@RHMG Animator - I think if there are story elements that you want to be a certain specific way (meet, hunt down the villain, fall in love along the way, get married) then it is better for that to be backstory. There is no reason to play something out if we have already decided on the outcome, yes?
Also, I would prefer to be allowed to build my own character, if that's alright with you ;) especially since the idea you had didn't really hinge on my character being CG, human, or a barbarian.
Also, I want to mention, Yoricks: I and another are working on something, but I want to really hammer everything out with them before we come with any sort of proposal.
Definitely interested, working on submission with another player.
I am the other player who is quite interested as well. SHould have submission upsoon.
@Yoricks Requiem: Sorry about not having posted here in a few days. Between working on potential plot elements involving every potential PC in my City of Seven Seraphs recruitment, playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and having moved, I have not had time to work on my character idea. Do you know how long you will keep this thread opened?
Also, I want to mention, Yoricks: I and another are working on something, but I want to really hammer everything out with them before we come with any sort of proposal.
Sure! I think a lot of people are going that route, which is obviously fine. I'm looking forward to seeing what you both come up with.
@Yoricks Requiem: Sorry about not having posted here in a few days. Between working on potential plot elements involving every potential PC in my City of Seven Seraphs recruitment, playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and having moved, I have not had time to work on my character idea. Do you know how long you will keep this thread opened?
Np! Even without those other things, City of Seven Seraphs has certainly been an intense recruitment thread. The deadline for this is currently the 29th, so you've got nearly three weeks.
@RHMG Animator - I think if there are story elements that you want to be a certain specific way (meet, hunt down the villain, fall in love along the way, get married) then it is better for that to be backstory. There is no reason to play something out if we have already decided on the outcome, yes?
....
It was a basic idea framework using assumptions that would help the GM get a adventure outline/summary.
If I knew what character you were going for then I could of made one more tailored to that character.Also, I would prefer to be allowed to build my own character, if that's alright with you ;) especially since the idea you had didn't really hinge on my character being CG, human, or a barbarian.
....
Had to make assumption since I don't know what the character is as that can and will effect how things get tied together
Also, I want to mention, Yoricks: I and another are working on something, but I want to really hammer everything out with them before we come with any sort of proposal.
Should of mentioned you were working with another on something, then I'd of know to look at the other unpaired players.
Hey now, there's plenty of time left, there are still new people dotting, and these aren't actual life-long shacklings - part of the reason I set this up this way was so that everyone would have the option of finding who they do / don't mesh with. It's like dating, except hopefully more fun, and with a considerably higher chance of killing a dragon at the end.
Still hard coming up with an idea for stuff. But if anyone has an idea for my character and her race. Just send me a PM =^^=
Still hard coming up with an idea for stuff. But if anyone has an idea for my character and her race. Just send me a PM =^^=
Bloodpaw, maybe you can spend some time reading through Duo Tropes on TvTropes and post anything that catches your eye. The GM seems to want relationship dynamics be the primary part of the character creation, so choosing some kind of relationship you'd like to explore would be a good place to start.
Thanks =^^=
I will have a gander at this
That's a great resource that I would definitely have posted in the original post if I had known it existed.
Yoricks, ValjoenKC and I have been working on something which, while it isn't finished, I thought I would post here and see if you like the idea of it. You know, so we have time to start over if we need to.
My character: A female inquisitor of Acavna, a retired warrior from the wars against the serpentfolk, an investigator into strange doings at her church, a reluctant dabbler in the occult and the mysterious.
His character: A male monk/oracle (? I think? He's still playing with the build, but the idea is an agile unarmed, unarmored divine warrior), a crafter who was assassinated by servants of the aboleth for crafting... something.
The Backstory: Valjoen's PC receives a divine vision from Amaznen to build a certain type of invention (purpose: unknown, its construction was divinely gifted and even his character doesn't understand what it does). However, he was assassinated by unknown forces before he was able to finish. Clearly, someone felt threatened by whatever it was that he was making.
My PC starts to notice strange happenings in and around the church. Political corruption. The murder goes uninvestigated, community outreach programs go unfunded in favor of pointless displays of wealth, all of the acolytes start acting strange, all of her friends are transferred back to the war despite retirement... however, her investigation is stymied by her own superiors.
Desperate, she conducts an occult ritual and summons... Valjoen's PC, looking for answers. However, the ritual is disrupted when people wearing the faces of the church's acolytes attack the pair, and Valjoen is stuck in a corporeal body. However, the pair of divine warriors defeat the acolytes to discover that their faces melt away and reveal the strange, half-formed features of faceless stalkers.
Afraid, our characters retreat to my character's family home to rest, recover, and consider what to do. Clearly, what's going on has greater implications than we had realized...
We can give you narrative backstories for each of our characters individually if you like, and full statblocks if you need. Any questions?
- No to: Leadership, Mounts, Crafting feats.
Does this include Scribe Scroll?
@Leinathan - That's a very cool idea! There are a lot of questions I'd have and things that could be built off of.
@Valjoen_KC - Scribe scroll is fine, I was thinking more like Craft Wondrous Item & Craft Construct. Are you taking anything mechanically to support being a spirit in another body? I don't mind either way, just curious what you have in mind.
