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Steven Robert
United States
Altadena
California
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Welcome to the character creation thread for our Pathfinder Roleplaying Game PbF game!
I currently have three players confirmed. I'm waiting to hear back from two others; I'll be looking for at least one more once I get those confirmations.
In the next few posts I’ll give you some background on the game, character creation, etc. so that we can begin.
First, the setting. The Old Margreve Forest is an enormous (a couple of hundred miles across), ancient (as in really ancient – cradle of the gods ancient) forest. Here is the tone the product tries to strike:
Margreve wrote: Once upon a time, we feared the deep dark forest. Back in those early gaming days, the woods bristled with unknown creatures, fantastic new perils, and unfamiliar magic. Mysterious lights haunted the hollows. The shadows of unnamed creatures fell upon us. And nobody knew the singular weakness of the strange figures that stepped from the oaks. Back then, the forest was a scary, wild place. A dark frontier hiding darker secrets. A dungeon without walls. For us, it was a wonderful time of innocence and discovery and adventure. A time to kiss the ring of ignorance for the novelty it bestowed.
And some more:
Margreve wrote: The Old Margreve Forest is an ancient place, already old when most of the gods were young. In time immemorial, it cradled the great spirits of nature, and its loam felt the footfalls of the old ones. As millennia passed, its roots swallowed rivers, its canopy stole the sun from vast tracts of land, and its groves crested mountains that have since weathered to hills.
In all that time, the Margreve has changed little. Time seems to transpire around it, lapping at its edges like the sea around an island. Though kingdoms rise and fall beyond its borders, the Margreve remains a world apart—a place where memories and old magic linger in the rings of trees and where new ideas never quite take root.
Very little is known about the Margreve’s interior. There is simply something wrong with the place, something that unsettles the nerves, plays upon fears, and discourages exploration. Too many stories of danger exit the wood and too many travelers not. The few pathfinders who dare the Margreve’s deep trails return with strange scars, stranger stories, and too few prizes warrant either.
From the outside, the Margreve looks like any Old World forest. In some places, dark, tangled, and foreboding. In other places, sun dappled and open, like an evergreen palace of towering tree pillars, ivy carpet, and wind-rustled canopy. But there is something more to it. Something hiding behind the wind and the leaves and the trees. Something living and vigilant. A presence that none who stand dwarfed amongst the trees can deny
Basically the adventures are somewhere between the real Grimm’s Fairy Tales (not the watered down Disney versions!) and classic fantasy adventure.
You know three more things about the Margreve: it hates magic, and animals tend to go wild if they spend too long in there, and rumors say that it is somehow alive.
The Margreve is officially part of the Midgard setting, just a day or so north of the main city of Zobeck. Zobeck has a heavily Germanic flavor; the Margreve, however, is rooted in the myths of Eastern Europe. On the other side of the forest lay the kingdoms of Morgau and Doresh, ruled by undead. An old trade road runs through the center of the forest, with a series of coaching inns along the way, and a smattering of villages lay at its edge – but otherwise, it is almost completely uncivilized. The only remnants of civilization are a series of towers sprinkled through the forest that were formerly used by the griffon riders of Zobeck.
This part of Midgard has a very different feel than most campaign settings: normal elves, gnomes, and halflings are rare, kobolds are “civilized,” there’s a good deal of “clockwork” technology, and there’s a shadow plane interwoven with the normal one.
That said, I’m not invested in the official Midgard setting: we’ll basically be using the Margreve, and Zobeck. You should feel free to construct the character that you find interesting, and we’ll work up the world as we go along. However, be aware that most of the adventuring will be in an uncivilized forest.
Some of you may know that I have another game in the same setting going on here on RPGG (see vestige's Margreve Campaign Master Geeklist). I don't plan on repeating any adventures or having the groups develop stories together, so you're free to check out those threads if you're curious. I'm running those folks through the adventures from Tales of the Old Margreve; we'll be using a mix of original material and classic adventures updated to Pathfinder.
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Steven Robert
United States
Altadena
California
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Characters
For ability scores, we’ll use the “standard” method: 4d6, drop the lowest and order them as you will. Any real lemons will get a re-roll - I'll check this by looking at the total "points" if we were using a point-buy method.
