Under the leadership of a zealous paladin of Iomedae—goddess of honor, justice, and valor—a new knightly order called the Glorious Reclamation seeks to purge Cheliax of its diabolical taint by overthrowing the House of Thrune and reclaim the country for its people in the name of Iomedae. As the uprising gathers strength, the evil adventurers must defeat the valiant knights and their celestial allies to stop the rebellion's spread through Cheliax and preserve Thrune's oppressive rule. Will the wicked antiheroes quell dissent and uphold the infernal laws of Cheliax and its diabolic rulers, or will the heroic knights of the Glorious Reclamation overthrow the corrupt House of Thrune and usher Cheliax into a new age of peace, prosperity, and glory?
-= SEEKING BOTH GMS AND PLAYERS =-
This is a tentative recruitment for the Hell's Vengeance Adventure Path. From my interest post, it seems there's great interest. Assuming we find a potential GM for us, such hero can pick his group from here, as well as adapt the tentative rules I set to whatever they feel more comfortable with.
Here is the Player's Guide! If you want to apply, read it.
I will be compiling and organizing the list here. The character I'm thinking for myself is a Tyrant Antipaladin Tiefling, potentially going for the Hellknight prestige class, with the related trait. We will try for a balanced party of five with the usual roles filled. Some overlapping is fine, especially considering how rich and hybrid the Pathfinder environment is.
Keep things RAW - don't ask for exceptions. Let's simplify to our GM.
Only Paizo published material (No third-parties), Pathfinder 1st Edition
20-point-buy
2 traits, one of such must be from the Player's Guide. No drawbacks
Background skills and VMC are in use, no automatic bonus progression
This is an evil AP. Alignment must be LE or within one step of it
HP is max first level, then 1/2 + 1
Classes: Use unchained version for summoners, barbarians, rogues and monks
Races: Use CORE preferentially, and FEATURED up to 13 race points
No hero points
No "Elephant in the Room" rules or other customizations
Average gold for the class, paying full price for gear (no crafting)
Try to avoid minmaxing - it will probably gimp your chances with the GMs, focus on flavor
We're still trying to find a GM for us - maybe even more than one, considering the quantity of interested people.
The most important thing to keep in mind: Despite being an evil AP, the characters should be designed with an overall goal of working in a party; no backstabbing. This is not the AP for overly chaotic, "some people just want to watch the world burn" type of character. It's more about scheming evil. It's not for the "Joker" type of evil, or anything openly megalomaniac; it's more about devils than demons.
For your submission, please put up three things: your concept (just like a paragraph), your tentative sheet and a background matching the player's guide instructions. Feel free to create a new profile and link to it (don't post in it so you can delete if not selected).
I will keep it going for the next two or three weeks, moving dates accordingly, hoping to find one of more GMs before the end so such people can make their selections and adjust the tentative rules I put above if they're not happy with it.
Dot. Tentatively, I’m planning a Tiefling, probably Bloodrager, possibly Antipaladin. He’s an ex-Iomedaean; as a boy he was pious and obedient, even wanted to be a paladin. But after decades of suspicion and prejudice, and scapegoated for crimes he didn’t commit, he forsook the faith of a goddess who never helped him, and turned to the worship of the infernal powers (specifically Moloch). Now he wants nothing more than to see the church of Iomedae purged from Cheliax with infernal flame.
I would submit a vivisectionist who only wants to do his research in peace. However he finds himself having to fight to maintain his position of privilege. I'll only do a proper character after a GM appears, though.
That's fair, Anthorg. However - we do have already an interested GM, and potentially more. There are GMs that want to run this AP but feel concerned every time they try because of "that kind of player". I guess evil campaigns have this particular issue.
I'd like to run a character (undecided yet), but would someone be willing to review my character to make sure it's not "that kind of character"?
That's fair, Anthorg. However - we do have already an interested GM, and potentially more. There are GMs that want to run this AP but feel concerned every time they try because of "that kind of player". I guess evil campaigns have this particular issue.
I get it. Still, I'll let them comment here if they're ok with your set of rules. In particular how they like the RP.
