Temple of Luminescence (High lvl Pathfinder Recruitment)

[indarkestknight]

Some Just Want to Watch the World Burn!

When the high priest of the sun deity brings the planet and the sun closer together to spread his deity’s light to every corner of existence, the world begins to heat up dangerously. All attempts to breach the Temple of Luminescence and halt the magic powering this catastrophe have failed. The adventurers must perform a ritual known as the path of the sun and navigate the temple’s defenses to stop the high priest. But what appalling truths which led to this deadly incident will the adventurers uncover—and can they save the world before it burns?

Temple of Luminescence is a 15th level Pathfinder adventure. At the end, an average party of four player characters could expect to be 16th level.¹

Activity Expectations: I'm looking for players that can commit to two posts a week/one post every four days, roughly. Every round you post on time, your character will receive an action point. Every round the whole group posts on time, everyone receives a hero point.

Sexual Content: The game will be as lewd as the party makes it. I intend to play the adventure straight for the most part, maybe using sexual encounters as an alternative to TPKs if the PCs are defeated. Seduction is a tool the PCs may choose to wield, but it certainly isn’t required and the adventure could be cleared without any sexual content. If anyone has concerns about the content of the game, I would ask that you make those known.

Setting: Golarion. If you wish to play a cleric, warpriest, paladin, or inquisitor seeking to purge this heresy from within, PM me for more information.

Character Creation:
• 15th level characters. Standard WBL (240,000 gp).
•

Ability Score Generation

Players may choose to either use "point buy":http://www.d20pfsrd.com/basics-ability-scores/ability-scores or roll to determine starting ability scores. Once a player has chosen to roll to determine their starting ability scores and has rolled dice, they may no longer opt to use point buy.

Player characters use point buy 25.

Players roll 4d6, discard the lowest die result, and add the three remaining results together. Record this total and repeat the process until six numbers are generated. This is the player's set.

The DM then rolls 4d6, discards the lowest die result, and adds the three remaining results together. Record this total and repeat the process until six numbers are generated. This is the DM's set.

The player may choose to use either the player's set or the DM's set, but they may not mix-and-match between sets. Once a set has been chosen, assign these totals to the character's ability scores as you see fit.

• Ability bonuses from leveling up are applied as normal.
• When a player character levels up, both the character's player and the DM roll the character's new hit die. The character takes the higher result.
• I am not going to impose a specific character sheet on anyone, as long as I can parse it, it's fine. My preference is that character sheets are organized in the manner of bestiary entries. For those who choose to use Mythweaver, due to the incident where all character sheets were wiped from Mythweaver, I am requiring you to submit some kind of backup sheet to use. At absolute minimum, take legible screenshots of your mythweavers sheet. Trying to recreate a 15th level character, potentially multiple 15th level characters from scratch midgame would be a nightmare.


Houserules:
• Breath of life is also called cure deadly wounds and may be cast spontaneously by clerics and oracles that channel positive energy and any character that can cast cure spells spontaneously.
• At BaB +6, a character gains Vital Strike as a bonus feat. At BaB +11, Improved Vital Strike. At BaB +16, Greater Vital Strike.
• Material from 3rd party publishers is subject to review. While balance is always a significant concern, as is comfort of the player base, I will also take into consideration appropriateness for the adventure. Concepts more suited to a given adventure are more likely to be approved if I’m on the fence. Likewise, if you bring me a character I’d really be excited to have in the game, rather than just a mechanical component with no context as to what you intend to do with that component, I may be more likely to approve if I’m on the fence.
• Item Creation: Only Brew Potion, Craft Wand, Craft Staff, and Scribe Scroll are kosher. Do not anticipate having time to craft during this adventure.
•

Custom Magic Items

1. Custom magic items are always subject to review.
2. Each character is permitted a maximum of one custom magic item at character creation.
3. You may combine one magic item that does not grant any of the following bonuses with another item of the same slot that does grant one of the following bonuses by adding the values of the two items without any additional cost. This will count as your custom magic item.
• armor bonus to AC
• deflection bonus to AC
• enhancement bonus to ability score
• enhancement bonus to natural armor
• resistance bonus to saving throws
Normal: Under standard rules, the most expensive item serves as the base item, and the cost of less expensive item is multiplied by 1.5 and added to the base item. These rules still apply outside of the exception listed above.

