Pathfinder Game

[Adell]

So, as a few of us have been discussing on Twitter throughout the day, Rick and I were interested with possibly doing a game of pathfinder over skype, which then led to a few of us joining the discussion about doing one as we get to January. Since Rick dm's a bit already and wants to take a break from it, we've decided that I'll try my hand at it for this particular game. With that said, I've decided to make this thread for those of us who are gonna be playing for discussion on several subjects that we should try and figure out before we actually play.

First off, the number of players. I have never DM'd before, not seriously anyway, and we're gonna be playing this game over the internet, so I'd like to keep the player size small. I would like to keep the player size below 5. Assuming the people I was talking with on twitter still want to actually play, that means the 4 players are as follows:

Rick
Qara
Scarab
Jack

I know Krika and Vic were involved a bit in the conversation as well, but Krika sounded like he didn't want to play over skype/internet, and Vic you kind of...joined pretty late into the conversation

That said, if one of the four above wants to switch out to let another play that's fine with me. Just remember that i don't want to exceed four players.

Second, how we'll be playing the game. Rick recommended using Skype, but if you guys would prefer we could use Steam's party chat or that Dobly Axon if you would prefer (unless there is a specific reason Skype is the best choice, that is). Since we're playing off voice chat, that probably means some of the rules for the game will have to be played around with (we won't exactly have a map like we usually do when I play this game) and I'm not sure how we'll handle dice rolling. I guess we could use some third party site for the dice rolling or we could go on the honor system. Rick, if you have some advice here I would be welcome to it haha.

Thirdly, making characters, I know Qara and Scarab aren't exactly knowledgeable in pathfinder rules, http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG this site should give you a lot of general knowledgeable on how the game is played, but I'm sure we can all help when it comes to making your characters. I'm *decently* knowledgeable in how the game is played, but there is plenty I don't know wither, so I'm expecting the others to help me out here. As for what kind of class you decide to pick, I really don't have any rules for it, just try and make your characters neutral or good alignment please for simplicity sake. If you want to play some broken overpowered class that's fine with me, I'm not really gonna be good at balancing this stuff at first anyway haha. This site, http://www.d20pfsrd.com/, also has pretty much everything you could need to play the game. You guys might want to discuss what classes you are being so that you can be a "balanced" party (typically has a healer, a mage, a rogue, and a warrior for example)

Fourthly, the date. We'll need to know when we can all play for us to set this game up. So if you guys can tell me days you are free and what hours, we can try and figure out a good timeslot. We're shooting to play sometime in January hopefully, so when you're free around then. Also, keep in mind that this will probably run for a few hours, so you might want to be free the whole day.

I think that's everything. The only other thing is, keep in mind that I have never done this before, which is why I want the party size small and manageable. I'm also not as knowledgeable as I probably should be for this, so I'm all for Jack or Rick correcting me when I inevitably say something completely wrong about this game. If there's anything else you guys think we should discuss, feel free to open the conversation up

(I'm also thinking maybe we can record the game in audacity or stream it so that others can watch/listen for amusement, but we'll talk about that later )

[Scarab]

(I'm also thinking maybe we can record the game in audacity or stream it so that others can watch/listen for amusement, but we'll talk about that later )

Hell yes

I am totally down with this... now to read through like... what seems like bible sized amount of rules :3 Well, not like I don't have plenty of time!

[JackAlsworth]

Most of what you need to know is in the http://paizo.com/prd/gettingStarted.html section of the reference document. Anything below "Spell Index" in the SRD is generally for the GM (it's handy to know but by no means necessary). If you have a character idea in mind, tell us about them and we can probably point you in the direction of the stuff you'll need to know the most.

[agoraoptera]

Aw man, I would have loved to join in. Have fun guys <3

[eli_gone_crazy]

I've never played, and I'm sorry that I missed out on the conversation, but I'd love to join if you decide to dm another round.

[Victin]

I'm not worrying about not being able to play in this one. In fact, I'm half-glad because I'm pretty sure I'd manage to screw up somehow. If I ever play I'd prefer to go alongside other newbies so we can all screw up together (though I'd assume myself to be the only one to screw up).

