Alfonso looks up from his wine..."You might be interested in this."
Player guide just released. see link in post.
Hmmm campaign traits tie players very strongly to sandpoint. Will need to ponder how Alfonso can fit. May need to make changes....
Player's Guide has been posted, and it looks amazing!
Mathpro, just glancing at it has sparked more ideas for me. Since you are open to the idea of switching up submissions, I think I'll consider another option or two based on what I'm seeing.
Staying human sorcerer. But can't say more than that at the moment.
DM. Someone will need to run the caravan sheet once we start. I would be glad to if picked.
it might be better to wait.
give me 24 hours. If I can't come up with something good in that time frame I cannot call myself a gamer.
~Poor Wandering Oneedit. Taking Friend of the Family linking me to Koya. I will not be playing Alfonso, sigh. His background is too tied to Cheliax to fit.
More soon
Sorry, one more question. Can we take two campaign traits instead of one campaign and one of another type? I ask because I'm considering Rescued and Childhood Crush (Shalelu for both). If not, I'll just pick one and roleplay the other if selected.
PoorWanderingOne-Human? Fighter?
I am still playing a human sorcerer. In fact I think I can even keep Alfonso.
Simply by dropping the de Almontia de Thune and keeping him a member of a minor house kept minor forever by the demon taint in the bloodline.
The taint expressed strongly in Alfonso leading to his being considered a bit of an embarrassment. So the family sent his to Sandpoint to study under Koya who was connected to de Callientia in her youth.
So to reiterate
Alfonso de Callienta, Celaxian fop.
Abyssal blooded sorcerer
Friend of the family
Mathpro, it looks like I can work in the "best-friend" trait with Ameiko. It sort of fits with my background as it stands. Sort of. Is knowing her for 7 or 8 years enough to take that trait?
I still have some tweaking to do to my background in either case, just so you know.
OK. I'm thinking that changing the name to Hiro Kaijitsu, and being Ameika's younger brother might be just the trick. I'll have to return to the prehensile hair till I get old enough to grow a beard, but this kind of makes sense. He was sent out to work with his uncle...a goatheard and has spent much of his youth in the hills near Sandpoint, contemplating nature, and working with the goats. He tires of this life however, and wishes to be more like his big sister.
OK. I'm thinking that changing the name to Hiro Kaijitsu, and being Ameika's younger brother might be just the trick. I'll have to return to the prehensile hair till I get old enough to grow a beard, but this kind of makes sense. He was sent out to work with his uncle...a goatherd and has spent much of his youth in the hills near Sandpoint, contemplating nature, and working with the goats. He tires of this life however, and wishes to be more like his big sister.
You know that hex effects whatever hair you want it to, right? You could use the hair on your arms one round and your eyelashes the next. No mechanical difference at all.
Extremely interested in this, is the players guide available now?
edit: found it, also, the rolls!
Extremely interested in this, is the players guide available now?
Yes check me about 4 posts ago. I put in a link to the guide.
DM. Alfonso will be taking augment summons. Many folks drop the spell focus requirement for this feat are you one of them?
Also how do you feel about casters who summon a great deal. The online bestiaries make stat look up pretty easy but some GM's feel summons eat screen time. I can swap to another bloodline if you do not want to deal with Alfonso calling in some beasties.
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Ok, got the concept finalized.
Jasper Lind, Human (Varisian) Monk (Master of Many Styles)
Personality
As a member of the Sandpoint Militia, Jasper was trained by Shalelu Andosana, and grew up worshiping her. Rather than being trained as a traditional fighter or ranger, Jasper took to he teachings of Irori and the monastic traditions of that faith.
As a practitioner of the Snapping Turtle and Panther Styles, Jasper is both difficult to hit and knock over. He is fearsome on offense and difficult to strike on defense.
Tall, strong, wise, loyal. All of these and more describe Jasper. He is totally devoted to Shalelu and would follow her anywhere. Although quite shy Jasper has a sly sense of humor and is not above the occasional sarcastic comment disguised as "ancient wisdom".
