Out-of-Character

[Rabbit]

Dec 6, 2012 15:29:34 GMT -5 icnivad said:

Michael: Any more thoughts on what you are considering? I ask since you won't be there while we are starting our character creation so we might want to have an idea how we fit together as a group.

On that note here are some character concepts that I have been considering. Most could work with a few class options. I wanted to post them in case any seem to fit especially well with a character concept you have in mind for yourself or that you feel especially suits the campaign.

I'll likely be settling on something at the last minute on Friday after I role my stats.

The 3rd son noble works as a paige apprentice in an arcane library. Learns basics collecting texts for wizards and lore masters but realizes he will have to strike out on his own if he ever wants to get out of the library. Seeks out rumored Pathfinder’s Hero Guild.

Homeless halfing becomes defender of his street “family.” A monk or rogue embittered against the Cheliax rulers who enslave his kind.

Paladin of Iomedae in hiding is born with gifts and morals he must hide or risk bringing death or danger to his loved ones. Fights Evil covertly waiting for the day he can do more. Perhaps the descendant of a notable cleric of Aroden.

Dishonored noble. In his youth, the character attempted to summon a devil outside of his ability and was disfigured by the experience. Years later can he ever overcome his disgrace? Perhaps an Illusionist.

During the upheaval that resulted in Asmodeous the patron God of the Cheliax a troupe of Orc mercenaries aided the devil worshipers. As a reward the leaders of the group were offered knight hood and established an order of warriors. Over the century the order has degenerated into hired thugs and cut throats, and lost all prestige. This character is an honorable descendant of the order and seeks to reestablish them as a true power in the realm. Perhaps a ranger/knight or cavalier.

A Dwarf merchant from a distant nation. On the outside he is a business man overseeing his family business interests, but he is involved with a secret resistance against the devil worshipers. Family business is a sort of Repo/Salvage group (grave robbing scavengers.)

Character has spent most of his life in prison for a minor crime committed in his youth. Perhaps a gnome and so his physical form reflects his prison life. Little love for the Devil’s Law. Maybe rogue, shadow dancer.

Half elf that was raised by relatives in an elven hamlet but was just too human to fit in. Sent to Westcrown for apprenticeship but he knows that it was just to get rid of him. He is more human in demeanor than he wants to admit and sees himself as inferior to full blooded elves. Might be seeking magic or necromancy to achieve the immortality he was cheated out of. Or maybe a bard making use of his pretty features.

[icnivad]

Nice concepts. I'm leaning more and more towards my cleric idea. Was once a high ranking member of the evil church, and went through a moral conundrum, and ended up losing his way, and being stripped of his rank, and all godly given powers. After spending time in the figurative gutters, slumming about bars and brothels, he ended up being "saved" by a wandering cleric of Cayden Cailean (I wanted something chaotic good to contrast the lawful evil church he left). He is now starting his new life, devoted to Cayden Cailean and his ideals, freedom, and wine.

Still deciding on race. Was originally thinking human, but Dwarf might be fun for this character.

The summoner sounded really fun, but I decided it was a little too similar to my last character, so I scraped the idea.

[Rabbit]

You should of course choose whichever deity you are drawn to but I wanted to point out Sarenrae because among her worshipers are "redeemed evil-doers."

And as a side note, it could be fun if we were all the same (non-human) race. Like a troupe of dwarves.

[michael]

I'm fine with building a lot of aspects of my character to fill the gaps our group doesn't have. In addition to the alchemist gladiator and the inquisitor, I was thinking of an Oracle that foresaw something he shouldn't have and is being hunted because of it, a summoner, or one of the variant fighter builds from the APG.

As for race, I was thinking Elf, half elf, or tiefling for the Alchemist, half Orc or dwarf for all of the others. And possibly tiefling for the variant fighter as well. Basically, I have a lot of options, and I'll pick whichever one fits in best with what you guys come up with.

[icnivad]

I settled on Cleric for sure. Character's about half done.

