What types of characters are you considering, with the understanding that underwater environments and ruin exploration will probably come up fairly often?
I'm thinking of:
Kyras "Salt-blood;" half-elf (Water Child alternate racial trait) swashbuckler (flying blade) with the River Rat trait and Two-Weapon Fighting; crusty sailor and knife-fighter, planning on multiclassing five levels in gunslinger (bolt ace) and focusing on a light (underwater) crossbow.
Omari Zahur; human (Garundi; Focused Study alternate racial trait) cavalier (ghost rider; Order of the Beast) with the Birthmark trait and the Fast Learner and Skill Focus (Stealth) feats; a bit of a "happy warrior" personality, but with a serious/melancholy side, planning on taking Eldritch Heritage (Ectoplasm bloodline) and Improved Eldritch Heritage (Ectoplasmic Form).
Salvianella Arthfell; human (Taldan) fighter (child of Acavna and Amaznen) with the Scholar of the Analects (read magic 3x/day) trait and the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Falcata) and Weapon Focus (Falcata) feats; an Azlanti scholar and a bit of an "ivory tower" intellectual, planning on taking Taldan Duelist to improve her defense a bit.
Shiradahna Sea-speaker; undine (Amphibious alternate racial trait) psychic (Faith discipline) with the Vagabond Child (Disable Device) trait and the Believer's Boon (Water/Oceans) feat; a "free spirit" and mercurial, she's also very curious, planning on taking the Force Field and Undercast Surge phrenic amplifications.
-Ranger with the Guide archetype. Explorer and cartographer with a very can-do attitude. Good at sailing and eager to see the world, especially if he can be the one to chart out Azlant. Fights with
-Half-orc cleric/warpriest of Pharasma. Former galley slave who was sacrificed by chaining him to a large metal ball and throwing him overboard. Somehow washed ashore in front a temple of Pharasma and has served her ever since. Very grim and fatalistic, but also pretty stupid so that should prevent any emo-ness. Uses the ball and chain as a flail. Water and Death domains.
-Medium who's been having strange dreams of a distant land they've never seen. The spirits he channels are actually Azlanti kings (warrior king, wizard king, trickster king, etc.).
Skinwalker (the shark themed one)....still trying to decide on class..
I suggest brawler with the shark style feat chain from aquatic adventures.
Dolphin Style is vicious for any character able to take advantage of omni-directional flanking...
Now that the Player's Guide is out, the following campaign traits seem appropriate:
Kyras "Salt-blood;" half-elf (Water Child alternate racial trait) swashbuckler (flying blade) with the River Rat trait and Two-Weapon Fighting; crusty sailor and knife-fighter, planning on multiclassing five levels in gunslinger (bolt ace) and focusing on a light (underwater) crossbow.
Athletic (+1 on Climb checks), as the character is heavily Dex-focused and has high bonuses to Swim already.
Omari Zahur; human (Garundi; Focused Study alternate racial trait) cavalier (ghost rider; Order of the Beast) with the Birthmark trait and the Fast Learner and Skill Focus (Stealth) feats; a bit of a "happy warrior" personality, but with a serious/melancholy side, planning on taking Eldritch Heritage (Ectoplasm bloodline) and Improved Eldritch Heritage (Ectoplasmic Form).
Expert Explorer (bonus and class skill in Knowledge (Local)); can cover "face"/community guide role (Diplomacy, Knowledge (Local), Sense Motive), as well as hunter/scout (Stealth, Survival) and mounted warrior (Handle Animal, Ride).
Salvianella Arthfell; human (Taldan) fighter (child of Acavna and Amaznen) with the Scholar of the Analects (read magic 3x/day) trait and the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Falcata) and Weapon Focus (Falcata) feats; an Azlanti scholar and a bit of an "ivory tower" intellectual, planning on taking Taldan Duelist to improve her defense a bit.
Azlanti Scholar is a natural fit (Use Magic Device as a class skill).
Shiradahna Sea-speaker; undine (Amphibious alternate racial trait) psychic (Faith discipline) with the Vagabond Child (Disable Device) trait and the Believer's Boon (Water/Oceans) feat; a "free spirit" and mercurial, she's also very curious, planning on taking the Force Field and Undercast Surge phrenic amplifications.
Going by personality and other inclinations, Pathfinder Recruit is the best fit.
I'm planning on making a Samsaran Psychic with the Self-Perfection discipline and Mystic Past Lives to take advantage of the full power and flavour offered by that combination. My character will ideally be somebody with a past reincarnation who remembers the fall of Azlant.
At the moment, I think I'm going to try for a unique twist on Azlanti Scholar, in that the knowledge all comes from her past lives. I'm going to do a bit more research, but it should be a fun character to play!
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Hi folks, author of Part 2 here!
I haven't deeply reviewed the Player's Guide yet, but I wanted to echo some points I made in the book 1 product thread about unusual races for PCs.
The following races will have some really cool story-related ties if played in Ruins of Azlant:
Locathah
Gillmen
Strix
Wyrwood
Changeling (sea hag)
I can't say more than that, however. Some story hooks come online in book 2, some much later. But there's some neat stuff to be found!