Thank you regarding scribe scroll.
I hadn’t yet considered any game mechanics that represented the ‘spirit made corporeal’ idea as I’m still just trying to determine the basics of the character build; namely, what class?! If you have any suggestions regarding mechanics, I’d love to hear them.
The ideas for "spirit made corporeal" are all in the occult ruleset. Specifically, the Reanimated Medium archetype for the Medium, the Exciter archetype for the spiritualist, or maybe something like that Dreamshard rogue archetype or the Id Rager that let you gain abilities as if you were a phantom. Is there a specific reason that you're not allowing occult stuff?
Just lack of familiarity, really - The Occult stuff largely came out during my absence from Pathfinder. I'll look into it more, though, and if you have something in mind that you're specifically looking at Valjoen, let me know! Like I said, though, if it's more a fluff / RP thing, don't feel obligated to take something specific for it. I'm not really picky either way.
The occult ruleset is really cool, and it's not really all that different from normal stuff... except for the kineticist, which is a bit of handful to build. I'd recommend you look it up, it's got some really flavorful and nice options in there.
As leinathan mentioned above, we've paired up for an Azlanti submission. Without rehashing what he laid out previously here is:
My character: a female spirit guide oracle of lore, a war veteran against the serpentfolk who has laid down her arms, a tinkerer and crafter of machines and clockworks, a spirit that has returned to her disabled body following a summoning ritual gone awry.
Our Character Relationship: We have vastly different views on ethics and alignment but we share the common purpose to uncover the political corruption.
Bit More on Background: While she came from a long line of wizards, Araqíel's heart lay with Amaznen. Dedicated to the god of magic, she answered his call as a holy warrior fighting for the Azlanti empire against Ydersius and her serpentfolk. She felt that Amaznen was calling her to his service. She was gravely injured in battle, and during her recovery, her dreams were filled disturbing images and visions of Azlanti lore and the corruption lay deep within it. Riddled with these visions that she could not reconcile, she sought refuge within the dual-faith church of Acavna and Amaznen, laying down her arms and armor.
There at the temple, the visions became more frequent and detailed. Among them were plans and designs of machines. These inventions became a reoccurring part of her dreams. She felt that the mysteries revealed to her were instructions from Amaznen. She had always been inquisitive, and tinkered with contraptions as a child. It was commonplace for her parents to let her play with their designs and their research. So, she endeavored to piece it together and discover what it would reveal to her. Araqíel began to construct something from these images. She filled journals with her notes and thoughts, describing the visions that she had beheld. But before she could assemble it, she was attacked and killed by the agents of the aboleths.
Araqíel has been reincarnated nearly a dozen times. The visions she sees and the voices that accompany them are her own past lives. Each life has ended with her assassination at the hands of the aboleths. This time, however, she was summoned, prior to reincarnating, by leinathan’s character who had picked up on the trail that Araqíel had first started. The ceremony was disrupted. Their two souls inexplicably linked and inseparable.
What I'm Looking for as a Player: I'm looking for an immersive game with a good amount of roleplaying and dialogue. I'd like to strike a good balance between intrigue and tactical encounters. Thematically, I want to explore the difficulties of of adhering to your beliefs despite society’s disapproval and the direct interference by opposing forces, some of whom you considered allies. I'd like to be unsure of who to trust and who to defeat. I'd like to experience the bitter sweetness of sticking to your principles when the easier option is offered.
Let us know if you want more detailed backgrounds or stat blocks.
Thank you!
And here is a more in-depth version of my character's perspective.
Mechanical Niche: defensive melee, investigation skills, divine magic
'I stalk the monsters in the night so you don't have to.'
Backstory: Naoma comes from a humble family of farmers in Azlant's heartland who proudly worship Jaidi. In truth, Neoma pays respect to all of the Azlanti portfolio, she merely believes that Acavna gives her the most strength, especially during times of war. At the same time, Acavna is a more human deity than Sivca or Scal, and Jaidi, Elion, Myr and Aesocar cannot protect Azlant from the monsters that lurk in the night. So when she was a teenager, she traveled to a training facility operated by Acavnans and signed on with their army, going abroad to the eastern mainland to fight the serpentfolk and the savage giantfolk of the untamed Inner Sea Region for several years.
When she returned to her hometown, she found that her parents had both died of a virulent plague and so she took ownership of their farm. During the spring and summer she worked the fields and during the autumn and winter she moved to the city and worked in a local Acavna/Amaznen temple, doing whatever it was that needed doing.
However, she began to notice strange doings in the city church. The acolytes were very strange and secretive. Any new acolytes that she found who came from other places would change their behavior after a few months to match this behavior. Several times, the head priests tried to convince Neoma to return to the front despite several refusals. And then Araqiel, a fellow acolyte at the temple, was murdered. It became very clear that something was wrong when Neoma attempted to investigate the murder and was rebuffed by her superiors. They told her that it was taken care of, that nothing was to be done about it.
Troubled, she tried for months to work around the issue. She spoke to every person at the temple, but none were forthcoming. She went to the city government and tried to raise the issue with them, but it appeared that they were too busy with more important matters. She even took a boat to another city along the Azlanti coast to speak with another person who used to work at the church, but by the time she arrived that person had gone missing.