Almost all other character creation rules are standard. Any official Paizo source is fine, though if it’s not in a hardback please run it by me so that I am sure I know what it is! If you want to use a third party source for a feat or something, let me know and I’ll rule case-by-case.
Those of you without the Pathfinder rules, you can get them online here or here. The former is the official site but isn’t terribly well-organized; the latter is better organized but also includes many third party options, so be careful what you are looking at.
If you are new to Pathfinder, or if you need mechanical suggestions to realize a particular concept, just ask. There are a lot of character options in the game, and we have a bunch of veterans along who I'm sure will be happy to help out.
As mentioned in the previous post, you are free to make any character you’d like, so long as you can envision them adventuring in a dark and dangerous forest. Once we see what we have, we can define a little bit more about the world and where you might come from.
As a default, consider hailing from Zobeck (a sizable merchant city) or the outskirts of the Margreve itself – there are lots of communities around there, from little logging villages to farming towns.
Finally, if you are not from that area, give yourself a reason to be there to begin the game! We’ll do some extra background linking the characters together once we get the concepts defined.
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Steven Robert
United States
Altadena
California
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Character Traits
The only wrinkle not in the core book is that we’ll be using character traits, which are basically half-feats that help flesh out your character. You can read the “standard” set of traits here.
You get two traits total, no more than one from any given category. If you are from the region around the Margreve, you can take one of the Margreve traits listed below.
If you have a concept for your character that doesn’t fit these traits, let me know and we can make up one to match. The bonuses are very well-defined and it’s easy to do.
Margreve Traits
Characters who spent their formative years in and around the Margreve have had ample opportunity to adapt to this special environment and its many residents and dangers. The following dozen background traits reflect this unique heritage. In addition to the usual mechanical benefits, many of these also have roleplaying and story implications that the GM can incorporate into adventures.
As usual, a PC can select two traits during character creation, but only one of them may come from this category.
Animal Tamer: You spent much of your childhood with animals in or near the Margreve, and you learned tricks to keep the forest’s wildness at bay. Handle Animal is always a class skill for you. In addition, animals under your care need only save against the Margreve’s aura of wildness ability 1/week (rather than 1/day). You may provide this benefit to a maximum number of animals equal to the number of ranks you have in Handle Animal.
Fey Friend: The Margreve’s fey are both mischievous and dangerous. You have earned the friendship and blessing of one of their kind: perhaps you helped a vila or dryad punish a wrongdoer or you traded pranks with a pixie. The fey’s blessing grants you a +1 trait bonus to either Knowledge (nature) or Survival checks (your choice), and that skill is always a class skill for you.
Forest Magician: You completed your apprenticeship within the Margreve, and you have adapted to its curious ways. You can declare that a spell you cast within the Margreve escapes the forest’s notice (2/day).
Gifted by the Old Ways: The Old Ways run true in your family’s blood, especially in you. Your speech often falls into the rhythms of old, and you feel a special kinship to the ancient Margreve. You can use the incantation Wisdom of the Old Ways without requiring a skill check (1/day).
Goblin-Hated: One of the Margreve’s vicious goblins targeted you as an enemy, tormenting you for a season or more. You became wise to the many tricks of these creatures, and this wisdom has helped you avoid trouble since then. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception checks, and Perception is always a class skill for you.
Hag-Touched: Perhaps to ease the pain of childbirth, perhaps in a misguided attempt to help you, or perhaps simply by coincidence, one of the Margreve’s hags touched your mother while she was pregnant with you. The touch left you with a distinctive, evil-looking birthmark but also granted you great physical determination. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Fortitude saving throws.
Margreve Dreamer: Your vivid dreams tap into the great numinous forces of the Margreve. Your sleep is filled with clinging nightmares of the ancient world, the changing seasons, and the forest’s depths. These alien visions have strengthened your mind, and you gain a +1 trait bonus to Will saving throws.
Margreve Herbalist: Your family is renowned for its intricate knowledge of the Margreve’s unique plants, and you spent much of your childhood gathering herbs, berries, and beneficial leaves. You gain a +1 trait bonus on either Heal or Knowledge (nature) checks (your choice), and that skill is always a class skill for you.
