
GM Infinity +1 |
Hello, I recently started GMing a game after the original GM became ill. As a result of the delay and other RL reasons, we lost one player in the downtime. We are roughly halfway through the first chapter (of 3) and it is an excellent time for a new character to be introduced.
The existing players have expressed an interest in divine casters, but I'm sure they will also chime in here.
I'll go ahead and repost the original GM's criteria, but in short its 15 pt buy, 4th level, and 6000 gp with background skills.
Legendary Treasure!
Tall tales of hidden riches are common in the pirate-infested taverns of the Shackles, but when Captain Varossa Lanteri claims to know the location of the secret treasure hoard of legendary Captain Jemma Redclaw, it seems she may be telling the truth. Captain Lanteri hires the PCs on as crew to help her assemble the magic key that will open the door to Redclaw’s treasure... and the ancient stronghold in which it’s hidden! Can the PCs survive long enough to claim their share of the lost loot, or will their enemies—or their allies—send them to a watery grave?
Plunder and Peril consists of 3 linked adventures which should take players from 4th to 7th level. If we manage to get that far and the group are still interested, all being well, I would be happy to continue on - but this being PBP that is a long way off!
Recruitment will continue until July 30th with Midnight eastern standard time being the deadline, I will make my decision on the 31st and play will begin on the 1st of August.
This game has a minimum posting requirement of 1 per day, including weekends. If you do not feel you can meet this requirement please do not apply. Of course occasional missed days, preferably with notice, will be fine, but if it becomes even semi regular I will warn then boot from the game.
Please read up on The Shackles and
Lilywhite: Hide
the town of Lilywhite, a pirate-friendly settlement constructed around two small islands sitting in the only deep-water cove on Motaku Isle. The sections of Lilywhite away from the mainland are connected to each other and the mainland with numerous wooden bridges. The water in the inner and outer harbors is deep enough that even larger ocean going vessels can safely dock along the town’s piers.
Serving as a refuge for followers of Cayden Cailean, the town is known for being a bit less cutthroat than most other settlements in the Shackles, and because of this it often attracts those just starting out in their buccaneering careers. Lilywhite has avoided being sacked by ruthless captains who might take the town for an easy mark thanks to a well-known myth: any captain who pillages the town disappears, along with her ship and crew, never to be seen again.
Selection Criteria: Hide
Writing Quality, as demonstrated in your background. You may present this as you like, but excessively short or long background will generally be less likely to be selected.
Character Umph, even brilliant writing will struggle to elevate a tedious character, is your character someone you would want to read about? This does not mean your character has to be flamboyant, there are many flavours of interesting.
Ties to Golarion, and specifically the Shackles, and reasons for being present. I would like to feel that your character is from Golarion, not any generic fantasy setting, and either from The Shackles, or has a good/believable reason for being there.
Level Appropriateness, does your background give a reasonable explanation of how you became a 4th level character? Do your exploits feel right for your level? Fair bit of wiggle room, but you should have likely faced some adversity, but not slain anything outrageous for your level, etc.
I do not care about party composition, if the best characters are all archers, or all healers they will be selected.
Character Creation: Hide
Characters begin at 4th level
Alignment any none evil, and nobody who will steal from or attack comrades without significant provocation. I quite enjoy friction between PCs finding it stimulates RP, but the players must be civil and preferably discuss arguments, etc., to ensure they do not get out of hand, etc.
Any Paizo Material* **
15 Point Buy
HP Max at 1st half hit die +1 after, and for all Animal Companion and Eidolons hit die.
*Summoners must use the Unchained Summoner Spell list, and the Pounce evolution becomes a 2 point evolution that requires the Summoner to be 5th level to select; Or you may play an Unchained Summoner as written.
I believe the Summoner needed a power down, but dislike the limitation on freedom of choice with the eidolon, which is my favourite thing about the class.
**The Synthecist Summoner archetype is not allowed.
Races Core and Tengu only - please bear in mind I am unlikely to select multiple Tengu.
2 traits, and you may take a 3rd if you select a drawback - expect the GM to ensure your drawback will not be constantly sidestepped though, and a drawback that will not hinder your build will be denied.
Starting Gold is 6000gp
Background Skills are in use, please ensure you are using them for flavour purposes rather than to make your character stronger.
You may craft if you have the appropriate feats, or the ability to create the item by taking a 10. You may have crafted any mundane item you have the skill for and could take 10 to create. For magic items you may have spent 3 days between each level crafting. So 3 for Wonderous Item, 9 for Scribe Scroll, etc.
If I have forgotten to include anything, please let me know and I will rectify accordingly, please put questions in OOC format :)
Let's do a deadline of October 1 midnight, or awesome submission, whichever comes first.
edit: Gameplay thread here. Its a great group.