Desperate, she did the unthinkable: she visited a temple of Ulon, the god of conspiracies and secrets. She asked the priests for guidance on what to do, and it was they who suggested that she speak directly to the corpse of the man who was murdered. It was they who taught her the occult ritual necessary despite her reservations about dabbling into such strange and unorthodox teachings.
She returned to the temple, snuck into the crypt, and conducted the ritual. She brought forth the spirit of the dead man, who infused his dead body. She spoke to him, but soon they were attacked by sword-bearing acolytes of the temple. Fortunately, Neoma is always armed and she fought back against the creatures. Fortunate indeed was that the ritual she conducted was disrupted in such a way that her target was instead trapped in his body rather than sent back to Heaven, so he was able to fight alongside her, and after defeating the strange acolytes, their features slid back to reveal that they were creatures Neoma had, in fact, fought on the mainland: featureless fleshy humanoids called faceless stalkers who could shift their forms.
Frightened, Neoma took the hand of Araqiel's reanimated form and fled the temple, back to her family home in the countryside. They needed to do something about this deepening conspiracy.
My Goals as a Player: I am pretty much in the same boat as my partner. I want a game that combines political intrigue and trust issues with the strength of a PCs' loyalties and ethics being tested. I want to fight insane aberrant creatures from below the sea, and I want to uncover knowledge that no one wants to learn. I want to be surprised, expecting to simply fail.
Those look great! I really like what you both have created together.I don't think there's anything else I'd need for your submission, I've got a good sense of what you're looking for and some cool directions the game could go in.
@Everyone - Two weeks and one day left for submissions!
--
Paired Up
- JonGarret & Jon's Other Half - Probably something with Akashic Mysteries
- Nikolaus de'Shade & Itzi - Vigilante Pair in Urban Adventure / Mystery / Intrigue game. War for the Crown/Curse of the Crimson Throne/Hell's Rebels kinda vibe.
- Aipaca and Simeon - Noir Spheres of Power/Magic cops for a morally ambiguous organization.
- The Tick in the Barrel & The Amazing Oculus - Just a dot so far.
- yiannisph & TigerClaw - An indebted ship officer and the Inquisitor who tracked them down, doing odd / unpleasant jobs for the church.
- Michael Sayre & Almonihah - A benevolent camel-folk nomadic philosopher/merchant and their magical dinosaur companion/familiar
- Leinathan & Valjjoen_KC - Azlanti acolytes who fought in the Serpentfolk Wars and are now trying to uncover corruption and conspiracy, figure out who they can trust, and overcome trials of their beliefs.
Looking for a Partner
- Keante - Electrokinetic Elementalist that tinkers with mechanical things in addition to exploring their own electrical / magnetic powers.
- RHMG Animator - Low to mid magic. Inspirations include Oceans 11, Army of Darkness, Conan the Barbarian (1980's). Intrigue, Investigation, and Adventure. Character is a Tiefling Monk/Ninja type. Looking ideally for a low/non-caster.
- Elegantly Wasted - a Kabbalah / Power Word / True Namer who is not ready/prepared to deal with his power. Looking for a game with a lot of Roleplaying, character development, and where who we are and what we do is more important than our potency.
- Bloodpaw - Some kind of felitaur character
Solo Dots
- Brolof
- The Lobster
- Radiant Mercy
- karlprosek
Just bumping this up.
Submission for Tea for Two.
Character Sean "Fingers" Kepli
Submitting with Tick in the Barrel.
So, you need a box man, eh? Look no further. I won't bore you with the fact I've been picking locks, and steal'n as long as I can remember on these very streets. Lots of lads did that. I'm different. I'm a professional.
References? Of course I got 'em.
Take a look in your safe, behind that lovely lighthouse painting on the wall. I don't know why everyone thinks a painting will hide a safe, but they do.
Go ahead, don't worry about the poison dart, I disarmed it, nasty business that. Expensive, but you might want to spend more on your safe. It's Cromwell, decent quality, if a bit dated. Problem with Crowell's is they all got a flaw, and if you know said flaw, they're easy peasy.
Go ahead, check it, you'll see a list of who will vouch for me. I know you know them because they vouched for you.
Now, now don't get angry. I didn't take or look at anything, because like I said. I'm a professional.
Also, I don't work alone....
Stepping in from the shadows
Allow me to introduce my mate Brutalix.......
5 core concepts:
The goal is to get into the "life". Growing up, I saw the made men. They had the best clothes, money,and respect. Fingers was kicked around a lot as a kid, being an orphan and a child of the streets.
To get in the life you got to have talent. I am an exceptional "box man" not much I can't pick, disarm, or open. I'm no braggart, I'm the real deal. Fingers has a natural aptitude with picking locks that he has been honing for years. He was mentored by Milo a retired box man now fence.
In order to succeed you have to have respect. Guys and bosses know of me, and want to work with me. I'm no snitch, I don't bite the hands that feed. Fingers is obsessed with his reputation and legacy and will often (unwisely) take on difficult tasks to prove himself.