Margreve Wanderer: Through either exile or simple wanderlust, you spent your childhood exploring the Margreve’s shifting paths, towering groves, and shadowed corners. You know the forest better than nearly anyone else does. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (geography) checks and a +4 trait bonus on Survival checks to avoid becoming lost in the Margreve.
Superstitious: Since a young age, you have resisted the strange and mysterious magic of the Margreve. Over the years, you have developed your own set of superstitions and rituals that help to hold it at bay. You receive a +1 trait bonus to saving throws against incantations and against spells from any one school of magic (your choice).
Tree Progeny: One of your parents was the recipient of great healing magic within the Margreve and emerged unharmed but profoundly changed by the experience. When you were born, some of this magic passed onto you. Somehow, your body is marked by the trees of the Margreve—such as wooden fingernails or a subtle bark-like texture to your skin. You receive a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against poison.
Zmey-marked: You have a strange birthmark resembling a three-headed dragon. The superstitious elders in your village deemed you zmey-marked, a target of one of the Margreve’s most fearsome beasts. The mark throbs in moments of stress and grants you a fierce determination. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you.
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Steven Robert
United States
Altadena
California
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Character Sheet
Here’s a “character sheet” for you to copy into a reply and organize your stats. We’ll put everyone on a wiki once we’re ready to go.
NAME
Gender race class level
AL size humanoid (subtype)
Init +XX; Senses XX; Perception +XX
DEFENSE
AC XX, touch XX, flat-footed XX (+XX armor, +XX dex, +XX shield)
HP XX (1dXX+XX)
Fort +XX, Ref +XX, Will +XX (special cases go in parentheses)
Immune XX
OFFENSE
Spd XX
Ranged weapon +XX (damage, crit) (range increment)
Melee weapon +XX (damage, crit)
Special Attacks XX
Known Spells (or Memorized spells)
0 (at will) – XX (put save DCs in parentheses)
1st (3/Day) – XX (put save DCs in parentheses
Space 5 ft. Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str XX, Dex XX, Con XX, Int XX Wis XX, Cha XX
BAB +XX, CMB +XX, CMD XX
Feats XX
Skills skill +XX
Languages Common, XX
SQ XX (any special abilities that are not direct attacks go here)
Combat Gear XX
Other Gear XX
Money XX
Spellbook (if you have one)
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Austin Fleming
United States
West Covina
California
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Here's my rolls:
Roll 1: 4d6l = (5 + 2 + 3 + 1) = 10
Roll 2: 4d6l = (6 + 2 + 2 + 4) = 12
Roll 3: 4d6l = (6 + 1 + 1 + 1) = 8
Roll 4: 4d6l = (1 + 4 + 6 + 5) = 15
Roll 5: 4d6l = (6 + 3 + 6 + 2) = 15
Roll 6: 4d6l = (4 + 6 + 3 + 4) = 14
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T'Leynti
Netherlands
Oud-Beijerland
Zuid-Holland
Live long and prosper RPG Geek
Challenge your preconceptions or they will challenge you.
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My rolls:
Roll 1 4d6l = (1 + 1 + 1 + 1) = 3
Roll 2 4d6l = (2 + 3 + 4 + 6) = 13
Roll 3 4d6l = (3 + 1 + 1 + 4) = 8
Roll 4 4d6l = (6 + 4 + 1 + 5) = 15
Roll 5 4d6l = (4 + 3 + 2 + 1) = 9
Roll 6 4d6l = (5 + 1 + 6 + 5) = 16
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T'Leynti
Netherlands
Oud-Beijerland
Zuid-Holland
Live long and prosper RPG Geek
Challenge your preconceptions or they will challenge you.
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Roll 1: yikes!
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Steven Robert
United States
Altadena
California
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No kidding! Magatone rolled a 3 in my other campaign - that's the first one I'd ever actually seen. I'll do the numbers tonight and see if you need a re-roll!
