Character Concepts?

[NoxiousMiasma]

Alright, now that the Curtain Call Player's Guide is out, what kind of characters are people interested in bringing to this AP? It seems like it'll be best experienced with a party consisting of both Belkzen natives and foreign diplomats, which is cool.

The idea I'm most interested in is an Exemplar who was once a symbol or tool of Gorum's faithful, awakened to sapience by gaining a shard of Gorum's power, using one of tsukogami poppet, object yaoguai (for a former magic sword or holy symbol), or potentially automaton (for a statue brought to life) as a base, with the choice probably coming down to what Exemplar ends up looking like (please may we have an unarmed strike supporting ikon)

[Yakman]

Before the player's guide came out, I was thinking a Human Diplomat Kineticist who was a survivor of the goblinblood wars, was raised by the church of Asmodeus, and is being sent by Isger to respond to Ardax's call. After reading the player's guide, I think I would go with a hobgoblin swashbuckler from Oprak.

[Dragonchess Player]

Dwarf (duskwalker heritage) animist from the Five Kings Mountains. Foreign Diplomat background, of course, that is trying to "atone" for the excesses that occurred during the Quest for Sky.

[CastleDour]

Envoy from the Order of the Nail.

[mortalheraldnyx]

I haven't settled on much else but the player's guide kinda made me want to do a ysoki from one of those referenced merchant caravans. I'll keep thinking about it though.

[keftiu]

CastleDour wrote:

Envoy from the Order of the Nail.

The Order of the Nail is typically pretty straightforward violent colonizers. Do you have a twist there, or is the aim to just be a real bastard for this one?

[The Raven Black]

I would reskin a Minotaur as an Ogre. Now I just need a reason not to use the horns ever.

Or maybe an Ogrekin Dromaar.

[CastleDour]

keftiu wrote:

CastleDour wrote:

Envoy from the Order of the Nail.

The Order of the Nail is typically pretty straightforward violent colonizers. Do you have a twist there, or is the aim to just be a real bastard for this one?

I like that they have a centaur hellknight, it looks cool! Not a fan of colonizing in general, but taming the wild and savage lands of Belkzen does have a certain appeal.

[NoxiousMiasma]

CastleDour wrote:

I like that they have a centaur hellknight, it looks cool! Not a fan of colonizing in general, but taming the wild and savage lands of Belkzen does have a certain appeal.

Uhhh, mate, please don't take this as an insult, but that thing you just said is in fact extremely colonialist. Calling an environment where people live wild and untamed, with the implication of taming it by turning it to agricultural land that can be better exploited by state powers as an unambiguous positive is pretty much colonialism 101.

Like, if you want to play this character, absolutely sure, go have fun! But do be aware that the organisation your character serves is monstrous.

[Yakman]

NoxiousMiasma wrote:

CastleDour wrote:

I like that they have a centaur hellknight, it looks cool! Not a fan of colonizing in general, but taming the wild and savage lands of Belkzen does have a certain appeal.

Uhhh, mate, please don't take this as an insult, but that thing you just said is in fact extremely colonialist. Calling an environment where people live wild and untamed, with the implication of taming it by turning it to agricultural land that can be better exploited by state powers as an unambiguous positive is pretty much colonialism 101.

Like, if you want to play this character, absolutely sure, go have fun! But do be aware that the organisation your character serves is monstrous.

it's the "monster ancestry" AP.

hobgoblins, gholos, orcs, goblins, etc. battling undead, abominations born from a dead god's blood, and other evils (I assume) in a savage land of horrors.

man wants to be a hellknight centaur, more power to him.

I would say though that in many Paizo APs the maps are TEENY TINY. Check w/ your GM if you should play a large PC before committing to the concept.

[CastleDour]

I don't want to colonize. I don't want to get involved in converting the local orcish culture to a different culture, in subjugating orcs, or in extracting their resources and treasure in exploitative trade. I don't want to settle their lands with people from my nation.

What I want is to help the friendly orcs build a nation, to unify the orcs that want to join the international community, those that wish to live under common laws with their neighbors.

Orcs' propensity for violence needs to pacified by force if they are hostile, and security must be established for safe travel to and from the orcish holds.

