Recruiting: high scale Pathfinder, Taldor, aka Byzantium focused

Started by Kolbrandr, June 02, 2013, 03:46:12 AM

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Ebb

Kolbrandr: As we start to do world-building, would you like the writeups posted here, or sent to you by PM, or put in a new thread somewhere out of the Roleplays Wanted area, or something else? Do you have any interest in putting stuff up on the Elliquiy wiki? Learning the formatting is a pain, but for basic stuff I find it works pretty well. And it's nice if you're building things over time, or collaborating on building things.

I thought I'd start to tackle things by writing up a description of the Academy, and I figure the more that people do on their own organizations the better we can find links and tie characters together.


kckolbe

By the way, Trilogy, I like the concept.  A bard/rogue would have a LOT of tricks up her sleeve, which makes things unpredictable. 

As for my char, I am now going cleric/barbarian, as I kinda got carried away with the whole worship of Nethys aspect and decided to go with that more.  As far as background goes, I would kind of like to have had someone keen on knowledge: arcana and spellcraft that he could have studied things under.
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ShadowFox89

 I'm thinking Magi//Ninja, using the Kensai archtype for Magi for an unarmored fighter.
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Kolbrandr

Ebb: PM first if you wouldn't mind, and then.. blarg, wikis man. They are certainly useful stuff, just formatting and such indeed makes me want to cry. If someone is feeling super generous to help me with that, we can try and make use of it.

Ebb

Quote from: Kolbrandr on June 04, 2013, 10:17:28 AM
Ebb: PM first if you wouldn't mind, and then.. blarg, wikis man. They are certainly useful stuff, just formatting and such indeed makes me want to cry. If someone is feeling super generous to help me with that, we can try and make use of it.

I'd be happy to help out with the wiki side. I've experimented with it enough to figure out most of the basic stuff.

Kolbrandr

I am reaching my must go work point, but before then, just some notes.

Trilogy: Just to add on the concept, I would want some notes/work/detail on the royal you're otherwise connected to/the daughter of, though you could always pick out an npc that gets posted up instead if you want to wait on more of those to eyeball.

Generally: So, on organizations. So here's what it is. I don't really want to force you guys to learn multiple new subsystems ontop of Pathfinder just because I like them (and you might not even have ult campaign), as discussed with a couple of you thereby to this point, I will abstract that some, and the handling of that some, particularly to things like resource bases and assets, management of, that kind of deal. It's handwavy, yeah, and requires some faith, but it's probably a bit smoother. That said, because it's really fast and easy to pick up and easy to relate to you guys, I will see if we can get some use out of the face/fame system from it, the tracking court status (and criminal underworld status) being entirely relevant.

If national scale warfare does come up, I will want to get some mileage out of the mass combat system, but that wouldn't potentially involve all of you anyway, and it is a really clean and smoothly done thing.

Beyond that, two main ways to do an organization of yours, /if/ you want to have one:

1) Very simply, take the free leadership feat, take some extra cohort within limits of what you want to deal with and your cha bonus and tada! There you are. Done. Pros: Simple, your cohort and followers are certainly loyal, and the only thing you really have to do is stat the cohorts. Cons: I'm not going to hand you larger resource bases and organizational influence for something like that comparatively speaking.

2) The more involved: Sooo.. see the Varian writeup? Basically that kind of thing but maybe somewhat more depth. I'm going to post a group writeup that is on the opposite side of the scale of super depth. If you want to be especially mega important as a group, aim basically for somewhere in the middle of those two. And how you do it is you put in some stuff on overview, history, strengths, weaknesses, membership, locations even. And as far as membership, certainly you have your cohorts and followers, but you can potentially have other people across a wider organization beyond your followers and cohorts.  But, not being cohorts/followers, they can be more in flux/have agendas of their own/so forth. Also, you or another player play the cohorts, these npcs would be played out by me. They're also not people you can just grab for schemes and adventures, they are doing their own thing as part of maintaining your thing (or if a noble family, living their lives). Basically you have to be more reasoned if calling them away for a thing, but you can marshal them for larger gambits, note them for overall plans, etc. Would break down like this: the one person of your level, aka, the person who takes over if you die. Two people of a level below that, i.e. high up functionaries. Four of a level below that. And then however many of the levels below that. So for example, some hypothetical level 14 head of a major royal family would go the one 14th level sort aside from them, then two 13th, then four 12th, then however many of levels below that, within reason. And gestalt similarly, unless you don’t want them to be.

That said, you don’t, good lord, have to stat such people up, just describe them, and note their levels, ala the Varian npc entries. You also don’t have to completely fill that out if you don’t want to. You can also, as someone asked when I was talking this out with them, in fact make them of lower levels than that if you want. And if they just have npc levels, they can be whatever level so long as it isn’t higher than yours.

