The frozen north is an unforgiving land, regardless of the place from which you hail. The bitter cold and the feral landscape make life difficult for even the hardiest of mortal men and women. Yet something has drawn you here.
Perhaps it is the thrill of adventure, the chance to test yourself against the fiercest of terrestrial elements. Perhaps this is only a start, and once you have mastered the frostfell you will turn your eyes on mastery of crueler climates. No stronger natural hazards nor crueler beasts can be found than the feral wasteland of the Barren.
Perhaps it is curiosity. As strange as they are the northlands are worlds of mystery, in many ways different from every other place on the world, and to witness their wonder, their splendor, their horror is only truly comprehensible once you have done so firsthand.
Perhaps it is wealth that calls you. After all, it was only a short sixty years ago that the first successful group of miners and explorers into this territory found rich veins beneath the permafrost and have been extracting iron, copper, precious metals, and gems from the lands around the now-large city of Grendar for the years since. How do you think the trading post of Jasper came by its name?
Perhaps you wish to face the darkness that hides here. You are not alone; beyond Grendar lies Fort Ragnarok, where a recently gathered group of warriors and heroes referring to themselves as the Glacier Knights have built their headquarters within the past generation. They seek to bring order, safety, and freedom to the wilds of the frostfell, and welcome all bearing sword, spell, or skill who share their vision.
For now, though, your travels have brought you here. Jasper, a crossroads of the only two major "roads" in the Barren - one leading to Grendar to the northeast and the other crossing the wildlands of the Barren to stretch toward Luminienne far to the northwest - and the primary trade route back to the more hospitable south. Once simply an intersection, within a few years after Grendar's walls were constructed a small village had sprung up about these roads, and in the generation since has grown into a respectable-sized trading village.
Welcome to the Frostfell. Dress warmly.
------
The story begins in the trading post of Jasper, just above the frostfell line, and nearly all of the story is associated with the surrounding countryside. However, it's not attributed to any particular setting, and could theoretically get plopped down anywhere: somewhere frosty other than Irrisen in Golarion, somewhere on the Great Glacier or Spine of the World in Faerun, along the Black Ice Lands in Greyhawk, etc. etc. etc.
TL;DR version: The greater world setting is less important to me as DM than the local setting, which can be placed in an appropriate climate in any world, so I leave it to my players as to which setting they'd prefer to play in. So feel free to toss in your personal preferences.
Okay, now game rules. There's basically three ways we can do this, as far as rules go:
1. PF Core ~ Pathfinder material only. Core book, Bestiary, APG. Easily the simplest method.
2. Anything Goes ~ My IRL group's normal play style, but I know some players on these forums don't care for it :P Any 3.5 material is available, with some tweaks by the DM to bring things to Pathfinder standard; this may be anything from simply adjusting the Hit Die and skills to improving/nerfing class abilities. If we go with this let me know what class(es) you'd be interested in and I'll get back to you here with the requisite changes.
3. PF/3.5 Limited ~ Pathfinder material plus a limited list of 3.5 races and classes, and certain feats/spells/etc. available on DM approval. I can post the list if requested, and/or I can take requests from players.
Once we've decided those two above, we're pretty much ready to go, though there are a few details that would probably be best to hash out. Of course, if you have any questions feel free to shoot them this way. :)
So, is the Martial Rogue okay?
I don't have any problem with it. Go ahead.
Alright. So how do you want to handle generation of aility scores? Point buy, Paizo dice roller, something else?
I suppose I should post character creation guidelines then :P duhhhhrrrr.
1. 20 point buy.
2. Traits: you can select two traits out of any Paizo product. I do ask however that you notate where you got the trait from.
3. Maximum starting gold for your class.
4. Please fill out the following questionaire and post here in a spoiler, PLEASE do not read other peoples' spoilers (shouldn't be a problem with this group, I hope :) ) -
5 things your character is afraid of, in importance of the level of fear
4 things their character loves dearly, in order of importance
3 things they are embarrassed about
2 things they are proud of
and 1 thing they'd be willing to kill to keep a secret.
That's all for now, we'll hash out further questions once we've decided setting and ruleset.
I'm interested in submitting a concept for Orthos approval. The coldest north sounds worthwhile- I haven't had to deal with weather and such with a character for a while.
I'd rather not start at first level though- would third or fifth be acceptable?
