I'm planning on running D0 as a one-shot this weekend for, more than likely, four players. While Valeros and the gang are cool and all, I 1) have too much time on my hands and 2) like adding my own twist of things, so I'm coming up with new pre-gen characters. Here's what I'm thinking right now:
Human (Varisian) Battle Dancer 1
Half-Elf Cleric (Cloistered Cleric Variant) 1
Human Fighter (Thug Variant) 1
Elf Evoker 1
Has anyone else changed or ran D0 with a "non-traditional" party, and if so, how did it turn out? I don't want a TPK because of my bad planning/character creation.
Your characters hit the four basics (fighter, mage, cleric, skillmonkey) quite well, so I expect you'll be fine. Just don't give them silly feats or weapons (the evoker should not take Negotiator, and the Thug ought not fight with a siangham) and they'll do fine.
At the lowest levels, it's all about the die rolls and not about the characters' numbers, anyway.
I'm not giving them "silly" feats or weapons, but I am giving them "interesting" ones. The thug (Shoanti human) weilds an earth breaker and has Power Attack and Dodge... The elven cleric of Erastil has Point Blank Shot... Things like that that will highlight the "you're not playing the cookie-cutter PC" that many players are used to from other game companies by the coast. Also, I gave each PC one of the feats from the Pathfinder Player's Guide as a free bonus feat. I think that it will be challenging, fun, and not an outright wash.
I ran this was a sorceress, fighter, ranger and a rogue. D0 is pretty straight forward, and was not a difficult run for our group.
D1, is a bit harder due to some of the encounters, but like was mentioned previous, you have the "standard" trinity and as such, should always do well.
I think the party as now built should fare perfectly well.
Something else to add some extra flavor to the characters. As D0 is set in Andoran. Go for some Romanesque feel for the characters that aren't already set.
1)Varisian Battle Dancer, make it a her, flavor aplenty
2)Thug, possibly a former Gladiator, or maybe a Legionaire that ran away from his post/century.
3)Evoker, decent flavor there.
4)Cloistered Cleric, which deity? If you do decide to go with the Andoran flavor (and there is no reason you couldn't set D0 somewhere else, just bear in mind that Darkmoon Vale and its environs are set in Andoran, which may require some retconning once the Gazeteer comes out), they came out from under rule and oppression from Cheliax and Taldor just a century ago. Cheliax and Taldor had Aroden (now dead) as their patron deity. Making the Cleric be of Desna or Cayden Cailean are both good ideas.
Bear in mind that Iomedae is likely disliked there, as she was a servant of Aroden.
Just some thoughts. I am already doing a campaign in the region, so thought I could share some romanesque stuff to help, provided thats how you want to run the area.
Here I am helping you campaign build, when now I see its for a one shot.
Heh. Silly me.
Just do stat-blocks like those in PF3. Include a small text about the characters backround, it'll make it feel a lot less like a one-shot to the players if they have some meat and history to the PCs they are playing.
Here's what I ended up with:
Fighter (Thug Variant)
Male human fighter 1
N Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2, Senses Listen +3, Spot +3
Languages Common, Shoanti, Dwarven
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AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14
hp 12 (1 HD)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1
----------------------------
Speed 35 ft.
