Pathfinder PBP - Master Of The Fallen Fortress

[Bluedevyl]

A wide field of shattered weapons, barrow mounds, and mass graves surrounds the city of Absalom, a vast plain known as the Cairnlands. Rising from the war-torn earth like the grasping arms of the dead are countless siege castles, towers, and fortresses constructed over the millenia by would-be warlords who tried to take the great city and inevitably failed. Like forgotten monuments to failed conquerors, the siege castles of Absalom beckon the brave, the fearless, and the foolish with the promise of adventure and untold treasures, ever ready to create heroes or to entomb the fallen.

So I'm looking to start a play by post Pathfinder game. I'm hoping it will scratch the itch to role-play between Runelords sessions. For now, I'd like to keep it strictly to play-by-post, but if we wanted to later on, perhaps we could play live once or twice on Roll20.

I'm looking for 4 to 6 players, but could go with more if more people were interested.

You can create your own level 1 character if you'd like, or I can generate one for you if you're interested but have limited time to create your own.

Let me know if anyone is interested.

Thanks!

[Zen]

Totally in! Any character guidelines?

[Bluedevyl]

I'd shy away from evil characters, but anything you can find in the SRD is fine by me.

I really only have access to the D20 Pathfinder SRD, unless I borrow books from Darcs, which I could totally do.

If you know of a character idea that's in Gods of the Inner Sea or another sourcebook, that's totally cool. I'll borrow it from him and return it promptly

[Tahlvin]

I'd love to!

I'll see what others are playing, but right now I'm thinking of either an Elf Arcanist, or perhaps a Dwarf Paladin.

[Zen]

I had an idea a while back for a monk who had an awakening when on a survival training exercise and started to become a druid. I think that is what I'll do for this character. Jeff suggested the "Skinwalker" race, which is a nice fit for this mixture since it gets a +2 to Wisdom and +2 to either Str, Dex, or Con when shifted.

Looking through the archetypes and knowing what I was looking to do with the character, I'm thinking that the "Monk of the Four Winds" Monk archetype and Elementalurgist Druid archetype are what I'm aiming for. (The character might seem like something out of Avatar...)

[bralbovsky]

I'd love to. I'll play whatever. Maybe roll me last based on what you think might balance out the party.

[Zen]

Decisions, decisions... Should I take STR or DEX (with Weapon Finesse) as my higher stat? (The other one will be a 11, BTW.) When I "wolf out" (or "Cat Out" maybe... I think I like the idea of looking more cat like if I choose DEX as the higher stat...) I'll get to choose which stat to boost each time, but I'll probably be consistent because of the disparity. I can't think of a reason to boost my CON really. (Can anybody?) The increased DEX would give me one advantage that STR would not, and that is the ability to take the Feat once I have BAB +6, which allows me to shift as a move action instead of a standard action... I already plan on taking (Which required shifting the 13 from DEX to CON, which was welcomed for the HP bonus anyway...) Which allows me to choose one additional feature when I shift, so I'll be able to have both claws and +1 natural armor or claws and night vision or night vision and natural armor. I can take it one more time and it will stack and I'll get the full package with each shift... That seemed like a worthwhile trade. (And, if I always take the natural armor, it makes up for the lower DEX AND increases my HP...) But if I need to take Weapon Finesse at first level, I'll need to wait to take Extra Feature until later... I'll probably be using the armor option most of the time to start anyway, since my unarmed strike does more damage than my claws anyway.

I do have a question about how natural attacks work, however... Can anyone fill me in on the process there? Do I get two claw attacks as a standard action? So, if I take the feat that allows me to use my natural weapon with Flurry of Blows (which I can't do until I have Weapon Focus on my claws anyway, which requires BAB +1, which doesn't happen until later...) would I get to do 4 attacks?

Also, how do the claws impact the unarmed strike? Are they just there? It seems like they would add something to the attack, no?

