Hello all, I'd like to get some feedback on a couple of card ideas I've had for the new custom card creator. I'm aiming for character-specific boons (preferably allies) that will level with the Adventure Deck number, and basically become that character's companion or prized possession. Here's my first idea:
Koios the arcane owl
Animal
Arcane
Magic
Check to acquire: Intelligence 4
Card text:
Reveal this card to add the Adventure Deck number to an Intelligence check.
Discard this card to automatically succeed at your check to recharge a spell with the Arcane trait.
Only Ezren may play this card.
Succeed at an Arcane 8 check to recharge this card instead of discarding it.
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This is a step in the right direction, in my opinion. The recharge seems a little low, however. Maybe add the adventure deck number to the difficulty?
This also struck me - feel free to ignore. The idea is that only Ezren can use this card. What if you added, "If the character encountering this card is not Ezren, Ezren encounters it instead. If no player is playing Ezren, banish this card."
This is a step in the right direction, in my opinion. The recharge seems a little low, however. Maybe add the adventure deck number to the difficulty?
This also struck me - feel free to ignore. The idea is that only Ezren can use this card. What if you added, "If the character encountering this card is not Ezren, Ezren encounters it instead. If no player is playing Ezren. banish this card."
I had thought of something similar, but it turned out to be a lot of text. Of course, that was when I was playing around with some flavor text to go with the business stuff, so I'll see how it fits.
This idea just came to me. How about:
Succeed at an Arcane 8, plus the number of skill feats invested in Intelligence, check to recharge this card instead of discarding it.
I'm a little wary of making it a check that Ezren wouldn't normally be good at. They're supposed to be companions, after all. Do you happen to know what the highest arcane recharge in RotR is?
Why not have them be Loot Allies with a special trait you come up with. Then create a barrier that, if defeated, allowed you to choose one Loot Ally with that special trait from the box and add it to your hand. That takes care of how you get them.
I seem to remember Arcane recharge checks in the mid-teens. Some of the deck 6 spells were a 16 I think. But nothing being 20 or more.
Also rather than have it be Ezren only, I would give Ezren the owner trait and have everyone else have to acquire it.
Also rather than have it be Ezren only, I would give Ezren the owner trait and have everyone else have to acquire it.
I posted this elsewhere, but here may be more appropriate
- is there any way to physically add an "owner" to a custom card on the new creator?
Also rather than have it be Ezren only, I would give Ezren the owner trait and have everyone else have to acquire it.I posted this elsewhere, but here may be more appropriate
- is there any way to physically add an "owner" to a custom card on the new creator?
The card creator is still developing (ie all the coming soon features), so if it is not there yet, I believe it will be there soon.
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Why not have them be Loot Allies with a special trait you come up with. Then create a barrier that, if defeated, allowed you to choose one Loot Ally with that special trait from the box and add it to your hand. That takes care of how you get them.
I'm not sure of the math, but it seems like a single barrier might be just as rare as a single ally, given that there are usually fewer barriers in a given scenario.
What you said did just give me yet another idea, though. It would be very interesting to have a set of solo scenarios, each unique to a character, that plays out as either a flashback or some other interlude and has the respective companion/favored boon as the scenario reward. These could offer a lot of extra flavor to each character. The only problem is that I'm not very well versed in the Pathfinder mythos. Any help would be appreciated :)
That sounds neat. You can read the blog post about each iconic here. Also, who says you have to only print one barrier?
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Why not have them be Loot Allies with a special trait you come up with. Then create a barrier that, if defeated, allowed you to choose one Loot Ally with that special trait from the box and add it to your hand. That takes care of how you get them.
I'm not sure of the math, but it seems like a single barrier might be just as rare as a single ally, given that there are usually fewer barriers in a given scenario.
What you said did just give me yet another idea, though. It would be very interesting to have a set of solo scenarios, each unique to a character, that plays out as either a flashback or some other interlude and has the respective companion/favored boon as the scenario reward. These could offer a lot of extra flavor to each character. The only problem is that I'm not very well versed in the Pathfinder mythos. Any help would be appreciated :)
And WOW that sounds like a seriously awesome idea! We could possibly use the storylines from the new Pathfinder Origins comics! If you'd like to collaborate on this, I'd be happy to help!
