Campaign Questions

[Doom Crow]

Post any questions regarding the game and the campaign setting here.

[Arkhemedes]

Sounds very interesting. I've been playing 1e and 2e for more than 20 years and I'm only just now learning (and starting my own campaigns in) 3.5, which I have pretty much all of the books for. But I do not have any of the Pathfinder books. My question (for now anyway) is, do I need any Pathfinder books for this or will my 3.5 books be sufficient?

[Doom Crow]

Pathfinder is like an upgrade for 3.5, pretty much becoming 3.75. It's not creating new rules per se, but improving upon 3.5 in order to streamline it and make it easier and more fun to play. You can go to Paizo's website here and download a PDF copy of the Beta Rules for free! You'll be able to see all the changes that have been made.

As of August 13th, Paizo is releasing the finished Core Rulebook for Pathfinder RPG, and the PDF version will be available for $10. It effectively replaces the 3.5 Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide as an updated version of the rules for the game.

Using 3.5 books is fine, I can explain some of the changes in Pathfinder according to whatever races and class is chosen, as well as anything that comes up later in the course of the game. It won't really be too much though, because this game will be more role-play focused than combat and I like to sway on the side of story line and flavor than mechanics anyway.

[Arkhemedes]

Okay, I checked it out, and unless I'm missing something, the PDF apparently comes in sections. So I downloaded the ones on character traits and prestige classes. Looks pretty good, so I think I may buy the book when it comes out in mid-August. And I'll get started on character ideas right away.

[Doom Crow]

The book is called beta rules OGL. It can be dowloaded by chapters or in one single file. The character traits and prestige class files are web enhancements to the book. Look below where the character traits and prestige class files are to the beta Rules ogl file is and you'll see the choice of a single download or by chapter. Click personalize file on your selection and then you'll be able to download it.

[Arkhemedes]

Okay. Got the beta rules. Now I have a couple of questions about the characters. They're starting off at first level, but they've already lived a full life and have been dead for at least two hundred years. Obviously they have not retained any knowledge or skills that have to do with character classes except perhaps the very basics (enough to be first level characters). How much do they recall of their former lives and past evil deeds. Can you elaborate a bit?

Also, I'm thinking of going with a more versatile character like a duskblade. Haven't had the chance to look at the Pathfinder rules yet so I don't know how this will work. Would a duskblade work alright?

[Doom Crow]

The beauty of Pathfinder RPG is that it's backwards compatible, meaning all of the non-core classes from 3.5 are pretty much on par now with the upgraded core classes in the Pathfinder Rules, so no changes really need to be made in order for them to fit into the Pathfinder RPG rules. That being said, these classes will be left as is unless there's a specific issue that's brought up, and then I will take a look at it and make a judgment call on whether it needs a change.

So I have no problems with your character being a Duskblade.
--- Merged from Double Post ---
To answer your other question, the 'beauty' of the Ebonlands is that over the years of torment your soul is weakened, resulting in the loss of any abilities you might have had in life, but you never forget what you did in life that had you end up here in this hell. Many who are weak-willed end up losing their sanity after a while, but the demons always want their souls to remember the road you took to get to where you are, and so naturally they find it a delightfully devilish trait of the Plane. Eternal damnation comes not only with physical punishment, but also mental torture. The memories of your life are vivid, but you cannot recall any kind of learned experience like spells or advanced combat manuevers, etc. Souls that could possibly fight back would ruin all the infernal fun!

That's not to say some souls don't try to forget their past! Try as they might, however, the special traits of the Ebonlands never let these memories fade, and so some are haunted by the past while for others it's a source of regret, remorse, anger or even indifference. It all depends on how twisted the soul is really.

Plus, the bodies the characters will be given are not their original bodies, and these bodies aren't physically trained or set up quite like the character's original body was, which also adds reason to why they are starting at 1st level.

I hope that answers your question.

[Arkhemedes]

Cool. Got it. I'll start brain storming. But I may not have much time till the weekend. Although being the first player I figure I've got some time. Btw, I'm also doing what I can to drum up a few more players for your group (as well as mine).

[Doom Crow]

Awesome! Let me know if there's anything I can do to try and some players for your group. I replied to two threads of players looking for online games and linked both of our forums.

[Arkhemedes]

Good deal. Some more questions: How do you want us to come up with ability scores? And (I'm not sure if you mentioned this yet) will you be using a dice roll generator or doing the dice rolling yourself (as I'm doing in my group) which is fine with me?

[Doom Crow]

The PBP forums have dice rollers so I believe we can use those. As for the method I will use the 4d6, drop the lowest die for each ability approach.

Let me test it out:

* Constitution Check *

Aha, Success!

To use the dice roller, when you reply to a post you'll see a red box with six white dots in the chat entry section, it will be on the far right above the text box. Click that and when it prompts you, enter d20+1 or d20+3 and hit enter. It'll then put the code in the text box for you, and have your cursor in between the code brackets. There is where you will write the description of the roll, for instance I wrote Constitution Check.

So it should look like this when you're done (i'll leave out the first bracket so it shows up in code form:

roll=d20+4]Constitution Check[/ROLL]

[Arkhemedes]

Yeah, I read that the PBP forums have dice rollers but haven't figured that one out yet. If you figure it out before I do maybe you can let me know how we get it and how it works. As for the ability scores, you will be assigning the scores then?



Well, I'm getting there. But it appears I'm doing something wrong. At least I'm getting the dice rolled. I'll try again later on.

* Constitution check *

Yea! After several attempts I finally got it right.

[Doom Crow]

I just edited my above post to explain how the dice roller works.

Once you roll up your 6 ability scores you can choose where you want to assign them.
--- Merged from Double Post ---
There's a thread about the Dice Roller, you can look it up here.

[jm4ca]

Hey I have a question. Umm.. with the players being "passed on" would there be any races, classes, spells, feats... ect. forbiden in charector creation?

[Doom Crow]

Well as far as their original race when they were alive, they could have been anything. However, they will be receiving bodies that are not their originals. The area they will be arriving at has all the core races, but other races won't be available to play. The reason for this is simple: agents of Lord Apoxalon already in the world of the living have made preparations for the party's arrival. The characters right now exist as souls in the Ebonlands, but even though your 'body' there feels real, it's really your soul given a semblance of corporealness by the traits of that Plane. To bring you back into the world of the living means you need an already living body, and to advance the agenda of Apoxalon those bodies need already be fully grown adults.

So I'm going to say core races only. Its much easier to procure bodies that are commonly accesible, and as of now your characters are not viewed by your superiors as anything special to spend extra time and energy into procuring rarer bodies for your souls to inhabit.

Class wise I will allow any core class and class found in the Phb II and any complete book. Anything else is prohobited for the sake of simplicity. That's not to say I won't allow something if a player presents a case to play something and give good reason fit it into the story then I'll review it on a case by case basis.

Feats and spells not in the core rules I'll need to review before allowing them. Keep in mind this game will be mostly roleplaying than combat, and when there is combat I'm going to err on the side of flavor than mechanics so as to not stifle the pace of the game.

I won't outright forbid anything if a player can come up with a good reason for why they want to play this or that and why it can benefit the game as opposed to hinder it.