Dotting. I'd like to join as a NE Changeling Witch. Her eventual modus operandi is turning souls into soul gems to be either traded to evil outsiders or to be burned as material components for her own spells.
I love the flavor of the class and so I'm really going to try to play into the more weird and terrifying aspects of the witch class, like using weird material components, learning occult rituals, etc.
I have a NE Dhampir Spiritualist with the Necrologist Archetype. I'll take Blooddrinker as a 1st level feat. This is someone who moved to Cheliax specifically for the decriminalization of necromancy and the subjugation of halflings whose blood he has a taste for. In fact his Phantom servant is the first 'slip' he ever drained. He doesn't have fangs, he prefers to cleanly and clinically retrieve blood and other fluids from corpses.
His life goal is to become a lich. Until then, he is happy to sell his services (necromantic lore and Comity's powers) to whomever. Discretion is of course his highest virtue given his... predilections.
The Spiritualist is a very nice class which I feel offers a lot in terms of roleplay potential and it makes an interesting option for a necromancer. I'm intending this to be a creepy gothic PC with most of the badness being implicit rather than explicit.
How exciting! Thanks for organizing this, Archlich!
I've always wanted to play a halfling Gravewalker witch, a naive but clever Good Slip who served an outwardly respectable but secretly abusive master until she murdered him at the urging of a doll haunted by the restless spirits of his victims. With the Creepy Doll trait, over time she and the poppet will eventually switch places. Sort of a "slow descent into evil" character story.
She'll likely have the Halfling Jinx power and take the various associated feats to complement the doll's Evil Eye hex.
I'll put together a profile with background and mechanics over the next couple of days.
Updating the list for now. Still very raw - Once we have more people / more complete submissions, I will add links and split by groups.
Archlich - LE Tiefling Antipaladin (Tyrant) - Hellknight Aspirant
Ouachitonian - Tiefling Bloodrager or Antipaladin - Ex-Iomedaean
Anthorg - Vivisectionist - ?
Velvent - ? - ?
Torivor - NE Changeling Witch - ?
Sha'ir - NE Dhampir Spiritualist (Necrologist) - ?
eriktd - Halfling Witch (Gravewalker) - ?
chunky04 - Cleric (Asmodean Advocate) - ?
This looks like it could be a ton of fun! I've always wanted to play an evil character, but haven't had the chance to before. I see we got a lot of arcane spell casters, and a few melee bruisers on deck, I have an interest in playing a Human Dandy Ranger, who'd probably lean into some of the more nationalistic elements of the module. I'd be interested in playing some sort of squire/bodyguard to one of the other PC's if possible, or I could go with my favorite class, some sort of bard as needed. As noted, very interested, will get a character sheet up ASAP
dotting in, but I'll wait on concept/build for now pending gm approval of the guidelines.
Dotting in with a LE Blight Druid (not set on archetype) of Furcas
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I'd level down and submit my LE evocation sorcerer from another game.
Having lost property to the actions of the the Glorious do-gooders, while not being involved in the conflict to start with, has left him with beef.
In his previous game, he dabbled in necromancy and aspired to become a lich. He had a hidden private agenda back then, to return to the plane he arrived from. Effectively conning out of a divine contract.
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I will put forward an elf psychic for consideration. He is dissatisfied with his current standing in Cheliax and plans to change that. He will be LE, but is closer to NE than the LE extreme. His build and concept is cooperation focused (as is the player). He will be very evil, but not disruptively or obscenely so.
I'd like to toss out a CE Slayer (Cleaner) working towards the Shadow Dancer prestige class.
I say CE hesitantly, and this character would take the Erratic Malefactor trait. Working with others is good and beneficial. It would also mean not needing to set the world on fire just to see it burn, because hey, it's already burning.
With a character like this, I'd be willing to link a backstory with someone else (prior or post selection), to give this character a stronger commitment to the group.
I'm going to dot in, but hesitantly. Like many GMs, I've always been a bit wary of these kinds of games. But if it's done right, I've heard that this AP can be really good.
I don't currently have anything specific in mind. Will probably depend partly on restrictions/options that a GM would apply.