Why not have them be Loot Allies with a special trait you come up with. Then create a barrier that, if defeated, allowed you to choose one Loot Ally with that special trait from the box and add it to your hand. That takes care of how you get them.
I'm not sure of the math, but it seems like a single barrier might be just as rare as a single ally, given that there are usually fewer barriers in a given scenario.
What you said did just give me yet another idea, though. It would be very interesting to have a set of solo scenarios, each unique to a character, that plays out as either a flashback or some other interlude and has the respective companion/favored boon as the scenario reward. These could offer a lot of extra flavor to each character. The only problem is that I'm not very well versed in the Pathfinder mythos. Any help would be appreciated :)
i'd enjoy the epic AP for solo Ezren, trying to prove his father's innocence, only to discover that he was actually guilty...
i'd enjoy the epic AP for solo Ezren, trying to prove his father's innocence, only to discover that he was actually guilty...
I've been pondering that one since the idea for solo scenarios came up. The biggest issue would be that Ezren had not learned any magic at that point (or so I've gathered). In light of that, there seem to be only two options for Ezren:
1) Make a "present-day" side adventure that can be played using the current version of the character deck. Though, I'm not immediately seeing a good way to tie in his past. I'm leaning toward this option in part because Ezren having a companion is not canon (yet... :P)
2) Create a scenario that uses a temporary character deck and only B and C cards, to be played as a young Ezren (or even flashback or dream Ezren). This one might need too many custom cards to be any good.
And WOW that sounds like a seriously awesome idea! We could possibly use the storylines from the new Pathfinder Origins comics! If you'd like to collaborate on this, I'd be happy to help!
I would love any collaborative help. If I wanted to do this myself, I wouldn't be on the forums :)
Here's my general outline for the info needed for each character:
Character Name
-Owned Boon
--Type (probably loot)
--Traits
--Card Text (powers)
-Scenario
--Setting
--Special Rules
---Locations
--Prologue
--Villain
--Henchmen
--Epilogue
i'd enjoy the epic AP for solo Ezren, trying to prove his father's innocence, only to discover that he was actually guilty...I've been pondering that one since the idea for solo scenarios came up. The biggest issue would be that Ezren had not learned any magic at that point (or so I've gathered). In light of that, there seem to be only two options for Ezren:
1) Make a "present-day" side adventure that can be played using the current version of the character deck. Though, I'm not immediately seeing a good way to tie in his past. I'm leaning toward this option in part because Ezren having a companion is not canon (yet... :P)
2) Create a scenario that uses a temporary character deck and only B and C cards, to be played as a young Ezren (or even flashback or dream Ezren). This one might need too many custom cards to be any good.
One option, based off of the cool thing Tanis did in "A Crew Divided", would be to split the locations up and have one set of locations be essentially a "flashback" and the other be the present day.
So, assuming you will design this for only 1 character to play, you would typically have 3 locations, but lets go with 4 instead for fun. Designate 2 of them as the flashbacks. Set a scenario rule that while at those locations either you may not play spells or you loose the Arcane skill. Give scenario setup instructions to put the loot ally and one henchman randomly in those locations. (Or if you make a henchman barrier, the henchman barrier that rewards you with the loot ally and one henchman go in those locations) while the villain and one henchman go in the other two locations.
Follow Tanis' template in "A Crew Divided" for how to win the scenario. You'll need to make some subtle changes, but I think it would work.
Something like this (I've got no knowledge of the official story other than what is in this thread, so locations might need to be changed):
You need to create:
A henchman-barrier that gives the loot ally as a reward when defeating it. We'll call this Special Henchman below.
A scenario card.
You might also want to create, but you could use some from existing cards:
A villain.
2 more henchmen. We'll call them A & B below.
Locations:
Group 1:
Academy
Woods
Group 2:
Location X
Location Y
Villains/Henchmen:
Group 1:
Special henchman
Henchman A
Group 2:
Villain
Henchman B
Scenario:
When setting out locations, divide them into two groups as
indicated. When you add villains and henchmen, put the Group 1
ones into the Group 1 locations and the Group 2 ones into the Group
2 locations.
While at any location in group 1, you lose the Arcane skill until the Academy is closed.
