Rise of the Runelords - A Tale of Wrath & Greed - 1st Edition Pathfinder

[Praxis]

A 1st Edition Adventure Path
Looking for a minimum of 4 characters, maximum of 5
15 point character builds
Please don’t try to win at Pathfinder
We will be using Vigor & Wounds rather than Hit Points
Approved Races & Classes will be below

[Praxis]

So what exactly is this?  Is this going to be some manner of open world, non-system dealio?  Nope.  It’s Pathfinder that we’ll be playing here on E.  I’ve run Rise of the Runelords four times now and I’m pretty comfortable with the campaign.  I have tech solutions for online maps and  such that we can use for combat when the time arises.
There’s going to be opportunity to interact with each other as well as NPCs from a less mechanic heavy aspect for those looking for it.


Will there be sex?
Probably?  That’s up to you lot.


Should I try to win at Pathfinder and really chase the power fantasy?
Yeah…no.  Please don’t.  Seriously.  I can’t abide it.  We’re all here to have fun and everyone enjoys the power fantasy to varying degrees.  If you want the biggest numbers at the table, this won’t be the game for you.  Most of these cats know who they are so consider yourself warned.  I catch a whiff of someone trying to win at Pathfinder or act generally in bad faith to the spirit of the game or the spirit of the group/party.  I will drop a fucking dragon on their character and then set to finding a more suitable player/writer.


Will there be racism, sexism and/or difficult subject matter?
Yep.  The campaign goes places; some pretty dark.  I will try to warn you guys in advance and I’m not the type to wallow in racist/sexist/shit behaviour and then say, “Well this is how the world is so you’ll need to just deal with it!”   Society in general is getting better (a little and in some ways) when it comes to racism and sexism.  I don’t want to indulge the “old white guy” trend in old school table top roleplaying so there will be some but it won’t be something to high-five over.


What’s the posting rate going to be like?
One to two posts a week would be ideal but life happens.  I reserve the right to move the scene forward when and where it won’t be wildly disruptive or unfair for the sake of the enjoyment of the other players/writers.

What section of E. is this going in?
Exotic, System,  Small groups.

How do I make my character? 
Use PCGen or Hero Lab.  I’m good with either.  The character creation post is further down.  If you don’t want to use either of the aforementioned builders (both have free options), use whatever is handy for you.  Then output the block to me and I’ll get it formatted so all the characters are uniform.


Can I make a secretly evil character that betrays the party?
All of the characters are evil and secretly betraying the party! Amazing right?  Yeah.  No.


Can I make a Neutral Evil character and act like an antisocial doof and claim it’s because my character is Neutral Evil?
Nope.


Can I make a Chaotic Neutral character and act like a sociopathic murder-hobo and try to fuck with all of the…well…everyone and then claim it’s because that’s just how my character is?
Nope.


Can I worship an evil god?
Nope.


Will there be dungeons?
Yes.


Will there be dragons?
Most assuredly.


If I have played Rise of the Runelords before, can I still play?
Yes.  I’ll throw some curves at you but please don’t spoil the game for the other players by critical pathing all of the mysteries.  Or any of them for that matter.


Are you strictly a GM that’s into a “Rules As Written” sort?
Mostly?  I’m always down for what might be the most fun though as long as we’re not colouring too far outside the lines.


Yo!  Should I try to win at Pathfinder?
#deadhorsebeatenbut … Don’t.  Don’t do it.  Seriously


What classes can we use?
We’re sticking to the 11 core classes.  (See below)  I understand this might disappoint some.  I’m not doing this to disappoint people however!  I’m just learning this online GM thing and don’t want to be overwhelmed.  So…you will have to pick from the 11 core classes.  We can talk archetypes once you settle on a class.  For those of you who are disappointed still by the limited number of classes, please file your complaint here.


What races can we use?
Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Halfling, Human, Tiefling


Why the limits on class and race?
Because.  11 classes (not including archetypes) with 8 different races results in 88 possible initial selections.  If you can’t find something you enjoy in a spread of eighty-eight choices…well…I cannot help you.   Actually I can!  This person is running a game.  They might be able to help you. Clicky!.

[Praxis]

CHARACTER BUILDING
Shoot me a PM with questions or concerns and when you’re done send me the character via PM for perusal and approval.  Don’t worry about fleshing out the background.  We’ll bang that out together and then you can write as much about your background as you please. (This can be zero background – I’ve hit max capacity for elaborately redundant character sheets on E.)

15 point builds
Vigor and Wounds will be used instead of HP
1st level character

PM me with your email address and I can send you the Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide.  It will fill you in on the area and give you lots of ideas for ways to settle your character into the world.  Or go to Paizo.com; register and then download it yourself from their website.  It's free.  :)

Allowed classes are as follows …

Barbarian
The barbarian is a brutal berserker from beyond the edge of civilized lands.

Bard
The bard uses skill and spell alike to bolster his allies, confound his enemies, and build upon his fame.

