TRM's Second Darkness, a Pathfinder RPG game (closed)

[The Rolling Man]

@ Voadam

Thanks for posting a good draft of your character. It sure isn't your 'cookie cutter' character . Most of it looks fine but, at first glance, I see a few errors. First, you get +7 to your initial hp (half the constitution score). Second, the will save should be -2 not -3. Third, I'm a bit confused about your skills but I guess it depends on what you get as traits so I'll hold up on checking them in details until the character is finalized. Finally, you get either +1 hp or +1 skill points if you select Ranger as your favored class (as a human you can pick any. From your background and future concept, wizard might fit too).

The bonus of your first trait poses no problem to me. If the mage Voadam is looking for can't be Tolly, he could have heard that some cyphermage or another arcanist will be at the tournement. Mages aren't really sparse in Riddleport. The bonus for Knowledgeable Wayfarer is way too great for a trait however. I'd allow something like +1 to all knowledge skills (no scaling) or the ability to use knowledge skills untrained but not both. The other possibility would be to modify the ranger class to get some bard abilities.

 

[Voadam]

The bonus of your first trait poses no problem to me. If the mage Voadam is looking for can't be Tolly, he could have heard that some cyphermage or another arcanist will be at the tournement. Mages aren't really sparse in Riddleport. The bonus for Knowledgeable Wayfarer is way too great for a trait however. I'd allow something like +1 to all knowledge skills (no scaling) or the ability to use knowledge skills untrained but not both. The other possibility would be to modify the ranger class to get some bard abilities.

Can I ditch wild empathy and tracking for bardic knowledge?

 

[Voadam]

updated hp, will save, and made skill breakdown more explicit.

 

[The Rolling Man]

Can I ditch wild empathy and tracking for bardic knowledge?

Add Hunter's bond (the animal companion ability) to that list and I'll allow it.

 

[Mark Chance]

Who wants to be Rorgar's eccentric rural friend (background)?

I can handle that action. After all, Kronk is wearing a tunic made out of dead squirrels.



I'm fixin' to head over to the RG to add a bit of background to Kronk.

 

[Dr Simon]

Interesting, I didn't notice that. I guess Linguistics is Decipher script + Forgery + Speak Language so, yeah, you can pick another language.

Running the Crimson Throne with Pathfinder, I've found it pays to double check everything against 3.5 rules, as there are a lot of subtle differences.

This is cool, I figure Tolly as being someone who has a knack with languages and knows a smattering of loads of different phrases "Hello, yes, no, two beers please, don't kill me" in a range of tongues.

Looking forwards to interacting with this right bunch of oddballs!

 

[Walking Dad]

I can handle that action. After all, Kronk is wearing a tunic made out of dead squirrels.



I'm fixin' to head over to the RG to add a bit of background to Kronk.

Thanks .

 

[Voadam]

Add Hunter's bond (the animal companion ability) to that list and I'll allow it.

Done.

For a new trait how about either of the following:

1 Curious mage: If Voadam takes levels in wizard his wizard levels stack with his ranger levels for purposes of wayfarer lore. (Mechanically this means he will gain a skill rank in knowledge planar at every wizard level and will get a +1 lore knowledge bonus at his third and fifth wizard levels).

2 Tactical diplomacy: Voadam's negotiations are guided by his quick mind and keen insight into possibilities and opportunities. He applies his intelligence bonus to diplomacy checks.

3 Eclectic lore: Voadam picks up a bit here and there as he goes. Each level Voadam gains an extra skill point. This skill point can only be spent on knowledge skills that were used in the last level. Normal skill rank maximums apply.

 

[Voadam]

Proposed background with connections to Rorgar and therefor indirectly to Kronk:


After the shadow in the sky has become visible from all around Riddleport, the druid elders performed auguries and all the signs pointed the same way—something or someone in Riddleport is connected to the blot, and it means bad news for the region. The druid sect is charged to protect the material realm from otherworldly, unnatural forces and they sought further divinations through a circle ritual about what forces they could bring to bear on the situation. These rituals tapped into ancient not fully controlled powerful forces of druidic magic. They were somewhat surprised when a black rift opened up amidst their sacred standing stones and a bear of a man in black robes crashed through. Magics coursed over him, wracking his body and leaving him a smoking heap on the ground, unconscious.

They restored him to health and answered some of his questions about where he was and what had happened. He claimed to be a demon hunter who walked worlds, of late dealing with ancient giant magics, dragons, and animals corrupted by planar forces into unnatural abominations. He claimed to be a wizard without magic, but he demonstrated he could tap into nature magics. Some of the druids felt their ritual had failed spectacularly and brought them a madman, others felt the man was sent to answer their need.

Ultimately the sect decided to ask him to go with their agent Rorgar to learn what the two could of the Blot. Voadam agreed, provided they grant him a druidic healing wand, and a bargain was struck. So now the two are headed to Riddleport, to meet Rorgar's old friend, a dwarf named Kronk at an inn called the Golden Goblin.

 

[The Rolling Man]

For a new trait how about either of the following:

1 Curious mage: If Voadam takes levels in wizard his wizard levels stack with his ranger levels for purposes of wayfarer lore. (Mechanically this means he will gain a skill rank in knowledge planar at every wizard level and will get a +1 lore knowledge bonus at his third and fifth wizard levels).

2 Tactical diplomacy: Voadam's negotiations are guided by his quick mind and keen insight into possibilities and opportunities. He applies his intelligence bonus to diplomacy checks.

3 Eclectic lore: Voadam picks up a bit here and there as he goes. Each level Voadam gains an extra skill point. This skill point can only be spent on knowledge skills that were used in the last level. Normal skill rank maximums apply.

2 is fine. I don't much like 3 but I'd allow 1 if we limit it somehow. The way I see traits, they are meant to be simple bonuses at start of the game but they fade in importance as you gain more levels. Granted such levels are far away in a PbP format but I'm just trying to be fair while letting you make the character you want ... So, back at your option 1, there's an existing talent that gives +2 to one of your casting level, as long as it doesn't exceed your HDs. I think your talent should be somewhat similar. But, since bonuses to knowledge skills aren't as great as an increased caster lvl, I would double the benefits (i.e. +4 lvls) and apply it to your class ability rather then a caster lvls. So the trait could be written as such :

1 Curious wayfarer: If Voadam takes levels in another class then ranger, up to four of these levels can stack with his ranger levels for purposes of wayfarer lore.

I like the link you've made with the druids of Rorgar's sect, so I'm gonna use this in the upcoming first ic post.