Example

blinkback belt of giant strength +6
Standard - belt of giant strength +6 (36,000 gp) + blinkback belt (5,000 gp x 1.5) = 43,500 gp
Houserule – belt of giant strength + (36,000 gp) + blinkback belt (5,000 gp) = 41,000 gp

4. Straightforward items like a spellstoring flametongue scimitar or gloves of dexterity +6 are likely to be approved.
5. Items that I cannot use the magic item creation formulae to estimate the cost of are the least likely to be approved, outside of nakedly broken magic item concepts.

Original Interest Check

While there are adventure paths I'd like to run, to get my feet wet before I commit to something bigger and longer-running, I'd like to run a shorter adventure, something about the length of a one-shot. While I do have some candidates in mind that I'll list below, if there's a short adventure you're strongly interested in, please, pipe up! I'd like to hear what people are interested in. Examples of suitable adventures would, for instance, be most PFS scenarios.

My top candidates currently are:
• Temple of Luminesence (15th level adventure, for those among you that have high level builds you never get to play around with in all the low level games E has.)
• We Be Dragons
• We Be Leshys

I currently have about 3 players interested and am looking for a few more to round us out.

Expectations: I'm looking for players that can commit to two posts a week/one post every four days, roughly. Every round you post on time, your character will receive an action point. Every round the whole group posts on time, everyone receives a hero point.

Questions are very much welcome.

¹ I expect to accept more than 4 players, but am mentioning this primarily to give a gauge as to how long the adventure is anticipated to be.

[keyotess]

I am interested and I can post most every day, except for Fridays.

[indarkestknight]

I am interested and I can post most every day, except for Fridays.

Of the potential adventures, do you have any preferences? Any suggestions of your own for adventures you'd like to play?

[keyotess]

Of the potential adventures, do you have any preferences? Any suggestions of your own for adventures you'd like to play?

I don't have much experience with pre-made adventures.  I have mostly done self made adventures.  So any of them is good with me. :)

[Life in Color]

Hrm.

[Roleplay Frog]

I rather like longer settings, but I can definitly understand the preferance for making something short that survives to the end to test things out. After all, can continue with the same characters in another campaign just as easily.

Plus, can always use moar pathfinder. So that's a yes from me.

I would indeed enjoy testing out the high level adventure, that opportunity is rarer I feel.

You say you already have three players, is there an idea what direction they will go buildwise/what is needed, or can I do whatever I wish?

While at it, how are you with third party, that is, official publications not released by Paizo core?

Also, is this a more mechanics bound game or do you plan some lewdsies?

Finally, I have, I daresay, a decent amount of experience in Pathfinder, so if you seek assistance with mechanical tidbits, happy to help out.

[Grizzly]

I'm always looking to jump into a Pathfinder game so you've got my interest.

I'm just curious, are you going to be running this game as an official PFS scenario?  Would we need official PFS characters?

[indarkestknight]

I rather like longer settings, but I can definitly understand the preferance for making something short that survives to the end to test things out. After all, can continue with the same characters in another campaign just as easily.

Plus, can always use moar pathfinder. So that's a yes from me.

I would indeed enjoy testing out the high level adventure, that opportunity is rarer I feel.

You say you already have three players, is there an idea what direction they will go buildwise/what is needed, or can I do whatever I wish?

While at it, how are you with third party, that is, official publications not released by Paizo core?

Also, is this a more mechanics bound game or do you plan some lewdsies?

Finally, I have, I daresay, a decent amount of experience in Pathfinder, so if you seek assistance with mechanical tidbits, happy to help out.

