school, there are a few wizards in town who could have apprentices. In fact, playing an apprentice of one of the Sandpoint wizards makes for a pretty nifty backstory, since that means your character's already got some strong ties to the town.
...The wizard tradition is relatively new to Varisia; neither the native Varisians nor the Shoanti barbarians have many wizards, and those who do learned the trade from the new Chelish colonists....
The player running our Human Wizard will get to decide on whether he's a native Varisian, Shoanti, or of Chelish descent. If he's from the former groups, he'll probably have contact with one of the Chelish wizards in town anyway.
As for Sandpoint, while there's no wizard school, there are a few wizards in town who could have apprentices. In fact, playing an apprentice of one of the Sandpoint wizards makes for a pretty nifty backstory, since that means your character's already got some strong ties to the town.
I was hoping you would have something like that in Sandpoint. Sounds like you've got us covered. Somehow I knew you would... ;-)
--Neil
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Hmmm, points to ponder.
1. The region is mountainous, with terrain being a possible common obstacle.
2. The AP features many large-sized (or bigger) opponents.
Considering these things, I wonder how well a character with the Mounted Combat chain of feats would fare? Probably better than in the SCAP.
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Creative Director
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I've been hoping for a more open-air AP; maybe one that's a little more Heroes of Battle flavored (I love the idea of using a battlefield as a dungeon) just a little rough on Paladins/Druids with all the dungeon crawling that's been in past APs.
Actually... you're probably looking for Savage Tide. Lots of open air stuff there, lots of stuff for druids to do, and an entire adventure built from the rules in Heroes of Battle.
Savage Tide is pretty rough on paladins still.
Rise of the Runelords will have some wilderness elements to it, and some areas that are good for mounted combat characters, but as it's the first Adventure Path in Pathfinder, it's also in a lot of ways the "stereotyped" campaign. There's a lot of dungeons sections, in other words, although I'm striving to make them both entertaining and not endlessly huge and boring.
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Rise of the Runelords will have some wilderness elements to it, and some areas that are good for mounted combat characters, but as it's the first Adventure Path in Pathfinder, it's also in a lot of ways the "stereotyped" campaign. There's a lot of dungeons sections, in other words, although I'm striving to make them both entertaining and not endlessly huge and boring.
I expected that in the first AP, would be weird if it wasn't. On the plus side you guys are going to have a lot more freedom in developing these APs so we can see more stuff like I was talking about.
I'm a player in Savage Tide so unfortunately I can't look ahead to see what you're talking about =p. I'm even more excited to continue it now though.
I'd imagine mounts being good against the giants in RotRAP, being able to keep your distance and all.