I'm going with Torag since that fits my concept of a protector. Though he's primarily a dwarven deity, he does have followers of other races (Torag - PathfinderWiki). For his history, I'm thinking he grew up in Korvosa and it was there that he met a dwarven cleric of Torag who looked after him. This led to him joining the church when he was old enough.
My thinking is that the events surrounding the Late Unpleasantness (which I believe occurred roughly five years earlier) coincided with Taran's egg being abandoned in the sea cave for whatever reason. A bronze dragon egg incubates for approximately 600 days, a bit less than two full years later. Taran would thus have been skulking around town for the past three to four years or so. I think it'd be great fun to discover if/how its being in Sandpoint ties into the town's mysterious past. So what do you think?
I have the morning free to do chores and mess around on ENWorld, and then I'll be at work for the afternoon. In prioritizing the things I need to do in the time I have this morning, I'll probably be looking at character sheets later tonight. Thanks for the link to the d20 section on Flaws, that'll prove helpful, as will the link to Pathfinder Character Traits. I haven't read Shaky yet, but the description of Wild you posted sounds just fine.
Quote:
I found an interesting feat that might work for my character.
DRAGON TAIL
Your draconic ancestry manifests as a muscular tail you
can use in combat. Prerequisite: Dragonblood subtype, 1st level only. Help me out with the larger contect here...by "dragonblood" subtype, does that mean PC races that somehow have been affected by dragonblood, or does that mean dragons per se? What's the original intent of the feat? Benefit: You have a tail that you can use to make a
secondary natural attack in combat. This attack deals
bludgeoning damage according to your size (Small = 1d6) Special: Unlike most feats, this feat must be taken at
1st level, during character creation. (Races of the Dragon, pg. 98)
Ah, well, if you find you have an opening, I'd love a shot.
Since renau1g has dropped out, the space is yours if you'd like. We could do with a rogue.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Voadam
Darn. Have fun everybody.
You now occupy the first alternate position, if you're interested. I may still have your e-mail address floating around--if space opens up, shall I e-mail you?
I apologize for my exuberance in signing up for the game, but must respectfully withdraw.
No worries, renau1g. Initial exuberance (sometimes followed by lukewarmness later on or the later realization that one's plate is already overly full) is a very normal characteristic of PbP--and certainly one I've experienced myself. Thanks for hanging out with us this far, and hope you enjoy your other games.
Elyra is posted in the stats thread. The character sheet is currently messy; I'll try and clean it up sometime soon, but for now I thought I would just get things posted.
No worries! I took the weekend off and pretended like ENWorld didn't exist, and so haven't read anyone's character sheets yet. Once I finish reading through and replying to everyone's weekend questions/concerns, I'm going to start my laundry and then I'll probably sit down to at least read through what's in the character sheet thread (though responding to full-on character sheets usually takes me longer because I like to vet the numbers if at all possible).
Quote:
I also fleshed out her history. Her low charisma isn't a dump stat, it's character hook! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Good story--stick to it. Dump stats are a normal part of D&D--the lowest number has to go somewhere, after all. Good for you that you got some mileage out of it.
Quote:
Also, I worked out a connection for Sandpoint. Elyra travels as widely as possible most of the year, but has wintered in Sandpoint the last two years. She has found a number of good unclaimed hunting grounds within a few days' hike of the town, so she supplements her savings from the year by making several trips to go trapping. The rapidly growing town also offers her good chances for odd jobs.
She has returned early this year because she got a good offer to escort someone (perhaps a PC) to the Swallowtail festival. She is debating leaving to try to pull in a little more work after the festival, or finding local work during the harvest and settling in for the winter.
You could be escorting the lightening sorceror, the cleric, and/or the paladin back to Sandpoint. I haven't read through everyone's completed backstories yet (indeed, does everyone have a backstory posted?), but one of the three or all of the three may have been assigned a trail guide.
I'm going with Torag since that fits my concept of a protector. Though he's primarily a dwarven deity, he does have followers of other races (Torag - PathfinderWiki). For his history, I'm thinking he grew up in Korvosa and it was there that he met a dwarven cleric of Torag who looked after him. This led to him joining the church when he was old enough.
A good backstory is a beautiful and wondrous thing (and very useful, besides).
I'll read through character sheets starting today and will probbly continue on tomorrow and the next day. We're now into the time frame of starting a new game that always eats up a lot of my time--vetting character sheets. Things may slow down for half a week or so while I cull through numbers and query players about stats.
One day in the not-too-distant future, however, you all will wake up, check in during your day, and find that most glorious of discoveriess--the OP in the main "Playing the Game" thread.
No worries, renau1g. Initial exuberance (sometimes followed by lukewarmness later on or the later realization that one's plate is already overly full) is a very normal characteristic of PbP--and certainly one I've experienced myself. Thanks for hanging out with us this far, and hope you enjoy your other games.