Actually I have changed to a Locathah (deep dwelling type fashioned after the Kao Toa from 3.5), probably going Exciter Spiritualist.
Won't be one of the chosen settlers, just a contractor who works for the crew of the ship and happens to get taken along for the ride :P
Will it be necessary to have at least one full caster?
Will it be necessary to have at least one full caster?
So long as there is some method of dealing with the assorted condition removals more-or-less 'on schedule' how they do so is up to them.
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Robert's post has me thinking...
I've recently fallen in love with changelings, and oracles. What about the oracle curses? Both Aboleth and Deep One are intriguing to me - any sense or opinion about the story connections possibly outweighing disadvantages?
I prefer roleplaying twists to combat optimization, but I don't want a hopelessly-disadvantaged character.
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For oracle curses, I'd personally say the following are highly thematic:
Aboleth (duh)
Powerless Prophecy from Inner Sea Monster Codex
Promethean
Deep One has appropriate abilities, but Deep Ones themselves do not really feature in the AP's mythology. If you have a GM who wouldn't mind flavoring that as Skum (they're very close overall) it goes from not recommended to oh yes yes.
Promethean
Ummm.... ewww! :p
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Changeling young unchained rogue, age 13/eventual Oracle. Smuggled herself onto the boat to escape this strange old ugly lady who was following her around. Caught a week out. The party paladin has taken her under his wing and is trying to reform her, but she just realized she has claws.
The whole party is playing young characters with npc parents/guardians and treating the whole thing like Stranger Things meets Pathfinder.
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Changeling young unchained rogue, age 13/eventual Oracle. Smuggled herself onto the boat to escape this strange old ugly lady who was following her around. Caught a week out. The party paladin has taken her under his wing and is trying to reform her, but she just realized she has claws.
The whole party is playing young characters with npc parents/guardians and treating the whole thing like Stranger Things meets Pathfinder.
so... their parents/guardians just send them out on the jollyboat?
personally, if i were to run this, or play in it, i'd try to make that critical part of my character creation.
the PCs have to be people that would be sent in the boat to make first landing, e.g. someone who'd been on the previous expedition, someone trusted by the company, someone who can row a boat, someone who knows leaders from the settlement, someone who looks like they can take care of themselves...
for me, that would mean: no kids, no wizened old people, no weirdo character races, no immature rebels, etc.
but that's just me.
Ultimately, the reason I don't like having children for PCs is that the players won't actually role-play them properly (as children). A 13-year old adventurer is still just a child going through puberty. Role play that character properly, including interactions with adults, and it gets difficult. Players tend to want to just tag an age on, which means the character really isn't a child, rather, the character is just a normal adult with a fake ID.
Agreed - playing children is very tricky, and I'd only recommend it with a group of very experienced roleplayers, and then only if they're experienced with each other player at the table, and then only if one or two of them plays a child, not all of them.
If it's working for your group, though, more power to you :)
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Agreed - playing children is very tricky, and I'd only recommend it with a group of very experienced roleplayers, and then only if they're experienced with each other player at the table, and then only if one or two of them plays a child, not all of them.
If it's working for your group, though, more power to you :)
Finally read part 1 after playing a heavily modified version of part 1, not knowing just how modified it was (and I had just run a CS Lewis meets GRR Martin version of Reign of Winter).
And I think I agree, mostly. By RAW, it should be run with adult characters. I do feel, in accordance with the "one wookie" rule, a cabin boy, stowaway who is "volenteered" to explore might be possible/saleble character concept.
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Agreed - playing children is very tricky, and I'd only recommend it with a group of very experienced roleplayers, and then only if they're experienced with each other player at the table, and then only if one or two of them plays a child, not all of them.
If it's working for your group, though, more power to you :)
Finally read part 1 after playing a heavily modified version of part 1, not knowing just how modified it was (and I had just run a CS Lewis meets GRR Martin version of Reign of Winter).
And I think I agree, mostly. By RAW, it should be run with adult characters. I do feel, in accordance with the "one wookie" rule, a cabin boy, stowaway who is "volenteered" to explore might be possible/saleble character concept.
yes, that might work.
to repeat my point, the party has to be people who would get in and be trusted to, get into the jolly boat.
you might do one pc as a boy who is in the boat to "mind it" when the party goes ashore, and make an npc who is rowing them over, some kindly good sailor who's just looking after his poor orphan nephew... and is horrifingly dragged overboard to his death by the whatchamacallits.
I'm wondering about a slightly off-beat concept here: a winter witch. The "fluff" idea is that of a renegade member of the Irrisen ruling class who is seeking to completely escape her homeland. From a mechanics point of view, I'm wondering if it would be worth having a spellcaster who can control cold in many aspects when dealing with an AP with a sizeable aquatic component?
I'm envisioning the winter witch freezing water around foes, creating icicle-type weapons, and the like.
Does anyone think the character would be terribly disadvantaged, or would it be a viable option?
I have not read the fourth book which arrived Thursday.
But from reading the earlier books and stating to run book 1, I can't see why a Winter Witch wouldn't work.
I am pretty sure that cold spells work normally underwater for the most part, and so I don't know why it wouldn't work.