In order to get respect you need to be a professional. I finish jobs, and I follow the plan. I don't deviate unless it's in my clients best interest, not my own. Fingers believes that being a professional is the most important quality in the life. He foolishly believes that all successful criminals are this way.
As a professional you can score "The Big Dirty" You score the Big Dirty and you are set for life, set yourself up as a Boss, or simply retire ad I dunno farm carrots. Fingers believes if you work hard enough, you get a chance at one big caper (The Big Dirty), which will cement your legacy and allow to do whatever you want with the rest of your life.
2 goals for the character. Things the character or you, the player, want to see happen.
1. Be regarded as the best Box Man in the buisness.
2. Score the Big Dirty.
2 secrets for the character. A secret that the character has, and a secret that involves the character but the character doesn't know yet.
1. Fingers knows what his Big Dirty is. A heist that wil be legendary.
2. Fingers is being watched by a powerful Underworld figure for reasons unknown.
3 people tied to the character through blood, romance or honor. Two should be friendly, one should be hostile.
1. Patrick O'conner. Fingers grew up with Patrick "Patty" O'conner, another street orphan 6 years Fingers senior. He is a former Watchmen who got injured on the job due to corrupt comrades. Ironically he was corrupt himself. He now owns a pub where made men hang out. He has contacts in the watch. (Friendly)
2. Milo. A fence mostly trusted by Fingers, he was a box man in his day and taught Fingers the basics. His mentor. (Friendly)
3. Cait. Former girlfriend of Fingers who worked with him. Fingers dumped her/stopped working with her due to her impulsive and unprofessional behavior. She provided the muscle for him. (Unfriendly)
Describe 3 memories the character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.
1. The 1st time he killed a man. He thought it would evoke some kind of emotion. It didn't.
2. The "bad guys of the neighborhood when he was a kid. How they commanded respect, had flashy clothes, money to throw around, and spoke in cool slang. He idolized them.
3. The thrill of his first real heist. He is hooked.
Relationship between Fingers & Brutalix. Fingers trusts Brutalix. Ever since they met a job about to go tits up for the both of them they have worked together as equals. He believes that Brutalix needs him to get into the life. Although not too bright, Finger's recognizes that Brutalix possesses an certain base cunning that Fingers admires. He is able to point out simple things that Fingers misses due to his overthinking of his plans. Plus Brutalix is loyal and willing to follow direction. It doesn't hurt that he can break a man in two.
General world ideas/desires. Low(er) magic, crime-oriented, based out of human dominated urban setting with possible occasional forays into the hicks/wilds. Guy Ritchie does Fafhrd & Grey Mouser. A scummier version of Han and Chewie.
Play style.We're not rules lawyers; we like it when rules help play along rather than slow it down. We don't mind ad-hoc rulings or single rolls determining large events, so long as rulings are consistent, though still not fans of 'save or die' scenarios.
Wants: Fun narrative, atmospheric world, open problem solving. I’m looking for entertaining collaborative stories and setting. Sometimes we come up with creative work-arounds rather than tackling problems head-on.
Don't Wants: Grindy combat, dungeon crawls, railroad narratives. When I’m looking to dither over exact movements and ranges I play Warhammer 40k. We're fine with simple maps or ‘theater of the mind’; we don't want to spend time worrying about optimal movement and the like – we let you know what we want to do, you let us know what we need to do to make it happen. I also don’t want to feel trapped by linear plots; ties in to the “open problem solving” above.
We Players Two.. We've played together our whole lives, but with rpgs it tends to be one or the other of us running the game. Keen on an opportunity to game together with both of us as players.
Crunch lite: Human rogue.
Here's Brutalix, my submission to pair with Oculus/Fingers above.
"What's that? Why'm I doin' this to you? Cause we been paid by One-Tooth Tom, innit? I mean ya got some nice tumbles on yer door, but nuthin Fingers ain't seen before. Now Tom told us not ta hurt ya, seein' as how yer a proper gent 'n all, just ta break some choicer flash, y'know? Nuthin' personal, mind. I tellya though, ya wave that sword again annit won't be a friendly biff like I gave ya before - nah, ya pick that thing up 'n Tom'll be able to make a whole new smile outta da teeth I rip from yer head, got it?"
5 core concepts:
Nuthin personal. Business is business, and not to be taken personally. Sees no problem with breaking a man's legs for a loanshark one night and drinking with him the next.
Ain't no such thing as fair. Therefore there's no such thing as unfair either; there's just what is. The world is not a "fair" place; anyone who expects it to be is a fool, and anyone who tries to make it be is mad.
Weren't nuthin. Show-off and humblebraggart; likes to attempt impressive feats and when successful to shrug them off as if they were nothing. He's also fairly reliant on external validation, and to an extent is susceptible to flattery.
That's smart thinkin! Loves to work smarter rather than harder, but isn't very smart; also gets great enjoyment from outwitting opponents. One of the things that has endeared him to Fingers is the man's cleverness.
I ain't no man. Is a non-human "monster" race regarded as primitive/barbaric by civilized humans. Physically superior but mentally inferior; or possibly some sort of proto-man/neandrathal? Open to ideas dependent on setting. Was taken as a child and ended up owned by crime boss who literally threw him into pit fighting.
