Campaign: A Tiny Part Of The Dimension War
Recent Post (excerpt): “Lord Ghent is excited by Lady Lyra's idea of a party and schedules one again at his chateau for two weeks time, asking Lyra and the rest of the party for ideas, finishing the preparations for his project room and so-forth.
Arlo climbs the winding steps to Selium and takes the turn-off to the now secure Soul Well. Imchek greets him happily, showing him a number of rocks he's shaped in complex geometric shapes. Now awakened, he is entertaining his eternal existence with a variety of minor shapings, a process he doesn't expecting to tire him for at least a millennium.
When Arlo asks about the tower, Imchek replies: "I have always existed in this chamber, as has the guardian. But guardian has been many memories and so may know of the tower, even if it is from earlier era than even ourselves.", at which point the pair walk to the guardian's chamber. The chamber now seems much older than when Arlo first entered, lit with a golden light reminiscent of memory while soft music plays. After thirty seconds or so Arlo needs to somewhat gruffly interrupt and bluntly lays out his need for a clue to the towers' location, showing Aria's detailed drawings. The guardian, adrift in memory, slowly awaken, asking a series of general questions about the tower, repeating the details of the hills and the construction, with variations, sifting memories with glacial slowness... finally finding quite interesting memory, that the tower was hidden in a pocket dimension around 900 years ago with various keys now needed to open it. The entrance is indeed, about 40 miles south ... the guardian never heard what the keys were...”
Description: In a multiverse based on the Planescape setting, using PF1 rules plus custom “caper”/world-building rules, you will be an agent of an ad-hoc group of wizards, priests and occultist aiming to stop plane-destroying effects unleashed by the mysterious and sinister Dark Traders. Your employers are sophisticated interdimensional operators who understand many kinds types of magics and technologies operating on a variety of planes (with their own personal agendas too? Of course!). The operation still resembles a group of gentlemen adventurers than a true bureaucracy and you will operate as part of a cell of adventurer, the cell making its own choices on the ground, though guided by your mentors/handlers.
The party is currently in Ovium, a bustling city with approximately 17-18th century technology as well as magic, think Amsterdam in it’s Golden Age but with magic and with technology, and trade expand even more rapidly. The new member will travel to the city to join the party (a short "onboarding" then join the party). Much more information can be found in the campaign thread, though scanning the first and last pages is sufficient.
Style: This campaign began as an effort to use some ideas from the Blades In The Dark system. I can have evolved my “caper” rule system, which while still still a work in progress, has an outline something like. A) Everyone (or most player) chooses and follows their own “caper” thread. B) The threads gradually (or quickly) merge together into a single thread – ie, some party member set up the situation and C) once things get more complex, things get more complex, which can involve traps, melee, exploration of strange areas or whatever for the entire party.
A lot of the initial thread following action involves; narrate what you do, maybe add a little improvised detail about the city or world, and roll a skill (standard Pathfinder skills). It gets more defined as each character’s threads get more developed.
We're needing: magic specialists (wizard, arcanist, Pathfinder Savant, certain bard archetypes, etc). The task of the magic specialist is both spell casting and also “working with raw magic”. Not, I am allowing spell craft to improvise magical effects (just as our technologists are improvising new tech, etc) when appropriate. We currently have Paladin, Paladin/monk, Gnome-ranger, Android-investigator.
Inspirations: The Black Company series (especially Shadow Linger) by Glen Cooke, Nightwatch/Daywatch Sergie Lukyanenko, The Elder Isle series and other works by Jack Vance, The Dark Tower by Stephen King, The War Hound and The World’s Pain by Michael Moorecook and a number of others.
Campaign Parameters:
Start 8th Level, standard character wealth for magic item buying. 25 point buy. No dumping wisdom, intelligence or charisma below 9. Don’t maximize for initiative (I’m doing ad-hoc initiative for speed). Alignments between lawful-good and neutral. Standard wealth by Core Rule Book. All Paizo books allowed, third party books might be OK but only psionics or hi-tech or other classes/races not covered in Paizo books. Magic users probably shouldn’t lean on teleport/dimension door since it’s hard to handle in play-by-post.