History
Jasper's mother was Tian, following Ameiko's family to Sandpoint and serving them faithfully for years. His father was the local blacksmith and it was working in his shop from a young age that honed Jasper's body. His mother taught him to be quick and wise and together these traits have made Jasper a fine monk.
Although a dedicated member of the church, Jasper was a bit of a wild child, often running off into the surrounding hills. It was always Shalelu that found him, and growing up he found himself desiring to emulate her heroic qualities through his own path.
Party Role
Jasper is a warrior, his focus is around damaging his opponents and allowing others the opportunity to finish them off. He is not a fighter and lacks the armor and stamina to stand toe to toe with the enemy, but if he can strike unopposed he will be deadly.
From a non-combat perspective Jasper is skilled at hunting and foraging. He will serve a vital role in any cross country journey by providing sustenance for the group and helping to find a trail through the wilderness.
Okay, I have updated Basil to bring him in line with the Player's Guide, and played around with his build a little bit, to make him slightly more balanced for this AP.
Basil Kettering, CG Half-Elven Ranger(Infiltrator/Skirmisher).
In terms of what he will bring to the party, he will primarily be a damage-producing 'fighter'-type, with wilderness and 'face' skills :-)
Realizing the impracticality of caring for an infant herself, Shalelu handed him along to a family whom she knew she could trust, placing him in the care of a (then middle-aged) Varisian woman named Koya, who lived in the settlement of Sandpoint. Basil grew-up well-loved by his adoptive family, and formed strong-friendships with a number of the local residents; in fact, he developed a particular affinity for Ameiko, and her Half-Elven brother, unconsciously sensing that they would be more welcoming to another half-breed such as himself, despite the fact that both were a couple of years older.
However, a few years back, when Goblins attacked the town, and Ameiko's father and brother were killed (under circumstances which are still kept relatively quiet), the bonds of friendship between Ameiko and Basil were strengthened; although she went on to have a brief career as an adventurer, Basil's heart still lay with the town in which he grew-up in, and he stayed behind. He was, nonetheless, inspired and transported by the tales she wove when she returned to town, and he began to take trips of his own, short-range at first, but then further and further afield into the wilds of Varisia, exploring the wonders (and dangers) that the world held.
Basil tends to move around the countryside, doing odd-jobs at the various outlying homesteads, or undertaking scouting missions for Sherrif Hemlock. Gripped by an eternal wanderlust, he never stays in one place for long, although he always returns to Sandpoint, days, or sometimes weeks, later, to catch-up with his close friends, and to trade stories. Naturally shy, he also has a bit of a temper; slow to anger, when he does explode, the results are volcanic. This shames him a great deal, and he makes every effort to keep a lid on it, which serves to accentuate his natural shyness, something which only his close friend Ameiko, and his adoptive mother Koya, are able to penetrate with any great regularity.
I'll chip in also; planning to play a down-trodden samurai who failed in his duty (to protect an older brother of Ameiko) and is looking for a way to redeem himself (or die in glory).
I don't know much about the Rise of the Runelords adventure path, but did Ameiko's family die in those events? If so, could my character have tried to protect them just to fall to something like a kobold or goblin?
Edit: Mind if I remove points from a roll?
i was considering a Tian "Ronin" (mechanically a fighter)
her younger sister is being held hostage by the jade regent and she was sent to seek and bring any living relatives of the emporor to him for "confirmation". she just wants to get her younger sister back and has plans to slay the jade regent because the guy used her little sister as a hostage.
stats
sounds like second set to me.
Nekogami Kodachi, 22 year old Female Human (Tian) Ronin (Treat as Fighter, not the cavalier archtype)
18 STR
17 Dex (15+2)
17 Con
13 Int
12 wis
11 cha
HP 17
Feats, Toughness, Power Attack, Iron Will
Traits, Indominatable will (+1 to will saves) and 1 campaign trait.