2 Character Goals
Goal 1, in character. To get enough money and clout for he and Fingers to become bosses running their own crews. This would likely end in disaster.
Goal 2, as a player. To have some clashes between his interests to help build/develop the character, such as having to choose between his friendship with Fingers and his desire to be recognized, or between their professional code and great profit/benefit.
3 Acquaintances
#1 Ally, mentor Bertie the Tamer. Man who taught B his style of fighting and managed his pit fighting career.
#2 Enemy, rival beater Iron Phillip. B has been very vocal about how he threw his fight against Iron Phillip, hurting the beater's reputation. Iron Phil is looking to prove he can beat B in a fight, but B won't rise to his bait.
#3 Ally, wise-woman/restaurateur Auntie Stew. Eldery proprietor of dockside food stall, sells both prophecies and questionable "fish" stew. B believes she is a true mystic, while she finds it convenient to have a terrifying friend.
2 Secrets
Secret 1, unknown to him. Berties's 'side gig in pigeons' is a sham, he really pocketed the majority of B's winnings for himself.
Secret 2, known to him. He doesn't actually believe in the code of professionalism espoused by Fingers, but plays by it to keep his friend happy.
3 Memories
Memory 1 Vague, childhood life before his capture; caves, bears, and bones - lots of bones.
Memory 2 Childhood. His first pit fight, was against Bertie. B lost but Bertie's wounds never healed right, ending his career; he chose to train B.
Memory 3 Adult. Impressing boss on his first big gig by dealing with his crew's betrayal and completing job with the help of Fingers.
Relationship between Fingers & Brutalix. The basic idea is best summed up here. B considers Fingers his equal and trusts him to have his back. Not only is he impressed with Finger’s intelligence, he’s also the first person since his mentor to treat B as an individual rather than simply a tool or a brute. B plays along with Finger’s romanticized ideal of the professional criminal despite his own experiences to the contrary, and tries to model himself as a “proper thug”.
General world ideas/desires. Low(er) magic, crime-oriented, based out of human dominated urban setting with possible occasional forays into the hicks/wilds. Guy Ritchie does Fafhrd & Grey Mouser.
Play style. We're not rules lawyers; we like it when rules help play along rather than slow it down. We don't mind ad-hoc rulings or single rolls determining large events, so long as rulings are consistent, though still not fans of 'save or die' scenarios.
Wants: Fun narrative, atmospheric world, open problem solving. I’m looking for entertaining collaborative stories and setting. Sometimes we come up with creative work-arounds rather than tackling problems head-on.
Don't Wants: Grindy combat, dungeon crawls, railroad narratives. When I’m looking to dither over exact movements and ranges I play Warhammer 40k. We're fine with simple maps or ‘theater of the mind’; we don't want to spend time worrying about optimal movement and the like – we let you know what we want to do, you let us know what we need to do to make it happen. I also don’t want to feel trapped by linear plots; ties in to the “open problem solving” above.
We Players Two.. We've played together our whole lives, but with rpgs it tends to be one or the other of us running the game. Keen on an opportunity to game together with both of us as players.
I love these two, and I think there's definitely enough there to go on. Going to call them ready!
Okay, let's look at Submissions so far!
Finished Submission Pairings
Leinathan & Valjoen - Azlanti acolytes who fought in the Serpentfolk Wars and are now trying to uncover corruption and conspiracy, figure out who they can trust, and overcome trials of their beliefs.
The Tick in the Barrel & The Amazing Oculus - Criminals starting out together, Guy Ritchie meets Sword & Sorcery.
Incomplete Pairings
For the pairings below, I like the words and premises you've posed, but I need more information on your characters / relationships, preferably 10 minute background style. I don't care about crunch at this point, but do want to get a sense of what your characters will be like.
- Nikolaus de'Shade & Itzi - Vigilante pair in Urban Adventure / Mystery / Intrigue game. War for the Crown/Curse of the Crimson Throne/Hell's Rebels kinda vibe.
- Aipaca & Simeon - Noir Spheres of Power/Magic cops for a morally ambiguous organization.
- yiannisph & TigerClaw - An indebted ship officer and the Inquisitor who tracked them down, doing odd / unpleasant jobs for the church.
- Michael Sayre & Almonihah - A benevolent camel-folk nomadic philosopher/merchant and their magical dinosaur companion/familiar.
Looking for a Partner
- Keante - Electrokinetic Elementalist that tinkers with mechanical things in addition to exploring their own electrical / magnetic powers.
- RHMG Animator - Low to mid magic. Inspirations include Oceans 11, Army of Darkness, Conan the Barbarian (1980's). Intrigue, Investigation, and Adventure. Character is a Tiefling Monk/Ninja type. Looking ideally for a low/non-caster.
- Elegantly Wasted - a Kabbalah / Power Word / True Namer who is not ready/prepared to deal with his power. Looking for a game with a lot of Roleplaying, character development, and where who we are and what we do is more important than our potency.
- Bloodpaw - Some kind of felitaur character
Solo Dots
- Brolof
- The Lobster
- Radiant Mercy
- karlprosek
Hmm...