If nothing else, it might be a good opportunity to play a Warpriest Fist of the Godclaw, or something similar.
I've finished my first pass at a submission:
Bellana - LE Halfling Witch (Gravewalker) - Good Slip
Concept is a halfling slave possessed by evil spirits that reside inside a creepy doll. (At least, she thinks the doll is making her do things, but maybe the doll is just allowing her to do things she never could before?) After her master's death, she began overseeing the manor in the baron's place, and she likes it. She hopes that the Archbaron never finds out, or that if he does she can convince (or force) him to allow her to remain in charge as a sort of seneschal. One of the evil spirits in the doll is (or claims to be) Cimri Staelish's great-aunt, and it has advised the character to seek out her niece in order to advance her goals.
My submission will be a LE Human Cabalist Vigilante.
He's an Ex-Iomedaean spy who was sent ahead into Cheliax to prepare the attack of the Glorious Reclamation. But during his time there, he realized that they're just trying to replace one tyranny with another. And the current one offers much more freedom at least.
I could re write Khor, a NE Warpriest of Urgathoa
Updating the list with the interested.
Archlich - LE Tiefling Antipaladin (Tyrant) - Hellknight Aspirant
Ouachitonian - Tiefling Bloodrager or Antipaladin - Ex-Iomedaean
Anthorg - Vivisectionist - ?
Velvent - ? - ?
Torivor - NE Changeling Witch - ?
Sha'ir - NE Dhampir Spiritualist (Necrologist) - ?
eriktd - Bellana, Halfling Witch (Gravewalker) - Good Slip
chunky04 - Cleric (Asmodean Advocate) - ?
rorek - Human Fighter (Armiger) - ?
Cata Vistalis - Human Ranger (Dandy) or Bard - ?
theasl - ? - ?
MauveAvengr - LE (???) Druid (Blight) of Furcas - ?
Chyrone - LE Sorcerer - ?
Saashaa - LE Elf Psychic - ?
Veltent - CE (??) Slayer (Cleaner) - Erractic Malefactor
Blaydsong - Warpriest Fist of the Godclaw - ?
Ellioti - LE Human Vigilante (Cabalist) - Ex-Iomedaean
Escharid Blackrose - Khor Feynn, NE Warpriest of Urgathoa - ?
Attention guys: PLEASE, read the set of rules above. We already have potential GMs and so far they're considering following the exact proposed rules - assume they're the ones of the game unless told differently. Don't be that person. Also, I'd recommend reading on Pathfinder rules as a general - certain classes, for example, have alignment restrictions. Hero Lab and similar apps are a good way to know when you're building something that doesn't work in the Pathfinder 1.0 system.
For instance, druids have to be neutral in their alignment (in one or two axles, with very few exceptions), and we're not planning on taking chaotic applications (and therefore the related campaign trait). Pay attention to the races part as well.
We're almost to 20 people interested, so soon I will start reorganizing the list (probably by role, or by trait), adding some links and keeping the incomplete submissions (or submissions that don't match the rules) at the bottom.
Thanks! Let's get it off the ground!
Make that NE then, for me, I missed the explicit ban on CE.
My character's trait is amoral mercenary
And here is the Phantom Comity
Oops - forgot druids had to be Neutral. Will change to NE.
Add Hellknight Aspirant to me, I got a non-minmaxed sword and board ready to go, and a backup bard in the works, thank you for your patience!
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Ok, just for clarification for reorganizing-
The following is the most likely for my character-
Fighter (armiger) planning to go down the hellknight prestige class.
Depending on party. He will be either LE or LN.
If LN. He will likely seek to join the order of the scourge. If scourge, likely be a reach based fighter.
If LE, he will likely be Order of the chain. Either a two-handed heavy flail or spiked chain (maneuver) user.
Forgot to mention LN, looking to enter the order of the scourge.
This is Torivor here, posting my submission's backstory so that people can build on it with their characters if they wish. She is a member of noble family, so it's entirely plausible that she would have slaves, body guards, or social contacts that accompany her to Longacre.