Skills (factoring armor penalty of -2), Perception +2 Sense Motive +2 Climb +6 Swim +6
Gear
Chain Shirt (100) Katana (Treat as bastard sword) (35 GP) Yumi (Treat as Longbow) 75gp Wakazashi (Treat as shortsword) 10gp tantou (treat as dagger) 2gp, masterwork backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, 5 days rations. waterskin, flint and steel, 10 sunrods, 5 gold pieces unspent. winter weight printless Kimono (Free) tetsubo (treat as club) free
Zhao Taijuro
The Taijuro family came to Sandpoint in a caravan, serving their ancient duty: The protection of the Kaijitsu family. Although many families intermingled with the locals as the years passed by, the Taijuro, bound by duty and tradition, preferred to marry with the other Tian families.
Zhao was a young yojimbo (bodyguard) when the goblins came. Bringing fire and terror, they struck from the shadows and wrought mindless destruction. He defended his charge (Saiko Kaijitsu, Ameiko's older sister) with zeal and fervor, but a lucky blow to the head made him lose conscience. When he woke up, Saiko had died and the goblins were gone.
He meant to summit seppuku but Ameiko Kaijitsu wouldn't let him. "You still have a job to do, idiot! You serve the Kaijitsu, and last time I checked I'm the last one! I've never heard of a Taijuro to shirk from duty before, and I don't mean to hear it ever!"
It was a nice thing for her to do, but it crushed his spirit. He was without purpose; he had failed in his duty. He spent the days walking aimlessly in the streets, and then took to drinking as an effort to forget. He soon became known throught town as the "Drunksword", and Ameiko once more had pity on him and offered him a job. He's been working as bouncer and security in the Rusty Dragon for quite some time, but he still feels purposeless and quite lost. He's tremendously grateful to Ameiko (and more than a bit infatuated to her), but he yearns for a mission, a duty where he can regain his pride and honor; or die trying.
Zhao comes from a family who tried their best at upholding ancient traditions; but even they aren't immune to the slow proccess of assimilation. His eyes, although narrowed, have a deep blue tinge to them; result of his grandfather's marriage to an outsider. He has raven-black shoulder-lenght hair (although right now it's a bit longer and uncut) and a pitiful beard grown out of carelessness.
During work hours he can be found in a stylized decorative armor in the Rusty Dragon Inn; in his off-duty hours he is frequently found in various states of drunkeness in its hall.
Although luck has treated him poorly and he's grown moody and depressed because of it, Zhao is an extremely driven man; if he finds a purpose he would change overnight to his zealous and devoted self.
Ameiko has saved him twice from himself, and one thing he needs is her respect. The other thing he needs from her is her love (although he feels he'll never be worth it).
Zhao Taijuro
Human Samurai 1 LG
Str 18, Dex 17, Con 13 (15 with racial bonus), Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 17
Trained Skills Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Knowledge (history), Ride, Sense Motive.
Traits Childhood Crush (Ameiko), +1
He would be a dedicated tank and fighter-type, shrugging injuries left and right (Ultimate Combat has quite a few feats that help with that) and dealing damage. Skill-wise, he could be the party's face or a calm advisor to said character.
just completed the first draft. will clean up soon. should be done by monday.
Updated with player's guide
DM Mathpro,
any chance you'd let me stat up one of these?
barring that choice, it's looking like a druid of some sort, Probably with connections to Shalelu.
Pardon, Human is correct (her father having more standard complexion with her mother being a full-blooded Varisian.
I was pondering on getting Eldritch Heritage (Raksasha) so I left her description/feats open for that. Story-wise, I was thinking that bloodline is on her father's side of the family, which makes them such crafty merchants.
Downloading the Player's Guide as we speak, will be devouring it shortly :D
So, here’s Tragershen for markofbane. He’s an elven wizard (universalist).
Mathpro, here’s his background.
Shalelu had appeared from the trees ahead of him, urging him to follow her. He did without question. Their path led them to a ravine, which Shalelu leapt across without hesitation, landing lightly on the other side. She must have seen the panic in Tragershen’s eyes, because she called out to him Do it! I will not let you fall! He jumped, with all his speed and might, and it wasn’t enough. When he thought he’d hit the opposite wall of the ravine, Shalelu caught his outstretched hand; he still hit hard, but she pulled him up.
The pursuing goblins stopped short and started looking for a way around. Shalelu’s arrows were fatally persuasive for them to give up the chase. When they fled, she turned to Tragershen. Her eyes said it all. She knew him for what he was. She must have seen him leave the trade caravan to go into the woods for a dalliance with a young lady. He was speechless, embarrassed and ashamed. She pointed and said Your caravan’s that way. before stalking off to finish off the goblins.