Campaign Traits (choose at least one of these and one standard trait):
Interplanar Travelers(s); knowledge planes is a class skill.
Minor magic awareness; Can cast detect magic once per day as a spell-like ability and spellcraft is class skill.
Minor technological knowledge; Can use knowledge engineering to determine the principles powering a given technological device. If you are trained in knowledge history, you can use it determine the sort of society which would produce such a device. You may make a Wisdom check to determine how to activate a given device (this does not imbue the character with any skills in the use of the device. It doesn’t teach to use firearms or welding machines, etc).
What's the post rate? One post per day on week days (Mon-Friday, roughly), post when you can on weekends. If your character is absent during combat on a week day, I may act for you. If you vanish, your character might become a regular NPC. Bonus points if you tell me your situation.
Posting approach: Most of the time, anyone can start posting after I’ve posted (In melee, anyone can take act first once I give the go-head, just don’t act twice – fair warning, this may initiative-feats less valuable). To a reasonable extent, you can post actions for the entire party takes part (we enter the room). Don’t be shy. Always be thinking about how you can post to move forward the action – and feel free to send me suggestions on that as well (I’ll required saving throw levels, AC the monster hits + potential damage etc. You will too).
Learn the standard narrative style – write in the third person present tense, etc. Don’t just name a game mechanic, don’t just narrate what you are doing, combine the two. Don't ask whether you can roll a skill, just roll it. I encourage everyone to improvise little pieces of plot as we go along (but exactly how much you do that is up to you, since it’s fairly personal, each continuing player has their own style here). Still, we are creating are creating a story together. I hope to find people excited to help shape this world. I like to move actions quickly and give the group suggestions. Feel free to push back if things seem to fast for you, you don’t like a suggestion or for any other reasons. I try to be very open to constructive criticism (obviously there are limits). Did I mention “work in progress”? It is a continuing work, with stuff happening, however.
Applying: Describe your character concept and give an example of something you’d improvise in the process of acting in the world – as you get established at Ovium, the city that party is at. I’ll answer questions and ask questions and then show me a character sheet. I will decide after five days, longer if there aren’t enough applications. This is a somewhat demanding campaign so if you are busy or already are many campaigns, think if you can make the added commitment.
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You had me at Wizard! I would like to apply for your Magic Specialist. Allowing for some research (game thread, campaign setting), I shall draw something up.
Thank you for running.
Researching Sage Sorcerer 7/ Lore Master 1 concept.
Thinking a gentleman scholar; of mysterious lineage, who battles his own demons by focusing on controlling his environments by share will.
Source Inner Sea Races pg. 241, Blood of the Night pg. 21
These dhampirs are more often the result of magical experiments than mating.
Alternate Ability Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Wisdom.
Alternate Skill Modifiers: Escape Artist, Use Magic Device.
Alternate Spell-Like Ability: Comprehend languages.
Alternate Weakness: Ajibachanas take a –1 penalty to their caster levels when they're in an area affected by consecrate, hallow, or a similar spell that makes an area holy.
Perhaps, a Marius de Romanus type of character.
Not certain it will work. The 7 divination spells prerequisite seems steep for a Sorcerer spells known...Lore Master.
Thoughts? Does it mean Spells Known? Or just being on my list qualifies?
Actually, I kind of like having a Divination focus....hmmmm.
Dhampir [Vetala-Born (Ajibachana)] Sorcerer (Sage) 7/ Lore Master 1
If approved; I shall write him up.
I have a number of questions:
1. Do you allow drawbacks to add an additional trait?
2. Does your campaign trait need to be from a specific campaign or just any campaign trait will do?
3. Are you using Elephant in the Room feat taxes?
4. What is fashion like? Is it Victorian-esque/steampunk? Do people still wear full-plate or other armors/carry swords?
5. How permissible are certain schools of magic? Is magic a negative or celebrated thing to see? Is necromancy and the use of undead, even for good things, considered evil?