Though now I want to call dibs on 'Mage' because even if I don't find my previous sheet I have a general idea of what my character looked like, as you can see by what I said on Twitter. Even though I'd make a new one for sure.

By the way, I remember using an online sheet maker for Pathfinder. If I'm able to find it, would you like the link?

[Adell]

I'm not worrying about not being able to play in this one. In fact, I'm half-glad because I'm pretty sure I'd manage to screw up somehow. If I ever play I'd prefer to go alongside other newbies so we can all screw up together (though I'd assume myself to be the only one to screw up).

Though now I want to call dibs on 'Mage' because even if I don't find my previous sheet I have a general idea of what my character looked like, as you can see by what I said on Twitter. Even though I'd make a new one for sure.

By the way, I remember using an online sheet maker for Pathfinder. If I'm able to find it, would you like the link?

Yeah that could probably help if you can find it :3

[Victin]

Okay, while I think I found the one I used (here it is, by the way, alongside an example of a sheet made there, the character I mentioned earlier), I also found this other one which apparently lets you save it. If the one I used does or not, I have no idea.

By the way, ignore most of the info on the top of that sheet. I wasn't sure what the GM exactly wanted, and he possibly vaguely mentioned it being somehow related to Homestuck, so I made this character like this for the lulz.

[Krika]

I'd like to say that my reluctance to join in is mostly resultant from my inability to necessarily ensure that I will remain undisturbed for the allotted timespan. I have played a few over-internet real-time games before - there is actually software designed for this (http://rptools.net/). However, I kept getting pulled away for other things in the middle of the game, hence my reluctance. Admittedly, now that I am in college that's less of a factor, but if this starts up in January, then I will be at home with my family, in which case it will be an issue again.

I have, however, played many Play-By-Post games, and would be willing to join in one of those. And I may drop in as an observer, for fun, in any case.

[Scarab]

Okay first of all, all these numbers are confusing as heck XD

Second, I've been told to mention my current desire to be some kind of ice based sorcerer class in this, so that we an coordinate classes... I would appreciate some help in this regard, though I think I have the basics down :3 The list of spells is MASSIVE.

[Adell]

For the players who are gonna play, I don't want to scare you so much with a bunch of rules yet, so take the time to read up on stuff if you have any questions so that those of us who DO know how to play can help out. Don't worry about rolling stats(note: we may not roll for them, we may do a "point buy" thing) and stuff yet, we'll do that later on once you figure out what you want to do.

Some things to keep in mind if you really want to make your character now though:
We'll probably be starting at level 1 or level 2 characters
I would prefer them to be of neutral or good alignment
The setting is probably gonna be made up, but it'll still use the same deities and stuff from pathfinder

[Rick Healey]

As I'm one of the more experienced people here in regards to this, a few things to hit.

First, I am looking forward to doing this. This is the kind of community-oriented project that I missed while being a hidden puppetmaster.

Second, since this is Adell's game, I want to just get clarification on what Pathfinder sources are available. I know newbies will definitely want to stick to the Core Rulebook (the whole thing is a free download from the site Adell previously mentioned), but I'm comfortable with many more sources. That said, I don't want to overwhelm Adell or overshadow anyone else. So it'll help to know what we're going to be playing with.

As for the communication medium, I suggested Skype for only one reason - it's the voice chat setup that I've had the most success with. I've found that someone seems to have issues with any other one I've ever tried. That said, I'm not committed to Skype beyond confidence in its reliability - if folks have a different one that they wish to use, I'll give it a whirl.

For the topic of die rollers (for that matter, it also is a potential chat format), one option we potentially have is Roll20 (at http://roll20.net) - it's a free browser-based app that will allow us to basically have a private chat as well as a die-roller that everyone gets to see. That said, if you don't like that, I'm good with the honor system.

I personally enjoy playing support characters; I think I'd play a bard, actually (instead of a rogue). A few reasons.

