I'm considering running a PFRPG pbp set in the Scarred Lands setting and using the pre-published modules/mini campaign that was published for it. Not sure when I want to start, since I'm completely nuts and running a Golarion pbp and tabletop game as well. Anyone interested if I throw it together?
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Absolutely. The Scarred Lands is one of my favorite settings.
It's one of the few settings, IMO, that really seemed to bend over backwards to introduce niches for the core classes, with extra care given to Druids, Paladins, Monks, Rangers and Necromancers!
It's also wicked Points-of-Light, in that the bigger and most successful nations are not nice places (Calastia, Dunahnae, etc.) while the 'good nations' are city-states (Mithril) or backwaters surrounded by hostile neighbors (Vesh).
Pathfinder is my preference, mostly by the book with little Scarn flavoring for the different races (the gm screen came with a little booklet with new race write ups I may adapt a bit). I typically like point buy in pbps, but I can be flexible.
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Pathfinder is my preference, mostly by the book with little Scarn flavoring for the different races (the gm screen came with a little booklet with new race write ups I may adapt a bit). I typically like point buy in pbps, but I can be flexible.
I meant which point buy, how many points? I'm currently not in the mood for low-powered games, and I have invested time in character concept creation before just to hear later that the game will be based on 15 point buy.
Kicking around the difference between 20 and 25. Not sure yet. Everybody hates 15 point buy?
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Kicking around the difference between 20 and 25. Not sure yet. Everybody hates 15 point buy?
15 point buy is actually playable in Pathfinder, to my surprise, but I would prefer 20.
I'm still recovering from the beating we took back in 1st and 2nd edition, where you needed to have a 15 or 16 in a stat before you got a bonus to anything. The concept that 12s and 14s are perfectly serviceable numbers now never really sank in. :)
My number one choice with a bullet would be some sort of necromancer (specialist Wizard or death-priest of Nemorga).
But if the party makeup / campaign area frowns on that sort of thing, I'd be fine with adjusting to a Druid (wannabe Incarnate?), Paladin (focused on Gold Knight - healing or Silver Knight - outsiders) or something. Given the Penumbral Pentagon's existence, a Drendari-serving Illusionist might be particularly neat in this setting as well.
When it starts (could be a week or two; kind of busy in RL and I want to accumulate a few more people) it'll be in the small town of Trela on the border between New Venir and Lageni, at the edge of the Blood Steppes. Helps if characters are at least acquainted, come from there or have reason to stop in. A priest of a good or neutral deity or a druid is a good idea and someone affiliated with the Vigils would also have a pretty strong hook. Hollowfaust is pretty popular and by all means play whomever you want, but the action will be far from there: mostly along the Eastern coast of Ghelspad. Just something to keep in mind while kicking ideas around.
I don't think so. It's cool if you want to pair up with another player like that but I'd prefer everyone just play one character (barring, you know, animal companions/familiars/zombies).
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I'm considering running a PFRPG pbp set in the Scarred Lands setting and using the pre-published modules/mini campaign that was published for it. Not sure when I want to start, since I'm completely nuts and running a Golarion pbp and tabletop game as well. Anyone interested if I throw it together?
Yes please.
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I've run games in this setting, but never gotten to play one. I have pages full of character concepts, and am pulling my hair out trying to find just one...
Being a PbP, it probably doesn't make sense to plan for eventual transitioning into Locus Master, Gold/Silver Knight, Rune Master, Initiate of the Forge, Nine-Stings Master, Summoner, Crypt Lord or Master Cabalist, so I guess I have to find something I love straight out of the box. :)
Question for the boss;
About the only variant rules that I can recall for the overall setting are Arcane Heat (double Arcane Spell Failure!) and cabalistic Invocations (minor bonuses a worshippers of a specific diety can get by taking a round to call upon their favor). Are those items in play?
My usual favorites are Clerics (for this setting, Nemorga, Tanil, Enkili or Belsameth would be tops), Druids and, for this setting especially, Necromancer specialists. If we don't have another Cleric, I can pander to my necromancer-fetish with a Nemorgan or Belsamic Cleric. If we end up with both a Cleric and another arcanist, I can do the Druid.