GM Arkwright |

Name: Elo of the Moonwater
Race: Female Human (23)
Class: Oracle (Lunar Mystery) 4
Alignment: CN
Backstory: Born on Shark Island, Elo's mother handled a minor lord's kitchen and her father worked in a large blacksmith's. Born with an odd silver sphere symbol on her forehead, it was regarded with little significance until a Kuru attack lead to her being kidnapped and taken to the Cannibal Isles, where a Kuru priest named Gr'shak saw her potential, performed a moon ritual and trained her for several months, eventually unveiling Elo of the Moonwater, lunar oracle, to the world. Now one of the very small group of people the Kuru tolerate, she spent the next few years arbitrating disputes between the people of the Shackles and the Kuru- mostly to the tune of 'keep away from X or get your brains eaten/guts spilled.' Now, she seeks to acquire some share of the haul of Redclaw, to buy her family a better life.
Personality: Young, deliberately optimistic, curious, buddingly hedonistic, a little naive, independent, individualistic, stubborn.
Description: Short, long black dreadlocks, brown eyes, dark Garundi skin, dazzling smile, green and grey-skinned crocodile companion, silver sphere mark on forehead, white and red chelish sailor's doublet with cut-short sleeves, stitched palm leaf satchel.
Would you like a full sheet before I can be accepted?

rungok |

How does your party feel about Dwarves?
Dholgum Bristlebrand
Dwarf warpriest of Trudd 4 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 60)
NG Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
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Defense
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AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor)
hp 31 (4d8+8)
Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +7; +2 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft.
Melee mwk living steel spiked gauntlet +8 (1d6+3) or
. . unarmed strike +6 (1d3+3 nonlethal)
Special Attacks blessings 5/day (Good: holy strike, Strength: strength surge), channel positive energy 2/day (DC 13, 1d6), fervor 5/day (1d6), sacred weapon (1d6, +1, 4 rounds/day)
Warpriest Spells Prepared (CL 4th; concentration +7)
. . 2nd—masterwork transformation[UM], communal water walk[UC]
. . 1st—bless, enhance water, remove sickness[UM] (DC 14), shield of faith
. . 0 (at will)—create water, detect magic, purify food and drink (DC 13), stabilize
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Statistics
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Str 16, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 9
Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 16 (20 vs. bull rush, 20 vs. trip)
Feats Scribe Scroll, Shield Gauntlet Style, Shielded Gauntlet Attack, Weapon Focus (spiked gauntlet)
Traits battlefield caster, devoted healer, zest for battle
Skills Acrobatics -1 (-5 to jump), Appraise +1 (+3 to assess nonmagical metals or gemstones), Bluff -2, Climb +6, Diplomacy +3, Disguise -2, Heal +8, Knowledge (engineering) +8, Knowledge (religion) +5, Perception +6, Profession (barber) +10, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +5, Stealth -2, Survival +7 (+9 while at sea), Swim +7; Racial Modifiers +2 Appraise to assess nonmagical metals or gemstones
Languages Celestial, Common, Dwarven
SQ living steel, saltbeard
Combat Gear scroll of bless (x5), scroll of cure light wounds (x10), scroll of enhance water (x4); Other Gear +1 buoyant armored coat[APG], mwk living steel spiked gauntlet, handy haversack, bedroll, belt pouch, brush, shaving (0.1 lb), cup, shaving (0.2 lb), flint and steel, hemp rope (50 ft.), holy text[UE], mess kit[UE], mirror, pot, shaving powder (one shave) (0.01 lb) (50), soap, spell component pouch, straight razor (0.2 lb), trail rations (5), waterskin, whetstone, wooden holy symbol of Trudd, 129 gp, 6 sp
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Special Abilities
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Blessings (5/day) (Su) Pool of power used to activate Blessing abilities.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Fervor (1d6, 5/day) (Su) Standard action, touch channels positive/negative energy to heal or harm. Swift to cast spell on self.
Greed +2 to Appraise to determine price of nonmagic goods with precious metals or gemstones.
Living Steel (TL:DR: If not completely broken, his spiked gauntlet heals 1 HP per hour)
Sacred Weapon +1 (4 rounds/day) (Su) As a swift action, grant weapon enhancement bonus or certain powers.
Saltbeard +1 to attack/+2 to AC Gain bonus to att/AC vs. aquatic/water foes. +2 to Sailor/Survial checks at sea.
Shield Gauntlet Style When have a gauntleted hand free, gain shield bonus.
Shielded Gauntlet Attack While using shield gauntlet style, gain free AoO with no AoO for dam, disarm, or steal.
Warpriest Channel Positive Energy 1d6 (2/day, DC 13) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect.