Up to that point, Tragershen’s life had been quite different. For over a century, he had wandered from city to city under the pretense of studying, but truly enjoyed the nightlife of every place he went, and the company of hundreds and hundreds of women. Without doubt, he’s left a trail of half-elven children across the Inner Sea region, but he’s never bothered to stay in one place long enough to find out.
When he made it back to the caravan, he asked after the elf he’d seen. One of the guards recognized Shalelu’s description and told Tragershen about her. That moment changed his life. He knew he would have to change, he knew that he would have to make amends, and most of all he knew he was deeply in love with Shalelu.
Over the next several days, as the caravan approached Sandpoint, he started to make changes in his appearance. He removed all of his jewelry and stopped using magic to enhance his appearance. He cut his hair shorter. He sold his expensive, garish garments and bought a spare set of clothes from a monk who was also with the caravan.
When they reached Sandpoint, he looked completely different. He separated from the group and found places to sell his valuables, all except his spell book. He even took a new ring for his bonded object, a simple one of bone to replace the bejeweled platinum one he had before. That night, he buried the wealth in the small garden behind the orphanage. In the morning, he watched from a distance and used a message cantrip to guide the staff to the hiding spot, urging them on until it was found.
When he learned that Shalelu typically used Sandpoint as a base of operations, he took a room at a local inn and start inquiring about work. He worked any odd jobs he could find, quickly gaining a reputation as a hard worker and very versatile and knowledgeable. The first time he crossed paths with her, at the Rusty Dragon in, he could barely speak, entirely unlike his previously debonair self. If she recognized him from that day in the woods, she gave no indication.
Unfortunately for Tragershen, she didn’t give him much notice at all.
In the years since, Tragershen has continued working hard, making friends in the community and making secret acts of kindness and generosity. He avoids making any use of his magic, especially in the presence of others. One night, he came into town late with a deer he’d slain, cleaned and dressed. He quietly took it to the orphanage, handing it by the door to be discovered in the morning. As he turned to walk away, he saw Shalelu across the way, watching him and smiling. She said nothing and left, but that smile alone was enough to make his heart soar, and encourage him to keep on the right path.
For years now Tragershen has pined for Shalelu. He stays in and near Sandpoint, hoping for those elusive opportunities to cross paths with her, seeking her approval like a child with their first crush. But he is patient; he squandered more than a century with his previous ways, he could spend another century in this pursuit, even if it took him to the ends of the world.
Anyone in Sandpoint for several years would know:
Anyone tied to the town guard is Sandpoint would know:
And I now have the AP as well as Ultimate Combat in .pdf form on my computer so its official people we are running this.
Recruitment will be closing on Monday.
That is good news.
And I now have the AP as well as Ultimate Combat in .pdf form on my computer so its offical people we are running this.
Recruitment will be closing on Monday.
How different is the Ninja in UC from the playtest? I don't have the UC book yet, but Ninja is what I had in mind for Saburo.
Also, any way to adjust the Friend of the Family trait to use Ameiko? Being a person from Minkai, most of the campaign traits don't really fit. :( I guess I could rearrange the history a bit though..... :)
I'll throw my hat in the ring for a chance to journey east...
Just after dawn, a thin mist still cloaking the Docks, Basil goes for a walk along the water's edge, listening to the waves lap against the beach.
Although it was nice to be back in a real bed for the first time in more than a week, it was hard to break with the habits of a life-time, and not get up when the sun crests the horizon.
Still, the opportunity to enjoy the sea breeze, and pass the time of day with the fishermen and other early risers was pleasant enough, and gave him time to think...
Mother has been restless ever since Grandmother died... I know she feels that she missed a life of adventure, but I do worry what would happen to her if she embarked on a quest at her age; I will have to see what Ameiko can do to help... She always knows what to do...
Jasper moved through the pillars of wood holding up the docks and piers as the morning sun began to burn the mist away.