Fifth probably not. Second or third I might be more amenable to... yeah, probably since 1st-level characters are notoriously fragile. :) We'll see what the other players think.
I don't want to start too high as I know a lot of players don't like the higher levels, so I don't want to get too ahead of the game ;)
Yeah, starting a few levels higher is fine by me.
3rd level sounds like a decent compromise.
Alright. Assuming we don't use a higher level, my sheet's done except for equipment. Background questions coming soon.
Here's my character so far.
Here's my character so far.
Just to avoid confusion, Renalia is my character.
Because I'm insane and bored, I have come to the conclusion that the story I want to write won't get written unless I actually have some motivation to get stuff done on it.
Is there any particulars from our characters that would help with story writing?
And I'm fine with any style you wish. Wide slam open with GM approval suits as well as core Pathfinder only.
Updated character to include answers from DM's Questionnaire.
Because I'm insane and bored, I have come to the conclusion that the story I want to write won't get written unless I actually have some motivation to get stuff done on it.Is there any particulars from our characters that would help with story writing?
For starters, just the thing in the spoiler above, and what I'm going to add below.
Seems like the general consensus is to start at 3rd level, which works for me. Add 3000gp to your characters' assets. You can spend this on whatever you wish as long as you can afford it.
As you're now a "seasoned adventurer" and have beat the 50/50 chance that you'll be dead before reaching level 2, you obviously have at least a little story to share. Add this to the spoiler I requested in character creation: A short description of your time adventuring, and why your travels have brought you to the frozen north. This can be as simple as "this is where I started, I got to level 3 fighting the ferocity here, this is my homeland" to a long convoluted tale of journeying up from the deserts of the distant south. :)
As for rules: as there doesn't seem to be a strong opinion one way or another, we'll go with whatever works. This means if you want to play a 3.5 class or race or use 3.5 content, drop a note here and I'll give a yes and PF adjustments or say no. I tend to be a pretty lenient DM though, so there's very little I'll turn down.
I do request no evil characters, though. I forgot to put that in the post above. :/
TAD: Renalia looks good. Finish up the last bit of the questionaire, add the thing I requested in this post, and level up to 3 and you should be good to go :D
Orthos, how do you want to do hit points?
Use the forum die roller. If you roll less than half (3 on a d6, 4 on a d8, 5 on a d10, 6 on a d12), you can choose to take half.
Here's a feat from Frostburn that I'm considering, should you approve it:
Cold Endurance
Either because of growing up in a frostfell or training your body and mind to ignore the biting effect of cold, you can exist with ease in low-temperature environments.
Prerequisite: Base Fortitude save bonus +2
Benefit: You can exist comfortably in conditions between 0 degree and 90 degree Fahrenheit without having to make Fortitude saves (Pathfinder Core Rulebook, page 442). You also gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against cold effects. Cold endurance doesn't provide any level of resistance to cold damage.
Level 2 HP:
Level 3 HP:
Here's a feat from Frostburn that I'm considering, should you approve it:
Cold Endurance
Yup, that's okay.
Permission to buy some sort of snow-capable carriage? I ask because an ice sled-wagon from Frostburn costs the same as a regular wagon, so I figure an ice sled-carriage would cost the same as a regular carriage. If nothing else no one else in the party would have to pay for a horse and I'll have somewhere to store my alchemy supplies.
Also, HP rolls:
Alright, except for a back story and embarrasments (which for the life of me I can't think of any) my character is fully equipped and armed, and completed.
Permission to buy some sort of snow-capable carriage? I ask because an ice sled-wagon from Frostburn costs the same as a regular wagon, so I figure an ice sled-carriage would cost the same as a regular carriage. If nothing else no one else in the party would have to pay for a horse and I'll have somewhere to store my alchemy supplies.
Also, HP rolls: 2d8+2
There is a sled listed in the Transport section of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.
There is a sled listed in the Transport section of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.Permission to buy some sort of snow-capable carriage? I ask because an ice sled-wagon from Frostburn costs the same as a regular wagon, so I figure an ice sled-carriage would cost the same as a regular carriage. If nothing else no one else in the party would have to pay for a horse and I'll have somewhere to store my alchemy supplies.
Also, HP rolls: 2d8+2
Oh. Well, that's what I get for looking up stuff in the 3.5 Player's Handbook and not in the SRD, I suppose. Any idea how much it holds?