6. Is there a universal good/evil mentality or is it based on the gods you follow/is it subjective?
7. How involved are the gods? If I play a good character and do evil (not as a paladin or cleric), am I likely to face immediate retribution from good gods?
Not certain it will work. The 7 divination spells prerequisite seems steep for a Sorcerer spells known...
I would think it would be the spells you are capable of casting, which for a sorcerer are the ones you know. Most sources I've read on the topic of this seem to agree, unfortunately. :(
Maybe you can focus on being a spy as a mage? Perhaps be a crossblooded shadow/sage? Then divination spells would be great!
I have a number of questions:
1. Do you allow drawbacks to add an additional trait?
2. Does your campaign trait need to be from a specific campaign or just any campaign trait will do?
3. Are you using Elephant in the Room feat taxes?
I list the (extra) campaign traits I'm giving for this campaign above. I'd allow in addition two standard traits. I'd guess that's enough. I've never heard of "feat taxes" so I wouldn't use them by default. If someone want to something "exotic", at this point, sell me on character concept, then tell me why extra rules are needed. By concept, I mean describing the origins, the personality, the image, the style and the attitude of the character, ideally a description that doesn't use rule mechanics, not "8th level four winds monk" but "a humble but wise and learned student of martial arts strongly attuned to the elements".
4. What is fashion like? Is it Victorian-esque/steampunk? Do people still wear full-plate or other armors/carry swords?
Pretty much, Late-Renaissance/Reformation era semi-steam-punk. Magico-mechanical-workshops. Fusion of early merchant capital and venture capital. We have a story arc around the creation of a magical-mechanical version of film/video, for example.
5. How permissible are certain schools of magic? Is magic a negative or celebrated thing to see? Is necromancy and the use of undead, even for good things, considered evil?
Magic is somewhat rare in the world but is only slightly suspect. Necromancy is supernaturally evil and virtually everyone is against, including the PCs, it generally radiates creepiness. The primary antagonists are necromancers of various sorts. The party includes a couple paladins. How rigid a divine characters' code of conduct is depends on the deity and some can be pretty loose as long as one is keeping the "eyes on the prize".
6. Is there a universal good/evil mentality or is it based on the gods you follow/is it subjective?
7. How involved are the gods? If I play a good character and do evil (not as a paladin or cleric), am I likely to face immediate retribution from good gods?
There is overall a strong good versus struggle plotline in the campaign but no in this plane/world generally. The party can and often does adopt as ends-justify-the-means attitude and that's OK. The antagonists, the Dark Traders definitely are really, really evil, have horrifically evils goals, the destruction of this entire plane. The party members are on this current plane as agents of an organization trying to stop them. (they are in the city of Ovium in a plane sometimes called "Between Earth and Sky"). Only specifically divine characters would have action constraints and that depends on the deity, the two paladins have fairly relaxed deities.
The gods, notably, are not strongly present in this plane. Divine magic is much rarer in this particular plane. The plane is much more "secular" than 17th century Europe. This is a contrast to the period of the origin of the plane, only 10,000 years before, when the gods were very present and shaped the lives of their worshipers much more directly. Remnants of the theocratic First Empires are around, often covered-up but still very significant (they party explored a "Soul Well" a while back, for example).
Challenge accepted!
Not certain it will work. The 7 divination spells prerequisite seems steep for a Sorcerer spells known...Lore Master.
Thoughts? Does it mean Spells Known? Or just being on my list qualifies?
Actually, I kind of like having a Divination focus....hmmmm.
Dhampir [Vetala-Born (Ajibachana)] Sorcerer (Sage) 7/ Lore Master 1
If approved; I shall write him up.
Are you wedded to sorcerer rather than wizard? If you don't like Wizard, Arcanist is another possibility as is Witch - both these classes memorize spells so it would be easy to be able to cast seven divination spells and have others available also.
