I have an idea for campaign flavoring, but I am unsure how to proceed. The PCs will get a heads up on an upcoming mission and determine they need help. The first people that should come to mind (if I do this right) will be some 'adventurers' they have seen in pictures/calenders.
The idea is there are a couple of really fantastic looking 'posers' who follow some adventurers or go to places deemed safe by the Pathfinders and collect some pieces around the area as well as take 'pictures' of themselves at the locations to sell later in Absalom.
What I need are suggestions for 'poser' classes, as in people who can fake being an adventurer, but not really be effective at it and an item to replicate images and/or capture images onto parchment.
Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you in advance.
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IWhat I need are suggestions for 'poser' classes, as in people who can fake being an adventurer, but not really be effective at it and an item to replicate images and/or capture images onto parchment.
Posing sounds just like something fitted to a bard's Perform skill.
As for the image capture - why try to use a device? Artists are cheap.| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
For the picture just have someone invent a camera. Its really just simple chemistry and very simple mechanics. A Pin-Hole camera is basically a box with a hole. The photographic papper is just paper treated with a special chemical (Alchemy) that turns dark when light hits it. The chemistry isn't even that complex, While Cameras took a long time becoming invented in real life its not out of the bounds of imagination to have some one invent a basic one (let alone one with lenses!) in a faux feudal era. Even ignoring magic.
Artists are also witnesses. They are also someone else to pay.
A bard or maybe an illusionist. Maybe both.
As far as something to capture the images...How about a magic quill that draws an image it is placed in front of?
Is there a printing press in the Pathfinder world?
Artists are also witnesses. They are also someone else to pay.
A bard or maybe an illusionist. Maybe both.
As far as something to capture the images...How about a magic quill that draws an image it is placed in front of?
Is there a printing press in the Pathfinder world?
Printing Presses are rare and expensive but they do exist.
For the picture just have someone invent a camera. Its really just simple chemistry and very simple mechanics. A Pin-Hole camera is basically a box with a hole. The photographic papper is just paper treated with a special chemical (Alchemy) that turns dark when light hits it. The chemistry isn't even that complex, While Cameras took a long time becoming invented in real life its not out of the bounds of imagination to have some one invent a basic one (let alone one with lenses!) in a faux feudal era. Even ignoring magic.
The chemistry is, in fact, simple enough that there's an item in the APG that does basically just that.
Light Detector: This hand-sized metal plate is covered with a thin layer of light-sensitive transparent paste. If exposed to light, the paste darkens and becomes opaque, depending on the amount of light. Bright light causes it to fully darken in 1 round, normal light in 3 rounds, dim light in 10 rounds. It is mainly used by creatures with darkvision to determine if creatures have recently passed through an area carrying light. The plate is sold wrapped in a thick black cloth to prevent accidental light exposure from ruining the plate.
So an Alchemist and an Illusionist of fairly low level, otherwise they could be true adventurers...and a camera.
For the picture just have someone invent a camera. Its really just simple chemistry and very simple mechanics. A Pin-Hole camera is basically a box with a hole. The photographic papper is just paper treated with a special chemical (Alchemy) that turns dark when light hits it. The chemistry isn't even that complex, While Cameras took a long time becoming invented in real life its not out of the bounds of imagination to have some one invent a basic one (let alone one with lenses!) in a faux feudal era. Even ignoring magic.The chemistry is, in fact, simple enough that there's an item in the APG that does basically just that.
Light Detector: This hand-sized metal plate is covered with a thin layer of light-sensitive transparent paste. If exposed to light, the paste darkens and becomes opaque, depending on the amount of light. Bright light causes it to fully darken in 1 round, normal light in 3 rounds, dim light in 10 rounds. It is mainly used by creatures with darkvision to determine if creatures have recently passed through an area carrying light. The plate is sold wrapped in a thick black cloth to prevent accidental light exposure from ruining the plate.
There you go, Have a guy put one in the back of a light enclosed box with a pin hole in it, and a little leather cover for the pin hole. He pulls the cover up for about 30 seconds then closes it and later he can examine the photo. (After applying an alchemical bath that prevents it from exposing further)
And bam you just invented a camera.
Simple deduction on his part to then take that negative and lay it across a second plate repeating the process to get a correct image.
Cameras really are quite simple devices.
Courtesans with some bardic type or illusionary abilities....maybe just prestidigitation ...
Thanks for the camera! I figured it would be simple enough...the same thing could be done for silk screening, too. Yah! Absalom can now produce t-shirts! 'My friend went to Absalom and all I got was this lousy t-shirt'
Any other ideas for useless characters?
Well, Bards are fairly useless, save for inspiring, at least that is the way most people play them in my campaigns for some reason or another.
Doesn't the Pathfinder Society have magical gems that capture complete images?
Not sure, but if they do how do you replicate the image so as to sell them as a calender?
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You don't need the camera, and you don't even need an artist to witness the event. Back in the days before the camera (but after printing), people would write up "Thrilling, first-hand accounts" of their adventures and sell copies of them. This of course led to certain people publishing (and in some cases becoming famous for) wild and crazy adventures that they never had. That's the kind of thing JK Rowling was lampooning with the character of Gilderoy Lockhart and that the game Captain Park's Imaginary Polar Expedition is based on. Heck, look at all the false memoirs that came to light in the early 2000's!
Gullible people (or sometimes just anyone who loves a good story) can easily repeat and get invested in something without having any proof, leading to certain people getting truly outsized reputations that they may not deserve.
The camera makes the story line easier seeing as how not everyone's characters can read and pictures cross language barriers as well. This way the 'posers' will be easily recognized for recruitment.