Every morning for the last 4 years I have come here. Testing my agility and strength against the wood and sea. I sense that today is different somehow. My concentration is not what it normally is. My focus is elsewhere. There is a change in the wind and the sea.
Moving out to a broken pillar a few feet into the surf, the top long since flattened when he began to meditate here, Jasper assumed the lotus position atop the pillar and begins to center himself.
approaching the rusty dragon was a wiry Tian female standing roughly 64 inches tall. she was clad in a black printless winter weight kimono with a pair of boots and a scarf. her shoulderlength black hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail held in place by a faded black ribbon and her exotic eyes had an ambery golden hue with 2 pupils in each eye. she had spent a long period of travel to find the rumored head of the Kaijitsu family. she appeared to be packed with a great deal of adventuring equipment. including a small armory of old weapons that had lost thier once masterwork value and were in dire need of reforging. she appeared to be some odd kind of exotic traveling warrior.
the exotic traveler enters the tavern and attempts to ask loudly (coming across as a little abrasive) in the common tongue among the patrons, where is the current heir of the Kaijitsu Family? i have business to discuss.
Being members of the city council, her parents were often very busy, trusting the young half-elf's care to their nanny, Esmerien. It was Esmy, as Mags was wont to call her, that brought the child her pet. One summer afternoon, Esmy sat at the dining room table, reading the youngsters fortune. It was a past-time that the two often shared, Mags finding it fascinating. "I see loneliness," Esmy said, flipping another card. She looked at the child for a long moment, and then smiled. "Easily fixed, child. Easily fixed." The following day, Esmerien arrived with a small red fox in tow. "This is Sticks," she said, presenting the animal to a delighted Magdelia. "Take good care of him, and he shall do the same for you."
Not unusual for the region, Mags parents found themselves caught up in the political machinations of Westcrown and were eventually deceived into making a trip to the nearby hills southeast of Egorian. The pretense was that they were to meet an informant that had information that they would find useful. Taking Magdelia with them, intent on making a family outting of the situation, they set out. Unfortunately, they were ambushed in the wild and murdered by agents of the very men they had come here to gain advantage over. Magdelia was left for dead, having taken a bolt in the neck. (During the short battle she was able to hear the names of two of the four mercenaries: Trowbridge and Hack. The other two were never called by name.) Providentially, a clan of dwarves passing through the area came upon her while she yet lived and were able to nurse her back to health over time, though she ever after spoke in a harsh whisper, and the scar on her throat never faded.
Not wishing to leave such a young girl to her fate as an orphan in Cheliax, the dwarves took her with them on their long journey back to Varisia. There she traded her happily sheltered, upper-class life for one of hard work and often lean times. She proved somewhat inept in the dwarves meager mining operation, but showed some competance as both a cook and a trapper/gatherer for the clan. Sadly, the carefree attitude of her youth seemed all but gone, however.
Though her adopted family most certainly loved her, she often felt overcome with a desire to run off - to see the world - and, perhaps, to escape the life she often viewed as less than what she had. Eventually she took to wandering further and further from her new home, often dissappearing for weeks on end. On these journeys she would take Sticks with her, exploring the lands round about: North into Churlwood, or as far south as Sandpoint. It was here, at the age of 16, that she met Ameiko Kaijitsu. At first she merely traded furs or herbs that she had gathered on her trip. On occasion she even earned a few coins helping out in the kitchen. But as time passed, the two became quite close, and by the age of 19 Mags was making regular visits to the Rusty Dragon Tavern in Sandpoint. It seemed that Ameiko shared the young half-elf's interest in adventure, and her desire to see the world. Magdelia would sit, sometimes for hours, listening to Ameiko's tales. She would also share her own adventure's, often embellishing her tales, though the Tian woman always seemed to see through it.
During these years, Magdelia was entirely unaware of the power that she would oneday wield. She took Sticks with her everywhere, sharing what, even to her, seemed an unusually close bond. It was as if she could often interpret the creature's intentions, and Stick always seemed to know what she was thinking, saying, feeling.
