Yo Ho Ho! Recruiting Spelljamming Pirates and Roguish Sorts to fill Openings!

[Shayuri]

Rystil? What would a "good" race suggestion be for a Witch character?

I've decided I have a hankering to play a spooky-ooky voodoo queen sea witch.

Any common races? Uncommon? Unheard of?

 

[Rystil Arden]

Here she is. The background is a bit vague since I don't really know what happened to her on Chulit, but it looks like it might cover those events somewhat.
Or maybe those events never happened to her. Maybe she's the Clone of the original Alexia (a common enough form of life-insurance for such a rich and powerful Dragonlord family), activated when Alexia1 was killed by her captors. Then, when Alexia1 was returned to life by the Great Spirit of Chulit there was two of them running around causing mischief, (Alexia1 perhaps with a changed alignment), one of them in this game the other one in whatever remains of Viridian Plague. Eventually, presumably, she would run into herself and have to fight the other self to the death to reclaim her place in the family. Could be fun.

[sblock=everyone]
Alexia Azi the Lost (formerly Lady Alexia Azi Valthyne)

Female Valsian Dragonlord level 5 (Telepath)
Species: Valsian (-2 Con, +4 Int, +4 Cha)

Alignment: Neutral Evil
XP:

Str: 11/+0
Dex: 15/+2
Con: 18/+4 (16-2+4)
Int: 22/+6 (17+4+1(+2 for spellcasting))
Wis: 12/+1
Cha: 19/+4 (15+4(+2 for spellcasting))

Hp: 36 (4+4d4+24)
Initiative: +2
BaB/Grapple: +3/+3
Attack: +3
Damage:
Move: 30 (20)

Fort: 3 (1+1)
Ref: 4 (1+2)
Will: 6 (4+1)

Skills: 55 sp
Bluff: 15 (8+5+2(syn))
Concentration: 9 (8+1)
Diplomacy: 15 (8+5+2(syn))
Knowlege (Nobility and Royalty): 14 (8+6)
Knowlege (Psionics): 14 (8+6)
Psicraft: 16 (8+6+2(syn))
Sense Motive: 9 (8+1)

Languages:
Valsian, Altanian, Eldish, Mojin, High Praetorian, Draconic, Infernal.

Feats: lvl: 1,1,3,5.
Spell Prodigy
Psionic Meditation
Expand Knowlege (Astral Construct)
Empower Power

Racial and Class Abilities:
+2 Bonus feats, Draconic Pet, Siphon Power +2.
Power Leech: Every time a Valsian is targetted by a spell that directly creates a magical effect on the Valsian (so Hold Person, Charm Person, and Eagle's Splendour for example, rather than Melf's Acid Arrow which creates an arrow and then shoots it out), the Valsian drains a little bit of the power into herself, regaining 1 hit point per spell level.

Gem Affinity (Ruby): Based on hair and eye colour, each Valsian has an affinity with a particular jewel. Any time they use a dorje or other psionic item made from the same jewel type, if it recreates a psionic affect, they can use their affinity to add the effects of a metapsionic feat that costs 2 Power Points or less for free, though they still expend focus as usual.


Power Points/ Day: 103 (64(base)+21(int)+15(cha)+3(Valsian))

Powers Known:
0 (7): Mend, Mage Hand, Detect Psionics, Message, Prestidigitation, Light.
1 (9): Astral Construct*, Charm (psionic), Force Screen, Inertial Armour, Mind Link, Defensive Precognition, Vigor, Comprehend Languages, Silent Image, Ray of Enfeeblement.
2 (6): Specified Energy Adaptation, Share Pain, Command Undead, Glitterdust, Mirror Image, Web.
3 (5): Energy Wall, Hostile Emphatic Transfer.

