Last week I started my first PBP and I think i got time for another one.
This one will begin in the City of Karcau on the shores of Lake Prophyria in Ustalav in the beginning of 4708.
All PCs have to be natives of Karcau and have just finished their training in one of the four major academies:
Pettoria: Academy of cavaliers, fighters, rogues and bards.
Kiavelak: Academy of good and neutral aligned clerics and inquisitors, paladins and good and neutral aligned wizards except necromancers.
Vizyalesh: Academy of Clerics, wizards of evil alignment and necromancers.
Noriski: Academy of alchemists, sorcerers, druids and rangers.
(all mentioned classes are allowed as PC classes-no exceptions to those).
Races: Core Rulebook + Tiefling.
Alignment: Good, neutral and "disguised" evils...
Stats: GM rolls 6 times 4D6 (drop worst), players distribute freely.
Starting Wealth: Confer Rulebook
In general:
I'm a rather active GM and do post a lot when online; GMT +1.
The campaign is going to be based on a gothic-horror theme.
Questions left? If not, create your character and post it here. I will decide based on background story and group constellation. Time for application is until Sunday.
Desna be with ye!
If you don't mind having the same player in two games, I'd like to toss my name into the hat. The other PbP I'd been in has no activity for two days, and I LOVE Ustalav.
If "disguised" evil and the alchemist class are allowed, I've got an idea for a doctor who's becoming addicted to his own concoctions and starting to loose sight of his desire to help people in lieu of a crazed drive to perfect his craft. He's really more of a neutral character that's starting to slip towards evil.
If that's alright, please let me know what stats turn up so I can post a dude.
No, I don't mind that :-)
While I think the other one will gain momentum during the weekend.
Sound interesting-flesh out background and I will roll your stats.
Righto. I'm going to re-read the section on Ustalav in the campaign guide, then I'll get something down here.
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I'll put my Bid in for a N Necomancer. He was Scared for Life when members of the whispering way raided his Village for sacrefices. The undead at their command inspired Awe and Fear in him. He watched countless of the towns folk fall to the undead. In the hours that he hid, he came to realize that the only way to Fight the undead, was to gain controll over them, to Fight "Fire with Fire". As soon as he was old enough, he Enrolled at Academy Vizyalesh, so Study the Art of Necromancy, wiht hopes some day to Hunt down the Members of the Whispering way, and put an end to them for good.
Sounds interesting, I always found N necromancers very tempting :-)
As for Martinaj: Flesh out background and get aboard.
I am interested. I would like to throw my hat in the ring for a "disguised" good/neutral character. I want to see what I can do with a neutral/good necromancer. The theory that he is operating under is that negative energy is not inherently aligned. It the use of such power, much like the misuse of any type of magic, that defines its morality. Like most wizards, he is intelligent as well as arrogant about his beliefs.
a second necromancer?
work on a detailed backgound and I will decide (depending on the other applicants) if the party can use 2 of them.
The son of a migrant soldier of Lastwall, Dominic's father moved the family to Karcau when a dire injury forced him into an early retirement. In light of the family's military tradition, it was expected that young Dominc would be sent to Odranto to follow in his father's footsteps, but the crippling wound had changed the man's priorities. Not wanted his son to suffer the same fate on some battlefield front, he pushed Dominic towards academic studies, encouraging him to join one of the prestigious Ustalavian academies.
It was medicine that that interested Dominic. At an early age, he displayed an interest for the way things worked, and he soon realized that few things in the world were more complex than the machinations of the demihuman body. As a child he promised many times that he would learn how to repair his father's wounded leg, though as he grew older, this became more of an affectation of youth - no one, Dominic included, really expected that it was possible. He had been set on his path, though, and eventually gained admission to Noreski academy, where he would study alchemy and herbalism to further his competence as a doctor.
However, his studies quickly took their toll on him. It started with home-brewed concoctions to reduce the need for sleep. His obsessive diligence combined with his 18 hour days ensured his place in the top of his class for years, and he began to wonder how these potions and poultices could have such a marked effect on the body and mind, and what else he might accomplish through their applications.
As he became more and more involved in his personal projects, Dominic's performance in his official training began to suffer, and a small handful of his patients displayed disturbing side effects from his treatments. He graduated from Noreski Academy with average marks and a hungry mind. He knows that he has only begun to unlock the secrets of his craft, and he is driven to perfect it.
Dominic still wants to help people with his skills, but he has adopted a rather utilitarian outlook. He believes that every life has value, which is more sinister than it sounds. To Dominic, some lives are more valuable than others, and he is willing to allow one or two die if it means ten more will be saved - a net gain in his eyes. Furthermore, his is still obsessed with alchemy, and is slowly loosing sight of his original motivations in his drive to further develop his skills.