Right now, Belkzen is a bunch of disparate tribes who don't consider Belkzen to even be its own region.

We have to support and enforce some kind of power structure we can work with so we can have fair (non-exploitative) trade. For example, we help them with their problems and they send us mercenaries to help us with ours.

But as a mercenary, I would stay out of the politics of trade policy and focus on the mission of bringing order and security, and hope to make some friends.

[Lord_B]

CastleDour wrote:

I don't want to colonize. I don't want to get involved in converting the local orcish culture to a different culture, in subjugating orcs, or in extracting their resources and treasure in exploitative trade. I don't want to settle their lands with people from my nation.

Your actual tasks, motivations, actions, are inherently going to be limited by the adventure path you have chosen. So yes, you may have made a character who can participate in the adventure. However, the freedom in character creation is where did you come from, what are your motivations, where did you get your training, etc.

The Order of the Nail is, in the text, a pretty villainous organisation. They believe in the Chelaxian culture of tyrannical rule, and see it as the de-facto standard to be enforced worldwide. If you have qualms with the way Queen Abrogail II of the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune does things, and would prefer not to see your culture trend the same way... well, you must not be "civilised" enough. Die!

Now, choosing a villainous organisation as a sponsor can add some interesting tension to a party. It gives you the opportunity to discuss politics with your fellow adventurers over the bonfire, even while generally agreeing on what needs to be done now. Your experiences might expose issues they hadn't considered before, and testing arguments on you might prepare them to de-escalate future conflicts. However, tension without resolution is just sorta frustrating. If you're going to be the token villain of the party, you kinda need to betray the party at some point, or undergo character development and change your worldview, or both in rapid succession (either order works... sometimes the betrayal can be a fake-out). I doubt the adventure path is going to plan this opportunity out for you, so it's really going to take some negotiating with the GM to set-up that scene, and some trust with the other party members that such a scene is coming.

The alternative would be making some radical changes to the lore. if no other Hellknights appear in this module (you'd have to check with your GM first), you could make some selective edits in order to preserve the aesthetic without the settler colonialism. The whole classifying cultures into civilised and non-civilised is right out, and you may also want to seriously consider your stance on the law of Hell. If, however, you want to have a hard stance against specific issues (e.g. slavery, child abuse, state-sponsored piracy, other things has Cheliax definitely isn't above), that's pretty good for a heroic character, provided they remain on-issue rather than just using it as an excuse for regime change.

[The Raven Black]

Are we really going to tell people how they should play their PC ?

[NoxiousMiasma]

The Raven Black wrote:

Are we really going to tell people how they should play their PC ?

When it is this loaded an issue, advising caution and sensitivity in order to avoid upsetting or potentially triggering your fellow players is generally a good idea - the game is only fun if the whole table's having fun.

Anyway, more character ideas! How about a taciturn talos dwarven gunslinger (way of the drifter), sent as part of a small delegation from Dongun Hold, sent both to scout out the potential of diplomatic overtures, and to open up purchasing opportunities for the orcs of Belkzen. Would probably want to check with the GM if the concept is a bit awkard for the AP, but I think it could be fun to play.

[Mammoth Daddy]

This would be a good AP for the mammoth lord archetype from Frozen Flame.

[The Raven Black]

I might play a Dwarf with the Dromaar Heritage. As an envoy of a mixed-blood enclave showing that there is always hope, even for the unbelievable.

[NoxiousMiasma]

Some more ideas:

Kellid Elemental Sorceror (Winter's Child or Foreign Diplomat background) representing a loose collection of clans along routes from Belkzen to Icestair, who are interested in the potential for trade all the way to Tian Xia. (taking just about every cold-associated spell on the Primal list, and probably contrasting that with a fiery confident personality, just for fun)

Orc Untamed Order Druid (Badlands Scout background) - a member of the Gutspear Hold, this orc was young when Eight Fingers Hold took Deepgate, and while they've done well for themselves as a nomad of the badlands, their kin need a territory to survive - perhaps a great service to Ardax could grant such a boon.

