Okay folks, I'm actually running two separate games, this is for the interest for weekly a game (except the third Sunday of the month) on Sunday evenings from 8:30 (ish, bedtime for the kiddos) to about 10:30-11:00 PM CST (Chicago time). The sessions are short, I apologize, but this is the time that I have.
The campaign is set in the Forgotten Realms approximately around 1372 DR. The campaign, named the Shadow over Lantan, uses some elements from the Second Darkness Adventure Path. The overall feel is something akin to the new Sherlock Holmes, Proto-Girl Genius, and, of course, some horrific Cthulu.
The overall arc of the campaign is investigative in nature, although some action is certainly expected along the way. Full information on the Islands of Lantan (as I am using them, canon be thrown out the window) will be provided to people approved for the campaign via email.
The campaign's basics are a 20-point buy, with information from Pathfinder (open game content available on the Pathfinder SRD here at Paizo, as well as available through the outside Pathfinder SRD).
Currently, the game has two players, but room for up to three more players.
Next post will be house rules.
(Cut and pasted from my six-page self-made pdf. All creatures are OGL except the Water Genasi, which is IP of Wizards of the Coast, conversion to Pathfinder is by me, no attack on their IP or attempt to steal their IP is intended, I've bought waaay too many of their books to do that!).
Welcome to Lantan, the land of Gondsmen. There are Gondsmen of every stripe here. The warm,tropical island nation is known for its inventions, smokepowder, and, of course, being the center of worship for Gond. The maroon-sailed ships ply the entirety of the Sword Coast, as well as the sea of Shining Stars, with most business going through Calimsham, Waterdeep, Athkatla, Narubel, and even Ithmong.
The vast majority of the campaign is intended to dwell in and around Anchoril. With that being said, there will be times that the entire campaign may be out of Anchoril for a time.
The intent of the campaign is a mix of urban steampunk, Miskatonic jungle and ruins exploration, and mystery/suspense. Unfortunately, this is not where the campaign begins. Think monsters meets the modern
Sherlock Holmes movies, perhaps with even a few other surprises along the way.
Known Groups
The Lantanese Gear Guardians: These appointed warriors of Lantan have been entrusted with the secret weapons of the Gondsmen. They all have proficiency with smokepowder weapons, both firearms and nonmagical
grenades. They are the peacekeepers of the island nation along with being noted as some of the best bodyguards in the entire Realms.
Campaign Baseline: In addition to the house rules here, the PC races available are Humans, Catfolk, Gnomes, half-elves (standard only), Undine, and Water Genasi. They are all to be created using the Pathfinder Core Rulebook or the Advanced Player's Guide, or using the Gunslinger from ultimate Combat. Firearm gear is available at http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/firearms, although there is a section of available firearms in my campaign document.
All characters use 20-point buy.
Races and racial Traits:
Catfolk:
Medium Humanoid (Catfolk)
+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Wisdom
Base Speed: 30 feet
+1 Natural Armor Bonus
Sprinter (+10' speed when Charging, Running, or using the Withdraw action)
Natural Hunter: +2 to all Perception, Stealth, and survival checks.
Low-light vision
Languages: Common and Catfolk: catfolk with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following
languages: Elven, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orc, and Sylvan.
Undine (OGL via Pathfinder):
Medium Outsider (native)
-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 wisdom
Base Speed: 30 feet
Languages: Common and Aquan Undine with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Auran, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Ignan, and Terran
Darkvision, 60'
Energy Resistance: Cold 5
Spell Like Ability: Undine may use Hydraulic Push as a spell like ability once per day.
Water Affinity: Undine sorcerers with the elemental (water) bloodline treat their Charisma Score as 2 points
higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Undine Clerics with the Water Domain cast their Water Domain
powers and spells at +1 caster level.
Water Genasi
Medium Outsider (native)
+2 Con, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
Base Speed 30', Swim Speed 30'
Languages: Common, Lantanna, Aquan Bonus Water Genasi with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages Auran, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Giant, Ignan, and Terran.
Natural Swimmers: Water Genasi are aquatic, thus breathe water, may take 10 on any swim check, and gain a +12 to all swim checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Water Genasi may cast Create Water once per day as a spell-like ability.
Water Affinity: Water Genasi sorcerers with the elemental (water) bloodline treat their Charisma Score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Water Genasi Clerics with the Water Domain cast their Water Domain powers and spells at +1 caster level.
IMPORTANT:
Each character may select one Pathfinder character trait from the Pathfinder RPG PFS document for the core traits, as well as one of the following traits:
Campaign Traits:
Gondsman: You are a member of the wonderbringer's church. You gain a +1 bonus when using the Knowledge: Engineering as well as a craft skill of your choice. Both of these skills are always considered class skills for you.
Golden Gear Guardian: You are a member of the order of the Golden Gear, Lantan's most elite bodyguard cadre. Once per combat you may elect to take an immediate action and swap places with an adjacent character
and take all damage just applied to that character in combat as if you were the original target of the successful attack.