Dominic is a plain looking Taldan in his early twenties, sporting the typical dark hair and brown eyes of his ancestors. He favors the attire of they gentry class and always endeavors to keep his composure and present a well put together appearance. However, he is addicted to his own potions, and this has taken a visible toll on his appearance. His once bronzed skin is beginning to pale, his eyes are sunken and dark, and beneath his layered garb sickly varicose veins crawl along his body like strangling ivy.
That looks very solid, Dominic is already accepted, I'll open a OOC thread where you get further information (stats, traits etc.)
I'm interested, though I know literally nothing about the City of Karcau. If someone could point me in the direction of a handbook or something I could read to catch me up a bit, I'd much appreciate it. I see people complaining about horror-genre PbP's occasionally here, but I've never given it a try and have been very intrigued by the thought of them.
I'm thinking a CN Rogue with the Thug archetype (I'm assuming the archetypes are allowed since other APG classes are too, but if that's a problem then it's no problem :P). Wields a fat club and likes to smash things, might multiclass barbarian, who knows.
My other idea is some form of caster, probably CG (we need SOMEBODY to be good, afterall). I'm thinking druid or cleric, seeing as there have already been several arcane casters mentioning interest.
Rautha Dracos Grew up in a Small Fishing Village outside Ravengro, Canterwall. He Father was a Fisher, his Mother a Teacher. His Life wasn't Easy, but it was Safe. Far from the Borders of Virlych and the Dreaded Gallowspire, His Village thought they would be safe when the rumors of whole villages being swallowed up by the Mists around the Virlych borders. "we'll be fine!, Lastwall patrols will catch any wandering undead that come our way.." said the Town Mayor. The Mayor could not have been more wrong. With in hours of the meeting ending, the village was attacked by members of the Whispering Way.
First, Mists rolled in, thick as soup; then, came the Undead, followed by their Masters. They slaughtered anyone who put up a fight, Capturing those who they could. Rautha watched the whole thing from a hiding spot under his family's Porch. The Undead where unstoppable, they resisted the Pitch forks and arrows the Men of the town weilded against them. Once the Village had been taken, the members of the way, rounded up the Feeble, the weak, and killed them. " easyier to bring back, this way, less whining..." He heard one say.
After the attack, only Rautha Survived, if you call it Survival. He was scared, broken. He was so overcome by the power of those undead, so wanting revenge for his village that he could only come to one conclusion.
To fight the undead, he must use undead.
Taking all he could from his Family home, He fled North to Vieland, where he enrolled in Wizarding School, At First he was rejected. No honest Wizarding school would willing train someone in the art of necromancy. Rautha having a Clever side from his Mother, re-enrolled a month later under a Different Name, Claiming to was a Study in Divination. He was accepted, but eventually Caught and expelled his 2nd year. He was caught late at night on a Full moon, After attempting to cast a Spell above his Power. but not any spell, a Necromancy Spell.. After collecting his things, He Heard Rumors of a School called
Academy Vizyalesh, who openly taught necromancy! this Idea appealed to him, his only issue was getting there. For this school was almost on the other side of the Counrty, In Karcau. Deciding Nothing would stop him from getting there, He sold the last items he saved from his home, and payed for passaged to Karcau.
Rautha Dracos Is a N Human Wizard (Necromancer, undead school)
Post a character concept and I will take a thorough look :-)
Archetypes are allowed.
There is not much information of Karcau besides bits and pieces in the campaign setting:
http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Karcau
@Rautha, the necromancer spot will be highly competitive. Anything about Rautha's life in the academy?
The bastard of Erebus chapter is open for usage.
Okay, went with the Rogue character but I'm changing to a Poisoner archetype. I'll get a backstory up soon.
@Rautha, the necromancer spot will be highly competitive. Anything about Rautha's life in the academy?
pre-Requs: cast 3 different necromancy spells,
HD become d12's, No bonus from Con.
HP = 1/2 mine or familiar's whichever is higher
Bab= familiar's or mine whichever is higher
Biggest change is that the Familiar allows me to Control 4 more HD of undead, instead of the Normal Bonus's that a Familiar would.
If not, I'd be willing to just call teh Familiar Undead for Flavor..
..More details on why Rautha was Expelled.