Question for the boss;About the only variant rules that I can recall for the overall setting are Arcane Heat (double Arcane Spell Failure!) and cabalistic Invocations (minor bonuses a worshippers of a specific diety can get by taking a round to call upon their favor). Are those items in play?
I don't think I'll bother with arcane heat beyond flavor and description (it seemed like justification for having topless Albadian witches running around as much as anything). As far as invocations: I might allow them, but I have to review my books in storage since I don't have all the hardcovers around. City living: never enough space. So, off the bat: no on the invocations, possibly bring them in in the future.
So far signed up:
Nightflier
Set
David Fryer
Possibly:
Momento Mori?
I'll see if we can get one or two more people in before we get to the nuts and bolts character generation and such.
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I'm leaning towards a paladin or a fighter. Although if James will let me use the battle sorcerer I might play one of those as well.
I'm leaning towards a paladin or a fighter. Although if James will let me use the battle sorcerer I might play one of those as well.
Thinking it over. How do you think it would work with the addition of bloodline powers?
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I'm leaning towards a paladin or a fighter. Although if James will let me use the battle sorcerer I might play one of those as well.Thinking it over. How do you think it would work with the addition of bloodline powers?
Not sure exactly. I don't see it being that much different than a cleric's domain powers though.
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So, off the bat: no on the invocations, possibly bring them in in the future.
Cool. The real excitement to invocations, IMO, is the potential of becoming a Master Cabalist (one hell of a cool wizard PrC), which wouldn't really matter much for PbP, 'cause we won't be PrC levels for years, if at all, and the PrC would need converting anyway.
First character idea;
He'd be neutral, well-spoken, and admit freely that his goddess can be cruel and merciless, admonishing that keeping the terrors that lurk the night safely outside of the homes of men is no task for children afraid to get blood on their weapon. He'd evoke the image of Belsameth as some sort of dark bodhissatva, forever denying herself the simple joys of home and family to stalk amongst monsters, and giving the beasts that haunt the night something that they too must fear. She hunts the night, a terror among terrors, because someone has to...
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Thinking it over. How do you think it would work with the addition of bloodline powers?Not sure exactly. I don't see it being that much different than a cleric's domain powers though.
Looking at the Battle Sorcerer, it's balancing factors are entirely based on the reduced spell aquisition and slots, not the Sorcerers 'class ability' (of, uh, Summon Familiar). So, IMO, the new Pathfinder Class abilities would seem to be outside of this balance.
Might be fun to have your Bloodline linked with one of the Titans (Undead - Chern or Glaurak, Elemental - Golthagga, Thulkas, Lethene or Gulaben, Fey - Gulaben, Arcane - Mesos, Mormo, Destined - Mesos, Golthain, Abyssal - Kadum, Aberrant - Gormoth, etc.).
Not sure exactly. I don't see it being that much different than a cleric's domain powers though.I'm leaning towards a paladin or a fighter. Although if James will let me use the battle sorcerer I might play one of those as well.Thinking it over. How do you think it would work with the addition of bloodline powers?
Okay, what do you think of this as a compromise: d8 HD, cleric base attack, light armor and one martial weapon, bloodline powers in exchange for losing a spell/day and learned spell. But your spell failure due to armor does apply. This can be reduced at 3rd level when you can take arcane armor training as a feat.
Or maybe try to work the class features into the bloodline format? What kind of background do you have in mind for the character?
So, off the bat: no on the invocations, possibly bring them in in the future.Cool. The real excitement to invocations, IMO, is the potential of becoming a Master Cabalist (one hell of a cool wizard PrC), which wouldn't really matter much for PbP, 'cause we won't be PrC levels for years, if at all, and the PrC would need converting anyway.
First character idea;
** spoiler omitted **
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The basic idea is that she's evil because that's her job, to go out into the scary night and *kill things.* Madriel keeps the monsters away during the day, Belsameth has made herself into the biggest, baddest monster of all, to rule the night. She's not the 'protector,' because that's a passive role. She's the killer of killers, and your 'protection' is the walls that keep the night outside.
With a dash of 'And if you go out into the scary, scary night, she'll kill you, too.' Basically the lesson would be 'lock your doors, the night belongs to monsters.' She'd be very much a boogeyman. Little children who don't go to sleep draw her ire. Teenagers who sneak out for illicit rendezvous are gonna get Friday the 13thed.