1) I could give people bonuses in combat and to actions through my inspiring voice. Giving out bonuses always helps, especially when you're new.
2) Bards get a couple of healing spells, so I could be a backup healer. Repeat after me, folks - it's always good to have more healing.
3) Storytellers by trade. Enough said.
4) Folks who have seen me talk about my wife on Twitter ought to know that I am, in fact, remarkably spoony.

I can certainly help with character creation for those unfamiliar. One thing to keep in mind, Scarab, is that we will need to get confirmation from Adell as to what books are available. I think roughly half of the spell list for Pathfinder overall is from supplementary sources. Ones I own, no less. If he says they're not available, I can present a much cleaner and easier-to-read spell list for you. You still have to choose, of course, but rather than look at ALL THE SPELLS, you'll have a much smaller list that's easier to read.

Also, a few notes for Adell, as I've got experience with driving people up the wall... oh, wait, I meant running a game.

First and foremost, relax. We're your friends, and we're not going to condemn you if you make a minor mistake or two. Or even a major mistake or two. It's a learning process, we know; and we all understand that there may be some missteps. As always, you have a tram backing you up. Though that's not really advice so much as a show of support.

Second, the most important advice I can give you is this - your job as a GM isn't to give players the challenge that they expect. It's to give them the challenge that will both make a good story and that they are able to overcome. My Friday night Pathfinder game has the now-classic Giant Skunk Incident (in which a party of undead hunters were all ready for a zombie ambush, only to be rushed by giant skunks instead), and my players loved it. They were surprised, they were a bit anxious, and they ended up victorious.

Finally, whenever you see a potential conflict involving the rules, just decide on what will be both fun and fair. You may have to lean a bit more heavily on "fair" now to make sure "fun" happens later, but in the long run, things will even out.

[Adell]

I appreciate the support haha. As for what books, I think sticking with just the core would be for the best, but if you really want to use something from another book (like some of the extra races or something) just run it by me and I'll probably allow it if you really want, otherwise let's just stick with the core rules for all of us.

[Victin]

Okay first of all, all these numbers are confusing as heck XD

Second, I've been told to mention my current desire to be some kind of ice based sorcerer class in this, so that we an coordinate classes... I would appreciate some help in this regard, though I think I have the basics down :3 The list of spells is MASSIVE.

Oh, hey beetle if you want to see the thought process I used to give me level 1 char the potential to create an ice spear (with only the core book spells, I believe), I'd be more than glad to tell you.

I'd like to say that my reluctance to join in is mostly resultant from my inability to necessarily ensure that I will remain undisturbed for the allotted timespan. I have played a few over-internet real-time games before - there is actually software designed for this (http://rptools.net/). However, I kept getting pulled away for other things in the middle of the game, hence my reluctance. Admittedly, now that I am in college that's less of a factor, but if this starts up in January, then I will be at home with my family, in which case it will be an issue again.

... Yeah, I had forgotten about that. It would probably be an issue for me as well.

The setting is probably gonna be made up, but it'll still use the same deities and stuff from pathfinder

If I remember correctly, that online rulebook doesn't have the Pathfinder deities. I remember we had to look for them somewhere else, but even the website we found wasn't that complete.

[Scarab]

Oh, hey beetle if you want to see the thought process I used to give me level 1 char the potential to create an ice spear (with only the core book spells, I believe), I'd be more than glad to tell you.

Thanks Vic!

So I was chatting about this and somehow we came to the conclusion that I’m probably going to end up playing a sorcerer/performer, (with an emphasis on ice naturally) and the Maestro bloodline. The basic idea we came up with is that I could utilise charisma to the players advantage, and with Rick on the team as a bard further adding to that, this has the potential to be good for information gathering.

The ice thing is... well, just because really, but those kind of light ad ice spells too, have potential for Performances, which are always good for getting money.

This time yesterday I had NO IDEA what any of that even meant, so Adell is clearly highly competent teacher I can say now that I'm going to have trouble with the numbers side of things for reasons beyond my control so Rick's automated rolling system might be for the best for me.

personally enjoy playing support characters; I think I'd play a bard, actually (instead of a rogue). A few reasons

If Bard is what Rick is going for then that means we now have Bard and Sorcerer so far. I’d suggest other people choose roles that work alongside that...

