So far we've got three players with characters and one player without a character. Below is the group. How screwed are we?
Human Two-Weapon Warrior Fighter
Human Qinggong Monk
Human Invulnerable Rager Barbarian
Note: We've got 1 more player making a character, but I don't know what she'll play yet. Also, nobody told her what everyone else was, because the only guy who put us in contact with her won't, because he doesn't want to "taint her character-making decision." Commendable, I guess...
I haven't played JR, so it's just my opinion, but I think the group is pretty decent. Heal is a very underused skill anyway.
So far we've got three players with characters and one player without a character. Below is the group. How screwed are we?
Human Two-Weapon Warrior Fighter
Human Qinggong Monk
Human Invulnerable Rager BarbarianNote: We've got 1 more player making a character, but I don't know what she'll play yet. Also, nobody told her what everyone else was, because the only guy who put us in contact with her won't tell us because he doesn't want to "taint her character-making decision." Commendable, I guess...
I wouldn't say screwed so much as may have a couple of tough spots. No PC healer means reliance on potions or NPCs, this in my experience always causes harder encounters, also unless your 4th player is a caster of some flavor you are very short in the magical department again not a critical lack but magic does seem to make things simpler in general.
I will say that I find your GM commitment to the role play aspect admirable at least thats why I assume they are restricting communication between player pre-first session. Not really my style but to each their own. I prefer to let my players at least communicate their preferences prior to character creation, it causes less conflict that way. (as in Player conflict Player character conflict on the other hand is OK normally).
When I have a group starting up I normally make the recommendation of what I call the 4 core jobs ie 1 "tough guy" 1 divine 1 arcane 1 skill junkie normally this dosent happen but that is the "safety net" party build.
Unusual party builds definitely create a challenge but can also lead to some incredible fun and memorable experiences. Yes, they'll have to rely on potions and the like, but fortunately they can get those from Koya (presumably at cost rather than market). That's a choice the players make on how they're going to have to use the resources available to them based on party composition. It's not a bad thing; just a challenge (one that can be enjoyable).
Depends how willing your GM is to be flexible and creative and adaptive in running an adventure for a group that effectively includes no spellcasters. Frankly, I'd LOVE to run such a group or to play in such a group. It sounds really fun!
Honestly I'd invite you if I weren't on the opposite coast. Well, thanks for the words of encouragement, I'll just hope we don't encounter any enemies with defenses that we need specific magic to overcome. Or that we somehow have the clarity of vision to include consumables that let us overcome those defenses when they arise...
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So far we've got three players with characters and one player without a character. Below is the group. How screwed are we?
Depends. If the GM allows Leadership or otherwise has an NPC spellcaster tag along, you're fine. If not, you might still survive if you're getting MUCH more treasure than normal. Spell-in-a-can items are an acceptable way to get the buffing and problem-solving that every party needs. Unfortunately, you still won't have decent debuff or control spells, so the GM will need to hold your hands through the most tricky encounters.
If the GM isn't willing to do any of that... yeah, I'm sorry, but you're screwed. Charge and full attack can't carry you through everything.
Honestly I'd invite you if I weren't on the opposite coast. Well, thanks for the words of encouragement, I'll just hope we don't encounter any enemies with defenses that we need specific magic to overcome. Or that we somehow have the clarity of vision to include consumables that let us overcome those defenses when they arise...
Or be willing to multiclass or get cohorts to cover gaps. It's great that some players want specific concepts for their PCs, but I'm a lot less keen on it when adherence to the concept prevents a player from adapting to the realities of the campaign at least a little bit.
Creative Director
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Depends how willing your GM is to be flexible and creative and adaptive in running an adventure for a group that effectively includes no spellcasters. Frankly, I'd LOVE to run such a group or to play in such a group. It sounds really fun!If I had a group that wanted to run all non-spellcasters, I think I'd go with a different game system. Pathfinder really needs spellcasters to allow characters to overcome anything that can't be overcome simply by chopping through hp, a combat maneuver, or a skill check (and there is a whole lot that falls outside those bounds).
Baseline Pathfidner certainly assumes spellcasters AND nonspellcasters... but you can do a Pathfinder game without spellcasters. You just need to watch what types of monsters you use, pretty much.
Which is why I said above that the GM needs to be "flexible and creative and adaptive."
I wouldn't think that you're screwed. I DM'ing Second Darkness for 4 PCs that were all fighter types. (Fighter, Paladin, Barbarian, Rogue). Combat will go extremely fast if all PCs can bring their attacks in. From my experience, they rarely got into much big trouble as they typically killed things before getting much damage at all.
On the other hand, they were also very resourceful, made sure they had good NPC contacts to call for help when needed, and they bought plenty of potions.
In case anybody's interested, here's the final group (we got our first session last week- finally).
Hasaki Ake (Kinda Ketsushi), Tian-Min Human Two-Weapon Warrior Fighter
Dines, Ulfen-Tian Human Invincible Rager Barbarian
Liev, Varisian Human Qinggong Monk
Aureal, Elf Fighter
Ake fights with katana and short sword (eventually to be katana/katana), Dines fights with a greatsword, Liev aspires to master Dragon Style, and Aureal is an archer (although not an Archer archetype).
After venturing into the swamp (we kept being told to roll spot checks at random intervals, not sure for WHAT exactly, but one of us stepped on a carcass in the water, and another one of us saw something vaguely humanoid glowering at us from just above the water line.
We came upon the goblin village and found it suspiciously abandoned, the gate torn down by some sort of violent assault. We proceeded to scour the camp and found a pit filled with charred goblin corpses.
Looking around my character, Ake, found three goblins hiding in a hut. He then proceeded to try and kill them. Then goblins started erupting out of everywhere. The combat was long, but not really difficult- we had a hard time hitting them and they had a hard time hitting us.
At some point the battle turned somewhat one-sided when the goblins started to flee. And yet we continued to cut them down. Something really changes about the atmosphere of a fight when you go from fighting off goblins to running them down (quiet literally, as was the case with Dines chasing a goblin all the way to the pond).
The only fight where people took damage was against Chief Gutwad. He successfully launched a sky rocket into Ake, Liev, and Aureal, dealing 6 fire damage. Then Ake sundered Gutwad's Teeterchair and he fell to the ground. As Gutwad rose to his feet the barbarian, who had been sneaking around back, opened the hidden door (technically the second hidden door- he had spent 3 rounds prior running around, spotting the actual secret door, and climbing the ladder) and dropped on Gutwad in a frothing fury.
And that was the end of chief Gutwad.
Very nice. Keep us posted on how things turn out.
I'd say that your GM is going to have to make things harder on your party in the first 4 levels, when martial characters tend to rule the board. Then, around 7th level, he's going to have to start making some serious adjustments, as the inability to use utility magic and battlefield control are really going to hinder the party at times. Plus, these APs tend to have moments where a divine caster, a skill monkey and an arcanist can really shine. Those are the moments where your party's going to have some trouble.
Man, I'm Conan'ing this whole thing in my mind right now. My group just passed the DM torch from me