This thread is created to hold all out of character and character creation discussions. Welcome.
Character Guidelines>
Pathfinder rules.
Any pathfinder core race or class (except paladins)
Any non evil alignment
Any class from other source can be requested
Abilities are 20pt buy, some sample sets, before racial adjustment are:
16 16 12 10 10 8
17 14 12 12 10 8
14 14 14 13 12 10
16 14 14 12 10 8
2 Traits, subject to approval, from any trait source.
+4 to halflings, elves and gnomes
+6 to humans, half elves
+8 to half orcs, dwarves
Clerics can use the Holy Warrior variant from Pathfinder Campaign Setting:
- Proficiency with deity favored weapon
- 1d10 hd
- Figther attack bonus progression
in exchange for:
- no domain spells
- no domain powers
You can select the average or risk rolling.
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You can select the average or risk rolling.
Normally, I would just choose the average; however, since this game starts in a casino, I'll risk roll.
Ouch. That's 90 gp. I was already planning on taking the "Looking for Work" campaign trait, and it just became even more appropriate.
Also, I've another question. How acceptable is the open carrying of weapons in Riddlesport?
Three ones... tough roll...
Ok, there is work to be had as casino security personnel.
As for carrying weapons... nowadays, Riddleport is experiencing a somewhat stable period under the rule of the current Overlord, a retired pirate captain. That means that there is almost no open street gang warfare and that his mercenaries will arrest you if you openly rob or murder. Besides that... the laws are more like GUIDELINES and carrying weapons, concealed or not is almost mandatory. If you see someone weaponless there are several options.
- He has a death wish
- He is TOO powerful for anyone to dare hurt him
- He is a powerful mage or martial artist who doesnt NEED weapons.
I've decided to go with a Human Diviner specialist. Details to come soon.
Three ones... tough roll...
Ok, there is work to be had as casino security personnel.
As for carrying weapons... nowadays, Riddleport is experiencing a somewhat stable period under the rule of the current Overlord, a retired pirate captain. That means that there is almost no open street gang warfare and that his mercenaries will arrest you if you openly rob or murder. Besides that... the laws are more like GUIDELINES and carrying weapons, concealed or not is almost mandatory. If you see someone weaponless there are several options.
- He has a death wish
- He is TOO powerful for anyone to dare hurt him
- He is a powerful mage or martial artist who doesnt NEED weapons.
That's what I figured regarding weapons.
I believe I have most of the crunchy bits done. I still have a bit of shopping to do as well as prose to write regarding description and background.
Due to my low starting money roll, I opted to choose the 'Rich Parents' background trait. This is a pretty heavyweight trait, so I won't be surprised if you don't approve it.
Anyway, I'm certainly ready for preliminary review.
I think I might go with the warrior cleric build that DM Pol has proposed. Although I have no idea what a diviner specialist is so please let me know if I'm doubling up at all.
I'm thinking a half elf that grew up in the care of a human priest of sarenrae and doesn't know his father (an elf) and his mother (human) died when he was 6 years old.
It's a wizard that specializes in the divination school.
DM Pol, i've been looking through the pathfinder campaign setting for the holy warrior variant and can't seem to find it. Would you be able to point me in the right direction for the source material as I have just about all the pathfinder products.
Hey.. its either DM or Pol, DM as in Dungeon Master. No need for the whole title, too formal...
Galahd.... no rich parents. You risk to roll and you are stuck with little money. Don't worry tough, adventurers usually get rich really quick (or was it dead?).
Bacchreus: I dont have my material here, but its on the Pathfinder Campaign Setting on the section that talks about each class. It's just as I put it. d10, fighter BAB, favored weapon prof, no domain spells, no domain powers.
Sarenrae doesn't have much of a following in Riddleport but he could be looking for clues about his father's past, I could really tie that in with the plot.
Ok, weekend posting is usually scarcer as I keep my books at the office, but I'll be around thanks to RSS.
Sarenrae doesn't have much of a following in Riddleport but he could be looking for clues about his father's past, I could really tie that in with the plot.
Thats what I was going for. I was also thinking that the priest that raised him cared for the downtrodden in the poorest sector of town. His mother was a maid and could have done some regular work for the priest before she died leaving the child in his care.