I personally think the greater DEX works better with the conception of my character... And the fighting style I, as a player, am more accustomed to... (I generally play DEX fighters, let's face it...)

My rolls, using the 4D6, drop the lowest method, were:
STR 11
DEX 14
CON 13
INT 11
WIS 16
CHA 10

With racial modifiers that turns into
STR 11
DEX 14
CON 13
INT 9
WIS 18
CHA 10

(Full disclosure, I rolled three sets and chose the one I liked best. It happened to be the first one. sigh... The highest roll in the bunch was a 17, and it had at least one sub-10 roll in the mix and a couple 10s, the other had nothing below 10, but nothing over 15.)

I found a different excel spreadsheet () that seems to have a better package than the one I was using, which didn't have spells. This one looks like it has spells available and, once I figured out how to get all the books included, it had Skinwalkers available as a race, which mine didn't seem to have. It didn't have all of the traits or deities available, but it has the ability to add things very easily. (I'm going to be a worshiper of and work that into my backstory. I assume that it wasn't in the spreadsheet because it is a 3rd party deity that they hadn't bothered with. I like the attitude... it should fit with how my character sees the world, and - all the elements, so it fits with the "Monk of the Four Winds" and the Elementalurgist concept.)

So, anyway... Any opinions? Should I do DEX? STR? Should I go radical and put it in Charisma and plan on seducing my way through life? (I've been reading too much of the "Shit my players say" blog... It is hilarious! There are tons of "seduce everything" posts.)

[Stan]

I might try a cleric. Pathfinder feels foreign to me now but Hero Lab will keep me on track..

[Bluedevyl]

Excellent! I'm very much looking forward to this.

We have 4 people who seem up for playing so far:

Zen
Tahlvin
bralbovsky
Stan

I'll leave this open to other interested parties through the weekend.

Let me know if you'd like me to roll up your character or if you'd prefer to make your own. I'll be happy to do either way.

[Tahlvin]

Alright, I'm going with an elven magus spell dancer.

Allanon Silverleaf
Male elf magus (spell dancer) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Race Guide 24, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 9)
CG Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +7; Senses low-light vision; Perception +2
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +3 Dex)
hp 9 (1d8+1)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1; +2 vs. enchantments
Immune sleep
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee longsword +0 (1d8/19-20)
Special Attacks arcane pool (+1, 4 points), spell combat
Magus (Spell Dancer) Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +4)
. . 1st—magic missile, shield
. . 0 (at will)—detect magic, prestidigitation, read magic
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 16, Wis 9, Cha 12
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 13
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Acrobatics +4 (+0 to jump), Knowledge (arcana) +7, Perception +2, Perform (dance) +5, Spellcraft +7 (+9 to identify magic item properties); Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, +2 Spellcraft to identify magic item properties
Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven, Goblin
SQ elven magic, spell dance
Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds (2); Other Gear leather armor, longsword, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, hemp rope (50 ft.), ink, inkpen, magus starting spellbook, mess kit[UE], pot, soap, spell component pouch, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, 23 gp
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Arcane Pool +1 (4/day) (Su) Infuse own power into a held weapon, granting enhancement bonus or selected item powers.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Elven Magic +2 to spellcraft checks to determine the properties of a magic item.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Spell Combat (Ex) Use a weapon with one hand at -2 and cast a spell with the other.
Spell Dance (+10 ft/round, +2 AC vs. attacks of opportunity) (Su) Spend 1 arcane pool point for enhanced speed, maneuverability.

Hero Lab and the Hero Lab logo are Registered Trademarks of LWD Technology, Inc. Free download at http://www.wolflair.com
Pathfinder® and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Paizo Inc.®, and are used under license.

[Stan]

Haven't bought all the gear but otherwise done.