Other thoughts:
You could either say that you can' move to Group 2 until the locations in group one are both closed (thus keeping the villain out of the flashback), or you could thematically have the monster be some kind of "mental" based creature that is messing with Ezren's mind, which explains why he starts showing up in Ezren's memories even though he wasn't really there. If you do the latter, add a rule to make sure the Special Henchman doesn't get banished when the location closes.
Just some thoughts for you to consider. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
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For the sake of not having to worry about card formatting, I would suggest that you have the Academy and Woods (with the power causing you to have no Arcane skill), and then once the Academy is closed you build the two new locations (which actually fits better with the "graduation" theme) and then you win when you defeat whatever special Villain is added in those newly built locaitons. I'll work on it later and see what I can come up with. :)
I like the simultaneous flashback idea, and will ponder that for a bit. In the meantime, let me throw another idea out there for brainstorming purposes. FYI, this is a flashback.
There are 5 locations, but only 4 of them are available until you find and defeat a specific henchman (I'm picturing the guard-with-a-key trope). The fifth location is guaranteed to have the villain, which is actually the evidence of his father's guilt. I'm thinking it'll be a crazy high constitution check to defeat (or go insane).
Instead of using your character deck, you create a deck of 30 blessings (i.e. use the "timer" deck as your character deck. this also serves as an abstraction from the usual "health" mechanic, since it's all a memory). You have to use your base stats for all rolls, but you are free to play as many of the blessings in your hand as you'd like for a given check. All boons that you acquire get replaced with a blessing from the box. Lastly, exploration is free, since there's no timer.
For the sake of not having to worry about card formatting, I would suggest that you have the Academy and Woods (with the power causing you to have no Arcane skill), and then once the Academy is closed you build the two new locations (which actually fits better with the "graduation" theme) and then you win when you defeat whatever special Villain is added in those newly built locaitons. I'll work on it later and see what I can come up with. :)
I love the mechanic, but a seemingly major part of Ezren's back-story is that none of the academies would let him join, forcing him to train himself
While thinking about what kind of story I wanted to tell with this scenario, I decided to simply write out a prologue. Any feedback is welcome.
Having spent most of his adult years desperately searching for the cause of his father’s unjust arraignment for heresy by the church of Abadar, Ezren’s hope was replenished when a dark, well-traveled man brought word of the hasty abandonment of a monastery less than three days away. This monastery, Ezren knew, was home to the very cleric who leveled the accusations that threw his family into misfortune! If he can manage to hunt down the evidence used against his father, he can surely reveal the truth of his father’s innocence. Bearing only food for the journey, Ezren sets off into the countryside.
As he arrives at the abandoned monastery, Ezren pauses to reflect on the downfall of this once holy site. Its walls, still pristine and white, were now surely home to goblins, ghosts, or possibly some other unspeakable horrors. “Surely the Gods, who have shown their favor at last, would not abandon me to die before delivering my father from injustice?” Ezren pondered to himself before prying open the oversized wooden door.
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Okay so I'm thinking a bit on this... how about something of this nature? (I'm borrowing your prologue which is AWESOME). This uses RotRL cards and a few new ones.
Legacy of Heresy [Scenario B]
Having spent most of his adult years desperately searching for the cause of his father’s unjust arraignment for heresy by the church of Abadar, Ezren’s hope was replenished when a dark, well-traveled man brought word of the hasty abandonment of a monastery less than three days away. This monastery, Ezren knew, was home to the very cleric who leveled the accusations that threw his family into misfortune! If he can manage to hunt down the evidence used against his father, he can surely reveal the truth of his father’s innocence. Bearing only food for the journey, Ezren sets off into the countryside.
Locations:
Woods
Wooden Bridge
Villain: None
Henchmen:
Lyrie Akenja
Posion Trap
Power:
During this scenario, if you have the Arcane skill, you are treated as not having that skill.
When setting up any location, replace blessings with copies of the henchman Arcane Research.
When the Woods and City Gate locations are permanently closed, build the location Temple, adding the villain Father Gragori Vincent. You win the scenario when Father Gragori Vincent is defeated.
Reward:
Loot: Wayfinder of Arcane Power
Arcane Research [Henchman B]
Type: Barrier
Traits: Task, Research
To Defeat: Intelligence 11 THEN Intelligence 11
Power:
Before you act, recharge 1d4 cards.
