Shattered Sea Chronicles, Book I: Festival of the Dead(closed)

[EvolutionKB]

Just a few questions on the size of the campaign world. How many days by boat to go from the northernmost island to the southernmost? To the east and west? What about on land? What are appoximate dimensions of some of the larger islands, like Avonleigh?

 

[Blarkon Dragonslayer]

Just a few questions on the size of the campaign world. How many days by boat to go from the northernmost island to the southernmost? To the east and west? What about on land? What are appoximate dimensions of some of the larger islands, like Avonleigh?

Very roughly:

Isle of Avonleigh (Stormhaven) to Isle of Shamir (Sharazar) - 18 days at a steady 3 knots, in a straight line, more like 20-22 days (at least) in reality due to the necessity of either skirting or navigating in the confined and perilous waters of the Shattered Isles.

Isle of Leathorn (Shimmersea) to Isle of Rinland (Crummport) - 15 days at a steady 3 knots, in a straight line, but again longer due to the Shattered Isles.

Avonleigh - Approximately 700 miles east to west, 500 miles north to south. Stonegate lies almost directly in the center of the continent.

Helmanor - 300 miles east to west, 250 north to south

Shamir - 900 miles east to west, 300 north to south

Leathorn - 250 miles east to west, 400 north to south

Rinland - 200 miles east to west, 800 north to south

As you can see, these aren't small islands, by any means. Avonleigh could probably be even called a very small continent, if one were charitable.

 

[EvolutionKB]

Thanks, it won't take forever to travel then. Here is my character:

“Redbeard” Norstrom
Druid 1
XP: 0

Str 10 (+0)
Dex 12 (+1)
Con 14 (+2)
Int 14 (+2)
Wis 16 (+3)
Cha 8 (-1)

Size: Medium
HP: 10
BAB: +0
Init: +1
Move: 20’ (medium load, 53/66, -3acp)

AC: 15 (+2 armor, +2 shield, +1 Dex)
Saves:
Fortitude: +4
Reflex: +1
Will: +5

Attacks:
Melee: +0 Scimitar, 1d6, 18-20/x2, 4lb
Melee: +0 Club, 1d6, 20/x2, 10’, 3lb
Ranged: +1 Shortspear, 1d6, 20/x2, 20’, 3lb

Feats:
Track
Spell Focus(conjuration)

Skills (bonus/ranks):
Concetration (+6/4)
Knowledge(Nature) (+8/4)
Listen (+7/4)
Spellcraft (+6/4)
Spot (+7/4)
Survival (9/4)
Swim (+4/2)
Profession(Cook) (+5/2)
Profession (Sailor) (+5/2)

Languages Known:
Common
Elven
Dwarven
Druidic

Class Features:
Animal Companion
Nature Sense (+2 on Knowledge(nature) and survival checks, included)
Wild Empathy (Adjust attitude of animal +0, like diplomacy)
Spells

Racial Features:
Bonus feat
1 extra skill point per level/ four points at first

Spells: (3/2)
0: light, cure minor woundsx2
1: cure light wounds, entangle

[sblock=Animal Companion: Polly]
Size/Type:
Small Animal
Hit Dice:
1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative:
+2
Speed:
10 ft. (2 squares), fly 80 ft. (average)
Armor Class:
14 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple:
+0/-4
Attack:
Talons +3 melee (1d4)
Full Attack:
2 talons +3 melee (1d4) and bite -2 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach:
5 ft./5 ft.
Special Qualities:
Low-light vision
Saves:
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities:
Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills:
Listen +4, Spot +16
Feats:
Alertness, Weapon FinesseB
Environment:
Temperate mountains
General Purpose Guarding: attack, defend, down, guard[/sblock]

[sblock=Equipment]
Leather armor, 15lb
Heavy wooden shield, 10lb
Club, 3lb
Scimitar, 4lb
2 Shortspears, 6lb
Backpack, 2lb
Bedroll, 5lb
Explorers outfit
Waterskin, 4lb
Whetstone, 1lb
Holly and mistletoe
2 Sunrods, 2lb
2 Belt Pouches, 1lb[/sblock]