[JackAlsworth]

I'd probably go with a rogue, unless Qara doesn't want to meatshield.

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

I would say rogue or warrior for me so if jack wants to something, I am happy to somethingelse. (JUST IMAGINE THE SOMETHINGS ARE INTELLIGENT WORDS THAT SHOW I KNOW ALL ABOUT HOW THIS GAME WORKS)

[Victin]

Oh, Adell, if you want to throw a puzzle in their quest, I have some written down. I don't think any of them are of my own creation, though.

Oh, hey beetle if you want to see the thought process I used to give me level 1 char the potential to create an ice spear (with only the core book spells, I believe), I'd be more than glad to tell you.

Thanks Vic!

So I was chatting about this and somehow we came to the conclusion that I’m probably going to end up playing a sorcerer/performer, (with an emphasis on ice naturally) and the Maestro bloodline. The basic idea we came up with is that I could utilise charisma to the players advantage, and with Rick on the team as a bard further adding to that, this has the potential to be good for information gathering.

The ice thing is... well, just because really, but those kind of light ad ice spells too, have potential for Performances, which are always good for getting money.

This time yesterday I had NO IDEA what any of that even meant, so Adell is clearly highly competent teacher I can say now that I'm going to have trouble with the numbers side of things for reasons beyond my control so Rick's automated rolling system might be for the best for me.

To prove the point I made that I have no idea of what I'd be doing if I were to play Pathfinder, I have no idea what any of what Scarab said means. I guess I'll just tell you how I figured out how to 'ice spear' then (I'll do it here because there are other people who know better than I who can see this thread):

• I had bought a bottle of water as one of my starting items, so if there wasn't any water around I could use it instead. If there was, I would first start by using 'Mage Hands' to levitate the water, if possible further shaping it into a spear. Then, by using 'Ray of Frost' (for which I had Weapon Focus) and/or 'Prestidigitation' (I had been advised to always pick 'Prestidigitation'), cool it down until it froze. I also had 'Shield' and 'True Strike' as my first level spells, so I could defend myself while wielding the spear (for which I still did not have proficiency upon) or making sure my attack landed, though it was meant to be wield with 'Mage Hands'.

In hindsight, 'Mending' probably would also be useful, asides from getting Weapon Proficiency in spear.

personally enjoy playing support characters; I think I'd play a bard, actually (instead of a rogue). A few reasons

I'm pretty sure I did not say that.

[Sicon112]

Looks like I don't make it in time to join in with another attempt at tabletop RPing. Next time this happens someone tell me about it. I'm really interested in learning this stuff.

[Adell]

I would say rogue or warrior for me so if jack wants to something, I am happy to somethingelse. (JUST IMAGINE THE SOMETHINGS ARE INTELLIGENT WORDS THAT SHOW I KNOW ALL ABOUT HOW THIS GAME WORKS)

Well, if Jack wants to play a rogue, I suggest you play something like a Fighter. They're pretty simple as far as classes go; good armor and hp, variety of weapons to chose from, but nothing too complicated. You don't have to be a "tank/warrior" class if you don't want to, if you have a character in mind for this then we can pick a class more appropriate to how you want your character to be personality/skillwise.

[JackAlsworth]

Oh, speaking of which - Adell, do you care about shared backstories either way, or would you rather leave that up to player discretion?

[Adell]

Oh, speaking of which - Adell, do you care about shared backstories either way, or would you rather leave that up to player discretion?

I'm still working on what the setting will be, exactly, so you might not want a lot of history quite yet till I write up what the setting is. However, that said, I have no problem with your characters having shared backstories of some kind. Getting things started will be a bit quicker if a few of you are already traveling together. But yeah, just give me a day or so to come up with the basic premise, so you guys can build your characters around that.

