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As the title asks. In PFS you cannot be evil, but the character I want to play requires Lamashtu as a deity. While Lamashtu can have Chaotic Netural clerics, I am struggling to create a personality and reason that would allow a chaotic netural human with very high charisma(the character is a channeling cleric/summoner using the madness vairent channeling and hearld caller archtype.) to turn to worshiping the mother of monsters. A chaotic evil human or chaotic netural member of a monster race would be easy, as would a deformed human. However, with 18-20 starting cha, I can't see this character as being terribly deformed and both evil alignments and monstrous races are options largely forbidden in PFS. So, other than being marginalized for a deformity or being from a monsterous race, what reasons could a chaotic netural person have for worshiping Lamashtu? Post your ideas, thoughts and opinions here!
She or people she cares about could have been collateral damage from Pazuzu zealots in the war between Lamashtu and Pazuzu and wants to stop pazuzu from hurting others.... at the same time as getting revenge.
She may have had one of her children have complications and was going to die, but Lamashtu kept the child alive (though rather deformed) in return for her becoming her cleric.
CHA does not mean physical beauty. You could easily have a high CHA and still have deformities. Also who is to say that a deformity has to be ugly? Maybe you are the descendant of a dragon or outsider that did not fully manifest. You could have unusually eyes and teeth like fangs and still mechanically be human.
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Pfs dosen't allow such refluffing of races so what you described would require either tiefling as a race(which now requires a chronicle sheet/unlock) or the sorcerer(or bloodrager) class with the draconic bloodline. Claiming linage from a monster-human relationship basicly requires either sorcerer/bloodrager levels or a non-human race or template unless you can refluff your race, and PFS doesn't allow race re-fluffing.
Are traits allowed in PFS? I can never remember.
Then one of these might help with the reflavouring of human in a completely RAW way (if that ends up being something you're interested in)
Bloodline Traits
Members of any race can select one of these traits, as they represent distant bloodlines intermixed with or corrupting those your race.
Blood of Dragons: Long ago, your ancestors' blood mixed with that of dragons. Choose one of the following: gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception checks, gain low-light vision, or gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against effects that cause sleep or paralysis.
Deathtouched: At some point you were tainted with the corruption of the undead, and you have gained some of their defenses. You gain either a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saving throws or a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects (your choice).
Fiend Blood: The blood of fiends taints your line, manifesting physically, though it may be barely noticeable. Choose one of the following skills: Bluff, Intimidate, or Knowledge (planes). You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks with that skill, and it is always a class skill for you.
CN worshippers of Lamashtu are typically midwives in very harsh regions or drug cults worshipping her for her madness aspect in connection to mind-altering drugs. (Source: Agents of Evil) She's worshipped as Grandmother Nightmare in Tian Xia, and while I believe worship is more open, I don't know that it leans any more towards CN.
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I have given some thought to this. You could play a cleric that is sent by the 'church' of Lamashtu to make sure it gains influence in the society's dealings (and makes sure they don't kill every monster out there). They realise they would need to sent someone charismatic who could present the church in a good way, without ticking off every paladin that wants to kill you.
I would most definitely be interested in those, but I have no idea if they are PFS legal..,if you could be so kind, could you cite the source for them so I can check their legality?
Ultimate Campaign, it has tonnes of traits in it very useful in my experience.
Archives of Nethys is useful for checking PFS legality, they have a little "open road" symbol on the header.
Also, you can absolutely refluff in PFS, as long as you're not misleading the GM about your actual race or trying to gain a mechanical advantage.
Eldritch Heritage feats might help you visualize the character, and can have some nifty abilities.
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My build is fairly feat intensive being a channeler AND summoner, so Eldritch heritage is out. The traits, however, acomplish the same thing; letting me have a. "Monstrous" aspect to my character while still mechanicall being human...and without taking levels in sorc or bloodrager. It pretty much fixed the "rp issues" I was having with this character in a very elegant, simple way.
I played a tiefling alchemist/barb that worshipped Lamashtu. I went Hyde build and all about natural attacks. I played the character as from Cheliax and was hated by his community. He tried to go the route of a pure alchemist but after only being viewed as a monster by his neighbors, he decided to embrace the monster within him. He took up the way of barbarian's use of fiendish totems to give him gore attacks. Corrupted his mutagens to feral mutagens and took the alternative racial trait of a tail. Later he took tumor discovery and further embraced the monster within.