I am cobbling together my backstory, but here's the outline (which I will post when I have it fleshed out):
Talashia's parents are Varisians who are separated from their caravan in a storm, while her mother is pregnant. At some point while they are seeking shelter, lightning strikes her mother, knocking her unconscious. Desperate and fearing for her life and the life of his child, Talashia's father carries her mother in his arms until he comes across Sandpoint and is given shelter while they both recover.
Her parents decide to stay in Sandpoint even after the storm passes. Her father sensibly decides it's foolish to try to travel with her mother so close to delivering...and her mother believes that Desana led them there for a reason. How else would she have survived that lightning? They take up trades and rent a room in the town.
Talashia is born. Tan like her parents, but with snow-white hair that contrasts with that skin tone. Her parents argue over it a bit, but her mother convinces her father to stay in Sandpoint longer, until the baby's a bit more grown up.
The young Talashia proves to be a handful though. A difficult combination of free-spirited and stubborn, she gets in more than her share of childhood brawls and is all too frequently pestering neighbors and getting into trouble. Other things start happening too, more and more often as she gets older. Odd gusts of wind that, by seeming coincidence, move things just how she would like, and strange wisps of light that flicker and dance outside her window at night.
By this time, her parents are established in Sandpoint, and find it hard to leave. Even so, as Talashia reaches her tenth year, the effects surrounding her surge in magnitude and start to become dangerous. It is at this time that a wizard and a few underlings from Magnimar are in town to study the standing stones and, it's believed, investigate the Old Light as well. Her parents, not knowing what else to do, approach the older man and confide their predicament and fears.
The wizard realizes what must be going on, and informs them that the only way to help the girl is to teach her to harness and control the wild, primal magic she was born with. That's something that can only be done at Magnimar. The wizard and Talashia's parents talk more over the next two weeks (the duration of the wizard's stay), and in the end agree to let Talashia accompany him back to Magnimar.
The girl has no patience for learning magic the scholarly way, but is interested enough in the subject matter to sit through classes in magical theory. She's as much of a scamp in Magnimar as in Sandpoint, but at least in the wizard school she's not alone in that. She's also taught basic exercises to meditate and focus the mind, that help her put an end to uncontrolled magical outbursts and focus her power with her will. In the end she masters several spells; manipulations of magical force for the most part, and completes her studies.
Now she's returning to Sandpoint to follow up on the initial expedition made when she was just a child there, many years ago.
------
So there's plenty of room for further embellishment and tying together backgrounds and/or setting plot hooks in there.
Since renau1g has dropped out, the space is yours if you'd like. We could do with a rogue.
You got it. I'm thinking of an engineer/inventor type. That would give him the device knowledge for trapfinding and the like, and give him a reason to be around Sandpoint (perhaps he consulted on the rebuild, or is there to witness the most recent architectural upgrades it represents).
Maybe he was involved with the rebuilding of the temple?
Sounds good to me. He's a first-level PC, so he can't have run it, but if this was, say, part of his final journeyman training, it connects him to the town, the temple, and gives him a reason to be ready to go anywhere else, since his job is now finished.
My only trepidation with the engineer concept is that it doesn't lend itself to a very sneaky-jumpy rogue, but I have a couple of background ideas that I think will make that work (for example: high builds on scaffolding require a good measure of balance and agility, etc.).
Help me out with the larger contect here...by "dragonblood" subtype, does that mean PC races that somehow have been affected by dragonblood, or does that mean dragons per se?
It's a subtype that was originally introduced in Races of the Dragon and was subsequently used in other books including Dragons of Faerūn and the MM5. In Races of the Dragon three races intended for use as PCs have the subtype: the dragonborn of Bahamut, spellscales and kobolds. Here's a write-up of the subtype:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragons of Faerūn
Dragonblood Subtype
A creature that has the dragonblood subtype has a strong affinity to dragons–which means that spells, effects, powers, and abilities that affect or target dragons also affect it. The subtype qualifies a creature to use magic items normally usable by dragons, and qualifies the creature to take feats that have the subtype as a prerequisite. The dragonblood subtype also makes creatures subject to harmful effects and affect dragons.
The dragonblood subtype does not confer the dragon type or any traits associated with that type. For instance, it does not give a creature frightful presence. Dragons automatically qualify for any classes, prestige classes, racial substitution levels, feats, powers, or spells that require the dragonblood subtype.
Creatures presented in this book that have the the dragonblood subtype include the krathbarin, the bluespawn stoneglider, and the redspawn birther. Should a creature acquire the dragon type, it loses the dragonblood subtype.
Emphasis mine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CanadienneBacon
What's the original intent of the feat?