And I have to say, most of the prestige classes from the original Core Rulebook aren't that good a deal as written, you often just have to spend too many feats for too little extra. But the lore master concept is good and important, so it's fine if someone wants to try to make that work. Plus, power balance can be pretty loose in this campaign.
I like to repeat Classes as little as possible. I haven't played a Sorcerer in PF as yet. I also love the concept of Lore Master; so I want to merge them. The Sage archetype allows for that to happen.
Dhampir is because I enjoy contrasts in perceptions. The Antagonist that constantly battles his own lineage, moralities, self-image are attractive to me.
I have a rough backstory; but I will need to research a bit more; since Planescape is so vast.
I am considering a scrollmaster wizard. I'm working out the details currently.
Thank you for the answers so far. They have been illuminating to how you are running this.
I do have a further question. Typically, when playing the race I am, I enjoy taking the favored class bonus which lets me select an ability to use once per day at a cost of 1/2. Now you stated, "Magic users probably shouldn’t lean on teleport/dimension door since it’s hard to handle in play-by-post," but does that mean I shouldn't take anything?
I generally will take an ability like the teleportation school's Shift to get out of melee when I'm in melee. Something like that. Usable only once or twice a day. Would this be fine? If not, that's okay. I'll just take some additional spells as a favored class bonus or I'll consider a different ability
I generally will take an ability like the teleportation school's Shift to get out of melee when I'm in melee.
That would be fine - remember that's line-of-sight teleportation - and dimension door and teleport have the provision you can't take actions that round once you arrive at a location. So depending how fast and observant an opponent is, they may catch up again. If you do a withdraw action first, you might find someplace not line-of-sight you to your opponent. The one thing you couldn't is blink-away and then throw a fireball (by teleport/ddoor RAW). [I have seen this ability horribly abused against a DM which read things carefully. ]
But generally, spell casters and other "squishies" should have multiple escape routes and protection systems at this level and thinking about this is good. Mirror image is a great deal and regular ddoor is pretty good too (not line of sight and takes you further).
I will post more question and info soon.
But generally, spell casters and other "squishies" should have multiple escape routes and protection systems at this level and thinking about this is good. Mirror image is a great deal and regular ddoor is pretty good too (not line of sight and takes you further).
I agree :)
I have another question about your views on creation feats. Do you permit pre-creation item creating? Is there time for creating items in character?
But generally, spell casters and other "squishies" should have multiple escape routes and protection systems at this level and thinking about this is good. Mirror image is a great deal and regular ddoor is pretty good too (not line of sight and takes you further).I agree :)
I have another question about your views on creation feats. Do you permit pre-creation item creating? Is there time for creating items in character?
I avoid item creation feats. Basically nothing except scribe scroll. There are, however places and resource in the current world where somewhat custom items can be created - it's a part of the current arc. So maybe we could a feat like that. But none of the standard item creation feats except scribe scroll.
Thanks for the information!
Would you perhaps consider a Shaman using Arcane enlightenment for wizard spells per level?
Would you perhaps consider a Shaman using Arcane enlightenment for wizard spells per level?
That could work, yeah.
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This is Dorian Grey's work in progress.
I have his story rolling (hehe) around in my head. I shall endeavor to type it up this week.
Thank you for consideration.
<------------Here is smooshiebanana's entry :)
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Here is Edelsmirge's submission.
Shamans are so versatile I still can select an extra hex in ten minutes to use for an hour a day.
In several games I have played we have used decks of cards for initiative so feats and abilities would give you two draws and allow for use of the highest card etc. We drew every round.
Making progress; found his pic!
I believe I've put the finishing touches on this creation.
Man those scrolls cost a ton!
From earlier recruiting thread:
Questions IF you have your character outlined:
1. What was your world of origin like
__A. Technology-level?
__B. "Values"? (honorable? Corrupt? Trading oriented?)
__C. What was geography of the world?
__D. What races existed and how did they relate?
(you don't have to answer all questions, just whatever gives a good story)
2. How does your character manage to keep a low profile in a mostly human plane? What would your *cover* occupation be?
3A. If you were in the orgnization for a while, what was the last world you were in like? How did it end?