Rautha had come to class that day looking very Pale, unhealthly. The Teachers where concerned, but Rautha waved them away "i'm fine, i.. just need some rest" Later that evening, The Headmaster came to Rautha's room to check on him, and was shocked with what he saw.. Rautha was caught with Gravedust, Lichen, a Scroll of Animate Dead, and his raven familiar, Midnight. Well, what was once his Familiar. The bird was dead, and looked as if it had been disected, and stiched back together. Rautha was too entranced with the casting of the higherl lvl spell to see the headmaster. He was roughly snatched up, loosing the spell and the expensive scroll he had purchased. An council of the school was held the next day, Rautha was promptly expelled.
Upon Reaching Academy Vizyalesh, Rautha was very Excited. Finally, he could study his Art, and Gain the Power he was looking for. Thing's didn;t turn out as well as he hoped. Rautha didn't fit in well with his fellow Students. Seen as a know it all, (he Loved the studying, the learning, think Hermonie from Harry Potter). He didn't see necromancy the same way they did. to him, It was about fighting the Undead on their terms, leveling the Playing Field. his Class mates saw it as a Was to Gain Power of Life. So Many a trick where played on Rautha, from calling him names, to poking fun that he had no familiar ( Midnight was still dead, but Rautha kept his body), to actually beating him up one for getting getting the highest scores on a test. Rautha Did his best to ignore them, Focusing on his studying. When it Came to his Final Test before Graduation, He chose what got him Expelled from this first school. Using a Scroll, he Animated his Familiar, Midnight as undead. His Classmates, now saw the power in Rautha, Never Taunted him again.
I would like to throw my hat in the ring for a LN Cavalier, if you don't mind having me for two games!
I can have a background and concept up soon if you want it!
Okay, went with the Rogue character but I'm changing to a Poisoner archetype. I'll get a backstory up soon.
Most excellent. Dominic is going to use a few poisons himself, so I'll know how to make them for you! >:D
btw Leshok, whatever happened to the Kobold commando?
Martinaj : i change my avatar like every other week lol this week I felt like roy!
Just go ahead Leshok, I'll await your concept.
I'd prefer not to use the Libris Mortis...while I have it at home, I don't like to mix up Pathfinder and D&D.
Nevertheless, we can work on a solution for your proposal. Like giving your familiar the undead type etc.
** spoiler omitted **
That works for me, I like the Flluff of it, the cruch can go.
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Mkay. I suppose I should have asked before, but using those charts, should I roll or just select the alternate features?
For your consideration, I present Asuna, Child of the Dawnflower.
Asuna was unfortunate enough to be born a Tiefling. He was doubly unfortunate in that his heritage chose to manifest fairly early in life. His skin a deep red at birth, they first thought there was just something wrong with his pigmentation. When his ears grew pointed and his first small set of horns came in, they soon realized that this was no ordinary human child. He was raised in secret for the first five years while they tried to figure out a way to cure him of his "disease." When it became clear that they couldn't, however, his parents took him to Karcau and dumped him the first chance they got.
Asuna managed to scrape by foraging in rubbish and begging. The local street kids soon discovered him and took to him. He became their punching bag and their plaything. In exchange for letting himself suffer, though, he received some small amount of food and shelter. He continued in this way for close to two years before he was saved by the Dawnflower.
A priestess of Sarenrae walked past the alley where Asuna was receiving one of his many daily beatings. She stopped the children beating him, and brought him back with her to the temple of Sarenrae. It was the first time Asuna could remember that he hadn't been treated with scorn and loathing. He went back to the temple every day, and it was that priestess who finally managed to convince Asuna that he might not be evil just for being born a Tiefling. The priestess eventually managed to arrange for him to be enrolled in the Kiavelak Academy, studying religion with an emphasis on Sarenrae.
Ten years later, Asuna has been accepted as a minor priest of the Dawnflower, and every day he counts himself as lucky. He still tries to visit the priestess once a week, but his duties to the faith are interfering in that somewhat these days.
Please select the features, I don't want a tiefling with fins and gills... :-)
Kirk Spearborn came to the city of Karcau as an orphan child, the bastard son of an Orc raider who raped and left his mother for dead, but not before killing her husband and leaving a spearhead in his neck for good measure. Kirk’s mother was devastated, but carried the baby holding onto the hope that she was pregnant with her husband’s seed. When Kirk was born, the horror of her situation was finally realized upon her, and she quickly and quietly committed suicide with the same spearhead that killed her husband, Kirk’s would-be human father. Kirk was taken in by a merchant caravan who learned of his story from his mother, before she gave birth, and after the tragedy they gave him his name. Kirk (named after his would-be human father) Spearborn (the significance of the spearhead in directing his abnormal childhood was too obvious to ignore).