Melee earth breaker +4 (2d6+4 / x3) or
Dagger +4 (1d4+3/ 19-20)
Ranged shortbow +3 (1d6 / x3)
Base Atk +1; Grp +4
Atk Options Power Attack
Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds
----------------------------
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
SQ Dodge
Feats Power Attack, Dodge, Totem Spirit (Tamiir-Quah)
Skills Climb +3 [3/4/-3], Handle Animal +3 [-1/4], Jump +2 [3/-/2/-3], Knowledge (local) +3 [-/3], Listen +3 [1/2], Spot +3 [1/2]
Possessions hide shirt, backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, flint & steel, hemp rope (50 ft), sunrods (2), trail rations (10 days), waterskin, quiver (20 arrows), sack, traveler’s outfit, 11 gp, 9 sp
Cleric of Erastil
Male elf cleric 1
NG Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +2, Senses Listen +4, Spot +4
Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan
----------------------------
AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15
hp 9 (1 HD)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +4; +2 vs. enchantments
----------------------------
Speed 20 ft. (30 ft without armor)
Melee club +0 (1d6) or
Dagger +0 (1d4/ 19-20)
Ranged longbow +3 (1d8+1/ x3)
Base Atk +0; Grp +0
Atk Options Spells, turn undead (5/day), speak with animals and calm emotions 1/day
Combat Gear scroll of cure minor wounds (2), scroll of bane, scroll of cure light wounds
----------------------------
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14
SQ Immune to sleep, low-light vision, auto-search secret doors, spontaneously heal, domains (animal and community), 50% chance to stabilize
Feats Point Blank Shot, Lone Wolf
Skills Concentration +5 [1/4], Diplomacy +4 [2/-/2], Heal +6 [2/4], Knowledge (nature) +3 [1/2], Knowledge (religion) +3 [1/2], Listen +4 [2/-/2], Search +3 [1/-/2], Spot +4 [2/-/2]
Possessions hide armor, backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, flint & steel, hemp rope (50 ft), sunrods (2), trail rations (10 days), waterskin, wooden holy symbol, quiver (40 arrows, 10 cold iron arrows), scroll case, traveler’s outfit, 5 gp
Evoker (Energy Affinity Variant)
Male half-elf evoker 1
CG Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +2, Senses Listen +4, Spot +4
Languages Common, Elven, Celestial, Draconic, Infernal
----------------------------
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10
hp 5 (1 HD)
Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4; +2 vs. enchantments
----------------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee quarterstaff -1 (1d6-1)
Base Atk +0; Grp -1
Atk Options Spells, dancing lights 1/day
Combat Gear scroll of flare, scroll of cause fear, alchemist’s fire (2)
----------------------------
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 10
SQ Immune to sleep, low-light vision, elven blood, fire affinity (+1 CL on all fire spells), +1 CL on all evocation spells
Feats Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (evocation), Varisian Tattoo (evocation)
Skills Concentration +5 [1/4], Diplomacy +2 [-/-/2], Gather Information +2 [-/-/2], Knowledge (arcana) +7 [3/4], Knowledge (geography) +7 [3/4], Listen +4 [2/1/1], Search +4 [3/-/1], Spot +4 [2/1/1]
Possessions backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, flint & steel, hemp rope (50 ft), sunrods (2), trail rations (10 days), waterskin, spell component pouch, spellbook, scroll case, artisan’s outfit, 5 gp, 5 sp
----------------------------
Spellbook:
0- all except enchantment and illusion
1st- burning hands, magic missile, magic weapon, ray of enfeeblement, shield
Rogue
Male halfling rogue 1
CN Small humanoid (halfling)
Init +3, Senses Listen +3, Spot +3
Languages Common, Halfling, Goblin
----------------------------
AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14
hp 7 (1 HD)
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +2; +2 vs. fear
----------------------------
Speed 20 ft.
Melee rapier +4 (1d4+1/ 18-20) or
club +2 (1d4+1)
Ranged javelin +5 (1d4+1)
Base Atk +0; Grp -3
Atk Options Sneak attack +1d6
Combat Gear acid (2), tanglefoot bag, thunderstone
----------------------------
Str 12, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 12
SQ Trapfinding
Feats Weapon Finesse, City Born (Magnimar)
Skills Climb +2 [1/-/2/-1], Diplomacy +7 [1/4/2], Disable Device +5 [1/4], Escape Artist +7 [3/4], Hide +10 [3/4/4/-1], Jump +2 [1/-/2/-1], Knowledge (local) +5 [1/4], Listen +3 [1/-/2], Move Silently +8 [3/4/2/-1], Search +5 [1/4], Spot +3 [1/-/2], Tumble +6 [3/4/-1]
Possessions leather armor, buckler, backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, flint & steel, hemp rope (50 ft), sunrods (2), trail rations (10 days), waterskin, thieves tools, 4 pints of oil, tindertwig (2), traveler’s outfit, 1 gp, 6 sp
The only bit of house-ruling I'm doing is that rogue's are proficient with bucklers. Thoughts?
My only suggestion: Add Ray under Atk for the Evoker. It speeds up magical combat and helps the wizard come to see their spells as a weapon instead of some mysitical force that "surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the [setting] together."
The buckler houserule idea sounds good to me.
Good idea, but I already ran this last Friday :). I had saavy players, so the ray thing was easily handled. If there's one thing I would've changed, I would've given the cleric 1 rank in Spellcraft, just so he could've got the spiritual weapon scroll. Admittedly, it was a one-shot, so I just gave it to them, but if I were doing it more hard-line, he'd have needed that skill rank. They had fun, treated it like a one-shot, and blew through the encounters. Granted, they needed to hole up in the secret room before facing off against Graypelt, but all told it was a fairly balanced party.
