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Okay, I love this adventure path. I will say that first, so that Tito and Wes, you don't feel like I am diminishing any of the great work there.
That said, my biggest question mark comes with the pc backgrounds. Supposedly they were henchmen that worked for Count Lowls IV as his cronies that were then sacrificed as test subjects (losing their memory). However, if the party starts at first level, that is hard to justify in my mind. It says that The Sleepless Agency agents of Cesadia ran into the party several years ago. If they are first level, how did they work for Count Lowls IV years back? And stay 1st level?
Please help on this one...I want to make the back story believable for my players and make sure that they can incorporate a good backstory for their characters. And I am guessing players won't be using good alignments for their characters ...
I think it's best to just say they lost their levels from the fugue state and they're slowly regaining them as the story progresses -- just like their memories.
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I got this one!
They leveled up as adventurer/thugs from level 1 to level ? during their period of time that they had amnesia. With the loss of that amount of life experience, they no longer qualify as high level adventurers.
The Sorcerer forgets some applications of magic, the Cleric loses some connection with their faith, the Fighter forgets those neat tricks he learned to beat people up better, etc. They were also in an asylum, so atrophy could explain loss of physical stats that might have raised.
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I got this one!
They leveled up as adventurer/thugs from level 1 to level ? during their period of time that they had amnesia. With the loss of that amount of life experience, they no longer qualify as high level adventurers.
The Sorcerer forgets some applications of magic, the Cleric loses some connection with their faith, the Fighter forgets those neat tricks he learned to beat people up better, etc. They were also in an asylum, so atrophy could explain loss of physical stats that might have raised.
I like that even more Asurie. The explanation will be the key, because characters will question what happened and why did they lose it all.
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So, what I will do as a GM is keep the character's background story to their childhood and that they will regain the childhood memories the quickest. Their time with Lowls and their experience and levels from his organization will stay in the fog for quite a while so that they are truly getting a fresh start.
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There is a ritual in Occult Adventures that induces a fugue state and that delevels characters that it targets accordingly. I wouldn't be surprised if this was an advanced version of that ritual.
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It's a no-brainer imo:
Losing your memories is losing your experiences.
It's not called "experience-points" for nothing.
You may still be able to access some old subconscious abilities, these are the level 1 feats, skills etc. ;-)
Except that the [retrograde] amnesia affliction exists and doesn't do that. A [retrograde] amnesiac "loses all class abilities, feats, and skill ranks for as long as his amnesia lasts," but "retains his base attack bonus, base saving throw bonuses, combat maneuver bonus, combat maneuver defense, total experience points, and hit dice (and hit points)." Cam Banks et al., Gamemastery Guide 250 (2010).
The afflication to which the Strange Aeons PCs are subjected is not amnesia, however, but a fugue state, which is vaguely-defined but presumably different and might be able to actually de-level a character. I've looked at Occult Adventures, however, and can't find the ritual OatsMalone mentions to induce a fugue state.
Might be in Occult Realms. :-)
Not only have they lost their memories and class-levels, they might actually now gain levels in other classes than they had before!
A player having high strength might level as Barbarian now, when before he was a Fighter or even monk.
A charakter that was a(n Anti-)Paladin might go for a Bard this time around.
The Fugue state makes them blank slates, and the memories later coming back don't define the character and his choices now.
One of the things I keep trying to wrap my head around is just how much do they know?
Likewise, if the player has a backstory written up... How will that be reconciled with this forgotten life as a thug for Lowls? Should be interesting...
The player's guide says that they lost the memories of some years, but somewhere (first AP or Player's guide, I don't remember) it says the characters don't remember much apart from their childhood.
My party and I have been proceeding on the basis that they're slowly regaining skills they already had. The Investigator hasn't had any time to research new extracts - he's been too busy trying to not get eaten - so we all agreed he was remembering them.
Remember how in Knights of the Old Republic,
One of the things I keep trying to wrap my head around is just how much do they know?
Likewise, if the player has a backstory written up... How will that be reconciled with this forgotten life as a thug for Lowls? Should be interesting...
I'm creating roles for my PCs matching their characters. Thus, the already thuggish Kineticist was a legbreaker, but the bookish Investigator aided Lowls in research and some evil experiments.
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A spoilery question:
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What I'm doing for my campaign is this. I have created a specific character for each of the 10 background traits. (I always give each PC a free 3rd trait which must be selected from the player's guide backgrounds for each campaign).
They get to select the background trait they want, and will receive the character designed for that trait. They know their basic stats (Str, Dex, etc...), Alignment, BAB, Saves and any racial abilities, traits and feats that would be readily apparent to someone who just woke up knowing nothing.
Other than that.....nothing. They don't know their class, skills, abilities, names or anything else. They can learn what they are capable of through experimentation. When they attack with a weapon, they'll find out whether or not it feels 'familiar' and I'll let them know if they have proficiency or a feat/trait that pertains to it's use. Try to roll for a skill and I'll reveal if they have a skill rank in that skill (although anyone with a rank in perception and sense motive will know that upon waking).
Some characters may have feelings about certain things which will guide them towards choices that will slowly reveal their capabilities.
So far, everyone is absolutely delighted in this start to the campaign and are eagerly anticipating the first game session.
Driven by Guilt: Changeling (Annis) Sorceress (Accursed Bloodline), NG [thinks she is Varisian]
Enduring Stoicism: Human (Varisian) Spiritualist, NG [never feels alone, phantom of slain lover watches over them]
Foe of the Strange: Human (Varisian) Investigator (Empiricist), LG
Formerly Mind-Swapped: Human (Kellid) Psychic (Abomination), CN
Methodical Mind: Human (Taldan) Alchemist (Mad Scientist), LN
Pugnacious: Half Orc Fighter, CG (starting feats = Power Attack, Catch Off Guard)
Ritualistic: Human (Varisian) Oracle (Dark Tapestry), LN (wears unholy symbol of Xon-Kuthon, thinks ‘life is pain so learn to endure’)
Sensitive Mind: Human (Kellid) Witch (Insanity), CN (has Scarlet Spider familiar)
True Devotion: Human (Varisian), Cleric (Desna), CG (Domains = Good, Luck) [Goddess communicates via dreams to impart spells and gentle signs to guide them]
Twitchy: Human (Varisian), UC Rogue, N (a bit paranoid)