[Rabbit]

Michael here is some info about our characters and how they tie into the setting.

Talik and I are both playing dwarves from the same clan and think it would be fun if you were too.

Clan HopCrusher is based out of a dwarven city far from Westcrown. After making their initial wealth from brewing beers they expanded into property repossession and resale. Basically scavenging items and selling them for marked up profits. In Westcrown we have a tavern owned by the clan (Mikey has the “know tavern owner” trait) named the Barley Bitch. The tavern and docks are the clan's business hubs.

Mikey is playing a Fighter (front line combatant) with skill points in Prof Merchant. He has recently returned to Westcrown after having been working abroad. He was sent back because crime has picked up on the docks and is there to check things out.

Talik is playing a Cleric of Cayden Cailean (healer and face.) His back story is that he was a cleric of Asmadeous for decades and even became high ranking. Then after facing a moral dilemma he left the church and lost all his powers. Later he met a wandering cleric of Cayden and restarted his clerical path.

So that’s what we have so far…

[michael]

Well, if our clan is known for brewing beer, then I think I have to be an Alchemist! I suppose my initial unwilling gladiator concept could work, albeit with a slightly different personality than I had originally envisioned. Or he could be an alchemist with a different backstory, I suppose. I'll mull it over and look through the traits available.

[reefwood]

I'll try to post some Dwarf info in the World thread soonish.

Also, Michael, if you wanted to get together in person, I'll be around on and off today, Monday, and Tuesday.

EDIT: But get a hold of me via phone/text for today cos I don't know if I'll be online again until tomorrow.

[icnivad]

Alchemist sounds awesome. Is his role more front line combatant? Or more on the arcane side?

[Rabbit]

Ah, brewing alchemist could be awesome!

[reefwood]

Barley Bitch

Tavern Owner: One of the town’s most influential and beloved nobles. Her inn/tavern is the most popular in town, and as one of her friends, you're guaranteed a place to eat and sleep for free. She's got lots of great contacts with merchants as well, and she'll sell any of your loot for you—as a result, you gain an additional 10% over the amount of gp you normally would get from selling off treasure.

Rabbit has elected to take this campaign trait, so you don't have to worry about food or housing while in the city, which will be for most of this campaign. We have already discussed some details of the tavern (brewery, owned by Rabbit's distant cousin, small number of rooms with most taken up by Hopcrushers, located on the docks with the clientele mostly consisting of sailors/travelers), and I was curious if players have had any more thoughts (staff, details, etc) on this locale? I may fill in some of the finer details as time goes on, or not.

Also, I picture the tavern sign featuring a dog (of a breed with as much as a beard as a dog can have) holding hops in its mouth... but maybe that's just me

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Clan Hopcrusher

Like the tavern, this is another element created by the players. Feel free to add more ideas on clan members and dealings in Westcrown, and I may chime in with a thought or two.

Right now it looks like there are relatively few Hopcrushers in the city. Renold and his deceased parents who were locals and members of the Church of Asmodeus, Rabbit (non-local) and his distant cousin and a few other family members associated with the tavern and repo business (but it sounded like most jobs were done by non-dwarven locals?), and whatever Michael adds to the mix.

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Re: Character Concepts

By the way, I never got around to posting the info below before our character creation session, and Michael seems pretty set, but this still gives you a bit of info about the setting:

The 3rd son noble works as a paige apprentice in an arcane library. Learns basics collecting texts for wizards and lore masters but realizes he will have to strike out on his own if he ever wants to get out of the library. Seeks out rumored Pathfinder’s Hero Guild.

Do you mean the Pathfinder Society? Most Pathfinder Lodges (a.k.a. headquarters) shut down after House Thrune took over Cheliax, but one of the few to remain open was Delvehaven in Westcrown. However, it was abandoned 35 years ago and has been barred by the Dottari ever since, so there are certainly rumors about it!