Has anyone seen Hadestown? I found it recently and I've got one hell of a drive for some people sorta like that interpretation of Hades and Persephone: one all about the steel and electricity, one all about nature, opposites that fit together but also fight a bit.
Bonus points if you're willing to pick up Perform (Sing) with me. XD
Hey - Itzi and I have adjusted our concept to include some more detail and background. You should have the final results soon!
@Nikolaus de'Shade: Looking forward to it!
@Josh.Ingle - I haven't seen it, but I've always been intrigued by the Hades / Persephonee relationship, and think that would be very fun to explore.
Four more days after today to wrap things up!
We're working on nailing down details. XD
I'm still lurking! Just, you know. Doing my own other stuff.
To be quite frank, your instructions to not write very much were impossible to follow, at least for us. That's not to say that our pitch is entirely laid out. Quite to the contrary, while we've ironed out quite a bit, we've included ample room to expand. Here you will find the short descriptions of the 2 PCs, the description of their dynamic, and the general game pitch.
In order to keep the post concise, full backstories, vignette writing samples, and full character sheets are available on our firm's website: Morillo & Osterloth
For inspiration on a overall feel, it's like the Golarion version of a law enforcement duo, somewhere on the spectrum between the Oscar winning drama of Training Day and the high stakes shenanigans of Lethal Weapon. (and if the situation calls for some Bayhem, maybe Bad Boys)
In TV Tropes terms: 'One's a by the book bounty hunter, one's a mouthy mouser. Together, they fight crime.'
---------
- Who the two characters are
Many see Benjamin as a contradiction: personally open-minded and empathetic, but professionally a fierce adherent to Abadaran law. Benjamin worked as a banker in the church for many years before he was called to take up high profit bounty hunting. After finding significant success in his home city of Absalom, Benjamin is a member of a firm of barristers. With a more prominent platform, he began plying his trade around the Inner Sea. To Benjamin, Andrei is an exceptionally talented indentured servant. This view isn't intended to be disrespectful, simply descriptive of their dynamic.
- What their relationship is:
For Benjamin, the relationship is completely new to him. His life has progressed from student, then acolyte, and then a banker, and has been 100% professional. He has business associates that do other legal work, but Benjamin has always worked alone. He's never had a real friend, but he's also never felt anything was lacking in his life. His pairing with Andrei is somewhat new. It's a working relationship that he views as mutually beneficial. He has an understanding of his own limitations, and respects Andrei's ability to be flexible.
- What their background is:
After refocusing his legal practice to encompass the entire Inner Sea, Benjamin found a foil in Andrei, a ship officer from whom his client sought recompense. Social obstacles were no great impediment in his home Absalom, but the engaging with the international community was an instant challenge for the Abadaran.
- What you’re looking for as a player:
As a player, I'd say three things are important. First, our vision for the game is one of open ended, objective based, mostly urban missions. I personally prefer longer, more descriptive posts that give me a chance to write, and I enjoy problem solving through dialogue and experimentation. Secondly, I think exploring the dynamic between these two could be really compelling in terms of writing dialogue. To this end, I think the game would manifest as a lot of player back and forth that is propelled forward by action (GM). Lastly, both myself and yiannisph are pretty fierce Golariophiles, so this game seems built entirely for and about the setting. To that end, I think deep dives into locations and lore are in order, We enjoy building upon the canon collaboratively, and want to continue it that vein.
I think TigerClaw(Benjamin Martialis) has said a lot about what we're looking for, so I'll keep this fairly brief. I'm excited for a small game where two players can run use more individualized approaches to challenges, rather than have to run as a large party. I've always wanted to be in a game like that, and I think this game is the perfect opportunity.
In order to keep the post concise, full backstories, vignette writing samples, and full character sheets are available on our firm's website: Morillo & Osterloth
- Who the two characters are
Andre has seen the unabridged gamut of human desires and cruelty. This has led Andrei to have a very accepting attitude towards other people's quirks, but it's also made him quite distrusting of the faces people choose to present. He cares very deeply about his freedom, which he is eager to earn back, and in the meantime he usually blows off steam by casually indulging in vices the way only a citizen from Vyre can.
- What their relationship is:
Andrei's irreverence towards strong convictions lead to him often poking fun at Benjamin, sometimes trying to frustrate him enough that Benjamin would want to release him from the charge against him. He is starting to gain some respect for the inquisitor's meticulous methodology, even though he finds it infuriatingly limiting.
- What their background is:
Andrei had a very strange upbringing. He was born to a prostitute in Vyre, He ran small time scams when his mother retired, but eventually needed to find a real job, taking on work as a seaman out of Kintargo. Eventually rising to bosun and making a decent living.
- What you’re looking for as a player:
I'm looking to get to explore different parts of Golarion with this dynamic duo. Ideally, several opportunities to use our skills more than magic or combat, though there's always room for some combat in Pathfinder. I like open-ended play where we have new marks in new locales, and the differences of the locales make different approaches more effective (so there's no bread and butter approach).
To be quite frank, your instructions to not write very much were impossible to follow, at least for us.
