Okay, I've never run modules before, thus far my gming experience has been exclusively on-the-fly improv.
But I got all of season 6 in the humble bundle a while back so I thought I might try my hand at running them.
My gming style does tend to be reactive, so if you're expecting to be pushed through the story, or worse, led by the nose, then I'm not the gm for you.
The two twists will be, firstly, a custom setting, though this will really come into play only for those who dig further into what is happening and of course, character creation. Rather than Pathfinders, you belong to the Seekers, the fieldwork branch of the Ministry of Education and Information, generally finding historical items, travelling with expeditions to record events, acting as spies, recovering items or data for research, etc.
Second twist, there will a few rule mods that players can vote for. The most picked one will be applied for a scenerio. Afterwards, players can report on what they liked/disliked about it and vote to keep or discard that mod for the next scenerio. Each scenerio will have at least one rule mod.
Rule mods will be things like, replacing hp with a save and injuries health system, or a slotless magic casting system, etc. Each will be made to fit into the d20 model minimizing effects elsewhere in the rules.
I prefer larger groups for pbp, as I find such groups play longer and pbp makes it easier to handle more players.
The pacing will be moderate, a minimum if one post per two days (though aiming for a post every day). I will be able to post much more on weekends at nighttime in the US.
This here is mostly just an interest check to see if should develop things further. If you have questions, feel free to ask.
Interested. How much will your world vary from Golarion? How much will your character creation vary from pathfinders? Is you setting more traditional sword and sorcery, high fantasy, steam punk, low-magic or something else. Also as a GM if you prefer larger groups how will you orchestrate combat, so that part of the game doesn't slow it down to a crawl?
Combat: I do initiative blocks. If it ends up where order actually matters, then I'll roll initiative between the two characters for that instance as I write up the round summery. I.E. each player posts their action that round in whatever order they can post. Then I handle npc actions and write up a summery that details what happens from the player and npc actions. This is the general case I use as it works well and I have yet to something work better regardless of system.
First round of combat, initiative is rolled normally for players with a single initiative check for the npcs. Any player going before the npcs will act, then combat proceeds as described above with the npc and summery post, then all players.
Surprise rounds are the only thing that needs special handling, but when that happens, I just play it as the first round of combat above, except your actions are limited and stats affected.
Note, I have a houserule that defines the first round of combat as used by certain mechanics (such as being flat-footed for the first round of combat). The first round of combat is not the first round with an attack, rather it is the first round when a character expects the possibility of combat, and thus if you open a door expecting enemies to be behind it, then you are already in combat even if they get to act first. It doesn't come up often, but I've only ever had one character death and it was because I was flat-footed for no reason other than being the first round of combat despite my character knowing combat was coming and even being in a defensive stance which "didn't count because flat-footed."
Setting differences: I don't really know much of Golarion aside from what is implied by the core rulebook and a few random tidbits picked up in random places.
My setting does a lot of breaking expectations in the details but on the more macro scale it is more traditional, especially in cultures and social structures, though magic is everywhere but less powerful, even farmers regularly use cantrips and magic is a vital tool to most craftsmen. Technically I'm bending my setting here by not completely redoing the magic system to fit the setting, but I can live with that. And we can explore the setting's magic more if players vote on trying the more advanced alternative magic system later on.
Some places have technology, even computers of a sort, but it is all powered by magic and thus has different limits and capabilities. Most such technology is rare, and when it isn't rare, it'll often (but not always) be reflavoring of existing stuff. For example, in the empire, elastic powered plunger guns are used instead of traditional crossbows. Mechanically the same, though they take up less space being thinner and are unaffected by being wet.
Crystals with images and designs inside are used as currency (difficult to create these, while metal is easy to shape and counterfeit).
Race and culture are not tied together so much in general, though dwarves from the underkingdoms are a prominant exception as few have moved down there and dwarves were the first.
There are no stars in the sky, the sun doesn't move, rather it expands into a cloud and dims, then collects and grows bright again on a bi-weekly cycle. Thus there are no seasons persay. Though myths and legends tell of time when things were different (more normal with day/night, seasons, and stars in the night sky), and thus things like stars and winter are tales and treated by most as fictional things, though scholars will treat it as fact in the empire.
Whether humans are the most numerous depends on locale, but they certainly are not in general, though humans, elves, halflings, gnomes and their darker versions are all actually related. Halflings are half-human, half-dwarf, though they have halfling children and have grown into their own. Elves and gnomes are altered humans and halflings, as are drow and goblins (which are not always evil, though the places most of them can be found have much tougher societies, leading to friction).
Dwarves actually came from neanderthals, so they have a bit more of a stone age look to them.
Kobalds are a recent introduction to the region and few know of their presence yet.
Orcs and bugbears(sort-of) are actually twisted dwarves, much likes elves are twisted from humans.
Other than these, I have several custom races, but they aren't really built for d20 yet.
Some technologies present, such as bicycles, telegraph-like offices (sends video messages of a sort), the rare airship, etc. An odd mix as I didn't base it off our own advancement. Magic allows much easier access to advanced metallurgy, and with horses being extremely rare, bicycles came about.
Bamboo is very common, one of the few grasses to do well on their own, as common grasses are overgrown by a type of moss-like plant (which horses and cows can't eat). Oats are far more common than wheat, especially after the civil war (which decimated the region that grew 90% of all wheat, not to mention other crops). So most breads are more cracker like or at least flat since they don't rise.
Another difference from the lack of equine and bovine animals, is that when work animals are used instead of magic, it is usually teams of dogs or dog-like creatures.
I've twisted lots of things into knots.
Most of that is stuff that can be presented and explored through play (aside from knowing available races and the cultural spectrum). It is supposed to feel just a bit odd, people don't belong here, none of the races are truly native to this world.
Huh, sounds really interesting. What is character creation going to look like?
Chargen: Conservative resource wise. Not totally set yet, bug something like, core with a handful of options I'm familiar with, such as the hybrid classes and advanced player's guide base classes. I'll allow other content on a case-by-case basis, but simpler is probably better.
However, if the players agree, spheres of power may be the default magic system to use, but that's only if the players are comfortable with that.
20pt buy, 2nd lvl, only the races mentioned above, drow are non-noble only (think drow like those in Drowtales: A Moonless Age).
Nice! I just have the funniest image of a guy who wanted to be a cavalier, but since there's no horses, he just rides a bike around instead. Not sure what I'd roll up, but I'm definitely interested in this campaign world.
I'm glad someone likes it.
Now we just need a party (not the streamers, balloons, and beer kind of party though). :)
Not sure how well it'd work running the modules for a solo player, or a pair if Robert likes it. Of course, if no one else chimes in, you (one or both of you) could try running multiple characters. Perhaps a free cohort or three. That'd bring up party size to where it needs to be.
Of course, given the episodic nature of this, recruitment can pretty much stay open until filled, adding new members for each "mission" or even simply adding "reinforcements."
I figure on waiting at least a week before starting to give plenty of chance to build up enough players.
I know I've waited a bit longer than planned, but if either of you is willing to play solo (or duo if you're both still interested), we can prep everything this week then start play next monday. That said, I'll be gone from friday afternoon till late sunday.
Assuming either of you are still interested.
New players are always welcome. Of course, as a game testing non-standard rules, and the caveats in the op post, it is unlikely to ever reach a sizable group.