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Austin Fleming
United States
West Covina
California
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Asuren
Male Human Sorcerer (Celestial/Verdant Crossblood) 1
NG M humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses normal; Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+0 armor, +2 dex, +0 shield)
HP 6 (1d6)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +2
Immune None
OFFENSE
Spd 30'
Ranged Dart +2 (1d4-1, 20/x2) (20')
Melee Staff -1 (1d6-1, 20/x2)
Special Attacks Heavenly Fire: Range 30', ranged touch - evil takes 1d4+(1/2 levels) dam, good heals 1d4+(1/2 levels) HPs, usable 6/day
Known Spells
0 (at will) – Detect Magic: 60’, concentration(1 min/lvl); Haunted Fey Aspect: DR 1/cold iron, 1 rnd/lvl; Prestidigitation: 10’, 1hr; Resistance: +1 saves, 1 min; Ray of Frost: 1d3 dam, +2 ranged touch, 25'+5'/2 lvls (DC 13),
1st (4/Day) – Burning Hands: 1d4/lvl, 15' cone (DC 14/half dam); Shield: +4 AC, block magic missile, 1 min/lvl (personal)
Space 5 ft. Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 10 (0), Int 12 (+1), Wis 15 (+2), Cha 17 (+3)
BAB +0, CMB -1, CMD 11
Feats Eschew Materials: You can cast any spell with a material component costing 1 gp or less without needing that component.
Expanded Arcana: Add one spell from your class’s spell list to your list of spells known. This is in addition to the number of spells normally gained at each new level in your class.
Extra Cantrips: Add two cantrips from your class’s spell list to your list of spells known. This is in addition to the number of cantrips normally gained at each new level in your class.
Traits Poverty-striken: Your childhood was tough, and your parent had to make every copper piece count. Hunger was your constant companion, and you often had to live off the land or sleep in the wild. Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to Survival checks, and Survival is always a class skill for you.
Margreve Wanderer: Through either exile or simple wanderlust, you spent your childhood exploring the Margreve’s shifting paths, towering groves, and shadowed corners. You know the forest better than nearly anyone else does. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (geography) checks and a +4 trait bonus on Survival checks to avoid becoming lost in the Margreve.
Skills (2+1+1=4 + 1 favored class=5 skill points / level - Class Skills in Bold yield +3 when trained)
Mod Ranks Name of Skill
+2 0 Acrobatics
+1 0 Appraise
+3 0 Bluff
-1 0 Climb
+1 0 Craft
+3 0 Diplomacy
+2 0 Disable Device
+3 0 Disguise
+2 0 Escape Artist
+2 0 Fly
+3 0 Handle Animal
+6 1 Heal
+7 1 Intimidate
+1 0 Knowledge (Arcana)
+1 0 Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
+1 0 Knowledge (Engineering)
+2 0(+1) Knowledge (Georgraphy)
+1 0 Knowledge (History)
+1 0 Knowledge (Local)
+5 1 Knowledge (Nature)
+1 0 Knowledge (Nobility)
+1 0 Knowledge (Planes)
+2 1 Knowledge (Religion)
+1 0 Linguistics
+2 0 Perception
+3 0 Perform
+2 0 Profession
+2 0 Ride
+2 0 Sense Motive
+2 0 Sleight of Hand
+0 0 Spellcraft
+2 0 Stealth
+7 1 (+1) Survival (+4 to avoid becoming lost in the Margreve)
-1 0 Swim
+3 0 Use Magic Device
Languages Common, Sylvan
SQ When spell with personal range cast, skin toughens like bark - gain natural armor = level of spell for 1d4 rounds; summoned creatures gain DR/evil equal to 1/2 sorcerer level
Combat Gear Staff, 10 Darts
Other Gear belt pouch, blanket, fishhook, flint & steel, healers' kit (5 uses), rope - 50' silk, sack, sewing needle, vermin repellent, waterskin.
Money 1 sp
Description: Asuren is tall and willowy, with hair the color of summer leaves, and burning gold eyes. His skin is bronzed from many long days in the sun, and his clothing is worn and patched. He holds his head high with an almost regal air about him, but you can sometimes see a haunted look in his eyes.
History: Asuren never knew his father. His mother won’t tell him anything about him, and she gets very sad when he asks, so he has stopped asking.