I usually have a problem with that myself, and definitely don't mind you having written more than I might have expected!
It looks like your additional details links are behind access, so I've requested it from my Gmail account (titled conveniently the same as my username here). Excited to dive into it all.
Alright team, I've got plans tomorrow evening and then a few calls and things Tuesday morning, so I'm going to make this easy and say you have 48 hours from now to get things finalized.
Seems I have a partner named Hawksw0rd.
Hey, final plans sorted out (between Niko and Itzi) and I present Ahreni, Fallen Angel and one half of the crime fighting duo whose name we have not yet decided!
AHRENI
This is a significant problem for the Order, who seek to redress the balance as quickly as possible. Luckily for them however one of their leaders personal schemes has born fruit in a most fortuitous coincidence.
Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged!
1) I’ll fight until the war’s won, I don’t care if Heaven won’t take me back: Dismissed from heaven for doing what she perceives as right has caused Ahreni to lose the unquestioning devotion that angels feel to the cause of good.
2) Now, I am free: The chance to make her own destiny and do what she feels is right is both liberating and terrifying for Ahreni. She retains a hazy understanding of the Balance, just enough to feel that her actions could have great ramifications –she just isn’t sure how.
3) It’s all so strange and new: Seeing the world through mortal eyes for the first time Ahreni has trouble with odd parts of mortal living and sometimes has difficulty understanding why mortals act as they do.
4) We stand together, that the world may never overcome us: Although their roles have been largely reversed Ahreni still feels very protective of Digadi and considers it her duty both to examine his plans and to act against him if its for his own good. This is considerably harder as a mortal who needs his support than as a powerful outsider!
5) Free your mind and the rest will follow:Her ability to shapeshift came as a shock to Ahreni but she now sees it as a physical reflection of her spiritual freedom and enjoys transforming, feeling that every time she does she asserts her independence from Heaven a little more.
6) Every answer only leads to more questions: Ahreni’s lingering guilt over the ‘Inevitable Incident’ has prevented her from discussing it or its ramifications with Digadi. The fact that he has never asked her about it is something of a relief, although she would deny that if pressed.
Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
1) Keep Digadi alive and well. Despite her Fall Ahreni still considers herself Digadi’s guardian angel and likes to act accordingly.
2) Regain her lost powers and prove herself to her heavenly superiors. Not because she wants the powers themselves but because she believes her actions to be justified. Regaining her powers will, she thinks, prove that and vindicate her in Heaven’s eyes.
- The fact that the two goals are probably contradictory is something Ahreni instinctively knows but refuses to acknowledge.
3) I want to fully RP a conflicted character. Ahreni has a lot of contrary influences pulling her in different directions and an alignment change carries big metaphysical ramifications, so I want to really explore those and dive deeper into motivation and the ’why’ of situations than we can in a standard game.
Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!
1) Ahreni did not deserve to be banished as she didn’t actually kill the inevitable. She claimed responsibility to shield Digagi and has never explained to him the exact reason for her banishment, hoping to spare him further pain.
2) By falling Ahreni has become more important rather than less. As a mortal she can now be influenced to Good or Evil, and if she falls Evil will gain significantly in the Balance.
Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.
1) Arcspek – doubting angel. An old friend and companion who observed Ahreni intervening against the Inevitable and returned to Heaven to report her. Since Ahreni’s punishment however Arcspek has begun to repent of her own actions and now watches over Ahreni as best she can, although Ahreni’s unmarked status limits her right to intervene without risking the Balance.
2) Vorellion – patron and protector. Ahreni’s only heavenly ally and the only one who argued in her favour. He succeeded in reducing her sentence to banishment and ensured that she was sent to Korvosa, where she could reunite with Digadi.
3) Maionarre Marra – corrupting puppet master. Digadi’s grandfather and mastermind of the assault on his life which cost Ahreni her place in heaven. Frustrated that she wasn’t destroyed he soon found opportunity in disappointment and now bends his powers to corrupting Ahreni and Digadi both.
Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.
1) Ahreni speaks very properly and has not yet grasped how to use colloquialisms properly. Vox, on the other hand, swears regularly and with quite remarkable fluidity.
2) Ahreni has black hair and matching dark eyes – a deliberate attempt to mask her heavenly nature by those who created her body. Her shapeshifted forms however are almost always pale/light furred – a throwback to her old heavenly form.
3) Vox has almost no memories of heaven except for it being a very musical place, and therefore like to hum or sing as it makes her feel closer to ‘home’.
Whilst I've referred to Korvosa in the background we could easily tweak it to some other city if you prefer Yorick! :)
Digadi is Itzi's submission to pair with Ahreni.
I dreamed about her again. Her flaxen hair. The golden aura surrounding her. Why does she torment me? She's already destroyed any trace of purity in me. What more can she do?
I feel again the kick of my weapon. I smell the powder. I watch as he falls lifeless by my hands. My hands. The hands now of a killer. And then she's gone. Was that her only purpose? To instigate my fall? To bring me down? Perhaps I'll never know. I have not seen her since.
Ahreni has been the sole light in my darkness. I don't know what power saw fit to send her to me, but I give thanks for her.