Grace Under Pressure: You are competent under pressure. You gain a +3 bonus to any roll boosted by an action die.
Merchant's Apprentice: Years along the harbors in the apprenticeship of a wily merchant brought you into contact with a wide variety of items, as well as a few less-than-savory characters. This experience has given
you sharper senses, as well as a deep understanding of the value of certain items. You gain a +1 bonus when making Appraise as well as Perception checks, and one of these skills is always a class skill for you.
Missionary: You are a member of an uncommon clergy (or even lay clergy) in Lantan, such as Mielikki or Lathander. Knowing you're always out of place and, sometimes, in harm's way has made you both excited and wary of others. You gain a +1 bonus to Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks, and they are always considered class skills for you.
Street Urchin: Lantan's streets are known for being chaotic, and they are dangerous to those who don't know where to put their heads (or feet, in some cases!). This intuit knowledge of the city has granted you a +1 bonus to reflex saves.
Racial Trait (Catfolk)
Cat's Claws: Some catfolk have stronger and more developed claws than other members of their race, and can use them to make attacks. Catfolk with this racial trait have a pair of claws they can use as natural weapons.
These claws are primary attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage. This racial trait replaces natural hunter or can be chosen as a campaign trait with no loss of natural hunter.
New Skill
Blend (CHA): This skill is used to subconsciously avoid detection — it comes into play whenever it’s important to know whether observers see, hear, or otherwise sense a character who isn’t intentionally trying to escape discovery. For this reason, Blend is commonly used when the Game Master, rather than the player, initiates such a skill check.
Note: Frequently, the GM will make Stealth AND Blend checks without the player’s knowledge.
Note: Blend can also be used when “hiding” behind neutral to friendly living creatures, since you can't do that with Stealth.
Firearms: On top of some of the gear from the d20pfsrd, I also have a chart of the available firearms with costs. If you're not a gunslinger, you must purchase the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Firearms) to utilize them properly.
Action Dice: Each “adventure” will begin with every character having three action dice, as per the Advanced
Player's Guide. GM will let players know when these refresh.
Armor as Damage Reduction and Defense Bonus:
If your character wears armor, you gain half the armor bonus (round up, unlike other normal rules) as damagereduction.
Special materials (i.e adamantine) stack with this. Now, the armor check penalty (ACP) of the armor reduces your DEFENSE by the amount of the ACP. Class abilities that lower damage reduction also reduce the penalty to defense.
Magical Bonuses to the armor increase Defense, not Damage Reduction.
The way to think of this is as follows: A level 1 fighter wearing full plate with a Dexterity of 14 has a base defense of 13 (+2 Dex, +1 Class). The Full plate modifies everything as follows: the 9 AC gives 5 points of damage reduction. The maximum dexterity bonus is +1, so the defense then goes to 12, which is further modified by the -6 Armor Check Penalty to make the Defense 6. So the poor fighter has a defense of 6, but has damage reduction of 5 as well.
The poor fighter survives to level 3, and picks up a nifty Masterwork Full Plate, which he hasn't made magical yet. The figther also gains the Armor Training 1 quality, increasing the maximum dexterity bonus by +1 and lowering the Armor Check Penalty by 1. This means that, after all modifications, his Defense is as follows: Base defense 14, modified as in brackets: [+2 Class, +2 for Dexterity (Armor Training), -4 for Full Plate (2 points negated for the Armor Training and the Masterwork Quality)], for a total defense of 8. The damage Reduction does not increase, so it remains 5.
Now, the not-so-poor fighter makes it to level 6, and now has +2 Adamantine Full Plate (for example purposes only, I may or may not provide such an item). SO, as above, the DR from the Adamantine (3) will stack with the DR above. So, the Fighter's Defense will be modified as follows: +4 from class, +2 Dex (armor training), -4 Full
Plate (1 point for Armor Training and 1 point for the Masterwork Quality) and +2 for the magical bonus, for a total defense of 14. The Damage Reduction of 5 will add 3 from the Adamantine, and it now stands at an amazing 8.
(okay, not so amazing given the damage handed out at these levels, but it's something that is important when dealing with mooks).
The Defense would only improve from there, especially if a lighter armor would have been chosen for the example (such as Padded and Leather armors which grant DR 1 with no penalties).
***end document
There is a full chart of classes and their defense bonuses. An unarmored character gets harder to hit as levels progress, just as a heavily armored character gets harder to damage. Shields and Magic add to defense (Shield ACP is ignored for this purpose, still used when swimming, climbing and such).
I have started the campaign at level one, and the first adventure starts within a week or two. Interest?
Wow. I got passed right over. Sad to see that.
Recruiting will remain open until I fill all three slots.
What are you thinking character-wise and what would you describe your overall goal with the character to be? I like to have an idea what you want to help either make that happen, or turn it towards something (hopefully) interesting and fun.
Not having played PF, and other than Descent what RPG's have you played?