If defeated, draw a random spell with the Arcane trait from the box and add it to your hand.
If undefeated, you take 1 Mental damage that cannot be reduced.
Father Gragori Vincent [Villain B]
Type: Monster
Traits: Human, Cleric
To Defeat: Charisma/Diplomacy 9
Power:
If undefeated, shuffle a random Barrier into the location which this card came from, then put this card on the bottom of that deck.
Wayfinder of Arcane Power [Loot B]
Type: Item
Traits: Accessory, Arcane
Power: Recharge this card to add 1d4 plus the adventure deck number of the current scenario to your non-combat Arcane check.
Looks really good. But is it Wooden Bridge or City Gate for the second location?
Okay, here's what I've got so far. This is the first complete draft of the origin scenario for Ezren. I tried to go for something that would require as few custom cards as possible (in this case, 2), but that's not set in stone.
Character: Ezren
Heretic’s Journal
-Loot/Item
-Traits
--Magic
--Owner: Ezren
-Powers:
--Reveal this card to add the Adventure Deck number to an intelligence check.
--Bury this card to move a spell from your discard pile into your hand.
Scenario
-Setting: Abandoned Monastery
-Text:
--Start with only the Temple and Deeper Dungeons locations. When the player defeats the Ancient Skeleton henchman, build the Shrine to Lamashtu location deck, adding the Heretic’s Journal villain card before shuffling.
--For this scenario, you do not possess the arcane skill, and any skill feats for Intelligence are ignored.
-Villain: Heretic’s Journal (villain version)
--Check to defeat: Knowledge 12
--Text:
---If undefeated, shuffle this card back into the current location, then place the top card of the blessings deck on top of each open location.
-Henchmen: Ancient Skeleton, Poison Trap
-Locations: Temple, Deeper Dungeons, Shrine to Lamashtu
-Reward: Heretic’s Journal loot card
Prologue:
Having spent most of his adult years desperately searching for the cause of his father’s unjust arraignment for heresy by the church of Abadar, Ezren’s hope was replenished when a dark, well-traveled man brought word of the hasty abandonment of a monastery less than three days away. This monastery, Ezren knew, was once home to Father Gragory Vincent; the man who had leveled the accusations that threw his family into misfortune! If he can manage to hunt down the evidence used against his father, he can surely reveal the truth of his father’s innocence. Bearing only food for the journey, Ezren set off into the countryside.
As he arrives at the abandoned monastery, Ezren pauses to reflect on the downfall of this once holy site. Its walls, still pristine and white, were now surely home to goblins, ghosts, or possibly some other unspeakable horrors. “Surely the Gods, who have shown their favor at last, would not abandon me to die before delivering my father from injustice?” Ezren pondered to himself before prying open the oversized wooden door.
Epilogue:
Ezren was relieved to find that the accounts contained in the journal were not penned by his father’s hand, but that relief turns sour as he begins reading. Page after page recounted years of secret rituals, orgies, and human sacrifices; all taking place in this secret shrine below the monastery, and always lead by some unidentified prophet. Appended to the very last page of the tome, Ezren discovers a pact of conformity and secrecy, scrawled out in an ink that he had never seen before, and signed in blood. He quickly scans the list, and stops cold when he finally recognizes a name. There, written in blood, was Gragory Vincent’s signature. This was the evidence he had been searching for all these years! Feeling the weight of decades of torment lifting from him, Ezren frantically surveys the remainder of the signatures. His newfound giddiness suddenly catches in his throat as he comes across the very last signature, which belongs to his father, and is followed by “Most High Prophet of Lamashtu.” Gasping for breath, and bracing himself on the cold, damp altar, Ezren struggles to remain upright as a torrent of thoughts solidify in him. He was wrong. His family was wrong. The church was wrong. Even the Gods themselves were wrong. Composing himself once more, Ezren quietly exits the shrine.
Swinging open the oversized monastery door, Ezren is greeted by a different world than the one he left behind just hours earlier. This world was cruel to the unknowing, and contained no justice for fools. Armed only with his wits, and vowing that never again would he allow his ignorance to get the better of him, Ezren embarks for adventures unknown.