Draconic Pet:

Coiyared the Devourer
Wyrmling Black Dragon
Age: Wyrmling
Size: T
Hit Dice (hp): 4d12+4 (30)
Str: 11
Dex: 10
Con: 13
Int: 8
Wis: 11
Cha: 8
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/–4
Attack: +6
Fort Save: +5
Ref Save: +4
Will Save: +4
Breath Weapon (DC): 2d4 (13)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft. (5 ft. with bite)
1 Bite: 1d4
2 Claws: 1d3
Speed: 60 ft., fly 100 ft. (average), swim 60 ft.
Initiative: +0
AC: 15 (+2 size,+3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15
Special Abilities: Immunity to acid, water breathing
Feats and Skills:
Flyby Attack, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (bite)
Listen 7, Spot 7, Sense Motive 7, Knowlege (dragons) 6, Intimidate 6.


Her Equipment (worn):

Belt of Health (worn under clothes) +4: 16'000 gp
Ring of Sustenance: 2500 gp
Ring of Endure Elements: 1000 gp

Fine Woolen cloak 1gp (conceals all but her face, which is in shadows)
Royal Outfit 250 gp
Gold and black pearl earrings: 100 gp
3 golden Hair pins: 150 gp
Ruby necklace: 1000 gp
Fan: 100 gp

354 gp


Hireling Butler (Expert level 1): Cost 3sp/day
Jeeves.
HP: 6


Carrying capacity: 38 lb. or less 39–76 lb. 77–115 lb.
Skills:
Profession(Butler): 4
Knowlege(Nobility and Royalty): 4
Knowlege(History): 4
Speak Language: Celestial, Seelie, Altanian, High Preatorian, Lacerta, Feldori.

Languages: Valsian, Celestial, Seelie, Altanian, High Preatorian, Lacerta, Feldori.

Jeeves Equipment:
His clothes, rations, backpack, rope, soap, lantern+oil, bedroll, canteen, etc. 100 gp

her equipment, carried by Jeeves:
Royal Outfit x3: 600 gp
Noble Outfit x2: 125 gp
Masterwork Ivory Folding Chair: 200 gp
Waxed Silk Umbrella: 20 gp

--

Appearance:
By any account a strikingly beautiful woman, with brilliant ruby eyes that can turn from piercingly cool to radiant beacons of joy in a moment and hair the same hew beautifully coiffed in an elaborate and timeless arrangement, held by three golden hair-pins.
Her skin is light and creamy, with the slightest hint of a tan. Besides the black on her eyebrows and lashes she uses no make-up, finding that it tends to lessen her beauty.
Her jewelry and clothes, though elaborate and ancient, conveys a sence of effortless elegance.

Personality:
A polite veneer over a sometimes fiery temper and a calm self-assurance of her own worth. Alexia believes in the manifest destiny of her people and her great House, but she does not carry some of the prejudices common amongst her people. Recent events have left her confidence somewhat shaken, yet she keeps her insecurities to herself.

Background:
She had a happy and mostly unremarkable noble upbringing that molded her into a spoiled manipulator. Because she was mostly raised by payed servants she didn't form any close bonds with her parents, but holds some affection for her younger sister Aliandra [Seeten's Diplomatic Immunity character].
Excelling in her studies, she found herself with a lot of free time and in her teenage years developed a few bad habits for a young noble lady. It was never difficult for her to sneak off incognito into the crowded streets of the nearby trading city to find herself exotic new drugs and exotic new lovers. It was a game she liked to play on occasion, and it never seemed to end badly. Oh, she had to kill a fool or two, but she was never in any real danger. Eventually her responsibilities within the family grew and she found herself with less time over for her adventurous pursuits. Instead she threw her efforts into managing parts of the family business.
It was on a prospecting trip to the jungle planet of Chulit that she was cast out onto the path she now is forced to walk. Captured and tortured she found no other way out but to betray the interests of her family. The Valthynes being an unforgiving lot cast her out, stripped her of her family name and sent her to the foulest hive of scum and villainy in the known universe in exile with but the simplest of her belongings. She now seeks to avenge that injustice and redeem herself in the eyes of her people.[/sblock]

Since my games are actually a self-contained living world, I'd rather you not reuse Azi Valthyne, and the clone idea seems more than a bit odd (and only works assuming the hand of a very high level Dragonlord with a high stake invested in the effort). Couldn't it be a different Dragonlord?