Dwarven Dromaar Empiricist Investigator (Belkzen Anthropologist background) - flavoured more as a historian/archaeologist rather than a detective, this follower of Dranngvit is attempting to untangle the history of Belkzen and the Quest for the Sky, to properly account the restitution both their peoples owe each other, and as such find a path that has the potential for a lasting peace. (I really hope Dranngvit stops being "may choose unholy" once Divine Mysteries drops - it doesn't really vibe with her edicts and anathema)

[The Raven Black]

I believe one of Torag's family will die because of the whole "regrets about genociding the Orcs" thing.

I feel Dranngvit is a very likely possibility. With Kols not far behind.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

An idea that's been living rent-free in my head since the barricade buster was introduced in Treasure Vault is Saint Bardakka, the Crimson Storm!

The name's a portmanteau of Saint Barbara, patroness of armourers, artillerymen and lighting among other things and "DAKKA!" the classic Warhammer 40,000 ork term for rapid and excessive firepower. Inspired by this sketch from Pathfinder's very own Wayne Reynolds, Bardakka would be a dromaar warpriest, using the Syncretism feat to worship Iomedae and the new orc god Wulgren in equal measure; seeing in them the future of warfare.

Seeking to follow in her gods' footsteps against the undead of the Gravelands, she naturally gravitated towards the Crimson Reclaimers as a shock trooper, gaining renown for brutal and lightning-fast raids, seemingly able to make even soulless skeletons and zombies feel fear as she gunned them down. She goes to Torrentmoot as a representative of the Knights of Lastwall, to further strengthen ties between them and Belkzen, knowing her kin respect strength and ferocity. She may work for peace in this instance, or at least justice and honor, but when the orcs and the Knights need her, she'll rise from Belkzen's trenches, ready to strike at zero hour, with overwhelming firepower, fuelled by the fear in her enemies' eyes!

[John Compton]

Yakman wrote:

I would say though that in many Paizo APs the maps are TEENY TINY. Check w/ your GM if you should play a large PC before committing to the concept.

Without my doing an exhaustive review of this Adventure Path's maps, I can generalize by saying that Triumph of the Tusk...

Extremely minimal spoiler for TotT map/encounter design regarding Large PCs:

Triumph of the Tusk has relatively few constricted, indoor maps that would make a Large PC miserable.

Vague spoiler about one PF 218 map:

That last map will get a little claustrophobic. But by then you'll have enjoyed many sessions of ample mobility.

[CastleDour]

Centaurs are so back!!!

[shepsquared]

I'm tossing up between a Hobgoblin Animist, Half-Orc Exemplar and Dwarven Summoner for this AP, and those are just the frontrunners.

Before I saw Animist I was thinking a hobgoblin witch with the Devourer of Decay patron with a focus on survival and bugs, but now I'm thinking I could use Cantorys as one of the animist spirits.

[Keirine, Human Rogue]

I have a society character that I haven't really gotten to play a lot... She's an Orc Spirit Barbarian, follower of Sarenrae and maybe Mahja Firehair. Very simple concept, very simple fun with a greatsword and a shield boss as an alternative/backup weapon... Could be a lot of fun.

[NoxiousMiasma]

Alright, considering War of Immortals is out, I can now actually build that animated object Exemplar - I know I said unarmed attacks, but playing around with yaoguai's Signature Weapon on an Ikon seems like a fun idea. so... An orcish-shaped humanoid form (gotta get multilingual so they can actually speak enough languages), starting off with ikons shaped basically only for fighting, but with the potential to grow beyond that. Brave Jordis, bearing Barrow's Edge, Victor's Wreath, and Skin hard as horn (does the Transcendence effect also work for resistance from other sources, like, say, Unleash Yaoguai Might? it just says "your resistance"...)

[The Raven Black]

I now definitely want to play this one as a Alijae Witanji (aka Dromaar) Bloodrager born and raised in the Matanji culture. Who goes on to do Spore War afterwards (even if it means going back to 11th level).

[Mammoth Daddy]

Oddly enough this seems like a fun AP to go full Champion, either as a rugged orc or half-orc hero or a literal knight of Lastwall.

Holy + vitality gonna go far this AP.