Yeah but EVERYONE is printing exciting first hand accounts! but these guys would be the real deal, look at these brand new Photon-graphics! This PROVES they are real!
And our best clerics and wizards can't detect even the slightest trace of magic trickery on these prints, there for they have to be real! These are truly the real heroes.
Well, Bards are fairly useless, save for inspiring, at least that is the way most people play them in my campaigns for some reason or another.
Perhaps its just to spite you and your antibard attitude?
I have no anit-bard attitude. I have made a couple myself (to include Stephen Titan of Air of Smith). I think it is because all the players can think to do is 'inspire' instead of an inspired bard.
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What if the poser isn't who everybody thinks he is? You could have someone claim he's a famous hero, but who knows if he really is who he says he is? Let the villagers refuse to let the party go on an adventure without "Aragorn".
You know, that's a really neat concept for a conman. I'll have to make a PC like that.
Kinda going along the "amazing first hand account" braggart... a guy with tons of ranks in Fleet or perhaps other special abilities (fast movement, travel domain, etc) and maxed ranks in bluff whose main ability is to survive disastrous expeditions and then come back to brag/lie (ie Bluff) about his amazing exploits. He may sucker other groups to go with him seeking glory and gold, only to see them die and perhaps loot their remains and take them back as his new treasure.
I'm thinking a rogue/barbarian/monk (martial artist) X
If he get's experience and rich enough from a particularly long streak of dumb luck, he might go into Pathfinder Chronicler.
I think there was a rogue talent or archetype somewhere that allowed second hand accounts of your exploits to convince people of their truthfulness using your Bluff check.
Stolen Light is the camera spell.
However I'd consider a slightly different route. The 2 fakers use the Share Memory spell on willing adventurers who wish to share their exploits (perahsp even pay them). They then have the memory of the event without ever even having to go to the place - which means they can even make pictures of still dangerous places they have never been to.
Then you cast silent image (you can even stand in the illusion area if you want to 'be there') and take a Stolen Light picture of the illusion.
Physical copies can be made buy artists (or even the fakers using Crafter's Fortune).
As for 'useless' characters I'd suggest bards and to a greater extent sorcerers with a really bad choice of spells if you actaully wanted to go adventuring. Both can muster good social skills to sell the con.
Where can I find this 'Share Memory' spell? I shall add it to my tomb of spells for later use. It has been many decades since I found a new spell for my books. Most adventurers never bring me good spells.
Share Memory is in Ultimate Magic...
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/share-memory
Other than Bard/Illusionist, what suggestions are there for a poser kind of class. Maybe even an NPC class.
A Cleric who is actually a Razmiran Priest, flavor as appropriate for the region.
Drunken NPC Warrior who drinks alcohol in order to 'rage' and refers to himself as a barbarian, complete with furs and tattoos and other barbarian-esque things, but is in actuality just a commoner from a city with no special powers.
A gnome expert with UMD as a class skill, ranks in it, a wand of magic missile and skill focus in UMD, between the wands and his gnome abilities hes the party 'wizard'
Can't believe nobody's come in and said "Monk"
Cause it's the idea here that monks are useless, get it? Also about a monk, they do have perform as class skills, have one walk around with a rapier, and take perform, he pretends to be a bard, but is actually a fantastic tank, spec-ed for survival as opposed to combat ability.
So he's actually is useless in a fight, has high social skills, and is really hard to kill. SO fake bard that does nothing for the party.
Personally I see the Bard as a bit more useless than the Monk. I seem to remember a Magician NPC class or was it a type of Rogue? The point is they have to be able to 'fake the funk', so the character should be able to do some things. As mentioned before, the share memory spell would do just fine and a camera.
Here's a custom magic item I made awhile ago, it could easily be adapted to print pictures.
Instant Painting
Aura faint illusion and transmutation; CL 3rd
Slot – Price 4,500 gp (I); 6,200 gp (II); 7,800 gp (III); 9,500 gp (IV); Weight varies
This empty frame is a marvel of a device for any that can afford it. The frame can come in any size, up to a 10 ft by 10 ft frame. This frame looks like it would contain a painting, but instead, contains highly lifelike images. By holding up the instant painting the instant will capture the view and display it for view within the frame. If multiple images are stored, the frame will cycle through the images. Once an image has been stored, a switch on the side of the instant painting will display the images, leave the frame blank, or pause the instant painting on a chosen image. While paused, speaking a separate command word will delete the image.
Each instant painting has a limited memory capable of storing a small number of images. The type I instant painting can store up to 10 images; the type II instant painting can store up to 20 images, the type III instant painting can store up to 30 images, and the type IV instant painting can store up to 40 images.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, fox’s cunning, silent image Cost 2,250 gp (I); 3,100 gp (II); 3,900 gp (III); 4,750 gp (IV);
Other than Bard/Illusionist, what suggestions are there for a poser kind of class. Maybe even an NPC class.
Off the top of my head, I'd say Aristocrats have all the right skills to look good without being much good.
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For the camera, there is already an item published by Paizo that should fit the bill...
For the camera, there is already an item published by Paizo that should fit the bill...
That helps! ty
I am currently creating a Bard (who is mostly a woman of pleasure) and a half-elf. She has a camera and a canvas. With the spell of shared memory she will create an illusion of what she has seen and paint it. After that she photographs herself in front of it. Ta da! Instant hero status for a poser.
I have started dropping hints about this 'hero' in the area and the players already want to recruit her.
I would go with Rogue, charlatan archetype. They have class features to assist them in long cons. (I've been dying to play one, actually...)