My point, is that it can be done and with PFS setting and while not being disruptive to fellow PFS players.
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That was never the issue, though. I was not worried about a Lamashtu cleric being disruptive to rp. My "issue" was finding a reason why a chaotic NEUTRAL (and not evil) person who was distinctly not monsterous themselves (see human with high cha) would be drawn to the worship of a chaotic evil goddess of monsters and madness. Thankfully, that's no longer a concern, as I have been provided a totally RAW and PFS legal way(the traits) to give my human character a monsterous element without being forced to spend feat(s) on Eldritch heritage or dip sorc/bloodrage.
Guy is a little unhinged and mad himself :) (reason enough) However, glad you found a way that you are comfortable with.
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"Mad and unhinged" likely means CE though, and evil alignments are forbidden on PFS. If they where allowed this thread would not exsist as there are PLENTY of reasons a CE human, even non-deformed one, would worship Lamashtu. It wad not "non-deformed human" itself so much as "non-deformed human that is not evil" that was the issue. However, I have a sollution now, so I am fine.
I just want to point out that hags have high charisma, and look vile.
Just in case that helps any future concepts. :)
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That's true, but it's the level of deformity that is the issue here, not it's presence. Hags are ugly, yes, but compared to the kinds of deformity that you find in humans they may and well be beauty queens. Case in point; compare a hag to the elephant man. The issue I was having was no deformity itself, but the extreme nature of the kinds of deformity's you find in the human race. When deformity shows up in humans it is usually so extreme that it WILL effect one's ability to influence others, which means a lower cha despite how personable you may be. The traits, however, provide me an excuse to have a deformity that is not a result of the human gene pool and thus can still be "monsterous" enough for my character to have faced discrimination while not so extreme that their high cha seems contradictory. In simple terms, with the traits I can be more like a hag" or "tiefling" in looks instead of being as extremely deformed as the elephant man.
Hmm. I wonder if you could get an aasimar boon and then go the other direction with it. Guy is always judged on his good looks. He gets fed-up with people only focusing on his looks instead of his merits that he decides to embrace the complete opposite, Lamashtu.
""Mad and unhinged" likely means CE though"
I disagree. Not everyone who is considered "mad" is a CE psychopath. As the mistress of madness, Lamashtu may also be beseeched for mercy by those afflicted by insanity. You can push the propitiation aspect - the character seeks to ensure that Lamashtu is given due respect by the community, so that her wrath is averted or at least limited.
Also, Lamashtu is a fertility deity, and while her "chosen" may be marked with all matter of mutation, in that portfolio she holds considerable power. Many couples may pray to turn her gaze away from their own children, and some desperate enough may be willing to accept imperfections if they could just get a child.
Granted, it might involve a minor reinterpretation of the dogma, but I think that is how it often goes with cults whose alignment differs from the regular alignment of the deity, i.e. LN cults of Iomedae or Zon-Kuthon, NE cults of Pharasma, etc.
Not everyone who is considered "mad" is a CE psychopath.
Also, not everyone who is CE is a psychopath.
Not all psychopaths are CE, either.
Contributor
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It's a day-old, not quite that fresh.From the newly released Agents of Evil:
Neutral worshipers of Lamashtu tend to be midwives in harsh climates or else members of drug cults who revere the madness she imparts. Considered deranged by those who count as leaders within the primary sects of the Mother of Monsters, some worshipers venerate very specific aspects of the goddess, eschewing her more evil tendencies.Fresh canon, hot from the oven! ^_^
I see. I'm sorry. I'll be quiet.
Somebody that revels in the natural chaotic state of the universe and believes the human and monstrous races should be free to interact as the natural world would have them, be it for mutual beneficence or for war. Somebody that believes the order in the world is against how the universe should work and that monsters should play a larger part in the world.
That doesn't mean you want them all to rule or you want them to kill all civilized life. You just want them to be more significant and influential.
Just some thoughts.
A few different personalities occur
Fightery type: Behold the wonder of the darwinian process in action! Nature red in tooth and claw as glorious pathfinders charge forth into the world to take what is theirs by right of conquest, survive, and prove our worthiness to give birth to the next generation
Scholarly type: What you're looking at is the marvel of efficiency. Instead of bearing its own eggs, it lays them inside of others and lets them deal with the pain and torment of something burrowing its way out of them. Isn't nature fascinating?