Cleric
A devout follower of a deity, the cleric can heal wounds, raise the dead, and call down the wrath of the gods.

Druid
The druid is a worshiper of all things natural – a spellcaster, a friend to animals, and a skilled shapechanger.

Fighter
Brave and stalwart, the fighter is a master of all manner of arms and armor.

Monk
A student of martial arts, the monk trains his body to be his greatest weapon and defense.

Paladin
The paladin is the knight in shining armor, a devoted follower of law and good.

Ranger
A tracker and hunter, the ranger is a creature of the wild and of tracking down his favored foes.

Rogue
The rogue is a thief and a scout, an opportunist capable of delivering brutal strikes against unwary foes.

Sorcerer
The spellcasting sorcerer is born with aninnate knack for magic and has strange, eldritch powers.

Wizard
The wizard masters magic through constant study that gives him incredible magical power.



Races
Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Halfling, Human, Tiefling

[Praxis]

Setting the table...


It is the year 4707, The Year of the Conquering Queen in the burgeoning autumnal month of Rova.   There are pockets of civilization along the Lost Coast. Though often not used, these traditional Varisian campsites can be found in nearly every gulch and hollow along the cliff-lined reaches. Lonely houses sit upon bluffs; domiciles for eccentrics or the rich, seeking a bit of peace far from the bustle of Magnimar’s streets. Roadside inns grace the Lost Coast road every twenty-five miles or so, placed by virtue of the distance most travelers can walk within a day’s travel. Low stone shrines to Desna give further opportunities for shelter should one of the all-too-common rainstorms catch travelers unaware.

Given time, any of these seeds of civilization could bloom into a full-grown town, or even a city. It’s happened once already, along the shores of a natural harbor nestled among the cliffs some fifty miles northeast of Magnimar. What was once a larger-than-normal Varisian campsite in the shadow of an ancient ruined tower has become the region’s largest town: Sandpoint, the Light of the Lost Coast.

Six individuals find themselves in Magnimar; the self-proclaimed City of Monuments, This group is readying to leave for the two to three day journey to Sandpoint.  Some of them are returning home from personal business in Magnimar and some of them are heading to Sandpoint for reasons of their own but all of them are aware of the forthcoming Swallowtail Festival in three days' time.  A religious event to be certain but make no mistake; there will also be no shortage of feasting, drinking, dancing, singing and games.  The population of Sandpoint increases by a sizable amount each year during the festival, bolstered by it’s proximity to the bustling port city of Magnimar and this year seems to be no exception.

Each of the six has gathered at Fogwall Court, an impressive open space, paved with well-cared-for cobblestones and watched over by the large, imposing and altogether impressive House of Lords.  They have all gathered at a time that might be considered a little too late to be looking for a caravan that heads north along the coast to Sandpoint but they have all made the attempt nevertheless.  Desna smiles upon each of them however as they happen to find a hapless dwarven metal smith by the name of Lutsag Shatterbark; with a wagon full of pots and pans that he hopes to sell at the festival in Sandpoint.  A wagon needs guards and an offer of 20 golden “sails” for each of the six on the assurance that Lutsag and his wares arrive not just safely but also in time for the Festival.  An opportunity to be taken advantage of for the journey to Sandpoint could be dangerous if one was unfortunate.  An opportunity for some company during the journey as well as an excellent opportunity to arrive in Sandpoint with your pockets a little heavier.

A disparate group to say the very least but certainly not the most unusual group to have made the journey along the Lost Coast Road with the final destination being Sandpoint.

[Chulanowa]

Interested, but just one thing;

What section of E. is this going in?
Exotic, Free Form small groups.

Should prolly go in the exotic small groups system section, right? Or is this actually a freeform game?

[Praxis]

Interested, but just one thing;

Should prolly go in the exotic small groups system section, right? Or is this actually a freeform game?

Fixed!

Thank you!

+3 xp!

[PhantomPistoleer]

I'd be interested to play as a human bard.

[Re Z L]

Are the unchained versions of the classes being used where applicable? (Rogue/Barbarian/Monk)

[Chulanowa]

Fixed!

Thank you!

+3 xp!

AWW YEAH, 0.15% of the way to level 2!

[Praxis]

I'd be interested to play as a human bard.

Rad.

I've got access to these archetypes if you're interested.  Otherwise; you know what to do!

[Praxis]

Are the unchained versions of the classes being used where applicable? (Rogue/Barbarian/Monk)

[Praxis]

AWW YEAH, 0.15% of the way to level 2!

You didn't take the decimal to six places...

- 1.246734 xp.

Sorry man, I don't make the rules.  No one is happy about this least of all me.

[Chulanowa]

Well it's good that you're shorting me, makes it that much easier to play a halfling or gnome. 

Dunno class yet. Kinda want to avoid rogue... will probably end up as rogue.

[Praxis]

Well it's good that you're shorting me, makes it that much easier to play a halfling or gnome. 