Homeless halfing becomes defender of his street “family.” A monk or rogue embittered against the Cheliax rulers who enslave his kind.

This angle certainly gives reason for wanting change and building a connection to an element outside the status quo, and it would be interesting to explore the halfling status of servitude.

Paladin in hiding is born with gifts and morals he must hide or risk bringing death or danger to his loved ones. Fights Evil covertly waiting for the day he can do more.

Paladins are rare in Cheliax but not unheard of or needing to hide. However, an eye may be kept on someone with an obvious high moral outlook and special gifts related to it, so I can see why one might want to keep it under wraps... especially if you want to fight evil without joining the Dottari or Hellknights (who aren't inherently evil, even if they are rigid but do train with demons and certainly have plenty of evil within their ranks).

Dishonored noble. In his youth, the character attempted to summon a devil outside of his ability and was disfigured by the experience. Years later can he ever overcome his disgrace? Perhaps an Illusionist.

There's certainly plenty of nobility in Westcrown, even if it pales in comparison to before House Thrune took over. And maybe he got hold of a scroll well above his level?

During the upheaval that resulted in Asmodeous the patron God of the Cheliax a troupe of Orc mercenaries aided the devil worshipers. As a reward the leaders of the group were offered knight hood and established an order of warriors. Over the century the order has degenerated into hired thugs and cut throats, and lost all prestige. This character is an honorable descendant of the order and seeks to reestablish them as a true power in the realm. Perhaps a ranger/knight or cavalier.

I think orcs & goblins take up the more traditional "bad guy" fantasy role in Golarion, so it makes sense that some might team up with House Thrune. Also, there is plenty of muscle for hire in Westcrown, and that is a common role for half-orcs. Although, I assume the reestablishment of power would be on the not-so-evil side? Though, it wouldn't have to ben on the straight out good side. There's some neat info in the Inner Sea Guide about Gorum (CN) on how he came out during the great human-orc war, and it's debated who he actually wanted to win.

A Dwarf merchant from a distant nation. On the outside he is a business man overseeing his family business interests, but he is involved with a secret resistance against the devil worshipers.

Plenty of trade goes on in the city. This brings in more prestige and wealth these days than the nobility, though, the nobility may disagree. There is no all-out resistance, but yes, change is a-brewing.

Character has spent most of his life in prison for a minor crime committed in his youth. Perhaps a gnome and so his physical form reflects his prison life. Little love for the Devil’s Law. Maybe rogue, shadow dancer.

It is easy to land in prison for words as well as actions, and the rigidity of life here can easily frustrate free spirits.

[Rabbit]

Dec 10, 2012 17:12:34 GMT -5 reefwood said:

Barley Bitch

Tavern Owner: One of the town’s most influential and beloved nobles. Her inn/tavern is the most popular in town, and as one of her friends, you're guaranteed a place to eat and sleep for free. She's got lots of great contacts with merchants as well, and she'll sell any of your loot for you—as a result, you gain an additional 10% over the amount of gp you normally would get from selling off treasure.

Rabbit has elected to take this campaign trait, so you don't have to worry about food or housing while in the city, which will be for most of this campaign. We have already discussed some details of the tavern (brewery, owned by Rabbit's distant cousin, small number of rooms with most taken up by Hopcrushers, located on the docks with the clientele mostly consisting of sailors/travelers), and I was curious if players have had any more thoughts (staff, details, etc) on this locale? I may fill in some of the finer details as time goes on, or not.

Also, I picture the tavern sign featuring a dog (of a breed with as much as a beard as a dog can have) holding hops in its mouth... but maybe that's just me

---

Clan Hopcrusher

Like the tavern, this is another element created by the players. Feel free to add more ideas on clan members and dealings in Westcrown, and I may chime in with a thought or two.

Right now it looks like there are relatively few Hopcrushers in the city. Renold and his deceased parents who were locals and members of the Church of Asmodeus, Rabbit (non-local) and his distant cousin and a few other family members associated with the tavern and repo business (but it sounded like most jobs were done by non-dwarven locals?), and whatever Michael adds to the mix.