[sblock=background]Born on the northern coast of Avonleigh, Nicklas “Redbeard” Norstrom was made fun of as a kid because he was a little overweight. Nicklas spent a lot of time playing by himself in the wilderness, so the other children wouldn’t tease him. He became a skilled tracker and he knew the patterns and kinds of animals. His father was a sailor and sometimes Nicklas would join his father on fishing trips down the coast. He everything about the sea, the smell, the wind, and the freedom. Eventually, the druids of the Tremblewood took notice of the chubby young boy on fishing vessel and talked to the boy’s parents. Nicklas’s parents were concerned for their boy, because of his weight, and lack of any friends besides some squirrels and deer. They hoped that living and training with the druids would toughen their son up a little bit, make him loose a little weight, and maybe he’d make some friends. Nicklas was happy to go, other than his parents he wouldn’t really leave anyone else behind. He would miss the sea though. And so Nicklas departed to go to the druids of the Oaken Circle. Nicklas often heard the stories of the druids that fought the drow, deep in darkest parts of the Tremblewood. Nicklas never saw combat however, he wasn’t strong enough for melee combat. It was near the end of his training and almost May, so Nicklas’s main teacher, Lee, decided the two of them would travel together to Stonegate, to make his graduation official.[/sblock]
[sblock=appearance/personality] Redbeard is short and overweight at 5’8” and 215lbs, he also looks quite older than his 24 years(more like 33) because he is so weathered. His blonde hair is goes to just past his shoulders and is not kept clean. Likewise, his unruly red beard is long(about 6”)and unkempt. Redbeard is not the strongest man around, and he is still quite encumbered from his journey from the Tremblewood. If seen carrying all his gear, he is sweating profusely, red in the face, and gasping for breath. The smell of an unclean body, pine needles, and the earth follows him around. An eagle, whom he calls Polly, sits on his shoulder. When traveling, Nicklas likes to forage in the wilds, he is a pretty good cook, and would prefer eat that to having trail rations. He is patient, willing to take his time doing almost anything, except eat, this eat does rather quickly.[/sblock]

 

[Blarkon Dragonslayer]

Looks pretty darn good, EKB

 

[pathfinderq1]

Where I'm at:

Character creation/tinkering is going pretty well. I have a basic background put together, and I'm working on the mechanics portion of the sheet. At this point I have a couple of possible options and I wanted to put them up to see if the DM or other players have any opinions for party balance/playability.

The basic character is human, of Helmanori ancestry. Her parents attempted to flee their homeland after their daughter was born, fearing that she would be conscripted into the Mage-Emperor's service (as she was born with some obvious feature or trait that was commonly associated with inborn magical talent). During the escape her parents were separated, and her father brought her to Avonleigh- her mother disappeared and was presumed dead. Her father set up a tavern in one of the ports on the coast of Avonleigh, and he was always asking travelers for news of his homeland- perhaps hopingthat his wife was still alive somehow, perhaps fearing that agents of the Mage-Emperor were still after him and his daughter. His daughter turned out to be quite talented and clever, but her father tried to make her fear the magical arts as he did. He was only partially successful- she grew up wary of magic, and if she had any such talents they were dormant and ignored.
He even got her a reasonable education and acomfortable if boring apprenticeship as a clerk with a local merchant firm.
But six months ago her father, his tavern, and a good section of the surrounding port area were consumed in magical fire- perhaps it was simply a horrible accident, or perhaps agents of the Mage-Emperor had been after him all these years and had finally tracked him down. His daughter was wracked with guilt and anguish, as one might expect, and her sleep was fraught with nightmares- but she did manage to complete her apprenticeship. Her sponsor, seeking to alleviate the depression his young charge was feeling declared that they would make the trip to Stonegate so that she might participate in the Parade of Apprentices- which was actually quite an honor and a grand occasion, compared to the simple ceremony that would have happened in her home city. She had actually completed her apprenticeship before they set out for Stonegate, though, and she has been using the time to see what she can learn about her native land- after all those years of seeing her father's concern, she thinks their must be _some_ connection.

That is the background- at this point I have two possible character paths, and I'd like to see if the DM or other players have thoughts on this. I could go with a "stealth/scout" focus, based on Rogue with traditional sneaky skills, and probably looking at Shadowdancer in the far future. This would be a good base exploration type character, but not much else. Or I could go with Rogue as a base, primarily social/information skills(which we seem to be lacking- both statted characters so far have 8 CHA), and multi-class into Sorceror, possibly going for Arcane trickster (this assumes that she does have magical talent which she has yet to develope). As we don't have an arcane caster yet (as far as I know) this may be a better balance, but it has less focus. I could go either way (or split the Rogue/Sorceror difference and go straight Bard).