I was also going to use the scouting for fiends trait (second darkness players guide page 15) I figured that could also have something to do with his father. Since his mother isn't alive he is searching for any information about his father (ie seeking the truth)
Still needs fluff, but the crunch, such as it is, is here for your perusal.
Galahd's inappropriate background trait was revised, skill choices were given a minor tweak, and all equipment has been purchased. Echoing Urza's sentiment above, the crunch is complete; only the fluff remains to be done.
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Can anyone direct me to some traits that might work for a half orc sorcerer with the draconic bloodline? Any help could also aid me with the fluff.
Since you are a Sorceror, you might consider taking the following Second Darkness campaign trait.
Researching the Blot: You may or may not be seeking membership into Riddleport's most prestigious magical guild, the Order of Cyphers, but you certainly have heard their call for aid in determining the nature of the strange shadow in the sky above Riddleport. You arrived in town several days ago and had some issues with security and safety at several inns before you finally settled on the Gold Goblin; you've been staying there as a guest for several days now, and the owner, Saul Vancaskerkin, seems like a nice guy. He's even given you a pass to attend the gambling tournament he's about to throw -- you're not sure how into gambling you'll be, but perhaps there'll be some visitors from out of town you can talk to about the strange shadow in the sky. At the very least, you're hoping someone at the tourney will be into magic -- there's not really enough folk in this town who seem all that interested in magic, you've found. Your interest in magic dates back quite far, and as a result, you've developed a knack for identifying common magical items at a glance. You can use Spellcraft to identify magic items in the same way you can use it to identify a potion. The DC to identify a magic item is equal to 20 + the item's level.
Here's the Second Darkness campaign trait that I took:
Looking for Work: Although out of work, you aren't particularly keen on the prospect of gambling away your last remaining coins simply for a chance at riches. That said, if the Gold Goblin's fortunes reverse after this big gambling tournament, you're relatively certain its owner, Saul Vancaskerkin, will be needing to hire on some new staff members. You've secured payment for the tournament, and intend on attending mostly to check the place out, to decide if it's a place you'd want to work at (as a bouncer, bartender, croupier, server, entertainer, spotter, or cook), and hopefully get a chance to catch Saul's eye and make an impression. You've long worked at honing you're skills, and are quite accomplished and certain that you have something to offer. Pick one of the following skills: Bluff, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perform (any), Profession (gambler), or Perception. You gain a +1 trait bonus in that skill, and that skill is always considered a class skill for you.
And here are the remaining four:
Fools for Friends: You don't think of yourself as a gambler. In fact, you rather detest the whole thing. Unfortunately, one or more of your friends (pick one or more of the other players' characters) doesn't think so, and you've recently learned that friend -- or friends -- have decided to go to the Gold Goblin's "Cheat the Devil and Take his Gold" tournament. Which pretty much means you have to go as well, since if no one's there to watch out for them, they'll lose all their money and respect. Again. Sometimes it's hard being the responsible one. Your devotion to your friendships (even when said friends seem, at times, to be trying to test the devotion) is a point of pride to you. Whenever you take the Aid Another action to help an ally, or whenever an ally aids you in this manner, a successful check grants an additional +1 trait bonus to the check for which aid was being rendered. Additionally, as long as one of your friends is within 30 feet, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws against charm and compulsion effects.
Into Enemy Territory: The shadow in the sky is visible from all around Riddleport, not just in town. It's certainly come to the attention of several druids, rangers, and other rural folk who dwell in the nearby mountains, forests, and swamps -- among them, yourself. You've consulted with several seers and Harrowers, and may even have performed some simple auguries yourself, and all the signs point the same way -- something or someone in Riddleport is connected to the blot, and it means bad news for the region. You've avoided the sleazy, dirty town for most of your life, traveling there only when absolutely necessary, and although you don't relish the prospect of going there now, you see little other choice (especially if one of your superiors is ordering you to go investigate). Fortunately, an eccentric friend of yours (pick another PC) is in town, and you've heard this friend will be taking part in some gambling thing at a place called the Gold Goblin. Your friend's always had better luck interacting with the cityfolk, so you've decided to accompany your friend to this gambling tournament and plan on letting him find a safe place for you to stay while you're in town. Your long life of self-sustenance has toughened you and made you more resistant to hardship, in any event -- pick one of the three categories of saving throw. You gain a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws of that type.