Oh. Well, that's what I get for looking up stuff in the 3.5 Player's Handbook and not in the SRD, I suppose. Any idea how much it holds?There is a sled listed in the Transport section of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.Permission to buy some sort of snow-capable carriage? I ask because an ice sled-wagon from Frostburn costs the same as a regular wagon, so I figure an ice sled-carriage would cost the same as a regular carriage. If nothing else no one else in the party would have to pay for a horse and I'll have somewhere to store my alchemy supplies.
Also, HP rolls: 2d8+2
Well, it is essentially a wagon on runners. No specifics, but it does say it can hold up to a heavy load. Two horses need to draw it and it comes with a harness.
The mental image of this amuses me. Yeah, I'll allow it.
The mental image of this amuses me. Yeah, I'll allow it.
The mental image of a carraiage on skis, presumably with some sort of 19th century-style ad painted on the side? Cool. There goes about a thousand gold well spent.
|
Arrrgh! Had to buy a used car today which has put me way behind. Here is my character concept.
A dwarven oracle from the APG following the stone mystery path. I know its not an optimized concept with the -2 charisma, but conceptually I really like it. He is drawn to Jasper by all of the mining.
I will stat him up, flesh out his back story and answer your questions tomorrow.
Sorry I've been slow- It's my anniversery week (15th). I'm running Kingmaker for some friends on Thurs and need to do some prep tonight, so I won't get character details up till Fri or Sat. Hope this doesn't cause a delay.
So, what we have is:
Renalia human martial rogue by TAD
Variel elven alchemist by Davi
dwarven oracle by Tordek
I'm leaning heavily towards a cleric of Shelyn, though race is still undecided. I want to do something martial and charismatic and the joining of beauty and glaive is calling me.
Who was our fifth?
Considering background options. How far away is Jasper from Icestair?
Considering background options. How far away is Jasper from Icestair?
So we've decided we're going with Golarion? I kind of figured but no one spoke up :P
Looking at the maps, the most likely place to stick Jasper and the surrounding Barren would probably be to the east, north of Mendev and the Lake of Mist and Veil. So if my measurements were accurate (kind of eyeballing it) that's about 1000-1200 miles from Icestair.
Who was our fifth?
Believe it was going to be Flash....
So, is this about right?
More north, up in the ice and away from the lake, but otherwise pretty close yeah.
Can we get some backrground info on Jasper?
Compared to the other settlements of the Barren, Jasper is relatively young - as an established town, it's only existed for about twenty years, compared to the thirty or so since Luminienne and Fort Ragnarok were built and the fifty since Grendar's walls were erected. At first at its location was nothing but a bare patch of land where the main traveling routes south from Luminienne to the west and Grendar to the east met before delving south out of the frostbitten wastelands of the Barren and off to more hospitable climates, bound for the lakeside and eventually Starfall and Nerosyan.
As is common in history, people began congregating at this crossroads: Merchants seeking to ply their wares to travelers bound for both cities, would-be settlers who dared not brave the fiercer wastelands between fortified locations, those who simply could not continue on, and those who found a home in the little scattered settlement of log houses. The town was named Jasper by miners working in the area before they moved on to Luminienne and Grendar for their better resources and need for more workers; the mines in the southern portions of the Barren around Jasper's location proved to have fair veins of copper interspersed with the semiprecious stone in question, but were deemed not of as much potential as the more northerly digs, and the mines - though still some resources untapped - were for the most part abandoned.
Today Jasper is a fair-sized village of about 160 souls, with a fair smattering of every likely race and numerous professions, though humans, dwarves, and native races to the northlands such as hobgoblins and the fey uldra are the most common. A picket fence of slats and stakes rings the town but no gates block the three entrances/exits: one on the south wall, one to the east, and one to the northwest, with the roads issuing through them meeting dead center in the middle of the village and dividing it into three roughly-equal sized portions. Literally anyone is welcome in the trading village, as long as they bring coin, skill, or willingness to work to the table and - more than anything else - don't cause undue unrest.