Venbrylix the night hag had recently made up her mind to undertake the risky transformation from night to dreamthief hag. Unfortunately for her, she had had no patience for the nurture and development of any coven or cult loyal to her that she could trust to make sure she was protected while mortal. So Venbrylix found an alternative: to purchase her security from Hell.
She approached a Gelugon named Garvorax; a long time buyer of her soul gems. Together, they crafted a deal: Venbrylix would provide Garvorax a vast quantity of soul gems, and in return, all the mortal might the devil could muster would be brought to bear in raising and protecting her mortal form until the age of 18. Afterwards she would pursue her ascension, but if she failed, her soul would be damned to Hell.
Venbrylix wanted some additional assurance however, and so at the last minute she added an addendum to the contract: there would be a trial run; Venbrylix would provide an expendable daughter to go before her and make sure the Garvorax could make good on her word. At the cost of additional souls, the Gelugon agreed, and 2 years later a dominated green hag gave birth to Naiara, a violet eyed girl with a streak of white in her dark hair, and two small lumps on her forehead.
According to the terms of the contract, Naiara was adopted by House Leroung in Egorian, a powerful if somewhat apolitical noble house in Cheliax. Her foster parents spared no expense in Naiara's education, knowing that failure to raise the child well meant certain death, while success would bring the favor of a powerful devil. Even so, Naiara's obviously supernatural appearance often made her the target of bullying by her youthful peers, at least until her catechism in the Church of Asmodeus.
At the age of 9, Naiara's Leroung foster parents took her to the Midnight Temple in Egorian. In a special ceremony, she used a ceremonial ruby dagger to draw her own blood and trace an Asmodean pentagram on the ground around her. No sooner was the pentagram complete and the child kneeling then the air exploded with arcane energy and several additional previously unseen magical circles sprang into being around her, lined with words that only few recognized as originating from the infernal contract that began Naiara's life. A few feet away, another, smaller circle flared to life, and a tiny off-white scorpion materialized.
When the display of power faded, the scorpion hid itself within Naiara's dress, and the priests proclaimed that Naiara was favored of Hell. Any bullying from kids still stupid enough to continue afterwards quickly ceased when Naiara discovered that she could snap her fingers and cause people to lose consciousness for a moment.
When she was old enough, Naiara enrolled in the Egorian Academy of the Magical Arts, and thanks to her somewhat legendary childhood display was hard sought after as a devil binding assistant. She studied for a year, but at 19 years of age began to hear "the call" to more fully embrace her roots, and took a leave of absence. After some investigation regarding where the green hag who bore her came from, and spending most of her money on a scroll of Divination that directed her towards someone by the name of Cimri Staelish, Naiara set out for Longacre.
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Currently playing this one in a PbP. One piece of commentary for potential GMs:
There are, as far as I can tell from a search of the PbP gameplay threads, precisely ZERO PbP campaigns of Hell's Vengeance that have gotten past book 1. This is an AP that sorely needs a high quality GM that will revise the (honestly not very good) content of the first book and present something a little better structured for the medium of PbP. Given the way the book currently works, this is a fairly tall order.
There's a reason why Hell's Vengeance Book 1 has the lowest review scores of ANY Paizo AP Book 1.
@Cellion: How much if any of that problem you've identified is based in the issue that The Archlich talks about above, where the characters are too wild and cacklingly evil to work together effectively? Has the GM of your current game made any changes like you're talking about?
Currently playing this one in a PbP. One piece of commentary for potential GMs:
There are, as far as I can tell from a search of the PbP gameplay threads, precisely ZERO PbP campaigns of Hell's Vengeance that have gotten past book 1. This is an AP that sorely needs a high quality GM that will revise the (honestly not very good) content of the first book and present something a little better structured for the medium of PbP. Given the way the book currently works, this is a fairly tall order.
There's a reason why Hell's Vengeance Book 1 has the lowest review scores of ANY Paizo AP Book 1.
That's an excellent point, Cellion. Like eriktd mentioned, though, I think a good chunk of it might be because of the players expectations vs. what HV actually is. I'd even say that WotW is a lot more evil than HV.