On the other hand, if the setting is going to be one of those areas that doesn't have shrines to all Eight of the Victors, than yeah, probably not a useful concept. My games were set in Shelzar and Hollowfaust, which had functioning temples / shrines to all eight, even if Enkili and Nemorga (respectively) dominated the local scene (and I vaguely recall that Vangal and Tanil made do with the Great Temple to the Eight Victors and didn't have actual shrines of their own in Shelzar).
Druids (and Sorcerers) tend to be suspected of association with the Titans, are they also unlikely to be welcome in the area?
The basic idea is that she's evil because that's her job, to go out into the scary night and *kill things.* Madriel keeps the monsters away during the day, Belsameth has made herself into the biggest, baddest monster of all, to rule the night. She's not the 'protector,' because that's a passive role. She's the killer of killers, and your 'protection' is the walls that keep the night outside.
With a dash of 'And if you go out into the scary, scary night, she'll kill you, too.' Basically the lesson would be 'lock your doors, the night belongs to monsters.' She'd be very much a boogeyman. Little children who don't go to sleep draw her ire. Teenagers who sneak out for illicit rendezvous are gonna get Friday the 13thed.
On the other hand, if the setting is going to be one of those areas that doesn't have shrines to all Eight of the Victors, than yeah, probably not a useful concept. My games were set in Shelzar and Hollowfaust, which had functioning temples / shrines to all eight, even if Enkili and Nemorga (respectively) dominated the local scene (and I vaguely recall that Vangal and Tanil made do with the Great Temple to the Eight Victors and didn't have actual shrines of their own in Shelzar).
Druids (and Sorcerers) tend to be suspected of association with the Titans, are they also unlikely to be welcome in the area?
The Eight Victors' shrines are all over the place: everyone is respected, if not always worshipped. In fact, Belsameth is the official religion of the starting region (New Venir) so it's a good choice for a character from where we're starting. I was just thinking that your character strides a line between not evil enough for most Belsamites and not Good enough for many Divine races. Which could be an interesting RP challenge. You would likely find (outside of Trela and New Venir proper) that you're more feared and respected than admired and not always welcome wherever you go. So more accepted than an open druid/sorcerer but not as accepted as a cleric of a good deity. Especially in Madrielite areas.
Wilderness and dungeons are more prevalent than cities, anyways, so it's not as big a deal as I may have made it out to be. Sorry; go ahead with your character. I'm rambling again. Late nights and early mornings and all that.
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Not sure exactly. I don't see it being that much different than a cleric's domain powers though.I'm leaning towards a paladin or a fighter. Although if James will let me use the battle sorcerer I might play one of those as well.Thinking it over. How do you think it would work with the addition of bloodline powers?Okay, what do you think of this as a compromise: d8 HD, cleric base attack, light armor and one martial weapon, bloodline powers in exchange for losing a spell/day and learned spell. But your spell failure due to armor does apply. This can be reduced at 3rd level when you can take arcane armor training as a feat.
Or maybe try to work the class features into the bloodline format? What kind of background do you have in mind for the character?
I think I wll just go straight sorcerer. I want to play a graduate of Glammarhill War Academy in Darakeene. They train Fighter/Mages, so I thought battle sorcerer would be a good fit. Or if you allow it, I could play a duskblade or a war mage.
I'm not really a huge rules tinkerer and, again, I confess that I don't have all of my books at hand to read up on the duskblade and warmage. Do you want to try for multiclass fighter/sorcerer into eldritch knight? I'll start a discussion thread for pc generation once I get one or two more people on board.
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I'm not really a huge rules tinkerer and, again, I confess that I don't have all of my books at hand to read up on the duskblade and warmage. Do you want to try for multiclass fighter/sorcerer into eldritch knight? I'll start a discussion thread for pc generation once I get one or two more people on board.
Yep that will be good.
Welcome aboard, Robin. So we have:
Set: Cleric
David: Sorcerer
nightflier: undecided
Robin: undecided
I don't want to tip anyone's hand one way or the other, but there will be a good amount wilderness travel/adventuring. It's handy to have a ranger or druid and several decent fighters. Strapped for time this week but I'll post up character generation stuff before too long.