Travelers and newcomers are usually directed to The Brawny Grizzly, Jasper's resident tavern, inn, and watering hole where even the locals commonly gather to trade word of events and goings-on. Given their status as a trading town, Jasper citizens are fairly open and welcoming of newcomers, encouraging them to spend time (and gold) in the town and, in the case of adventurers, pointing them towards local "troubles" before they move on to either of the bigger cities ahead. The bartender at The Grizzly, likely the first local any travelers will get to know by name, is Meiradweth Crosswater, a spry and engaging halfling who seems to rarely have trouble dealing with troublemakers in her inn... especially when she points out that the stuffed bear for which the tavern is named - eleven feet tall at the shoulder and white as a ghost - was brought down by her own axe. For the most part though she's friendly and talkative, and always willing to point a newcomer in the right direction... after a few drinks, of course.
------
Any more specific info you would like? :)
Welcome to the Frostfell, kobold-bait.
You still seem to be short a guide. I'd like to play with a dragon shaman or warlock (something with survival and an aura to defend against cold). Fair notice though, I'm a member of Orthos's RL game, so I'll steer clear if you guys have an objection.
I say the more the merrier. Welcome.
Was wondering where you'd vanished to ;) That's six so we're full and ready to run :D
No worries, not everyone else is done yet either so no big delays as of yet :)
Not to be a pill Orthos, but could I get some info on Luminienne and Grendar please?
Orthos, are there any location specific goods like snowhoes, skis, or the like?
Niel: Yes, such gear is detailed in the 3.5 book Frostburn but I'll list the prices here just in case you don't have that book:
Snowshoes: 15 gp, 8 lbs
Snow goggles: 2 gp, --
Skis and poles: 15 gp, 6 lb
Crampons: 5 gp, 1 lb
Ice skates: 10 gp, 3 lb
Fur clothing: 8 gp, 10 lb*
Winter fullcloth: 4 gp, 2 lb**
*: +10 to fort saves versus cold weather; cumbersome, adds +2 to armor check penalty
**: Included in cold weather outfit available in Core Rulebook; bought alone, provides +1 bonus to fort saves versus cold weather.
I can detail the other items as necessary if needed.
TAD: I'll put up another post on those later today. No worries - one of the expectations of custom settings is that players will want explanations of newly-invented locations :)
Snowshoes: 15 gp, 8 lbs
Skis and poles: 15 gp, 6 lb
Crampons: 5 gp, 1 lb
Ice skates: 10 gp, 3 lb
Do any of these require a specific skill to use?
Snowshoes: 15 gp, 8 lbs
Skis and poles: 15 gp, 6 lb
Crampons: 5 gp, 1 lb
Ice skates: 10 gp, 3 lbDo any of these require a specific skill to use?
Crampons provide a bonus to Acrobatics (balance and tumble) and Climb on icy surfaces, but can be used even if the wearer is untrained.
Skates require at least 2 ranks in Acrobatics to be used. Those who can though can use them to move at full speed on ice (but not snow).
Skis allow full movement on both ice and snow, and increased movement on slopes (either x4 or x5 depending on the steepness). They do not require any skills nor grant bonuses to skills.
Snowshoes reduce movement on snow to rough terrain (2 squares per movement instead of 1; between creature size and snow depth the normal movement rate can vary between normal and 4 squares per movement instead of 1) but provide no other bonuses. They do not require skill training to use.
Well, you need 5 ranks of Balance (2 ranks of Acrobatics now) to actually use ice skates. Other than that, anyone can use them.
EDIT: Ninjad. Hurray.
niel wrote:
Snowshoes: 15 gp, 8 lbs
Skis and poles: 15 gp, 6 lb
Crampons: 5 gp, 1 lb
Ice skates: 10 gp, 3 lbDo any of these require a specific skill to use?
Crampons provide a bonus to Acrobatics (balance and tumble) and Climb on icy surfaces, but can be used even if the wearer is untrained.
Skates require at least 2 ranks in Acrobatics to be used. Those who can though can use them to move at full speed on ice (but not snow).
Skis allow full movement on both ice and snow, and increased movement on slopes (either x4 or x5 depending on the steepness). They do not require any skills nor grant bonuses to skills.
Snowshoes reduce movement on snow to rough terrain (2 squares per movement instead of 1; between creature size and snow depth the normal movement rate can vary between normal and 4 squares per movement instead of 1) but provide no other bonuses. They do not require skill training to use.
Do masterwork versions have any effect?
Do masterwork versions have any effect?
There, uh, aren't any.