[Scarab]

I would say rogue or warrior for me so if jack wants to something, I am happy to somethingelse. (JUST IMAGINE THE SOMETHINGS ARE INTELLIGENT WORDS THAT SHOW I KNOW ALL ABOUT HOW THIS GAME WORKS)

YOUR KNOWLEDGE IS UNMATCHED GREAT ONE TEACH ME YOUR WAYS.

But no, if you were fighter, and Jack were rogue, that would create a decent party balance, but to be fair, I think we can work perfectly well without an exactly perfect balance if you wanted to choose something else (Just a wild guess here, but I figure rogues are probably the guys who do the Pickpocketing, while fighterss are more the Tanks.)

[Adell]

The Setting:

Our story takes place on a planet known as Tellus, on an island kingdom known as the Moerae Islands. Here, there are 32 islands surrounding a large towering tree known simply as The World Tree. Once an area of little concern to other neighboring nations, interest greatly rose in Moerae when it was discovered just how dense and powerful the Ether was in this territory, thanks to the World Tree's influence there. This tree seemed to have an unnatural, powerful connection to the magic held deep within the planet, allowing people of all species to harness it like never before. Even the islands themselves were affected, becoming more fertile and healthier than any of the other lands around it.

Magic outside of Moerae was relatively rare in comparison, even in nations that commonly used magic, and a true understanding of it was even rarer, so people all over the planet began to migrate there as a means to study on magic as well as the potential origins surrounding The World Tree. This has resulted in a culture boom in the Moerae Islands, which up until this point had been left mostly uninhabited.

As cities began to form on these islands, it was soon discovered that there were far more secrets in this nation than original perceived, as the ruins of an ancient lost civilization were soon stumbled upon. These ruins, vast in number and many hidden beneath the islands themselves, hold many lost treasures, documents, and art that is incredibly valuable to the kingdom of Moerae both as a means to understand the culture of this old kingdom and enrich their own, as well as potentially reveal the secrets behind this mysterious towering tree. However, many of these places are (surprise) dangerous, with monsters having moved in with the absence of any other life. This has brought in a call for adventurers and explorers to secure these areas, all hoping to be the ones to discover the big secrets Moerae holds for glory, fame, and wealth.

And that is where our four heroes come in, who have each just recently arrived in the Moerae, hoping to get a piece of the action. Have the four known each other before they arrived? I leave that up to you guys. But it is in this Island Nation that you will explore for some fun adventures (hopefully :3)

Now then, just a little more backstory. Moerae itself is being occupied by 3 factions from the kingdoms to the north of it, these kingdoms are where your characters are most likely from. They are:

Etria: The nation of the ether, kingdom of the North, and the first to migrate over. Composed mostly of Elven kind, their kingdom had the most vested interest in the magical properties of the islands, as their nation was the most common place for magic users to appear up until Moerae. The Leaders hope to master their magic craft here, and learn the origins of their power. Common races: Elf, Half-Elf, Human

Geldoblame: The Nation of Nobles. The Majority being humans, this nation is the most wealthy of the three thanks to a kingdom rich in mine-able resources, and has many backers to financial support the Moerae islands. Many of the nobles and leaders hope it will pay dividends in their future. Common Races: Human, Dwarven, Half-Orcs

Lorelai: The Nation of growth, Lorelai is a nation that covets knowledge and science, and has a large interest in the mechanics of the World Tree. This kingdom hopes to study the world tree and its effects on life around it, hoping to use what they can learn for major strives back in their own homeland, which of the three is the worst agriculturally and has been suffering recently as a result. Common Races: Human, Gnome, Halflings

I'm leaving the details mostly vague for these nations, as they aren't gonna be that important overall to what is going on, at least not at the beginning anyway, it's just to give you guys something general to work with for your characters back-stories. If you want, I can explain them in further detail, but otherwise don't worry about it.

[Scarab]

Liking it, liking it...

so I'm guessing when we get there, there is the possibility of there frequently being variations on the characters natural magical ability if they're in certain places? If the whole idea is that the tree greatly influences magic in the area, that holds massive potential for there being HUGE variations in the magical nature of the location they're in, dependant upon this tree...