• As the adventure itself has yet to be decided on, I have yet to receive any character concepts. If we end up playing We Be Dragons/Leshys, pregenerated characters will be used (though if someone wanted to build a Leshy character using the Leshy race from Ultimate Wilderness I would be open to it), but none have been claimed yet.
• Material from 3rd party publishers is subject to review. While balance is always a significant concern, as is comfort of the player base, I will also take into consideration appropriateness for the adventure. Concepts more suited to a given adventure are more likely to be approved if I’m on the fence. Likewise, if you bring me a character I’d really be excited to have in the game, rather than just a mechanical component with no context as to what you intend to do with that component, I may be more likely to approve if I’m on the fence.
• For Temple of Luminescence, the game will be as lewd as the party makes it. I intend to play the adventure straight for the most part, maybe using sexual encounters as an alternative to TPKs if the PCs are defeated. Seduction is a tool the PCs may choose to wield, but it certainly isn’t required and the adventure could be cleared without any sexual content. If anyone has concerns about the content of the game, I would ask that you make those known.
• For We Be Dragons/Leshys, I do not intend for there to be sexual elements. If players wish to have solo threads with their characters that involve sexual elements, that is their business.

I'm always looking to jump into a Pathfinder game so you've got my interest.

I'm just curious, are you going to be running this game as an official PFS scenario?  Would we need official PFS characters?

The three adventures linked are all from 3rd party publishers and as such are not sanctioned for PFS. I am open to taking suggestions for PFS scenarios to run but I believe incorporating hero points as rewards for activity would disqualify them from counting as PFS sanctioned. As such, regardless of the scenario, characters will not be expected to adhere to PFS standards.

[Roleplay Frog]

Likewise, if you bring me a character I’d really be excited to have in the game, rather than just a mechanical component with no context as to what you intend to do with that component, I may be more likely to approve if I’m on the fence.

Works for me, I'm prone to building thematically.

For We Be Dragons/Leshys, I do not intend for there to be sexual elements.

DRAGONSNUGS UWAH!

So, how do you decide upon scenarios, is there a vote, is there a hat we can pull things from?

[Ixy]

Hi--

I think that the Temple of Luminescence adventure sounds really interesting.  After just reading the description, it seems to hold promise for both high-adventure questiness and individual motivation-- I mean, if the sun is burning the world, wouldn't even villainous characters be willing to do anything necessary to stop it?

Although I'm kind of lame at high-level characters, I really like the idea of a contained adventure, and I believe that the pace sounds perfect.  It would be so great to have a story that reached a conclusion that everyone found satisfying, win or lose :)

If you reach the point that you're ready for character submissions or ideas, that would be fantastic.  As far as what kind of character interaction, description level, common background factors, erotic content-- eagerly waiting to see what you determine.

[Chulanowa]

Temple of Tumescence Luminescence sounds interesting, my only real hang on it is god I hate gear shopping.

We be Dragons strikes my fancy for second place.

[Roleplay Frog]

In pathfinder you can make a decent high level character by just sticking to one class and putting points in whatever the class is supposed to be good at.

aaand now I is tempted to do a villainous character. *chuckles*

That's three votes for luminescence though. Yey.

[indarkestknight]

There isn’t a strict voting system but I really would encourage interested parties to make their preferences known.

It certainly would be a fun twist on the adventure to have a group of evil characters trying to save the world from the agents of a sun god, if everyone’s on board.

[keyotess]

There isn’t a strict voting system but I really would encourage interested parties to make their preferences known.

It certainly would be a fun twist on the adventure to have a group of evil characters trying to save the world from the agents of a sun god, if everyone’s on board.

I don't play a good villain, but can do someone self serving. :)

[Ixy]

It would be fun to have group that's at least partly evil.  Maybe some strange partnerships-- and if they succeed, their gods will even forgive a few... Y'know... transgressions.  Just for curiosity's sake.

[Roleplay Frog]

*evil Frog noises*

[Chulanowa]

I've... not been a big fan of 'evil" RP on E, gotta be real honest. It tends to be very rote and, just, bleh.

• You've got your I LOVE TO RAPEMURDER character, ho hum. Usually you have five or six of these
• You've got the I AM AN EVIL SUCCUBUS SLUT SEX DEMON character, yes of course.
• TENTACLE CULTIST!!!! usually shows up, too
• And of course the MY CHARACTER JUST WANTS SLAVES guy.