On her twentieth birthday, Mags requested to take part in the coming of age ceremony of her adopted dwarf clan. It took some convincing, as the ritual had never been shared with a non-dwarf before. Yet, she was eventually (and reluctantly) given the clans tattoo. Shortly after this, she bid her new family farewell, with promises to visit as time allowed, and headed south to Sandpoint. Ameiko had offered her a full-time position in the kitchen on more than one occasion, and the girl intended to take her up on it.
On the journey south, as they camped one chilly night, Mags gathered together firewood and kindling only to discover that she had no flint. "By Torag," she mumbled under her breath, her dwarven accent apparent despite the whispery quality of her voice. Looking at Sticks she offered a weak smile. "Gonna have to do this the old fashioned way, I'm afraid." It was at this moment in time that she finally became certain that there was more to the small creature than met the eye.
"You have no need for flint and steel," she heard him say. She regarded him for a moment, feeling inexplicably uneasy. For a long time she said nothing, wondering if she was somehow loosing her mind. Finally, working up her courage, she whispered, "You don't, perhaps, all warm and cozy beneath my blanket. But I need a fire." She looked through the kindling she had gathered, looking for a suitable bow, board and spindle. And though she didn't expect to hear a response from the fox, certain that her mind had simply been playing tricks on her, her hands were shaking with an undefined fear. Sticks moved over to sit on the wood pile, looking up at the woman. [b]"Stop," he said. "Come. Sit with me for a moment." He moved off a short way, setting himself amongst a growth of white autumn flowers. Mags squatted by the wood pile for a few moments longer, regarding the beast and trying to dismiss the feeling of unquiet that was nagging at her. Finally, with a shrug and a laugh that held a touch of the histerics she felt rising from inside, she moved over to sit before the animal. "I've no idea what's going on here, but it's getting colder, Sticks. What're ye about?" She received no answer. Instead she found herself slipping into some dark world, darker than the night she left behind. Though she remained aware of her surroundings, the sound of the wind in the trees, the chirping of the seasons last insects, the distant crack of a branch as some animal moved through the dark thicket, she also became aware of another world. It was a world of shifting colors, shifting imagery. Dark and foreboding, silent and insidious. For nearly an hour she sat there entranced by what Sticks showed her. And when it was over, she knew that her life had forever changed. Rising on stiff legs, she moved some of her gathered timber into a pile, surrounding it with lighter kindling. And with a motion and a mumbled word, a spark ignited in the heart of the pile, igniting the wood. As the fire grew, spreading its light about the clearing, she looked at Sticks, hiding her concern. Though she noticed it, she pretended not to. The delicate white flowers around Sticks had withered and blackened.
Over the next four years, Mags made herself useful in Ameiko's kitchen and slowly came to terms with her new-found abilities, though she kept them secret. Her friendship with Ameiko continued to grow stronger, the two almost as sisteres. And Sticks continued to teach her things, late at night; secret powers, an understanding of the inexplicable. Yet to this day the half-elven woman has no clue from where her power arises. And Sticks hasn't volunteered the information.
since i decided to play a traveler from minkai. none of the campaign traits really fit in the way that they are fluffed.
i guess i could refluff the younger sibling trait as an older sister's devotion to her captive younger sibling and Take will as the save bonus.
here is my attempt to refluff it.
Devoted Older sibling (based off the younger sibling trait)
you have a younger sibling that you are highly devoted to. when seperated, you really worry about this younger sibling and your devotion to thier well being provides you a +1 trait bonus to will saves. in addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls against individuals whom have compromised the physical or emotional condition of your younger sibling. (in kodachi's case, the jade regent counts)
Mags stands behind the bar, the previous nights sleep still apparent in her eyes. She knows the breakfast crowd, such as it is, will begin to arrive soon. But the kitchen prep has been done; now it's just a matter of waiting.
She stifles a yawn as the door opens, revealing an unusually dressed woman. Tian, Magdelia thinks, noting the resemblance to Ameiko. But the woman's brisk tone sets the half-elf on edge. "Easy there, sweetheart, she says, her voice a ragged, yet somehow carrying, whisper. "Inside voice, if y'please." Tossing the bar rag that she had been toying with aside she regards the newcomer wearily. "What kinda business, exactly?" She's wantin' to sell somethin' no doubt.