3B. If you have NOT been in the organization long, how to you find your way to Sigil or where you were recruited?
This meant that technology often developed in leaps and bounds in areas such as food preservation, sanitation, and transportation, but not so much in the form of weaponry, entertainment, or daily use. For example, Nicolette's family owned a farm much like what you'd see in heartland America (massive), but they were using steam tractors still. Meanwhile, in the middle of nowhere, there would be no waste or hazardous materials shed.
There is a massive focus on trade. The world is interconnected by massive speed rails that haul cargo between various regions at impressive speeds.
Culture is very interwoven in communities still. There are signs that this is changing from village life to more large city life. The result is that often villagers will bring their culture to the large cities, and so the larger cities are often a crazy mix mash of all sorts of viewpoints.
It was common to find safety in your home in the evening hours, and most threats were gone by morning. Those who stayed out at night usually were in large cities and typically with many guards around. Unsecure homes meant that you were likely going to die if in a particularly bad zone of monsters. Each of them being intensely light sensitive. One particular way of keeping them at bay was to have lights present over your property and out of their reach, or in the earth shining upward in secured foundations.
Her cover occupation is being a cartographer. She has her own business and a singular employee who manages the contracts, welcomes customers, and relays important bits of information to her. He is also part of the organization. The two of them work as a team, and her position as a cartographer lets her leave the planet as often as she wants with little to no suspicions. Her clients have always been thrilled with her maps, and there is no doubt in her skills.
The last world she was in was a solo mission where she was planted in a city of many races (core races). It had a massive cathedral that extended into the sky and was nestled on the mouth of a bay.
There, she was meant to discover exactly what had happened to the dragons that so readily covered the realm in ages past. Keeping tabs on interplanar dragons is always a challenge that crops up it seems. Such missions claim the lives of many interplanar travelers each year. It appeared from her investigations that they had gone to "sleep", but the real question was why?
As no-one had seen them or knew where they were, she decided to use her experience from her own land to explore the reaches of the dark beneath the city. The caves stretched for miles in twisted fashion and deposited her at the root of the mountains to the north of the city. There she found a lone shadow dragon slumbering over his hoard that he had amassed. It lay in an underground pool, filled by the dripping underbelly of a lake. Florescent lichen filled the cave from floor to ceiling.
Careful not to wake the dragon, she located a chronicle upon the wall--etched in the dragon's own hand--that recorded the events of the last 10 millennia. There she found that the reason for them sleeping was that a necromancer had risen and stolen the powers of the elements and fused them within himself to give more power to his undead creations. These elements helped fuel the dragon's strength on this plane; similar to divine empowerment.
Their intent was that one day, someone would destroy the necromancer and they would be awakened, but according to what she saw, no such event ever took place. With her information in hand, she returned victoriously, and most importantly, not dead.
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The Shaman of Aaaaaaaag is a mostly lightly orc looking fellow who has dark skin and fangs so with a face mask can fit in nicely or with a simple spell. The Shaman would work as a healer on the side because nobody hates the paramedic when they show up. The Shaman recently was recruited from his world when a mission arrived there to fight off a plot to take over a low tech plane by high tech demons with world domination on their mind and the Shaman helped out and helped the team succeed and was brought back to Sigil and recruited no so long ago. He is facinated with tech and trying to learn more about it
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This is Dorian Grey's final submission....
....unless I missed something; which could happen...lol.
Any questions, concerns, high fives are welcomed!
I am looking that submissions. I will have to wait until tomorrow to say more.
Thank you for taking the time, as well as answering all the questions I've had. Good luck to all!
I have appreciated and has fun with the application, good luck all!
As it's not entirely clear to me, is this recruitment closed already or still open?
I'm asking as I have an idea and would like to know if it's worth putting in the effort of creating an 8th lvl character.
I have offer one player a place. If they accept I will post here.