Optimistic Gambler: You've always seemed to have trouble keeping money. Worse, you always seem to have debts looming over your head. When you heard about the "Cheat the Devil and Take his Gold" gambling tournament, you felt in your gut that your luck was about to change. You've always been optimistic, in fact, and even though right now is one of those rare times where you don't owe anyone any money (you just paid off a recent loan from local moneylender Lymas Smeed), you know that'll change soon enough. Better to start amassing money now when you're at one of those rare windfall times! You've set aside a gold coin for the entrance fee, and look forward to making it big -- you can feel it in your bones! This time's gonna be the big one! Your boundless optimism, even in the face of crushing situations, has always bolstered your spirit. Effects that grant you morale bonuses persist 1d4 rounds longer than they normally would as a result.
Scouting for Fiends: You belong to an organization (most likely a religion) that has definite views on the menace posed by the lower planes. The willfulness with which the city of Korvosa (they even allow a temple of Asmodeus to operate in broad daylight!) tolerates infernal influences is, to you and your organization, the greatest symbol of what's wrong with civilization today. And now, in Riddleport, there's news that a gambling tournament is using devils and Hell as an idle decoration. It's likely that this is just an example of poor taste, but there's a chance that something sinister may be lurking beneath the goings-on at the Gold Goblin. You have been contacted by your organization (or may have decided on your own) to travel to Riddleport (if you don't already live there) and attend this tournament under the guise of a patron. Keep an eye on things there, even after the tournament is over; if you can, get a job working for the owner. Demons and devils can be subtle, and it could take weeks or even months to find proof of their involvement. Your near-obsessive hatred of all things fiendish grants you a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls made against foes you know to be evil outsiders.
(As Bacchreus already mentioned, that last one is rather appropriate for his character.)
For your second trait, the general Pathfinder RPG Character Traits document can be found here. Other sources exist, but hopefully this is enough to get you going.
Cheers!
Pol, I'd like to know if I could trade in the Elven language my character gains for another language that would be more appropriate to the slum areas around riddleport (no idea what mind you), or is elven prevalent enough that he would have picked it up even though he never knew his father and it wasn't practiced at home.
Starting wealth roll
well here he is so far, still lots to do but coming along nonetheless.
Tensility: thanks for pointing out the traits.
Researching the Blot trait should be updated to PFRPG, as now EVERY item can be identified with a spellcraft check of 15+item level and the Identify spell just gives you a +10 on the check.
This trait now gives you a +3 bonus to spellcraft checks done to identify an item.
Tensility: Your character sheet looks really good, congrats.
Dax: In my RL games I usually dont bother with the bookeeping that using material components entail and I assume that you have them at hand, feel free to change the "eschew materials" feat for any other that you find more useful, I won't nag about the materials not being there.
Bacchreus: Of course, elven for half-elves is just because of their heritage, if you can come out with other excuse as to why they have the language, go ahead. I'm thinking that you learnt it at the temple. So feel free to speak whatever other language you wish.
This is the Diviner.
This is the Diviner.
Nice.
Lecian, I believe you've got five bonus languages yet to be selected, yes? Also, PFRPG skills work slightly differently than classic D&D 3.5. For calculation of bonuses the net effect is the same, but you actually have 1 rank plus 3 bonus for training in class skill rather than 4 ranks.
I suspect that all of you may have forgotten to choose a "Favored Class" and apply either the hit point or skill rank bonus that you get from it. It's another interesting variation that PFRPG brings to the game, but it is also new and therefore easy to miss.
For whatever it's worth, I quite like everyone's characters, although I'd be a bit happier if we also had a rogue along with us...especially in a town like Riddleport. It's always good to have someone along who speaks the "local dialect", if you know what I mean.
So, if we find that more rogue skills are needed, I could deviate from my original plan of heading towards Arcane Archer and instead add some rogue multi-class into the mix since my basic foundation would work well for that path also. We can figure that out at second level, though.
Along the lines of considering party balance and missing capabilities, is there any chance, Urza, that you'd consider spending your Favored Class bonus on a rank of Diplomacy so that we'd have a good "face man" and information gatherer?