Larry Lokrund Dwarf cleric of Iomedae 1 LG Medium humanoid (dwarf) Init +0;
Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4 (+6 to notice unusual stonework)
————— Defense —————
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +1 shield) hp 14 (1d8+6) Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +6; +2 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities Defensive Abilities defensive training
————— Offense —————
Speed 20 ft. Melee longsword +2 (1d8+2/19-20) Special Attacks channel positive energy 4/day (DC 13, 1d6), hatred

Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +5) 1st—cure light wounds , protection from evil , shield of faith D 0 (at will)— detect magic, light, stabilize D Domain spell; Domains Glory (Honor APG subdomain), War (Tactics APG subdomain)
————— Statistics —————
Str 14, Dex 11, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 12 Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 12 (16 vs. bull rush, 16 vs. trip)
Feats Toughness
Skills Acrobatics -5 (-9 to jump), Appraise +1 (+3 to assess nonmagical metals or gemstones), Diplomacy +5, Heal +8, Perception +4 (+6 to notice unusual stonework), Sense Motive +8, Spellcraft +5; Racial Modifiers +2 Appraise to assess nonmagical metals or gemstones, +2 Perception to notice unusual stonework
Languages Celestial, Common, Dwarven
SQ honor bound, seize the initiative Other
Gear scale mail, light steel shield, longsword, 76 gp

[Zen]

Sia Konar
Female Skinwalker Monk
LN medium humanoid
Init +2 Senses Low-Light Vision Perception +8
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 14
hp 9
Fort 3 Reflex 4 Will 6
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft
Melee Unarmed Strike +3 (1d6/x2) or Unarmed Strike +2 / +2 (1d6/x2) or Claw +3 / +3 (1d4/x2) or Claw +2 / +2 (1d4+1/x2)
Ranged Javelin +3 (1d6/x2)
Special Attacks Flurry of Blows
Space 5 Reach 5
STATISTICS
STR 11 DEX 14 CON 13 INT 9 WIS 18 CHA 10
BAB 0 CMB 0 CMD 17
Feats Weapon Finesse, Dodge
Skills Acrobatics 6, Appraise -1, Bluff 5, Climb 0, Diplomacy 0, Disguise 0, Escape Artist 2, Fly 2, Heal 4, Intimidate 0, Perception 8, Ride 2, Sense Motive 8, Stealth 2, Survival 4, Swim 0
Languages Common
Gear Javelin, Kama, Sling, Nunchaku, Shuriken (10), Bullets - Sling (10), Monk's outfit, Kit - Monk's, Flask - Hip

This isn't the perfect image (I'm pretty sure this is probably supposed to be Catfolk) But I'm going with this as her shifted form... She has a lynx like face (Iberian Lynx). At least that was the closest I found looking at pictures of wild cats. Most that have spots don't have the fluff like tigers. Maybe it's supposed to be a white tiger? But it is a bit too leopard/lynx like...)



Full character sheet is

[Zen]

Alternate version:
Sia Konar
Female Skinwalker, Coldborn Monk
LN medium humanoid
Init +1 Senses Low-Light Vision Perception +7
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 13
hp 9
Fort 3 Reflex 3 Will 5
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft
Melee Unarmed Strike +2 (1d6+2/x2) or Unarmed Strike +1 / +1 (1d6+2/x2) or Claw +2 / +2 (1d4+2/x2) or Bite +2 (1d6+2/x2) or Bite -3 (1d6+1/x2)
Special Attacks Flurry of Blows
Space 5 Reach 5
STATISTICS
STR 14 DEX 13 CON 13 INT 11 WIS 16 CHA 8
BAB 0 CMB 2 CMD 17
Feats Extra Feature, Dodge
Skills Acrobatics 5, Appraise 0, Bluff 4, Climb 8, Diplomacy -1, Disguise -1, Escape Artist 1, Fly 1, Heal 3, Intimidate -1, Perception 7, Ride 1, Sense Motive 7, Stealth 1, Survival 3, Swim 2
Languages Common
Gear Javelin (5), Kama, Sling, Nunchaku, Shuriken (10), Bullets - Sling (10), Monk's outfit, Kit - Monk's, Flask - Hip

This is a different build for the character that is a Coldborn Skinwalker, or Werebear-kin. I think I'm leaning toward this one...