My driving hope is that some day I'll stand face to face with the woman, the angel, the demon, whichever she is, to ask her 'Why?'. What was her purpose?
"You're awake?" Ahreni's sleepy voice called from the nearby bed.
Digadi put down his quill. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he answered quietly. "I had some ideas I needed to note down before I forgot them."
"Come to bed. The ritual will start in just a couple of hours and we'll need to be rested if we wish to disrupt it properly."
"Of course, my Love."
The man returned to his journal to write one last line.
And she'll be the final life I take.
He closed the book and returned it to its niche in the desk. Rising from the chair he tossed his spectacles down on top of scattered drawings resting on the marred surface before returning to the embrace of his lover.
~~~~~
6 RP for Damage Reduction - DR 10/magic.
4 RP for Curiosity - +4 Diplomacy to gather information. Know (history) and Know (local) are class skills or get +2 if already a class skill.
~~~~~
A) Background and Concepts
1) He perceives himself as fallen. In spite of being trapped in the ongoing war between light and darkness, Digadi Duran had always considered himself guiltless - he had never taken a life. When the inevitable fell by his hand, it was a line he could never re-cross. He had done something he vowed he would never do - take a life.
2) He blames the outsider for his fall. He hopes to someday face the being responsible for his torment. All the guilt and hatred he feels for himself will be vented upon the being that led him to his misstep.
3) Ahreni is his lifeline. Full of self-hatred and loathing for his perceived fall, Digadi sees vengence and Ahreni as his sole reason for continued existence.
4) He's not aware that Ahreni was the outsider. Since Ahreni can shift her form and has lost her pervasive aura, Digadi has never connected the two. It'll be a major turning point when that fact is made clear to him.
5) His enemies lives are worth nothing. Since he's crossed the line and taken a life, there's no going back. There's no gain in mercy.
6) Reluctant Swordmaker. Digadi didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps as a sword-maker. He could craft them, but his heart wasn't in it. He preferred weapons that didn't require such dedication and training to wield. He didn't get a choice, though. His father died younger than he should through unexplained violence and Digadi inherited the name and clientele. The weapons aren't as high quality, but the name still bears cachet.
7) Infernal Blood. He's human rather than a tiefling, but there's still some trace of infernal blood in him, evidenced by his resistance to damage.
B) Goals
1) Make his grandfather pay. Digadi wishes to exact vengence upon his grandfather for dragging him into his war. The man is too powerful currently, but by chipping away at his gathered power, he hopes to eventually be able to bring the man down himself.
2) Digadi needs to accept his place. Eventually Digadi should realize that he is where he is doing the most good and that his perceived fall was just the shattering of self-delusion.
C) Secrets
1) Infernal Blood Digadi knows there's infernal blood in his family history, but he would never want Ahreni to discover how close to home that taint lies.
2) Ahrani and the outsider are the same person. Discovering this will be a major story turning point.
D) NPCs
1) Angelina Duran - Digadi's mother. The woman's mind has cracked, but at times she still recognizes her son. She dedicated her son's life to the light to spite her father, but the constant pressure of keeping that secret has pushed her over the edge of sanity.
2) Sir Nathan Notting - Digadi's secret patron. He is a nobleman that moves in many circles and has contacts within the higher ranks of The Order. He is a charismatic man that attempts to travel in the gray areas between The Order and The Path. He wishes to stay out of the battle itself, but has no qualms about assisting Digadi in his private war.
3) Maionarre Marra - Digadi's maternal grandfather. An intelligent and clever man that is entirely assured of the rightness of his own actions. He manages many spinning wheels of power all for the benefit of the The Order. And his own, of course.
E) Traits/Mannerisms/Quirks
1) Digadi wears a pair of often broken spectacles. When he's comtemplating a problem or considering his words carefully, he fidgets with them. He adjusts them, takes them off to clean them, etc
2) He hates being compared to his father.
3) Slightly obsessive/compulsive that manifests in small things.
Awesome!
Two more hours for anyone else still trying to get anything in.
Even if you don't have everything 100%, submit as much as you have.
Then I'll spend this evening reviewing applications and hopefully will reach a decision by the morning.
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Sorry, we just both ended up busy of late and never really got more put together. :(
Sorry, Been busy with RL.
Didn't have a lot of time to world build for me and my partner.
Sorry about the tardiness, I am RHMG partner. Uni currently had me disposed, so I got held up until now. We have a rough outline of our characters, but still need to get the details hammered out.
The tension... its killing me!
Haha, sorry gang, I'm still thinking through things, you've all put forward really compelling and interesting premises. I couldn't have asked for a better selection, but it also means I kind of want all of them, which is simply not feasible. I'll have to take just a little more time, but I'm very excited to dive into things soon.
It's our fault... we all did too good a job! :)
It's our fault... we all did too good a job! :)
And humbleness is just one of his many qualities, folks. ;)
It's our fault... we all did too good a job! :)And humbleness is just one of his many qualities, folks. ;)
I was speaking collectively, but yes. Yes you are.
Obviously a sign that more people should run duo games. :D
Obviously a sign that more people should run duo games. :D
Personally, I think games run much more smoothly with fewer people. I'm surprised 5-6 is the norm.