The feat is one of many in Races of the Dragon intended to give those playing dragon-themed PCs attributes and abilities reminiscent of those possessed by true dragons by acquiring them through the expenditure of feats. This one gives the PC a saurian tail and an extra attack similar to that possessed by larger dragons.
Just a reminder that I'm still wondering about the issue of traits and waiting to hear about starting funds.
It's a subtype that was originally introduced in Races of the Dragon and was subsequently used in other books including Dragons of Faerūn and the MM5. In Races of the Dragon three races intended for use as PCs have the subtype: the dragonborn of Bahamut, spellscales and kobolds. Here's a write-up of the subtype:Emphasis mine.The feat is one of many in Races of the Dragon intended to give those playing dragon-themed PCs attributes and abilities reminiscent of those possessed by true dragons by acquiring them through the expenditure of feats. This one gives the PC a saurian tail and an extra attack similar to that possessed by larger dragons.
Thanks for helping me understand what the dragonblood subtype is all about. I don't have a problem with the feat, go right ahead with it(thanks for checking first).
Quote:
Just a reminder that I'm still wondering about the issue of traits and waiting to hear about starting funds.
ALL--up to two traits per character allowed. You can use Unearthed Arcana and/or the Pathfinder supplement/s for traits. Please do attempt to make the traits balanced. If the book says to take a flaw for every trait you take, then please do so.
Ambrus, I still owe you starting gold. Gotta scoot to work now, so unfortunately I'll need to get back to you this evening on starting funds. You've been patient with the wait, and for that I thank you.
Maybe he was involved with the rebuilding of the temple?
I rather like that idea. It'd be nice to see him (with the other engineers and workmen) celebrated for this significant achievement during the dedication ceremony.
Since Jkason's journeyman character has been working to safeguard the standing stones during the new cathedral's construction, perhaps the lead engineer has assigned him the responsibility of supervising Talashia while she conducts her follow-up investigation of the same. Not certain how the engineering crew and wizardly delegation regard each other, but it'd at least serve to have two PCs already working alongside each other. The journeyman character could also be serving as Cathedral tour guide to visiting pilgrims such as our cleric and paladin PCs; proudly showcasing his own handiwork in hopes of landing new church construction contracts.
I guess that'd also free up our ranger to not have to spend skill ranks and funds so as to be able to Disable Device.
A note: Talashia has the basic mage skills (Spellcraft and Knowledge Arcana), but is not by any means "scholarly." It's unlikely she'd be sent alone to do more than simply observe and/or collect results, I'd think...unless the mage guilds are desperate for manpower.
So, I just discovered that Know (Engineering) isn't a class skill for Rogues. Bards, wizards, and fighters are apparently the natural builders of the world.
Ah, well. Luckily Pathfinder isn't as tough on cross class skills as regular 3.5e, and this might actually work well with the concept I've got percolating:
Tac Abor, one of the only children who ever longed to run *away* from the circus...
Perhaps Talashia's mentors think they've already learned everything of import concerning the standing stones and are simply using her follow-up investigation as an excuse to send their unscholarly student home. "Yeah, uhm, so go back to Sandpoint and let us know if anything, uh... develops with those standing stones. Kthxbye."
Quote:
Originally Posted by jkason
So, I just discovered that Know (Engineering) isn't a class skill for Rogues.
No problem, simply take the Mathematical Prodigy trait.
Mathematical Prodigy: Mathematics has always
come easily for you, and you have always been able to “see
the math” in the physical and magical world. You gain a
+1 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (architecture
and engineering) checks, and one of these skills
(your choice) is always a class skill for you.
No problem, simply take the Mathematical Prodigy trait.
Mathematical Prodigy: Mathematics has always
come easily for you, and you have always been able to see
the math in the physical and magical world. You gain a
+1 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (architecture
and engineering) checks, and one of these skills
(your choice) is always a class skill for you.
Ooh! Perfect! I didn't even look at it since it was under magical traits! Thanks for the heads up!
Tac Abor, one of the only children who ever longed to run *away* from the circus...
Wait, you can't have that! That's Elyra's backstory!
Seriously, if you want to go that route, we could have them be siblings or cousins. Have a look at her backstory and see what you think. No reason they couldn't be strangers -- There must be some number of Varisians whose teen rebellion consisted of leaving their nomadic life to take up, er, a nomadic life.
As noted, I'll drop Elyra's Disable Device and pick up an alternative. Are you leaning more toward a melee-centered rogue or a ranged one? I can tweak Elyra to make her a hand-to-hand combatant, since we may come up short on melee fighters. Let me know your thoughts.
![[Pathfinder] Burnt Offerings](http://www.enworld.org/forum/iconimages/talking-talk/pathfinder-burnt-offerings_ltr.gif)
Dump stats are a normal part of D&D--the lowest number has to go somewhere, after all. Good for you that you got some mileage out of it.
Linear Mode
And yet another word from our sponsors