You never end up with people who are just like, casually evil; like, your rogue makes a living robbing people, that's an evil character. Your character's a sorcerer who uses Charm Person all the time to get what he wants, that's kinda evil, and hey, you know, you can worship an evil deity without always recreating the death orgy from "Event Horizon"? "Evil" doesn't have to be Wes Craven's vision of the world of Gor.

*ahem*

I guess, if people wanna do evil, can we keep it low-key? More "Penguin" and less "Joker"?

[VonDoom]

I'm interested and hoping to offer up a bard character of the pragmatic evil persuasion - who is out for fame, wealth and power by pretend - acting as a heroic figure.

However, from the looks of it, Temple of Luminescence is pretty much just a dungeon crawl, which is about my least favourite aspect on the intrigue/combat/exploration side of things. If I'm mistaken and it has plenty of social opportunities, please let me know, otherwise my preference is strongly towards anything with a social/intrigue focus.

[Roleplay Frog]

I've... not been a big fan of 'evil" RP on E, gotta be real honest. It tends to be very rote and, just, bleh.

I guess, if people wanna do evil, can we keep it low-key? More "Penguin" and less "Joker"?

Hey I like the tentacle cultist guy. Also, sounds as if the problem is the people (and inhibitions) not the concept in itself. Here's a tale of an evil character done right:
https://imgur.com/r/gametales/Dy20IAe

[Ixy]

Chulanowa hit the nail right on the head.  And at this point, I think we're more interested in seeing if this can happen at all :) It's a beat concept and, if the players fit your vision as DM, then groovy.  I hope it works out.

[Hunter]

It's pretty much a common problem with any forum based game, that they die often in the early stages.   I'm more of the opinion that whatever level you start at will probably be the level you finish at.

And dibs on the MY CHARACTER JUST WANTS SLAVES guy.   

[Chanticleer]

You never end up with people who are just like, casually evil; like, your rogue makes a living robbing people, that's an evil character. Your character's a sorcerer who uses Charm Person all the time to get what he wants, that's kinda evil, and hey, you know, you can worship an evil deity without always recreating the death orgy from "Event Horizon"? "Evil" doesn't have to be Wes Craven's vision of the world of Gor.

*ahem*

I guess, if people wanna do evil, can we keep it low-key? More "Penguin" and less "Joker"?

All completely valid. Having said that, there are some classes and gods of the evil variety which do tend to push some of those aspects (which doesn't mean people have to select those classes/gods, obviously). I generally dislike the antipaladin class because chaotic evil tends to just end up being awful for group play. On the other hand, the Tyrant (lawful evil archetype) can get along just fine in a 'good' based group, so long as it serves his goals in some way (including simply 'get gold, get powerful, get connections).

Lawful evil is generally much more 'group oriented' than neutral or chaotic.

In any case, I've already (via PM before this forum opened) submitted my preferences for campaigns, so I'm kind of waiting to see where this goes.

[Chulanowa]

All completely valid. Having said that, there are some classes and gods of the evil variety which do tend to push some of those aspects (which doesn't mean people have to select those classes/gods, obviously). I generally dislike the antipaladin class because chaotic evil tends to just end up being awful for group play. On the other hand, the Tyrant (lawful evil archetype) can get along just fine in a 'good' based group, so long as it serves his goals in some way (including simply 'get gold, get powerful, get connections).

Lawful evil is generally much more 'group oriented' than neutral or chaotic.

In any case, I've already (via PM before this forum opened) submitted my preferences for campaigns, so I'm kind of waiting to see where this goes.

In the case of the antipaladin, I think that it works fine... with the right god. Rovagug and Lamashtu are terrible PC options for CE antipaladins, while Calistria and Dahak actually work. In fact, I have a Dahak antipaladin I've been itching to play, it's just I can never find a good place for her.

You still have to ignore the "Can't associate with good aligned people" thing though. Dumb paladin feature is even dumber when inverted.

[VonDoom]

'Those folks ain't good, they're just deluded into thinking the world is better than the shithole it really is!' 

[Chanticleer]

You still have to ignore the "Can't associate with good aligned people" thing though. Dumb paladin feature is even dumber when inverted.

That doesn't seem to be an issue for the Tyrant. There's plenty of description of LE characters 'associating' with goody types in order to subvert their foolishly optimistic naivete.