Lhinneth Silvertide |

Another player here – we're a curiously matched bunch of wannabe pirates, the end result of our original GM's preference for strong role-playing potential rather than mechanical cohesiveness (which, don't get me wrong, was very cool). We're currently heavily skewed towards martials, and "glass cannons" at that, so a bit of extra durability would be welcome.
As of now, we have one rogue and one rogue / brawler sharing very similar DEX-based sneak attack-reliant builds who nonetheless manage to synergize quite a bit, both combat and RP-wise. Due to skill points and stat distributions, they also tend to act as the party faces. Then there's an hygienically-challenged savage barbarian who fancies himself a heartthrob and a Beastmorph Alchemist half-orc, a very versatile PC with plenty of both support and damage potential.
We've just signed up with the Magpie Princess' Captain but we're still in port running errands, so that would be a perfect time for any late-comer to join the crew.

Arven "The Shark's Friend" |

Another player here ... Arven is the handsome, muscular and brave barbarian ... despite Llinneth's words ... ;-)
He thinks some divine magic would go down a treat, cos he expects the front line will go down a treat if the going gets rough.... he will need healing.
Arven has nothing against dwarves, many people think they may be smelly and uncouth, neither of which Arven has ever noticed, they are just a tad smaller than other decent folk.

Ria Torent |

Well, divine healing isn't the only healing. First. Kinetisist have lots of HP, then their blast do quite a bit of damage... then with utilities your healing is just as good (if not better) as a divine caster because you heal as much as your blast does damage.
So a kinetisist is a cannon... no glass involved. However like all cannons they tend to loose power in close ranges... well, closer than 10'
And as one of those people who don't like min/maxing I have a race that doesn't give a bonus to Con...
Will have a backstory up soon, busy right now.

Burnscar |
Oooh, I'm thinking a Cleric of Besmara.
Would you allow me to use the Eagle Domain, for a parrot familiar granted by my deity?
I'd pair it with the Blackpowder Inquisition.

Ria Torent |

Okay! here is her backstory, and i got the stats for a hook hand from the Skull and Shackles Champaign... yes she has a hook hand and I'm willing to go through a game with only one ring... and one useable hand... besides I can still use the arm to gather energy and stuff for my blasts.
Her life as a child was full of curiosity. she always went down to the docks when a ship came in to see which cutthroat came in this time. she always was curious at the Pirates and the Sailors... most of all she looked up to her father, a Pirate strong... until that one day his ship didn't come back. "Lost at sea", three words all too familiar with the family of a pirate. Ria wanted to know what happened... but no-one knew. The whole ship was gone, all of it, no survivors. Years passed before anyone realized this... by then Ria was 12. Willow tried to bring Ria into her Faith as a cleric, but Ria didn't want to become a priest, instead she wanted to be a Pirate like her father... that was until she unlocked her powers. when she found her amazing ability to control water, Ria was even more happy that she was capable of working on a boat than she thought.
when she was only 16 she Joined a pirate ship called The Dragon's Schooner, it was there that she learned to control her powers... it was also there that she lost her left hand... luckily every pirate had a solution to a missing hand. Ria had her hand replaced with a hook. She could still use it to control her powers as well as attack with the dagger-like point.
soon enough Pirate hunters caught up with the ship and Ria was forced to abandon ship. she was adrift for weeks, but luckily she had a ring of subsistence she had taken from the captain's quarters before bailing. She was picked up by a fishing boat and brought back to lilywhite, where she is now in search for a new ship to Join...
let me know if this wannabe pirate has any concerns as far as you go...

Lhinneth Silvertide |

so i was going through your requirements to make sure I wasn't missing anything, and i saw that you only where accepting core races and a tengu... so I switched my race to human :P
Actually, in the original recruitment thread that clause was amended to allow sylphs and undines, since albeit rare they're stated to be particularly common around the eye of Abendengo and in the Shackles, with the proviso that only one would be selected. Since we currently have zero, I say go for it (if you wish!).