Similarly if someone in your group is actually an active, notable detriment to it (and kudos to you for including that sort of person), whatever level you like, just not higher than yours.

Pros: I will entirely treat you as having unto a wider resource base and reach of influence for going that way. And you know, levels for you. Cons: More work.

ShadowFox89

 Hmm... What about a mercenary company under command of the PC? Granted, the merc company might have fingers in the pies of assassins, thieves, saboteurs, courtiers....
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Kolbrandr

Okay, I do have to jet, but I'll be back around in the evening (for me). So, before that, preview from the current spate of npc write-ups for families and groups I'm cobbling together (note, I assure you, everyone is not going to be this awful!):

Lady Paramount Helena Branas, the Steel Harpy (Rogue 6/Duelist 7//Fighter 13 (Aldori Swordlord Archetype)

The folk music of Andoran is usually a fairly cheery thing, celebratory as their triumphant and shining nation. One does not expect to find particularly dark murder ballads, or tales of incarnated boogeymen. Helena Branas has worked with vicious glee to be a one woman inspiration of the exceptions to this rule. Her nickname is a curse from the nation she holds a blood vendetta against, given for the jangling cloak of winged epaulettes that trails from her shoulders, each taken from an Eagle Knight she has slaughtered.

It was not always thus. Helena was once the promising child of a match between a Branas son and one of the old Taldan lines that persisted in the then failing vassals of the then desperately splintering Chelish empire. It was a typical Branas effort to give some bolstering to an old and proud lineage rather than see it fall to dust (and politically justifiable with some words about winning them back to Taldor or some such).

The People’s revolution would grip Andoran but a few short years later, and in the end, came for her family. Her father was a Branas of course, and would not yield to some mob, no matter how well organized or well meaning. And being a Branas, his defense against overwhelming odds held long enough for loyal retainers to take Helena and flee. The parting sight of her heartbroken, blood maddened mother flinging herself in murderous fury into a group of soldiers after her father’s fall remained with her as lingering trauma. Still, the rest of the family took her in, and their reserve and resolve was a curious comfort to her, she managed to build an identity and life for herself, even find happiness in marriage to a distant cousin, bring three shining sons into the world.

But that’s not how a murder ballad goes. Helena’s husband and eldest child would find themselves in distress one day on an ocean voyage, finding aid and rescue in the passing vessel of a rajah of Jalmeray, who was feeling generous to fellow men of breeding and what was left of their crew. A vessel that was, as if in some cruel farce, being tracked by Andoran’s Gray Corsairs for its crew of slave rowers. Bound by honour to fight for their rescuers, father and son fell with them.

It was more than Helena could take, unable to decide whether to sob or laugh madly. A Branas daughter still, she did not break of course, but depending on who you asked, she certainly warped. Grabbing up her two remaining children, she seemed to simply vanish into the world. She would only reappear years later, hardened after years of training herself and children alike into instruments of vengeance and cruelty against the nation that had savaged her heart into a ruin. She walked into the family lands in the Tandak Plains, and the scarred great dire lioness that had recently lost children of her own to poachers found and joined to her, without remote need for druid intermediary.

Forming a band of reavers around her then, she set out to have blood pay for blood. It’s not always easy of course. The border between Andoran and Taldor is relatively stable most of the time, raiding over it too hard and too blatantly would be clamped down on vigorously from on high. But the crusading idealism of the Andorens works to her brutal favour. There are always infiltrators, agents, Eagle Knights coming to poke around where they shouldn’t. And then, there is Helena, watching with cold, careful patience, then bringing to bear techniques in warfare and personal combat collected from across Avistan in gory havoc.

When not venting her spleen more directly, Helena rides herd over the lines of defense her house has established along the Andoran border with an obsessive skill and distinction that earned her a (semi reluctant) acknowledgement as Lady Paramount of the family there in the house’s internal structures. While a mildly terrifying presence within even her own home nation, Helena is much beloved both amongst those who hate Andoran, and amongst the Taldan military. It was Helena and her reavers after all that rode to the rescue of the ill fated expeditionary force that sought to “pacify” Andoran of its own initiative. As eager Andorans chased its tattered remnants back across the border, Helena and her reavers seemed to come out of nowhere, annihilating the harrying scions of liberty with brutal precision that might have been called sadistic. Praised as a saviour by the Taldan survivors, Helena manages the small kindness of not mentioning she was really just happy to kill that many Andoran soldiers at once.