Asuren has been marked since his unusual birth. He was supposed to be a servant of his god in the mortal realm, but the Margreve had other ideas. As they were travelling along a road through the forest his mother went into labor. The merchants she was travelling with found a local midwife, but it was a very difficult birth and she used some folk magic to save the mother and child. When Asuren finally came into the world, the claim of both his deity and the Margreve upon his soul were plain to see.
Both mother and child were pariahs when they returned to her village. Driven out, she was forced to provide for her child however she could. They travelled from village to village, facing mistrust and fear wherever they went. More often than not, they were forced to scrounge up food and shelter in the wilderness. Asuren has never felt the fear that others have for the ancient forest. His mother tried to keep him away from the forest’s influence, but the times he has sneaked out to explore, he has felt almost at home there.
As he grew, his talent for magic and healing revealed itself. While still distrusted, people found his talents useful, so he and his mother were able to earn their living a bit easier. Recently, he has started feeling restless, like there is something he is supposed to be doing, but he doesn’t know what. He has set out to find his destiny, whether it be to serve his god...
or the Margreve.
How does this look? I just have a question about religion in this world; I was thinking of him being a "chosen" of Sarenrae in the Golarion setting. Who would be a similar god of light/healing for this setting?
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Joao Lima
Scotland
Edinburgh
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4d6l = (5 + 3 + 2 + 6) = 14
4d6l = (6 + 3 + 2 + 4) = 13
4d6l = (4 + 2 + 6 + 3) = 13
4d6l = (1 + 3 + 2 + 6) = 11
4d6l = (4 + 3 + 6 + 3) = 13
4d6l = (4 + 1 + 5 + 4) = 13
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Steven Robert
United States
Altadena
California
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Asuren looks fantastic! I'll have to look up the cross-blood thing to remind myself of how it works, but very cool backstory.
There's not an exact analog of Sarenrae in the Margreve setting. Here's the closest:
Gazetteer of Zobeck wrote: LADA, THE GOLDEN
The Golden Goddess of Healing, Love, and Mercy
Everyone loves Lada, the goddess of healing and love, although few truly follow her teachings of mercy and forgiveness. She is a goddess of the dawn and the day, and the enemy of the cult of Marena, the Red Goddess. Although shown as meek and mild in most of her idols and images, she has a powerfully wrathful side, sometimes called the Bear Maiden, which defends children, the elderly, and the weak.
Lada has many worshipers among the centaurs, the Rothenian elves, and humans. These followers see her take their own form (a centaur maiden, an elven matron, or a human woman), but they concede that this outer seeming is simply a bridge to her followers. Their prayers are similar, and their rites are always held at daybreak.
Lada’s holiest sites are those on high ground, where the dawn breaks earliest. For this reason, her temples always are sited on hills or mountaintops or (when no high ground is available) are built with a large dawn steeple. The main doors to her temples always face east.
The current high priestess is Lucca Angeli, a human women born and raised in Zobeck. Her youth was spent in adventuring and she made her reputation during one of the many sieges of Zobeck, when her steadfastness helped the Griffon Knights repel a dark army of fey.
What Lada Demands: Cure all the sick who ask. Defend lovers from all dangers and trials. Show mercy to those who ask it. Lada’s followers must make a pilgrimage to the healing school in the south once every 7 years.
If that fits, feel free to run with it. If not, feel free to make up your own. I'm always very happy for each character to take control of the religion aspect and fill in the world that way.
Narl: Those scores are awful. Roll again!
Joao: No problem, take as much time as you need. These PF characters can take forever.
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T'Leynti
Netherlands
Oud-Beijerland
Zuid-Holland
Live long and prosper RPG Geek
Challenge your preconceptions or they will challenge you.
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Roll 1 4d6l = (1 + 3 + 4 + 3) = 10
Roll 2 4d6l = (5 + 3 + 2 + 2) = 10
Roll 3 4d6l = (2 + 3 + 5 + 4) = 12
Roll 4 4d6l = (1 + 5 + 5 + 4) = 14
Roll 5 4d6l = (4 + 2 + 1 + 1) = 7
Roll 6 4d6l = (4 + 3 + 4 + 3) = 11
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Steven Robert
United States
Altadena
California
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Narl wrote: Narl previously rolled 4d6l = (1 + 3 + 4 + 3) = 10 (Roll 1)
Narl previously rolled 4d6l = (5 + 3 + 2 + 2) = 10 (Roll 2)
Narl previously rolled 4d6l = (2 + 3 + 5 + 4) = 12 (Roll 3)
Narl previously rolled 4d6l = (1 + 5 + 5 + 4) = 14 (Roll 4)
Narl previously rolled 4d6l = (4 + 2 + 1 + 1) = 7 (Roll 5)
Narl previously rolled 4d6l = (4 + 3 + 4 + 3) = 11 (Roll 6)
That's just as bad! One last time if you'd like...