The child was dropped off in an orphanage in the first city the merchant caravan came across, Karcau. He was raised among children with similarly-tragic stories, but everyone knew his story and he never escaped the haunting of his past. One could not venture to say he had grown-up evil, but there was definitely something off about the Half-Orc boy. Then again, when your birth and life is based entirely on the existence of violence, how could one expect things to be normal?
He eventually enrolled in the Pettoria Academy, where it was thought his Orcish lineage would provide him with the means to someday become a powerful fighter and soldier. However, Kirk quickly decided this was not the path for him, but that he should take advantage of the opportunity the Academy offered while he still could. He learned effective methods of stealth and deceit from some of the expert scoundrels employed by the Pettorians, but this wasn’t enough for him. Eventually he took to sneaking into several of the other great academies of the city at night, seeking to learn more than they could teach him at his own school. His favorite quickly became the Noriski Academy when he stumbled upon the multitude of alchemist labs. Experimenting during the night quickly became a hobby for him, learning without instruction save for the books he found in the classrooms. Kirk quickly became adept at handling dangerous substances, and even began to craft some of his own.
Upon graduation, none of his classmates really understood why Kirk had been in their classes. He didn’t seem exceptionally good at his subject of studies, nor was he exceptionally personable. Nobody knew about the dangerous pastime he had developed in the nighttime hours between classes, but everyone knew that something was amiss with the eerie Half-Orc orphan.
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Kirk has an interesting outlook on life; he often does things not even he understands. Sometimes the anger and hate from his past catch up with him and he finds himself turning down darker and darker paths, seeking the pain and suffering of his enemies for pure enjoyment. Other times, however, he actively turns his back on this darker side of himself and seeks to honor his mother’s memory, to prove that not everything is evil that comes from evil. For the most part, he is stuck between these two halves of his lifestyle, and he assumes that is the reason he was drawn so heavily to poisons. A poison is neither good nor evil, for it can be employed for either purpose, and the judgment of morality comes down to how it is used and what it is used for. He relates deeply to this, often considering himself to be a poison in the bloodstream of society: sometimes doing evil, sometimes doing good, but always doing its job.
In combat, Kirk has taken to his namesake. He prefers to fight from a distance wielding a longspear, jabbing with a poisoned tip whenever he can afford it, and is always looking for a weak point. In closer combat he wields a sickle, a weapon he’s found to have many purposes outside of combat as well.
My concept,
Rakson Destorn Half-Orc Cavalier, LN Order of the Sword.
Rakson grew up an orphan in Karcau, ever the outcast he rarely made friends. The only solace he found growing up was sneaking in the alley ways when ever one of the famous Opera's was being peformed, there he would sit and lose himself in the music until a guard found him and chased him off.
As Rakson grew into a young man, he by pure chance ran into one of the famous Opera singers Lady Ela Lagora. He was awestruck by her beauty and her voice immediately pledging his life and his love to her, which immediately earned him her scorn and a quick beating by some guards. Since that day Rakson has tried every attempt to court the Lady in the most honorable ways, and sneaking to hear any performance that she has. Realizing the lady would not want anything to do with a lowly half-orc street urchin, Rakson by pure determination made his way into the academy where he learned the knightly ways and vowed he would go into the world and prove himself in the name of his lady, until the day she realized his worth and accepted his love and honor.
His motivation is become a fine upstanding Knight worthy of the affection of the woman he loves. He dedicates his service to the Lady Ela Lagora and will fiercely defend her name and honor. All deeds he does he pledges to her.
Heh. That is what I get for not refreshing my browser fast enough. I won't complete with someone who had the same idea that I had, at the same time. Good luck Solarius.
GM, any chance you'd be up for an altered stat array on a Tiefling?
I was looking to drop the Dex for Cha and have her a Tiefling (Succubus) Charisma based Witch...
@Shifty, yes, I think that's possible when this is the only succubus alike change.
Oh and btw. I forgot to include witches in my first post, they belong to Noriski academy.
Hello all,
I also would like to join. As far as I see the Group has all important cornerstones of a group (Chevalier, Rogue, Wizard and Cleric).
I am thinking of a storyteller using rumors and aspects being told in context to the horror setting. But on the other side he is a someone who wants to take revenge to the undead, as in the past he was being used by clerics of Urgathoa as a familiar.
After some years he was rescued by Myra a hunter of the undead traveling through the Ustalav lands; his transformation to an undead being was stopped. As it seems he had lost his former idendity as his memory could not be restored, yet.