Her enemy nation, knowing her story, views her as tragic and horrifying all at once, her dark legend deepening with every red victory. She has become a mirror of Andronicus and Qadira, in that worthies of Andoran will entirely seek her out in the hopes of ending her threat. Nothing fills her with as much wicked delight as dealing with such would be heroes. The former Branas Grand Duke honestly found the issue of Helena awkward. Twisted obsession might perhaps outweigh however much talent in command, warfare, and personal combat could be demonstrated. Aurelian, despite a morality stronger than his father’s, seems unable to help finding Helena to be sympathetic, for all the problems that causes. In return, she is one of those in the house who has welcomed him with open arms. Both of them know loss after all. Both know what it is to live a life that learns the truth that sometimes, love conquers nothing.

ShadowFox89

 Alright, I think a Tiefling Magus//Ninja mercenary captain. Now I just have to think of a background and writeup for the company.
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Kolbrandr

Really, really quickly, no magi, it's in the first post. It's too close to gestalt fighter/mage that you might as well just do gestalt fighter/mage.

That said, mercenary company, totally possible.

This may mean you are like the only person in game that likes the Varian though, who I am considering changing their house blazon to a giant spinning gif of Joffrey's head ;p

ShadowFox89

 The concept would only work with Magi, so that concept is scrap. Again. It isn't gestalt fighter/mage, at all. But whatever. At this point, I'm ready to drop out because that's two concepts now that won't work.
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Muse

Question. 
Noble Scion gives the class feature Greater Leadership at level 2.  This grants leadership as a bonus feat and raises the minimum level of your cohorts.  (Assuming I can earn level 9), may I change, "Grants Leadership" to "Grants the feat: Extra Cohort" since I already have leadership?   
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RubySlippers

The trait Natural Born Leader adds +1 to Leadership scores and gives a small +1 boost on moral as well.

Muse

*Snickers*  E.F.A., all I'm really missing with these restrictions is the Open Minded feat from Psionics Unleashed.  It grants an extra skill point per level.  ^_^;; 
A link for all of us who ever had a shouting match with our muse: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

How to set this Muse ablaze (O/Os)

When the little angel won't appear no matter how many plum blossoms you swirl:  https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=135346.msg16474321#msg16474321 (Major update 5/10/2023)

Callie Del Noire

Hmmm.. how about..

Lady Roasa Annarey Del Noire, Baroness of Lower Zimdar, (Bard/Cleric)

Muse

House Vaughn:  Grand Prince Voris IV of Taldane was advised by a wise, powerful and trusted wizard, Vaugh.  He elevated the man to the senatorial class, and had a prosperous and beneficent reighn under Vaughns advise. 

   Grand Prince Voris V was not so fond of his father's advisor.  Though it was explicitly in Voris's will that Vaughn be ennobled with the title Magistros Vaughn, his son gave the wizard a land grant in the foothills of the very dangerous Fog Peaks.  With the aid of some earth elementals, clever spells, and a lot of luck, Vaughn not only secured his valley for farmland, but found mines for guano, iron, and gems.  Three years later, wealthier and stronger than ever, Vaughn returned to the capitol with a wife and son, riding in an animate carriage, and proceeded to harass the Grand Prince towards a wiser rule to the end of his days. 

Narcius Vaughn:  Most of Vaughn’s heirs have not been so idealistic, and those who have often get themselves assassinated these days.  They are still known for the use of magically animated objects, and even giving them as gifts to potential political allies who then feel compelled to offer similarly valuable tokens. 

   Magistros Origen Vaughn had three sons and two daughters.  His wife died birthing their fifth child—the youngest daughter—and Origen has been increasingly withdrawn and power hungry since. 

   The eldest daughter is currently wed, while the youngest has come of age and it falls to the head of house to arrange a marriage. 

   The eldest son is Nornan Vaughn, a powerful eldritch knight, idealistic politician, and efender of his homeland. 
   
   The youngest brother is a priest of Adbar. 

   Narcius Vaughn is the second son of Magistros Origen Vaughn.  Narcius spent some years traveling with his trusted manservant, Royce, studying, exploring, and wenching. 

   On his travel’s, Narcius encountered a Dawflower Dervish in a fencing salon.  After they fought each other to a standstill, he wooed her to surrender, and she converted him to her goddess. 

   Last year, Narcius received a visit from his father, who brought a massive letter of credit and several gifts.  He ordered Narcius to travel to the great fair in Thuvia and acquire him a sun orchid elixir.  Narcius returned a year later, bearing the elixir and a powerful new concubine, only to discover that his father had drained the family’s resources greatly, selling many of the constructs that made life easier in the valley, and sending many others off to his new home in parts unknown.  Nornan was slain, ambushed by frost giants and beyond the power of the church of Adbar to raise from the dead. 

   Origen signed his abdication in the name of Narcius, and has not been seen since. 

