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So, I hope to start running a Strange Aeons game in the near future, and my prospective players seem to be in agreement on a somewhat ambitious project to reinforce the hook of the fugue state (and perhaps ease the burden on the newer players to some degree). To that end, I've spent the day brainstorming some character concepts, and I think I've come up with an interesting assortment that should give my players a good selection--but many use concepts I haven't played around with too much yet, so any advice the forum can give me would be greatly appreciated. Especially as, in addition to the 1st level sheets I'll be letting players choose from, I also need to prepare their seventh level nightmare duplicates.
The concepts are as follows, and I'm aiming to build them on a 15 point buy:
1) Halfling Kineticist beginning with an Aether focus. Purchased by Lowls in Okeno, serving as his porter (because Lowls is exactly the sort of man who would want the novelty of his cases being telekinetically carried), and possibly as an agent when he needed rare esoterica illicitly acquired. Looking at Twitchy as the campaign trait, and would likely tie him to the equipment hidden at the pier--preparations for an escape plan he never got to enact before the ritual.
2) Reptoid Mesmerist. Maybe I'm being too clever for my own good here, but I'm thinking of trying a 'format screw' here. When she awakens from the fugue state, she's in her human form, and has no idea that she isn't, in fact, human, and the sheet would reflect that. The player might notice they've got some unusual abilities, and I'll drop hints like stressing that they're feeling more sensitive to the temperature than the others and such. Build-wise, I was thinking that Reptoid ability scores might suggest having some melee capability in addition to a stare/casting focus, but I'm not sure that giving up Touch Treatment to go Vexing Daredevil would be the best choice for a party that's going to be by design lacking in full casters, making condition removal effects perhaps more valuable. Likely has Enduring Stoicism for her campaign trait to reflect the odd workings of her reptilian brain.
3) Human Occultist of Kellid descent--mixing a bit of savage pagan tradition into his scholarship reinforces starting him off melee focused with Transmutation and Abjuration implements. Thinking of making him a Haunt Collector, encouraging the player to take a Haunted Conjuration implement with a Champion Spirit at level 2. He was a bodyguard and occult adviser for Lowls, and Red Destiny was likely one of his implements. May have worshiped Tsathoggua, given Kellid ties to the Old Cults and short swords being Father Night's favored weapon. Campaign Trait: Ritualistic or Methodical Mind.
4) Half-Elf Investigator. I can't quite decide if I should run with the Empiricist or Psychic Detective archetype for this one. Formerly employed with the Sleepless Agency, he fell in with Lowls' research while pursuing the mystery of a period of missing time in his memory--the result of being mind-swapped with a Yithian during the period.
5) Pitborn Tiefling Spiritualist with the Fractured Mind archetype. This is one where the flavor of the archetype rather makes me want her pre-fugue self to be a different class--now manifesting a fragment of that self as a Phantom. Perhaps a summoner, the ordeal of the sacrifice unmooring her from her Eidolon? In any event, I'd like her to be able to mix it up in combat directly alongside her Phantom, having been one of Lowls' more brutal and sadistic thugs pre-fugue, with the Pugnacious campaign trait. But now, that abyssal fury is split off from her to be embodied as her Phantom.
6) Human Bard of Varisian descent--again, uncertain of the archetype, currently considering Archivist, Studious Librarian, or perhaps Archaeologist. A Desna devotee employed for her scholarship on the Dreamlands, she failed to realize until too late the influence the forces of the Dark Tapestry had over Lowls--and while she can no longer *remember* the error, Desna's influence ensures she knows that she made one which must be corrected. Campaign Trait-Driven by Guilt or Foe of the Strange.
7) Ancient-Born (Nosferatu-descended) Dhampir Inquisitor of Saerenrae. Bitter and cynical from an outcast life, he had fallen in with a cult of Nyarlathotep and aided Lowls' research in pursuit of Nyarly's interest in provoking humanity to self-destructive action. Caught in the backlash of his success and now unable to remember those actions--nor the years of isolation that made him the monster he was--he has a Saerenrae-granted opportunity at redemption. Thinking of giving him the Birthmark trait along with the True Devotion campaign trait. Of course, when he gets the chance to see his patient records, he'll see he didn't have the 'birthmark' when admitted, and while the holy symbol that he finds in his personal effects is an ankh, it's rather more sinister-looking than a Sarenite ankh--and it appears to be hung upside down.
Thanks much for all your help in advance, everyone!
I've been planning characters for my own running of Strange Aeons, and the first 5 classes are the same! Mostly due to my players never playing them.
1) I like the halfling porter idea - I'm going with a bleachling gnome who only survived because he lost himself.
2) Love the reptoid angle. I'll probably change my kitsune (with the same setup). Reptoids just fit the mythos-ish setting better.
3) My occultist is geared towards the Trappings of the Warrior panoply as a panoply savant and using Red Destiny.
4) I still haven't decided on an archetype (if any) for the investigator, and I'll probably stick with human for the race. Good call with the Yithian.
5) Just because I dislike a large party to have pets, I'm using both Fractured Mind and Ectoplasmatist, though her double will have a full phantom and taunt her for her lack of one.
6) I just really dislike most bards, so I'm going to suggest the Archeologist; Lowls will no doubt have need of an actual archeologist.
A revelation I had about the Reptoid, backstory-wise--she was an agent of the Esoteric Order of the Palatine Eye. Because how can I not have the walking conspiracy theory be a part of fantasy Freemasonry?
I think I'm going with Empiricist for the Investigator, just because there's already an abundance of Psychic casting in this group, plus the Psychic Detective loses out on grabbing a Mutagen with an Investigator talent.
I went with Haunted Collector for the Occultist--might suggest to them that the eye-opening found after defeating Dr. Oathsday would be perfect for a Haunted Conjuration implement.
I *like* that spiritualist idea a lot! Though now I need to decide whether to give them Ectoplasmatist or Phantom Blade.
I'm looking at altering the ectoplasmatist's tentacles to possibly be touch attacks which would limit the damage they can do, but let the character consistently hit. It's a bit of a power up over all.
Also, are you going to have them with names, or wake up without any idea?
I know their names--or will know, I've only just settled on about half of those at present--but they'll only learn those when they find their patient records.
Similar to the reptoid/kitsune idea, how about a skinwalker that finds their double is a full lycanthrope?