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[EvolutionKB]

Since we have six PC's I would go with bard. We have myself playing a druid(which can fufill many different roles)and a dwarven fighter. So far that's all we've got statted out. If the other people make what they say they are(psion, cleric, and rogue) I think the bard would fit the best. What we really don't have(like you said) is a social character. I think a bard would fit best, because that is what they do best, a little of everything. Okay, I'm rambling now...

 

[pathfinderq1]

Where I'm at:


Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

After some off-line discussion, another possibility has popped up- with a minor change in background (from human to half-elf, her elven mother would still be MIA and she would have taken her apprenticeship/training among the elves of the Tremblewood), I could go for melee support with Rogue base, adding minor Fighter/Sorceror, heading for Arcane archer. With only two statted characters up, I can't tell if a ranged-attack/scout might be helpful.

I should have the background/appearance up tomorrow, and the possible variations fully statted by then as well- working out first level characters doesn't take as long as I remember.

 

[Blarkon Dragonslayer]

After some off-line discussion, another possibility has popped up- with a minor change in background (from human to half-elf, her elven mother would still be MIA and she would have taken her apprenticeship/training among the elves of the Tremblewood), I could go for melee support with Rogue base, adding minor Fighter/Sorceror, heading for Arcane archer. With only two statted characters up, I can't tell if a ranged-attack/scout might be helpful.

I should have the background/appearance up tomorrow, and the possible variations fully statted by then as well- working out first level characters doesn't take as long as I remember.

Either character concept sounds fine, as far as party needs, a missile specialist would be interesting, certainly, but so would a face character.

 

[Imerak]

Okay, I've got my guy. Take a look and see if there's anything I need to fix.

Larren
Human Cleric 1 (entropy)

STR 10
DEX 14
CON 12
INT 12
WIS 15
CHA 12

HP 9/9
AC 16 (touch 12, flat-footed 14)
BAB +0 (melee +0, ranged +2, grapple +0)
Init +2
Fort +3
Ref +2
Will +5
AL CG

Skills
Spellcraft +5 (4 ranks +1 Int)
Hide +6 (4 ranks, +2 Dex, class skill because of Trickery domain)
Concentration +5 (4 ranks + 1 Con)
Bluff +5 (4 ranks, +1 Cha, class skill because of Trickery domain)

Feats/Abilities
Dodge
Point Blank Shot
Turn Undead 4/day
Spontaneous cure

Magic
Domains - Chaos, Trickery
3/2+1 per day, at DC 13 + spell level
Standard Spell Preparation:
orisons -- detect magic, light, inflict minor wounds
1rst -- inflict light wounds, command, disguise self

Equipment:
Morningstar
Light crossbow w/50 bolts
Studded leather armor
Light wooden shield
Wooden holy symbol
Flask of acid
5 days' trail rations
Bedroll
Flint and steel
Waterskin
8 gp, 4 sp

Appearance
Larren is seventeen years old, and has the look of someone who has just become a
man. He is fresh-faced with his eyes darting everywhere, trying to take in the sights. He
was brown hair tied in a pony tail, and green eyes which betray nothing. Larren wears fancy
or at least odd dress whenever he can.

Personality
Larren is impulsive and loves to cause trouble -- never enough to hurt anyone, but just enough to shake things up. He has a short attention span and a shorter temper. He lives for pleasure, and has never been known to turn down indulgences. Despite this, he has a strong moral core, and is against the opression of anyone. Larren believes that everyone should be able to pursue their own pleasures, and do whatever they want to be happy.

Background
Larren was born and raised in a small island town on the Shattered Sea. Almost as soon as he could walk, he was causing trouble, pulling pranks and stealing small trinkets. He normally managed to get away, or talk his way out of being punished. Nevertheless, his mischief worried his parents, who sent him to be trained as a priest. Larren was bored and routinely misbehaved, and was making little progress as a cleric of Virtue. His mentor, a wise man by the name of Decius, recognized his chaotic bent and allowed a friend of his to train him.

This friend was Thorentil, a disciple of Entropy. He instantly took Larren under his wing, recognizing more than a bit of himself in the youth. As he learned, Larren became devoted to Entropy, not just as a lifestyle but as a principle. He became a full cleric, calling on the
powers of the Principle to help him spread his message and help people be free. Thorentil will soon end the apprenticeship, tossing Larren -- still chaotic and immature, but now with a message -- out into the world.

EDIT: Changed his weapon to something more proficient.

 

[Blarkon Dragonslayer]

The only problem that I see is the scimitar. As a cleric, he has proficiency with simple weapons, and a scimitar is martial.

Doesn't mean he can't carry around a scimitar, but he'll take the non-proficiency penalty.