 

[Rystil Arden]

Rystil? What would a "good" race suggestion be for a Witch character?

I've decided I have a hankering to play a spooky-ooky voodoo queen sea witch.

Any common races? Uncommon? Unheard of?

Rowaini females are the archetypical Witch. In fact, check out the following random socio-political-gender note that I posted in a game and never got included in the doc (there are a bunch of these drifting in the phlogiston of the Internet, though the crash killed many).

[SBLOCK=Long note on Rowaini women]A random socio-political-gender note for the Rowaini culture: There's a good reason that the overwhelming majority of the female members of the very highest strata of the social elite are remarkably gorgeous and have similar builds--it's a case of selective breeding and a bit of eugenics. Basically, Rowaini women are considered to have intrinsic value only as sex objects and mothers. Because the men find busty gorgeous women to be attractive, they consider them to have more value as a sex-object wife, and they have also been found to be more likely to have healthy strapping sons and busty gorgeous daughters (that's genetics for you). Therefore, due to arranged marriages that dominate Rowaini society, a social order began to slowly impose itself where that particular standard of beauty was used as a bargaining chip to seal alliances and bargains. Since there is genetic variation, every daughter will be different, of course, and when a noble couple has a particularly beautiful daughter, because she is more attractive as a wife and more likely to produce better children, she can be married off to a more powerful family to gain alliances and connections and raise their own social status somewhat. This trend causes beauty to migrate upward on the social ladder, genetically. Meanwhile, if a daughter is slightly below-par (not too much, just a bit, and she's probably still quite beautiful at most of the higher ranks), she can still be married off to someone of equal or slightly lower rank who is willing to accept her because she is closer to the typical wife in his social stratus and also because she brings with her ties to the more powerful family. In this way, the slightly less busty, less drop-dead-gorgeous traits migrate down the social ladder. If a daughter is too much below-par, she is considered a waste of resources (and possibly a bastard child), so she is often either killed or given to a peasant family who can't have children of their own (could be an interesting character hook, actually), depending on the father's demeanour. What about the opposite case--a peasant girl possessed of incredible beauty? They are rare, and very special, so each has a different story to tell. Some of them are married off to very minor nobles or gentry, bringing the peasant family financial support and the noble family possible bargaining chips for upwards mobility in the form of daughters. Others become criminal con artists who masquerade as noblewomen, often successfully. Many become mistresses of powerful nobles, living a life of luxury and hedonism. Occasionally if her patron is very powerful (like a king), such a mistress can even be granted an honourary title, or even a real title for her sons, and thus enter the nobility, and the cycle of speculation on beauty continues. As a consequence of all this, most Rowaini stereotype and make the assumption that beautiful ladies have status roughly proportional to their beauty and bust. It isn't always right, and this is what lets those con artists get away with a lot, but it's a good rule of thumb to remember. It also leads to a general cultural attitude where the most beautiful ladies should always be treated like royalty--often they actually are, and even when they are dealing with other cultures where they know this isn't the case, the custom is strong, and it has just become customary.[/SBLOCK]

 

[Nephtys]

Since my games are actually a self-contained living world, I'd rather you not reuse Azi Valthyne, and the clone idea seems more than a bit odd (and only works assuming the hand of a very high level Dragonlord with a high stake invested in the effort). Couldn't it be a different Dragonlord?

It could be a different Dragonlord, or even another class. It is a bit silly to play both games with two more or less identical characters, but since Alexia1 probably won't get much play-time (with the game so close to ending, and her being a helpless prisoner) it might not be such a big deal.
I could roll up an entirely new character if you want, though.

http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=873388

 

[Rystil Arden]

It could be a different Dragonlord, or even another class. It is a bit silly to play both games with two more or less identical characters, but since Alexia1 probably won't get much play-time (with the game so close to ending, and her being a helpless prisoner) it might not be such a big deal.
I could roll up an entirely new character if you want, though.

http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=873388

You're good to roll stats on that d20. As for Azi, assuming the adventure is successfully completed, I may have a new adventure or two as follow-ups that will allow returning characters from VP to join (like a Living World).