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Jesse Heinig wrote:I've noticed a lot of players are averse to 15 point buy.Generally, since after reading the PFS rules, they declare that golarion is a high fantasy world, and recommend 20 point buys, I agree with you. 15 point buys limit your options, but it's not impossible either.
I don't think it's impossible (I made you guys start at 15 points), I just think that PF player culture is such that a lot of players want to play hypercompetent characters and when they hear 15 point buy they look for a different group. :)

rungok |

rungok wrote:I don't think it's impossible (I made you guys start at 15 points), I just think that PF player culture is such that a lot of players want to play hypercompetent characters and when they hear 15 point buy they look for a different group. :)Jesse Heinig wrote:I've noticed a lot of players are averse to 15 point buy.Generally, since after reading the PFS rules, they declare that golarion is a high fantasy world, and recommend 20 point buys, I agree with you. 15 point buys limit your options, but it's not impossible either.
Truth. Heck, to be honest I still don't feel 'hypercompetent' even at 20 point buy. The board dice roller is the great equalizer.

Lhinneth Silvertide |

The idea was to close it this weekend, since the general feeling was we've already exhausted our pool of potentially interested people (this being an already running module rather than a brand-new AP, plus the 15 point buy thing you mentioned).
Our GM asked us if we were OK with waiting a little bit more since he got a PM from another potential applicant, I guess it was you? I'm going to bump the issue in our Discussion thread, and see if I can get some feedback for you ;)

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I figured it would be polite to check with the DM before using up his time! He did have a list of what he did and didn't want and I didn't want to be the kind of player who just says "I'm gonna make something that isn't on the list and assume that I'm cool enough that the DM will make a special exception for me without even asking first." :)

RePete |

I've applied to another Shackle's game but seeing the other applicants, I'm not expecting to get selected. Final selection on it should be in next couple days.
I've a dual-cursed oracle character I used in a campaign with friends that was a lot of fun, but the game ended due to rl issues. I'll try to get him posted tonight.

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This character is a druidic divine support caster. Followed the 15 point buy, background skills, 6000 gp starting wealth totals.
The character is built to have a lot of "flavor," so she is not an extraordinary fighter nor is she really optimized for blasting, but she can certainly do buffing and support healing. I took a wand of cure light wounds as part of the starting wealth allotment in order to bolster that healing ability.
The kicker is that the character is a mermaid. With the skinshaper druid archetype, she can spend four hours per day in a different humanoid form (typically human). After that, she tends to be pretty strongly hamstrung if she isn't in water, though she can still adventure... albeit very slowly. If anything goes on in or under water - as hinted by the nature of the adventure - she is much better off.
I took the Fast Crawl feat so that if she's forced to fight while in merform and out of water, she can at least avoid getting stuck next to enemies (it allows her to take a 5' step while crawling, so she can try to move away and then cast a spell or use a ranged attack).
Profile includes all the relevant stats plus description, background story, and link to an inspirational picture.
I've only picked one trait, as I'm not sure if you're using campaign traits or just have characters pick two universal traits (from different categories, of course).

Lhinneth Silvertide |

Campaign traits were allowed in the original recruitment, especially if thematically fitting (in particular, Peg Lef from the Skull & Shackles Player's Guide).
Have you considered taking the Strong Tail ART (15 ft. land speed but swimming speed reduced to 30 ft.)? It's usually the go-to for people who want to play Merfolks in non-aquatic campaigns. True, it gives you diminishing returns once skinshape really kicks into gear, but in the meantime, it makes 24/7 adventuring more viable without having to spend a feat on it.

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Campaign traits were allowed in the original recruitment, especially if thematically fitting (in particular, Peg Lef from the Skull & Shackles Player's Guide).
Have you considered taking the Strong Tail ART (15 ft. land speed but swimming speed reduced to 30 ft.)? It's usually the go-to for people who want to play Merfolks in non-aquatic campaigns. True, it gives you diminishing returns once skinshape really kicks into gear, but in the meantime, it makes 24/7 adventuring more viable without having to spend a feat on it.
Yep, decided I didn't want it. I really wanted this character to commit to the merfolk biz when not pretending to be human. :)
Also note that if we make level 5 I can pick up fins to feet if I need additional time as a humanoid. Working with the alchemist I could even make potions of that spell (via cooperative crafting).
The real best way would be to get the feat Extra Wild Shape, but that didn't make the transition from 3.5 to PF. :(

Jiqs |

Hello! Here is Rin Sana! A shaman with the Life spirit for your consideration. All that is left for me to finish up is skills and purchases, which I will be working on finishing up tonight/tomorrow.