Also, Pol, are we still expecting that Sword Sage to show up? Otherwise, it looks to me like we're basically ready to roll. Craps anyone?
Dax: In my RL games I usually dont bother with the bookeeping that using material components entail and I assume that you have them at hand, feel free to change the "eschew materials" feat for any other that you find more useful, I won't nag about the materials not being there.
Shucks, Pol, that also eliminates one of my favorite tactics for dealing with nasty spellcasters: use a disarm combat maneuver to take their spell component pouch away from them.
So, the benefit that this brings to sorcerors is that, because their arcane power is innate, they still have access to most of their spells when divested of their possessions, unlike a wizard or, especially, cleric (the holy symbol can be a dangerous crutch). Anyway, this also, in part, balances wizards' access to a greater variety of spells.
Also, some extra powerful (for their level) spells require expensive material components as a way of balancing them out. Note that this limitation is also explicitly encoded into Eschew Materials so that sorcerors don't get a "free pass" on the power balancing factor.
The way I've always dealt with this in the games I've run is that the components are still required to cast spells that need them, but explicit inventory (other than a spell component pouch) is only needed for components with non-trivial cost.
Anyway, I'm not saying any of this to try to convince you of doing anything differently than how you'd intended, but I thought I'd toss these points out there for consideration nonetheless...mostly because I enjoy discussing such things.
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Can anyone direct me to some traits that might work for a half orc sorcerer with the draconic bloodline? Any help could also aid me with the fluff.
Here's a half-orc specific trait that I ran across:
Legacy of Sand (Half-Orc): A large tribe of orcs adapted to life in the desert once dwelt in southeastern Katapesh. Although this tribe is long extinct, some half-orcs of Katapesh carry the traits of this tribe in their particularly large jaws, broad shoulders, and shockingly pale eyes. You often have dreams of hunts and strange ceremonies held under moonlight in the desert sands. Some ascribe these dreams to racial memory, others to visions or prophecies. These dreams have instilled in you a fierce sense of tradition.
You gain a +1 trait bonus on all Will saving throws.
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Pol did say two traits, and that would be a good second trait. Ok, I'll use it.
It came from the "Legacy of Fire Player's Guide" and does imply that you would be from Katapesh, so you might consider getting that book to get a good flavor of where your character is from.
Anyway, here is the blurb from the same text regarding Half-Orcs in Katapesh.
Half-Orcs
Orcs have little presence in Katapesh, making their half- breed offspring even more uncommon. Like half-elves, most half-orcs found in Katapesh traverse the Obari seeking a place far from the hatreds and prejudices of their homelands. As most lack the talent for barter and trade, many find their strength and intimidating natures predisposed toward nefarious dealings such as thievery, protection rackets, or slaving. Yet, the country’s pervasive church of Sarenrae hosts a surprising number of half-orc acolytes, seeking to comfort and redeem those who have traveled far to escape past evils. Outside of cosmopolitan eastern Katapesh, half-orcs face more typical levels of distrust and discrimination. The lack of orcs in the region prevents many natives from distinguishing between the half-breeds and true orcs, often leading to dangerous confrontations.
Here's what the text has to say about the Sorceror class in the context of Katapesh.
Sorcerers
Although rare, genies and their power over the elements feature prominently in the legends and folklore of Katapesh. Thus, it is no surprise that many sorcerers claim to have genie blood. Where in many countries such assertions would sound like foolish boasting, in Katapesh there’s a chance it’s true. While sorcerers might be found throughout the country, native sorcerers usually rise from the west, typically among rural communities and nomads—many of whom claim to be ancestors of great heroes from magical lands. Traders from far and wide bring their own arcane heritages to the cities, from fiend-blooded tieflings to the naga-kin of Vudra and the sea-speakers of the distant south. Sorcery is pervasive in Katapesh, but never common.
Also, there are some kind of neat (mostly due to the additional flavor) regional familiar types discussed, but I hadn't gotten the notion that you were interested in a familiar.
Uh oh...clock on the wall says that I'm late! Gotta run.
After looking through the SD players guide about riddleport there seems to be plenty of elves in the city to warrant the language so I'll stay with it.