Normal skinwalkers have three choices when shifting and can choose to augment STR, DEX, or CON when shifting. The three choices are:
- two claw attacks that each deal 1d4 points of damage
- 60 foot darkvision
- +1 natural armor bonus

Coldborn have four options and ONLY have their WIS augmented when shifted. Their options are:
- Bite attack that deals 1d6 points of damage
- 2 claw attacks that each deal 1d4 points of damage
- Climb speed of 20 feet
- Scent to a range of 30 feet

They also have different racial modifications to their stats up front. Regular skin walkers get +2 WIS, -2 INT; Coldborn get +2 CON, -2 CHA.

So, I would be giving up the natural armor and bonus in DEX or STR, but keeping the WIS bonus, but only when shifted... However, by switching around my numbers, I gain a skill point per level and get the opportunity to do Claw, Claw, Bite attacks, since I took Extra Feature with this build...

So, if I use this one, my HP, as well as Perception and other WIS based skills will increase when I'm shifted, as well as my AC since I'm a Monk. So my shifted AC would be 16. (Not as good as the other version, but the other version couldn't do the type of damage this one can...)

Full character sheet .

Opinions? Which do you guys think looks better?

[bralbovsky]

I'm fine with you filling in whatever char you want to see played, or whatever might be necessary to fill in gaps. Locks, etc? Old school dnd sort of got frustrating without a rogue, but I don't know if that's true anymore. You can pm me, but I don't mind consulting in public either.

[Phoebe]

How do you want people to roll up a character? 4d6 drop the lowest? Or... ???

My goal in life is to play a gnome witch with prehensile hair - i.e. to play myself. However, this might not be the right moment. I might do something totally random - just whatever the party is lacking.

[Zen]

Hmmm... Looking at the party balance, I'd say we are in need of a rogue, who could always dual class with something else if desired. (You can always keep taking ranks in Disable Device even if you aren't taking Rogue levels.) More spellcasting power. (Magi are OK, but they are not quite as powerful as Wizards, Sorcerers, or Arcanists. The Cleric will have some, but much of his spell casting mojo will be dedicated to healing I would think. The Druid will be, frankly, a sideline to the Monk... I'll probably get to 6/6 if we get that far, but after that, it will be all Monk unless something changes.)

I think we are probably OK for fighters, especially if I go with the Coldborn Skinwalker option. (I will need help figuring out how multiple natural attacks work though...)

[Zen]

New character image, un-shifted: (Not sure who the artist is and I apologize for grabbing it, but it is pretty much perfect... I did darken the eyes a bit...)



She has white hair and black eyes, with fairly dark skin. When shifted, she'll generally be kind of polar-bear like, with white fur on her arms and legs, and elongated snout, but not a full bear face, fangs, claws, and bear feet, but no cute little bear ears, thank you very much, and no tail, at least not that she has seen. She tends to wear sandals in warm weather and boots that are easily removed in cold weather, since shifting tends to be rough on normal footwear. (If she isn't around people she doesn't know, she'll just travel shifted in cold weather wince her bear feet are pretty cold weather capable.)

[Phoebe]

I didn't know that the world needed a woman fighter who shape-shifts into a polar bear like form until now, but the world definitely needs this!

[Zen]

Looking at her you might think, "She's fairly attractive... I don't see how she could have such a low charisma?" But that's because you haven't experienced her lack of people skills.

[Bluedevyl]

Phoebe, I prefer 4D6 drop the lowest. My rule has always been that if you add up all of your ability score modifiers after a set of rolls and it's not at least a total of +2, reroll them. Our characters are supposed to stand out from the common folk of their time. This is why I use this guideline.

I love the idea of a gnome witch... let me know if you're up for it.

Bill, I think a rogue would be great. Would you like me to roll it up?