Let me see if I can find you a wiki or something. Basic rundown: 150 years before the present day there was a huge war between the gods and the titans. The gods (and their mortal followers) won but at a terrible cost: the face of the planet is scarred, mutated and poisoned where the blood of titans fell and its inhabitants didn't fare much better. Now the Divine races struggle against each other and the remaining Titanspawn without direct aid from the eight victors and the sympathetic titan, Denev.
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Welcome aboard, Robin. So we have:
Set: Cleric
David: Sorcerer
nightflier: undecided
Robin: undecidedI don't want to tip anyone's hand one way or the other, but there will be a good amount wilderness travel/adventuring. It's handy to have a ranger or druid and several decent fighters. Strapped for time this week but I'll post up character generation stuff before too long.
I think that I'll go with ranger or - if it's possible - arcane version of pathfinderised soulknife. Pending DM's approval, of course.
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I waas thinking of playing a barbarian .
It seems there is only one nationality for Barbarians in the scarred land and with not much information on their culture . Am I right ?
A warrior of any culture can be prone to terrible rages and be a 'barbarian,' but the human culture that most epitomizes that sort of person would be the Albadians, in the north, who are basically viking types, blonde and bearded, covered in tattoos (sometimes magical tattoos) and with a society of witch-women (who may be druids or sorcerers or some of each) that more or less fit the role of the norse seithr.
For non-humans, Elves from the Hornsaw forest are likely Barbarians, 'Forsaken Dwarves' similarly (although they are xenophobic and make crappy PCs), 1/2 Orcs in general and even some halfings may snap and channel their hatred for Calastian oppressors into berserk fury.
Class ideas for those unfamiliar to the setting from a game I ran. Note: Navigating back from there, you'll find just a whole crapload of broken links, as White Wolf has taken down most of the material I used for that campaign. It was also written for people who had never played 3rd edition (but had played 2nd), so it's full of really dumb explanations (what a sorcerer is, for example).
From that link; "Barbarian – tough warrior, not as skilled or diverse (or as heavily armored) as a Fighter, but capable of berserker rages. Barbarians in the Scarred Lands often hail from Albadia, the Blood Steppes, the Plains of Lede, the Ukrudan Desert or similar forbidding locales. The nomadic Horsemen of Vangal, residing in the Blood Steppes, are the most prevalent local Barbarian society, and are generally both chaotic and evil, reveling in bloodlust and strength at arms."
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I would be happy to play a druid! Y'know... if ya need one...
I'm not that familiar with Scarred Lands, though. Anything in particular I need to know?
Druids have a special place in the Scarred Lands, having been the only clergy of the Titans, who were the parents of the gods. The Titans were basically uncaring elemental forces, less 'diety' and more 'godzilla' that rampaged around the world doing whatever the hell they wanted, creating and destroying life, races and entire civilizations as their whims took them. The gods, their children, had a less primal connection to the world, but learned to draw power from the prayers of the mortal races, and eventually rose up to overthrow their parents.
One Titan, Denev, the earth-mother, sided with the gods against her fellow Titans, and she's the 'diety' that PC Druids usually worship. (Barring an evil or Titan-spawn campaign, which this isn't.) For the most part, Clerics and Druids don't cross-class, with the exception of the elves, who often share devotion to Tanil, the Huntress, and Denev, and the Albadians, who have a tripartate faith including Madriel, the Healing Sun goddess, Belsameth, the Psycho-Killer Night goddess, and Denev.
In some places, particularly big cities, Druids (and Sorcerers, who also served as 'priests' to the Titans) might be looked at askance, and any reference to worshipping one of the Titans (except Denev) is asking for an old-fashioned burning-at-the-stake. In more rural areas, a Druid won't arouse suspicion (again, barring something crazy like openly serving the Titan of Plague or something!), and Rangers, who also get their divine magic from Denev (or other Titans) tend to not even elicit a raised eyebrow.
What he said.
hey there, this one kinda got put on the back burner the last few days, but i'd still love to play this one
Perfect, you're in. So: Memento Mori, nightflier, Set, David, robin, Gavgoyle. Six is a comfortable number for me. I'll open up a discussion thread; might be a couple of days before I can get rolling in full force so take your time.
It's starting slow, but here's my other pbp if you want to take a look at how I've done things so far. This one will have a bit more action at the start, though.
Okay, character generation goes here.