 

[Nephtys]

I'm glad I'm not stuck with these rolls

4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [4,3,2] = (9)
4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [6,4,2] = (12)
4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [4,2,2] = (8)
4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [5,4,2] = (11)
4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [4,4,3] = (11)
4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [6,6,2] = (14)
4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [6,4,3] = (13)

--
This is not too bad, I guess.http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=873553

4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [6,5,4] = (15)
4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [4,3,2] = (9)
4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [6,5,5] = (16)
4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [6,3,2] = (11)
4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [4,4,3] = (11)
4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [4,3,3] = (10)
4d6.takeHighest(3)-> [6,5,4] = (15)

I'm not really sure which class to pick, since I don't really want another Dragonlord. Are there any classes you haven't seen in play yet? Any class you'd like to?
-

Are Spellpoints identical to Psionic power points, in cost/level of spell? Do classes that use spellpoints have to augment their spells or do they scale with caster level?

-

Would an Siren fit into the setting?

 

[Rystil Arden]

Spell point are similar to PP. The cost is the same, and damaging spells do need to be augmented. Siren would be a bit strange--this isn't really the kind of place for a Siren, or even most Amaranthians in general (maybe an Amazon or an exiled Sidhe with a good reason to be far away).

 

[Nephtys]

Spell point are similar to PP. The cost is the same, and damaging spells do need to be augmented. Siren would be a bit strange--this isn't really the kind of place for a Siren, or even most Amaranthians in general (maybe an Amazon or an exiled Sidhe with a good reason to be far away).

It would be a Sidhe (the Nymphs strike me as a bit too sweet) and she could very well be exiled, the Sidhe court being rife with intrigue and corruption. She could have found herself on the wrong side of a failed plot, part of a defeated faction. Maybe just a political scapegoat, a devious criminal, or both.

Less weird would be a Dolathi Bounty Hunter, a Rowaini Swashbuckler, a Narlse Alley Stalker, and then maybe a Pleb Liberator or Vildri Heretic as the token weird-but-easily-explainable character.)

Since I already play a rogue character of a similar level in another game I'm like to stay away from that, likewise I want to avoid stepping on the other PCs toes, so it seems my options are a bit limited.
I'm guessing the Alley-Stalker is some sort of Fighter/Rogue, but what about the Heretic?

 

[Rystil Arden]

It would be a Sidhe (the Nymphs strike me as a bit too sweet) and she could very well be exiled, the Sidhe court being rife with intrigue and corruption. She could have found herself on the wrong side of a failed plot, part of a defeated faction. Maybe just a political scapegoat, a devious criminal, or both.



Since I already play a rogue character of a similar level in another game I'm like to stay away from that, likewise I want to avoid stepping on the other PCs toes, so it seems my options are a bit limited.
I'm guessing the Alley-Stalker is some sort of Fighter/Rogue, but what about the Heretic?

Intrigue, yes. Corruption--not really, no. Seelie Sidhe are pretty much always some kind of Good or Neutral with Good tendencies. Vaelyne varies more in political ideology than it does in alignment. Some of the Conacians are more solidly Neutral, though.

Not everything I say is true or the complete truth, of course--this is the case for every culture. There's some other interesting things about Amaranthia, but my "Blossoming Strife" game that explored it died do to lack of interest.

Alley Stalker are something like Urban Ranger/Rogues, the ultimate manifestation of the urban hunter. Sometimes, they're actually beneficent vigilantes...usually not. Heretics are adamantly opposed to the church of Circe, and they gain divine power from their beliefs. They know how to live in secret and pretend to be true believers, so maybe think of them like Cleric/Rogues.

 

[Nephtys]

What about the Unseelie Sidhe?