   Unbeknownst to Narcius, his Uncle Tamolen may be scheming to claim his title. 
A link for all of us who ever had a shouting match with our muse: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

How to set this Muse ablaze (O/Os)

When the little angel won't appear no matter how many plum blossoms you swirl:  https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=135346.msg16474321#msg16474321 (Major update 5/10/2023)

kckolbe

We are looking at potentially 3 clerics now.  Which gods do you plan on worshiping?  I was thinking Nethys for my char.
Ons/Offs  A/A  Oath of the Drake
(From the Penis Game) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Penis
I love a wet nymph.  "Letting some guy have [her] just to have another woman is a losing trade"

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer(IC#2)
Intro Thread

Callie Del Noire

In that case.. I might switch off to a 'hired minion'.. something like a wizard/witch 'character assassin' for folks?

kckolbe

Ons/Offs  A/A  Oath of the Drake
(From the Penis Game) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Penis
I love a wet nymph.  "Letting some guy have [her] just to have another woman is a losing trade"

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer(IC#2)
Intro Thread

Meliai

Esta is a cleric of Desna, and her main cohort is eventually going into the Mystery Cultist prestige class which is sort of a super-cleric dedicated to an empyreal lord (it's from one of the books that just came out that Kolbrandr told me about but I forget the title off the top of my head.) Her Empyreal Lord (Empyreal Lady?) is the Black Butterfly who is kiiiiind of a servant of Desna associated with the darkness between the stars and such. She's creepy and neat.

Just fuckin butterflies EVERYWHERE in my roster.
    {{A/As updated 5/8}}           

Callie Del Noire

#145
Quote from: kckolbe on June 04, 2013, 03:12:52 PM
We don't have any witches yet, that would be cool.

Wizard/Witch.. MASSIVE jinx/enchantment type.. with the Halfling Jinx trait (and feats) as well silent/still spell. Need someone to make a massive social gaff in court? Pay him.. and then whammo.. the person makes a gaff.. while the chuckling halfling in the corner watches (cackle while maintaining Evil Eye and Halfling Jinx (augmented to Int for DC base and extra nastiness from Bolster Jinx to hammer will saves)

HUGE will save penalties.. for example.. Evil Eye (-4), Jinx (-3) and Aura of Despair (-2).. he's the guy you want negotiating for you. :D


Not to mention the image of the halfling sitting in a chair chuckling the evil villain laugh wile holding a white cat... so totally fits..

Ebb

Quote from: Callie Del Noire on June 04, 2013, 03:43:12 PM
Wizard/Witch.. MASSIVE jinx/enchantment type.. with the Halfling Jinx trait (and feats) as well silent/still spell. Need someone to make a massive social gaff in court? Pay him.. and then whammo.. the person makes a gaff.. while the chuckling halfling in the corner watches (cackle while maintaining Evil Eye and Halfling Jinx (augmented to Int for DC base and extra nastiness from Bolster Jinx to hammer will saves)

HUGE will save penalties.. for example.. Evil Eye (-4), Jinx (-3) and Aura of Despair (-2).. he's the guy you want negotiating for you. :D


Not to mention the image of the halfling sitting in a chair chuckling the evil villain laugh wile holding a white cat... so totally fits..

I think the notion of an actual "Character Assassin" is a riot. Nice work.

EroticFantasyAuthor

#147
Quote from: kckolbe on June 04, 2013, 07:24:11 AM
EroticFantasyAuthor:

There is not a nice way to say this, but thus far you are acting like the kind of player this game was specifically set up to avoid.  No means no.  There are other things we all wanted, even from within pathfinder, and we had to do without.  You don't see it bitched about from us because none of us are overly concerned with min maxing.  We are all focusing on concept first, and then world-building and coordination.  You are shitting on the efforts of everyone in this group to play fun, well thought out concepts.

I'm sorry if I gave that impression, I too am interested in playing well thought out concepts and as always, to expand/imrpove my writing skills.

I had accepted that certain things were restricted, though I did check twice for the 3.5 material, and the only reason for that is that it's a feat I've always used with all versions of the character I've created in the past. I am sorry if the two player joke was misunderstood. For the leveling, I was more asking for suggestions/advice on what work I can do to get a higher level, and also if at least level 10 would be okay and what I would need to do to make that happen. I was not complaining about it.

I'm not really a min-maxer, but I do wish to play effective characters mechanic wise.

I did not mean to have it seem that I was complaining about anything and I apologize if that's how some of my posts seemed.

ShadowFox89

 Sorry folks, I'm gonna bow out. I just can't make either concept work, especially with an entire base class banned.
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EroticFantasyAuthor

Quote from: Muse on June 04, 2013, 12:43:03 PM
*Snickers*  E.F.A., all I'm really missing with these restrictions is the Open Minded feat from Psionics Unleashed.  It grants an extra skill point per level.  ^_^;;

???