I've also changed his 1/2 elf racial bonus from wisdom to strength since it looks like he will be more of a street tough who has a decent idea of whats going on in town. I think i've made all the necessary corrections.
Well... weekend it's over and I'm about to head to the office (it's not SO late, we have 4hs difference with central time).
As for the swordsage, the guy has his spot, he's co-DM of my real life group and very helpful bouncing ideas, but we can start play without him.
Roster looks good... I'm seeing:
Galahd Riven: Elf Fighter Ranged aiming for Arcane Archer
Calinder: Half-elf Cleric Holy Warrior of Sarenrae
Lecian: Human Diviner (wow man, you really went all out on your int!)
Urza: Half-Orc draconic sorcerer
And we are waiting on mister Swordsage....
Even without him, balancewise I see that the cleric and the sorcerer will have to hold the front line and the archer and diviner deal damage from the back.
Cleric has buffing and healing power to patch the party up after a fight or after you run into a trap.
There is some stealth in the group but no rogue or bard, so locks, traps and secret doors will be a challenge.
Sorcerer cand do diplomacy, he is an incredibly handsome half-orc.
Any finishing touches... please do so, as I would really like to kick off tooday, I'll be until late on the office so I will have some time this evening to start this off.
They like my rugged good looks. What can I say?
Also, I've posted a bit of history. It sucks. Sorry, I've been having writer's block lately and I'm not the best writer to begin with.
I'm good to go, just have more background to fill out mainly with the Qadiran Priest that raised him.
Calinders also got +5 diplomacy which suits his gather info background better than heal skill.
Dax: In my RL games I usually dont bother with the bookeeping that using material components entail and I assume that you have them at hand, feel free to change the "eschew materials" feat for any other that you find more useful, I won't nag about the materials not being there.Shucks, Pol, that also eliminates one of my favorite tactics for dealing with nasty spellcasters: use a disarm combat maneuver to take their spell component pouch away from them.
So, the benefit that this brings to sorcerors is that, because their arcane power is innate, they still have access to most of their spells when divested of their possessions, unlike a wizard or, especially, cleric (the holy symbol can be a dangerous crutch). Anyway, this also, in part, balances wizards' access to a greater variety of spells.
Also, some extra powerful (for their level) spells require expensive material components as a way of balancing them out. Note that this limitation is also explicitly encoded into Eschew Materials so that sorcerors don't get a "free pass" on the power balancing factor.
The way I've always dealt with this in the games I've run is that the components are still required to cast spells that need them, but explicit inventory (other than a spell component pouch) is only needed for components with non-trivial cost.
Anyway, I'm not saying any of this to try to convince you of doing anything differently than how you'd intended, but I thought I'd toss these points out there for consideration nonetheless...mostly because I enjoy discussing such things.
Of course casters aren't freed from having to spend money on powerful spell components. What I meant is that it is assumed that a caster has one or several pockets or belts containing the spell components. They never run out, they can't be disarmed (if you want you can grapple the mage and then he'll be in trouble) Also, it slipped my mind that Eschew materials was a class feature of the sorcerer, I tought he had selected it as a feat.
So, aiming to start the campaign I'd wish to establish for all of you why are you in Riddleport and why will you be attending the grand gala at the Golden Goblin.
Background:
Galahd Riven: Out of money, somehow you secured entrance to the tournament to scout for a possible job in the gabmbling house.
Calinder: Half-elf Cleric Holy Warrior of Sarenrae. Looking for your missing father. The only clue you have about his origin is a strange symbol you found etched on a small piece of wood found with your mother's belongings. No one has been able to identify that symbol and you've come to Riddleport seeking the aid of the cyphermages. They also were helpless about it, but in your inquires you heard that a similar symbol was etched on one silver ingot traced back to the purchase of the Golden Goblin by a fellow named Saul Vancaskerkin. You paid the fee to the tournament to investigate with caution.
Lecian: You are staying at the Golden Goblin while researching The Blot and plan to attend the evening festivities.
Urza: Half-Orc draconic sorcerer, is also staying on the G.G for blot-researching purposes.
Three of you who selected traits that put you in a specific place on the start of the campaign, for Calinder I placed a few hooks that I may be able to pull later on the campaign, supposing we reach that far without losing him, he may even learn of his missing father history.