Myra bought the Character to Karcau and there to the Academy of Pettoria where he should be trained in the ways of a fighter. Unfortunately he was not performing as a fighter should perform, and learn. He was more interested to learn about the stories and what parts of the rumors could be seen as true. Therefore after one semester he changed the class back to the storytellers and actors. In Stories and Imaginations he can forget this world and move mindwise to a better place. The stories are also the source of his inner drive to overcome his fear. Rythmen of all kind makes him feel save and courageous, especially when spoken by a strong voice.
From now on he highly regards the live in all of his forms, as he knows better than the others that the current day could be your last one, at least the last one as a living being. But as he saw so much horrible things and sorrow around the people, he also has sworn to take revenge to the undead, especially to his former mistress Nerani. He wants to prevent her from getting more and more might provided by Urgathoa. And on the other hand this female opponent might know where he is coming from...
The Character uses insults and offenses as soon as he is facing a challenge or is being in a situation without a backdoor. By doing so he does override his deepest fears...to get caught again and be a willingness tool of his mistress.
Most likely it will be an Halfelf/Human Bard or Wizard/Sorcerer....
Hey Adelain, since it looks like that there are already quite alot ideas for wizards, I would prefer the bard :-)
Maybe you could include the details I wrote in my first post in your background. It's quite important for the beginning of the campaign that all PCs are alumni of one of the four Karcau Acadamies.
@Shifty, yes, I think that's possible when this is the only succubus alike change.
Oh and btw. I forgot to include witches in my first post, they belong to Noriski academy.
Yeah not trying to 'backdoor' an actual Succy, just more the thematic concept. That said I would reckon a Succ inspired fiend would more likely be +Int, +Cha, -Str, representing the exploitative and well developed mind, but lithe and light of build and stature.
I see we are pretty caster heavy though, so am reticent to handball 'yet-another-caster' but will mock up a story for you :)
Hello Zyren,
have added a part concerning the academy live and made my decision to take a bard.
Will work on the background and the character stats during the weekend.
By the way: how to proceed with the traits?
Ok fast mock up of the Witch, as suggested.
Notional build would be big on CHA, with good 'social' skills.
An iron fist in a velvet (and lace) glove.
‘Victoria’ – Elegant, charming, infernal.
Introducing herself simply as Victoria, some claim that her cultured manner and refined, sophisticated tastes point to a noble bloodline, however her dubious ‘breeding’ hints that this may have been the reason she has been sent away from her homelands to study – and thus she has been nicknamed ‘Countess Victoria’ by many.
Victoria has done little to confirm or deny these rumours, only giving a smirk or conspiratorial smile when it is mentioned, and the rumours have hardly been damaging.
The truth is slightly less captivating, Victoria is indeed from a refined lineage, but that ancestral root and its wealth have long since faded into obscurity in the former capital of Ardeal; the estates overgrown, and the mansion beginning to crumble.
Victoria was sent away to study by her family, that is true – the wider family saw her ‘family gifts’ of the Arcane as being inherently strong enough to develop into a powerful asset fit to restore the family to their former grandeur, but her father sent her away as ‘she continually reminded him of her mother...’ although it is clear to all that rather than resent her mother, he pines for her endlessly.
Made an alias with profile ready for more =)
Here's what I can put together of Asuna so far (jlighter). Pending the GM-rolled stat scores, I'm just about complete. I assumed average starting gold as far as gear costs. My feat, skill, and trait (if we use them) will be filled in once I have my ability scores allotted. Pending GM approval, of course. :)
Alright, here's about all I can do with Dominic for the time being. Mostly just marking this page with the alias so I can easily find it later.
I'll post something when I wake up for this.
I've never played a PBP before, but I'd like try it out one of these days! This looks like an interesting campaign!
I'd like to throw my hat in with a LG Paladin (likely human) if you don't mind. Details tomorrow after I sleep on it, if no objections from the DM.
Traits, the normal way: You choose two, each belonging to a different category. Depending on your background I grant you a fitting bonus trait.
By now the group could look like:
Ok, hopefully I forgot no one.
Since there are already more applicants than expected, I don't think waiting till Sunday makes sense.
Looking at the characters proposed characters I decided for this group (while first come first serve also had its importance).
Dominic-Alchemist
Asuna-Cleric
Victoria Witch
Rautha Dracos-Necromancer
Adelain-Bard
Rakston Dreston-Cavalier
Garabott-Rogue
In the end we are 7, but dropping one of you guys who already put some effort in the character just does not seem right. Sorry for the rest, gl in a nother campaign.
here you can finde the discussion thread with your stats.