Good idea, but I already ran this last Friday :). I had saavy players, so the ray thing was easily handled. If there's one thing I would've changed, I would've given the cleric 1 rank in Spellcraft, just so he could've got the spiritual weapon scroll. Admittedly, it was a one-shot, so I just gave it to them, but if I were doing it more hard-line, he'd have needed that skill rank. They had fun, treated it like a one-shot, and blew through the encounters. Granted, they needed to hole up in the secret room before facing off against Graypelt, but all told it was a fairly balanced party.
I would have also suggested Tracking. Very useful in the wilderness.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
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Here's what I ended up with:
Rogue
Male halfling rogue 1CN Small humanoid (halfling)
Init +3, Senses Listen +3, Spot +3
Languages Common, Halfling, Goblin
----------------------------
AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14
hp 7 (1 HD)
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +2; +2 vs. fear
----------------------------
Speed 20 ft.
Melee rapier +4 (1d4+1/ 18-20) or
club +2 (1d4+1)
Ranged javelin +5 (1d4+1)
Base Atk +0; Grp -3
Atk Options Sneak attack +1d6
Combat Gear acid (2), tanglefoot bag, thunderstone
----------------------------
Str 12, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 12
SQ Trapfinding
Feats Weapon Finesse, City Born (Magnimar)
Skills Climb +2 [1/-/2/-1], Diplomacy +7 [1/4/2], Disable Device +5 [1/4], Escape Artist +7 [3/4], Hide +10 [3/4/4/-1], Jump +2 [1/-/2/-1], Knowledge (local) +5 [1/4], Listen +3 [1/-/2], Move Silently +8 [3/4/2/-1], Search +5 [1/4], Spot +3 [1/-/2], Tumble +6 [3/4/-1]
Possessions leather armor, buckler, backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, flint & steel, hemp rope (50 ft), sunrods (2), trail rations (10 days), waterskin, thieves tools, 4 pints of oil, tindertwig (2), traveler’s outfit, 1 gp, 6 spThe only bit of house-ruling I'm doing is that rogue's are proficient with bucklers. Thoughts?
As much as I hate the fact and wish it were different, Weapon Finesse requires a +1 Base Attack Bonus as a pre-requisite, which a 1st level Rogue does not have.
EDIT: Which, after reading your post above, I now realize makes absolutely no difference because you have already run the game.
My Bad =)
Yeah, I realized that too as we were running the game. We just said "Meh" and moved on. It didn't break the game, and if given the chance, I'd houserule away the Weapon Finesse prereq of +1 BAB. But, I digress.
My table decided they wanted to be from Falcon's Hollow.
The races/ classes were
human ranger
dwarf cleric
half-elf wizard
halfling rogue
The backgrounds for these characters were meant to weave the heroes into the community of Falcon’s Hollow and/or explain how they came to choosing their class.
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Human Ranger 1st level:
Eja Clayborne is close with the Eavewalker Family. Idris was an old friend of her father and became like a father figure to her. Idris taught her the skills of a ranger. They even saved the townsfolk from a menacing owlbear once. Idris knew the lumber barons would see any heroics as a possible threat. He warned Eja to always help the town in a clandestine way.
Idris left two years ago with a group of adventurers and has not been heard from since. Eja has remained a close friend of Idris’ wife Kitani and his daughter Kimi who calls her “Auntie Eja”.
Eja works at Goose’n’Gander, Falcon’s Hollow’s general store. She works for the only civilized gnome in the region, Brickasnurd Hildrinsocks. He is an honest but frugal business man. Asia has worked for him since before her family went back east. The gnome considers her family and worries about her moonlighting as Falcon’s Hollow’s resident defender from the wilds.
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Dwarf Cleric 1st level:
Bjorn was born to proud parents Wolfried and Hildegard Hammerstein. Bjorn worked along side his father in the lumber yards most of his adolescents. The little dwarf family scraped out a living under the oppressive Lumber Consortium.
Than one day a missionary from the Church of Light brought news of Iomadae, the goddess of valor and justice. Bjorn heard the preaching of the human cleric. She spoke of a deity that blessed the courageous, who gave gifts to her faithful to defend the weak, free the oppressed, and champion for justice. The missionary told the people if they gave worship to Iomadae then the town would flourish and its people would be filled with the grace. For the large part, the people of Falcon’s Hollow rejected the missionary and her goddess. The Hammerstein’s, like most in Falcon’s Hollow, wanted nothing to do with organized religion. They were happy to live life however they felt fit and be able to change with the situation instead of being restricted a set morality. However, there were a handful of people that wanted to hear more. And no one wanted to hear more then young Bjorn, who deep in his soul longed for justice.