Dunno class yet. Kinda want to avoid rogue... will probably end up as rogue.

A group of sneaky fuckin' bastards would do well in this adventure path, just saying.




@everyone

I'm out for the day and most of the evening.  I'll circle back tomorrow morning and square away character submissions and answer questions etc...

I'll also firm up a discord channel once the five are squared away




For those of you curious about Sandpoint.  It looks like this...



               

[FoxgirlJay]

Plant interest flag. Probably going to make a wizard maybe.

[Praxis]

Plant interest flag. Probably going to make a wizard maybe.

Wizard archetypes I have are here.  Use one if you're interested but no pressure.  Vanilla works.




Now I'm going for reals!

[FoxgirlJay]

Ooh nice. I'll probably go Exploiter wizard, since the character I intended to use at first was originally an arcanist. I'll get to work on something tonight after work.

[Hexed]

15 point buy is eek so won't ask about a monk. :)

Druid or sorcerer could be interesting.

[pdragon]

Would a mythweaver's sheet be acceptable in place of a PC or hero lab? I was thinking of playing a tiefling sorcerer

[Hatless]

I'd like to speak with your manager. I need to file a complaint about your complaint form. 

Weirdly enough, I've never played this adventure but I have played the tabletop card game of this adventure. I don't know how much that spoils, but I'd still be up for tagging along. 

Is a character sheet all you're looking for at this point?

[Hexed]

Changed my mind. Invulnerable rager barbarian looks fun.

[Praxis]

Ooh nice. I'll probably go Exploiter wizard, since the character I intended to use at first was originally an arcanist. I'll get to work on something tonight after work.

Sounds great!

Would a mythweaver's sheet be acceptable in place of a PC or hero lab? I was thinking of playing a tiefling sorcerer

You're good money, yep!

I'd like to speak with your manager. I need to file a complaint about your complaint form. 

Weirdly enough, I've never played this adventure but I have played the tabletop card game of this adventure. I don't know how much that spoils, but I'd still be up for tagging along. 

Is a character sheet all you're looking for at this point?

Gah...our apologies.  We assure you it's quite unusual for us to receive any complaints at all about our complaint form.  Please follow this link.


As for playing the card game.  Fun!  It shouldn't spoil it too much for you.  More like you'll have moments of..."Ohhhhhh!  That guy!"

Get me a character sheet.  Then I decide on the furious five.  Then we do backstories.  (Minimal)   Then we have fun.

Changed my mind. Invulnerable rager barbarian looks fun.

There's a time and place for Invuln-Rager-Barbars...

Always and everywhere.

[Praxis]

AHOY YOU LOT!

I have a Player's Guide for the Rise of the Rune Lords  campaign.  It gives you all sorts of excellent information AND ideas regarding how to get your character ensconced in Varisia (the country) and the Lost Coast (a region in Varisia).

If you want it.  PM me your email address.  I can mail it to you.

OR

Go to Paizo.com, make an account (easy peasy) and then you can download it for free.

You will want to look for "Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide"

[FoxgirlJay]

Are Backgrounds/Traits in use?

Also. Cosmetic side of things. I'd like to have a familiar using the Raven statblock, but for looks sake, it'll be an Owl. That alright?

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2491585 - Still working on my sheet

[PhantomPistoleer]

Hugh Longfellow
XP 0
Male human unchained rogue
CG medium humanoid
Init +9; Senses  Perception +4


DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +3 Armor)
hp 10 (1d8+2)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +0

OFFENSE Speed 30 ft.
Melee
Unarmed attack +1 (1d3+1)
Rapier attack +4 (1d6+1, 18-20/x2)
Space 5ft.

STATISTICS Str 12, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha 10
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 14
Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Rapier)
Traits Armor Expert, Outlander (Exile)
Skills Acrobatics +7, Climb +5, Disable Device +7, Escape Artist +7, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +6, Linguistics +6, Perception +4, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7, Swim +5
Languages Common, Shoanti, Varisian
Gear See below
SQ None

CLASS FEATURESWeapon Proficiency:  Rogues are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Sneak Attack:  If a rogue can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.  At level 1, the extra damage is +1d6.

Trapfinding: A rogue adds 1/2 her level to Perception skill checks made to locate traps and to Disable Device skill checks (minimum +1). A rogue can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.

GEARExplorer's Outfit
MW Thieves Tools
Rapier
Parade Armor
Kit (Dungeoneering):
-- two candles
-- chalk
-- a hammer and four pitons,
-- 50 feet of hemp rope,
-  a hooded lantern with 5 flasks of oil,
-  two sacks,
-  two torches, and
-  four tindertwigs



Questions:

I guess I have a few questions about general character creation.

1.  What is starting GP?
2.  Do characters start with traits?
3.  I'm not planning on it, but can characters take flaws (or whatever they're called in Pathfinder)?
4.  I'm not planning on it, but can characters start with self-crafted items?