One thing that didn't get mentioned is that I like the idea of Gendrew having a crush on his cousin who runs the tavern. Everything else sounds good to me and I'm open to alterations or additions that others want to add...

[Rabbit]

Gendrew Hopcrusher!

[reefwood]

Woo! Stoked for tonight. Feel free to come as early as you like.

Also, can icnivad and Rabbit post their character traits?

And I left my laptop charger at Rabbit's place last night, so I will be off-line until I get that, but you are welcome to post questions online as I can now get a bit of interbot in my apt.

[reefwood]

Good job everyone on kicking off the campaign last night! I'm going to post a brief recap with awards, inquire about tying up loose ends, set-up an in-character thread, but for right now, here are a couple rules items from last night. Let me know if I'm forgetting anything below or something else that was asked.

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Acrobatics - Long Jump DC

I'm going to stick with how I handled long jumps in War Stories, so the distance traveled is the DC (as long as you get the 10 ft running start).

Squares A-B-C: If you are in square A and want to jump over square B to land in square C, jumping from A to C is 2 squares, so 10 ft (or 15 ft diagonally).

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Sunder

Sunder
You can attempt to sunder an item held or worn by your opponent as part of an attack action in place of a melee attack. If you do not have the Improved Sunder feat, or a similar ability, attempting to sunder an item provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver.

If your attack is successful, you deal damage to the item normally. Damage that exceeds the object's Hardness is subtracted from its hit points. If an object has equal to or less than half its total hit points remaining, it gains the broken condition (see Conditions). If the damage you deal would reduce the object to less than 0 hit points, you can choose to destroy it. If you do not choose to destroy it, the object is left with only 1 hit point and the broken condition.


Improved Sunder (Combat)
You are skilled at damaging your foes' weapons and armor.
Prerequisite: Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a sunder combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +2 bonus on checks made to sunder an item. You also receive a +2 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to sunder your gear.

Normal: You provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a sunder combat maneuver.

Lucerne Hammer: This polearm has both a pronged hammer head for crushing blows and a spiked head for piercing and peeling armor; most attacks are made with the hammer. The long haft allows the wielder to put amazing force behind the head of this weapon. You gain a +2 bonus to your CMB to sunder medium or heavy armor with a lucerne hammer.

I didn't get around to reading up on this or checking the numbers before the game, but this is what I was able to figure out:

CMB: +2 BAB +3 Str +0 size = +5

Sunder: +5 CMB +2 feat = +7

Sunder w/Lucerne Hammer: +7 sunder +2 vs med/heavy armor = +9 vs med/heavy armor

It looks like Gendrew has two kinds of sunder attacks with the Lucerne Hammer: 1) med/heavy armor, and 2) everything else. Also, I'm not with my books right now and don't remember if the Inner Sea weapon applies a sunder attack bonus to specific items or all items, so that may be a third and perhaps even fourth set of numbers. *see edit below*

From I can tell, all these bonuses to sunder are only for the attack roll. Damage is normal, so Str bonus (+3) is added to light and one-handed weapons, and Str bonus x1.5 (+4) is added to two-handed weapons and one-handed weapons wielded in two hands. Additionally, Power Attack provides another set of bonuses to damage (+2 or +3 two-handed) and a penalty to attack (-1):

1-handed damage: weapon damage +3
2-handed damage: weapon damage +4
Power Attack 1-handed damage: weapon damage +5
Power Attack 2-handed damage: weapon damage +7

And I'm going to brush up on the hardness & hit points of weapons & armor. Not gonna stat every item that an NPC carries but hopefully get it down well enough to reference quickly and maybe stat the more special ones that come up.

EDIT: The Earth Breaker does a lot of damage but doesn't add anything in particular to sundering, so it uses the regular "CMB +7 sunder" modifier and does damage as normal.