It was not long after the small group of worshippers pooled their time, talent, and treasures together and built the Temple of Iomadae. Wolfried was furious the day Bjorn quit the lumber yards to join the Order of the Sons of Iomadae and become a cleric. After a few years Bjorn reconciled with his father and even rid the lumber yard of a terrible poltergeist, which had claimed the lives of several workers, by invoking the intercession of Iomadae. Many of the lumber workers turned to worshipping the powerful goddess who had saved them through her servant know to all as Bjorn “Ghostsbane” Hammerstein. (Dwarf Cleric 1st level)
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Half-elf Wizard 1st level:
Sangilak Ek-Chua made his way to Falcon’s Hollow over 20 years ago. Described by many as a quiet man known for his love of books. Few know he is a half-elf and none know of his pursuit of arcane knowledge. He hides his passion for the mystical. Magic-users not in the direct employ of the Lumber Consortium are viewed as highly potential threats and are usually run out of town.
For years he has worked as a records clerk at Hollows Tribunal, the local court house. Sangilak has been a silent confidante of Magistrate Varmos Harg for many years. Sangilak is one of the few people that know the magistrate’s shame, loneliness, and thirst for true justice.
Other then himself, the only resident student of the arcane that he knows of is Sharvaras Vade. Sangilak suspects Vade to be a dark wizard perhaps dabbling in necromancy. To complicate matters Sangilak befriended Savram, Vade’s son, hoping he can gently influence the boy to explore more benevolent magical disciplines.
Sangilak knows that only through live application of his spells will he excel in his craft. He waits patiently for an opportunity to help the community with his mystical powers.
---------------------------------------------------------
Halfling Rogue 1st level:
Eilo Buckram was raised by his widowed father. It was hard working long hours at the paper mill and trying to look after a young motherless Halfling son.
Eilo was never accepted by the other neighborhood children. He was ridiculed for being small and often picked on and bullied. It started as a game when the “bigger kids”, mostly humans, teased him saying he was “too small” to go with them. He would quietly follow them and every time they caught him he just got better the next time.
As adolescence came, the kids began getting into petty crime. Eilo was disgusted by them hurting the elderly, vandalizing property, and stealing from people. He started staking them to foil their plans, making noise to give them away when they were sneaking, steal back whatever they stole and give it to it’s rightful owner, etc. He learned to fight because he wasn’t always sneaky enough but he got tough, fast, and smart.
As they grown into young adults, his once playful rivals aspired to join the Redrock Guild, an organized crim syndicate. Eilo spent so much time sabotaging the plots of the Redrock Guild that his father had become convinced that Eilo was now a member of the gang. He couldn’t make his father believe he was actually fighting the real criminals.
Out of concern for his father’s anxiety, Eilo obtained a job as a bookkeeper. The work was honest enough for his father to believe his son was no longer a criminal. Also his work spared him physically so that at night he could pursue the task of keeping Falcon’s Hollow safe.
----------------------------------------------------
[b]Human Fighter 1st level[/b:
Surinder Murali’s father left when he was young. Why? He could never be sure; the story would change with his mother’s sobriety. The questions concerning his father stopped to matters as much when the Goblin Wars begun. He was of age at the time and was carted off with nothing more then a pitchfork to fight wild goblin warriors. Soon he was assigned to a particular soldier who treated him fairly decent.
Among the trees the soldier that accompanied him was taken down by a single crossbow bolt. The seasoned goblin warrior thought he would “play” with the human youngling before killing it. Unbeknownst to the goblin, or anyone including the young peasant boy, was the rage that had swelled inside him. From the abandonment by his father, the apathy of his mother, and shame of his inescapable poverty, fueled a boy of twelve to erupt and stab his pitchfork deep into the laughing goblin warrior. With his soldier dead, Surinder donned the fallen man’s helmet, picked up his short sword and trek further into the woods.
By dawn the sergeant had thought the soldier and his boy dead or had deserted until he saw the boy emerge from the forest. Surinder dropped the fifteen goblin scalps at the feet of the sergeant and sat by the fire without a word. Four years later the war was over and the boy was returned to Falcon’s Hollow like discarded military equipment. His mother had died while he was gone and years of fighting had left him without a purpose or hope. He began to drink.
His drunken brawls eventually landed him in the town jail. In the morning his throbbing headache was interrupted by Sheriff Deldrin Baleson giving him a sermon about a “purpose filled life”, “the greater good”, and “direction for his anger”. Somewhere between the coffee and the early afternoon Surinder began to listen to the Sheriff. By that night he had given up drinking and after a month of training with Sheriff he was deputized.