Even without him, balancewise I see that the cleric and the sorcerer will have to hold the front line and the archer and diviner deal damage from the back.
I tried to build Galahd so that he can hold his own on the front line as well. Once I have a bit of cash for gear, I am quite keen on locating an Elven Curve Blade since this will immensely increase my value in melee.
There is some stealth in the group but no rogue or bard, so locks, traps and secret doors will be a challenge.
I'm likely to adjust my "career plan" in order to start addressing that party need starting at second level. This is not to say that I won't still be driving toward Arcane Archer, just that I might reach it one level later...
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When you suggested that the sorcerer would be part of the front line, I thought,"Like hell!". Then I looked at the numbers a little more closely and realized that at low levels, a sorcerer could hold his own on the front line. Sure it would take a round or two of preparation, but it is very doable. It's a whole new world people.
Game on!
Hey.... I'll be the guy trying to kill you.. you just stand wherever you feel more comfortable.
Don't understimate the abilities of a melee oriented sorcerer...
You got some nice damage dealing melee touch spells and draconic sorcerers can sprout claws.
Your STR is decent and your AC can easily go to 20 with a couple of low level spells (shield, mage armor).
You have extra hp from beign a half-orc
And when you start turning into a frikin' DRAGON....
Anyway, I don't want to push you into a role you dont want. The party seems quite flexible and the ranged fighter can hold his own in melee too...
Ok, started the game thread as I told you!
find it here: GAME THREAD
For now, the party is split up, so I'll spoiler and write for each one of you. Feel free to read the other players spoilered section, but if you ACT on that knowledge bad stuff will happen to you. ^_^
Welcome you to the game, I hope you'll enjoy it, I am.
Also, please excuse any misuse of the English language from my part, it's not my mother tongue and I'm no writing expert.
Pol, my backgrounds pretty much done, He has been in riddleport his whole life, living with his mother till age 6 then the priest of Sarenrae where he still lives in Rotgut district. Hope this doesn't affect the backstory you've written up too much
Ok, Tensility, we'll give the arcanists a moment to introduce themselves and plan any significant activity for the morning, if not we can go for the lunchtime (where I suppose you can meet them) and then afternoon activities (you said you wanted to inquire about an elven curve blande).
After we've handled the day's activities we can go for the main event.
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Ok, Tensility, we'll give the arcanists a moment to introduce themselves and plan any significant activity for the morning, if not we can go for the lunchtime (where I suppose you can meet them) and then afternoon activities (you said you wanted to inquire about an elven curve blande).
After we've handled the day's activities we can go for the main event.
I should note that my interest in the curve blade will be ongoing but is rather secondary, since Galahd obviously has no gold to afford it yet. This is largely a reaction to the comment in the Core Rules that "the elven curve blade is exceptionally rare" and concern as a player that my unfortunately low initial wealth roll will have the secondary effect of losing Galahd guaranteed access to the item.
To be honest, I suppose this reaction in part stems from the fact that the side of me that has often played the role of DM in games in the past argues that, if I were running the game, I would in fact honor that comment in the rules and assign improbably low odds of there being even a single such blade available for sale in the entire city.
Anyway, my real point is that there is absolutely no reason to hold up starting the main event for excursions into a tangent specific to my character that, at best, may result in the knowledge of where such an item might be obtained whenever the funds for purchasing it have actually been earned.
Cheers!
Ok, we'll look into the curve blade.
Almost anything can be found on the streets of riddleport.. with the right contacts and gold..
You need to make a diplomacy roll to inquire about the blade.
Great, I'm glad you like it. I'm enjoying it too. Still, I would like to have more advanced tools for playing.
- at the office I dont have image editing software, hence patched up maps like the one of the alley.
- at the office I'm behind the corp's firewall, so we cant play in a more advanced forum like rpol.
I would have liked to keep the different party members on different threads, or with text only visible to each party member, but this will have to do.
Ah, Tensility, thanks for pointing I had forgotten the shaken -2 to the attack, please do tell me of any such omissions.
Also, another tip: You can PREVIEW your posts and see how you did with the dice roller before continuing to write. The roll will stay the same. I'm trusting that you wont use this to roll several times until getting the desired result....