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T'Leynti
Netherlands
Oud-Beijerland
Zuid-Holland
Live long and prosper RPG Geek
Challenge your preconceptions or they will challenge you.
-
Roll 1 4d6 = (5 + 6 + 5 + 6) = 22
Roll 2 4d6 = (3 + 4 + 2 + 3) = 12
Roll 3 4d6 = (6 + 6 + 5 + 6) = 23
Roll 4 4d6 = (2 + 5 + 4 + 1) = 12
Roll 5 4d6 = (3 + 5 + 6 + 5) = 19
Roll 6 4d6 = (5 + 3 + 2 + 1) = 11
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T'Leynti
Netherlands
Oud-Beijerland
Zuid-Holland
Live long and prosper RPG Geek
Challenge your preconceptions or they will challenge you.
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Oops, forgot to leave out the lowest.
So
Str 17
Dex 10
Con 18
Int 11
Wis 16
Cha 10
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Steven Robert
United States
Altadena
California
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Whoa, what a turn of luck! Last time I ever let anyone do that again...
Just FYI, you're free to arrange those stats in whatever order you would like!
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Austin Fleming
United States
West Covina
California
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Ok, Lada the Golden sounds fine.
Just need money - gimme the gold! (2d6)*10 = ( (2 + 3) ) * 10 = 50
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Steven Robert
United States
Altadena
California
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Hmmm...yes. I should probably say don't worry too much about buying equipment...it may not make it very far with you....
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Austin Fleming
United States
West Covina
California
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I wasn't too worried about it. All a sorcerer really needs is his spells, and with his background he's used to having almost nothing...
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David van Dijk
Netherlands
Vlaardingen
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Can I still join? I was gonna help Narl with creating a character anyway, but I'd like to play too.
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T'Leynti
Netherlands
Oud-Beijerland
Zuid-Holland
Live long and prosper RPG Geek
Challenge your preconceptions or they will challenge you.
-
I will opt for a human fighter.
Strenght 18
Dexterity 16
Constitution 17
Intelligence 11
Wisdom 10
Charisma 10
More to follow later.
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Steven Robert
United States
Altadena
California
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the_david wrote: Can I still join? I was gonna help Narl with creating a character anyway, but I'd like to play too.
Sure! Welcome to the game! Feel free to get the rolls when you get a chance.
Here's the official re-roll rule:
-If the total of all your ability modifiers (before racial adjustments) is LESS THAN +4, you may re-roll.
-No more than two re-rolls allowed.
The group so far is:
Human sorcerer
Human ranger
Human fighter
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David van Dijk
Netherlands
Vlaardingen
-
4d6l = (2 + 6 + 1 + 1) = 9
4d6l = (2 + 1 + 4 + 3) = 9
4d6l = (6 + 6 + 1 + 4) = 16
4d6l = (4 + 2 + 1 + 5) = 11
4d6l = (6 + 3 + 4 + 3) = 13
4d6l = (5 + 4 + 4 + 2) = 13
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David van Dijk
Netherlands
Vlaardingen
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I could reroll, or I could make a middleaged character, reaping the benefits of the age rules and my odd rolls...
Reroll!
4d6l = (5 + 6 + 3 + 6) = 17
4d6l = (4 + 3 + 5 + 5) = 14
4d6l = (6 + 3 + 6 + 2) = 15
4d6l = (5 + 2 + 6 + 3) = 14
4d6l = (6 + 2 + 5 + 2) = 13
4d6l = (6 + 4 + 2 + 3) = 13
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David van Dijk
Netherlands
Vlaardingen
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Thank you diceroller!
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