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@Cellion: How much if any of that problem you've identified is based in the issue that The Archlich talks about above, where the characters are too wild and cacklingly evil to work together effectively? Has the GM of your current game made any changes like you're talking about?
The problems with the AP's first book have nothing to do with characters working effectively together (though I can definitely see that derailing things), and instead have much more to do with the content of the adventure itself. My current GM started by running the book as-written more or less, and has been gradually adapting elements (even throwing out an entire subsystem) because it was actively making the experience less fun. He's been doing a heroic job of improving things.
For GM's thinking of running it, take a look at the reviews on Paizo's store page for Book 1. Some of the issues described there are made worse by the slower paced nature of PbP.
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I'll dot in.
Planning on Tar'iq, a Human LE Inquisitor of Asmodeus, played as an archer. I am trying to decide if he'll have the Sanctified Slayer archetype.
Tar'iq is a zealous supporter of house Thrune, though mindful of his own privileges. From time to time he has been known to do extra-curricular investigations of those above him in the organizational chart.
Updating list:
Archlich - LE Tiefling Antipaladin (Tyrant) - Hellknight Aspirant
Ouachitonian - Tiefling Bloodrager or Antipaladin - Ex-Iomedaean
Anthorg - Vivisectionist - ?
Torivor - Naiara Leroung, NE Changeling Witch (Dimensions Patron, Apprentice Devilbinder) - ?
Sha'ir - NE Dhampir Spiritualist (Necrologist) - ?
eriktd - Bellana, Halfling Witch (Gravewalker) - Good Slip
chunky04 - LE Cleric (Asmodean Advocate) - ?
rorek - LE or LN Human Fighter (Armiger) - ?
Cata Vistalis - LN Human Ranger (Dandy) or Bard - Hellknight Aspirant
theasl - ? - ?
MauveAvengr - NE Druid (Blight) of Furcas - ?
Chyrone - LE Sorcerer - ?
Saashaa - LE Elf Psychic - Thrune Agent
Veltent - NE Slayer (Cleaner) - Erractic Malefactor
Blaydsong - Warpriest Fist of the Godclaw - ?
Ellioti - LE Human Vigilante (Cabalist) - Ex-Iomedaean
Escharid Blackrose - Khor Feynn, NE Warpriest of Urgathoa - ?
Papadage - Tar'iq, LE Human Inquisitor (Sanctified Slayer) or Asmodeus - ?
So I was in a Hell's Vengeance game that just kind of died, the GM disappeared on us. It was Gestalt so I will definitely be making someone new.
I am considering a LE Unchained Monk (Perfect Scholar) with the Scion of the Nine Hells trait. The idea is that the character is a traveling barrister. The idea is to pick up Orator at third level to make him into a semi-face for the group.
The bastard of an elven woman who had escaped the slavery of the drow only to escape into the fiendish world of Cheliax, his mother despised him and abandoned him at a young age at a monastery dedicated to infernal knowledge and their expertise on contracts, rulings, and legislation. Well-known for their barristers, my character developed the skills quite quickly but initially bit off more than he could chew. A case went very poorly for him, forcing him to leave one of the major cities and make his way learning around the smaller settlements.
He could easily be tied to any character, as a travelling barrister is quite the helpful assistant, or travelling alone. I'll fill out those details later.
I'll post in here again when I have a sheet ready for him.
I'm mulling over some sort of Vishkanya Mesmerist.
Vishkanyas are not from the Featured Races group.
Pretty sure the build I made for Cata is sufficiently not maximized for power. I'd like to flesh out a backstory for them, I think I'd like them to have been born in Longacre, and are desperately trying to find a knight to attach themselves to get themselves out of the relative poverty that they grew up in, if any PC is interested in being that person, I'd be happy to follow them around and use Saving Shield :)
Papadage, please read the rules on the first post.
My note still has Erratic Malefactor next to it, so since he's NE, that can be removed, sorry I forgot to mention that in my prior post
Vishkanyas are not from the Featured Races group.
So they aren't. Nevermind then.
Here's Ouachitonian's submission. Details in the alias, but basically Bayard is a front-liner. He kills things, and kills them a lot. Especially if they worship Iomedae.