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Finding the Spark (Pathfinder 1E Quest)

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I actually like the Arcane Charlatan, not so much for everyone has magic, but because it fits so well with his history and the Alchemist.
 
DragonParadox said:
The fey have always been the vaguest of the otherwoldly beings in D&D, they just pop up in bestiaries and are assumed to have some kind of link to nature for good of for ill, that said the Pathfinder sourcebook First World Realm of the Fey talks about them in the context of Golarion quite a bit.
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Oh, many thanks!
*quickly browse through this book*
But I can not find a familiar quirks from fey in ASWAH (inability to lie, value of Names, trading price for every service, undeserved thanks are a bane for fey).
 
Here's the final draft of Cob's character sheet, @DragonParadox.
Name: Cob
Alias: N/A
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Age: 14-ish
Race: Goblin (Small Humanoid)
Level: 1 (255 XP/2000 XP)
Class: Unchained Rogue 1
Feats: Deadly Agility
Traits: Color Thief, Goblin Foolhardiness, Mathematical Prodigy
Drawback: Magical Klutz
Class Features: Sneak attack (+1d6)
Senses: Darkvision 60ft
Languages: Goblin, Duergar

HP: 11
AC: 10 + 4 (DEX) + 1 (Size) = 15
Initiative: +4 (DEX)
Attack: +0
  • Stonebow: 0 + 1 (Size) + 4 (DEX) = +5
    • Damage: 1d6 [x2], +1d6 damage with Sneak Attack
  • Dagger: 0 + 1 (Size) + 4 (DEX) = +5, Special: +1 attack bonus when facing a larger foe with no allies nearby)
    • Damage: 1d4+4 [19-20/x2], +1d6 damage with Sneak Attack
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Unchained Rogues are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, short sword, and shortbow. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

STATS:
8 (-1) Strength
18 (+4) Dexterity
14 (+2) Constitution
14 (+2) Intelligence
14 (+2) Wisdom
8 (-1) Charisma

SAVES:
FORTITUDE: 0 + 2 (CON) = +2
REFLEX: 2 + 4 (DEX) = +6
WILL: 0 + 2 (WIS) = +2

SKILLS:
Appraise: 4 + 2 (INT) = 6
Climb: 4 - 2 (STR) = 2
Disable Device: 4 + 4 (DEX) + 1 (TF) = 9
Escape Artist: 4 + 4 (DEX) = 8
Knowledge (Dungeoneering): 4 + 2 (INT) = 6
Knowledge (Local): 4 + 2 (INT) = 6
Perception: 4 + 2 (WIS) + 1 (TF)* = 6/*7 (to find traps)
Ride: 0 + 4 (DEX) +4 (Racial) = 8
Sleight of Hand: 4 + 4 (DEX) = 8
Stealth: 4 + 4 (DEX) + 4 (Size) + 4 (Racial) + 2 (Color Thief) = 18
Swim: 4 - 2 (STR) = +2

BACKGROUND SKILLS:
Craft (Alchemy): 4 + 2 (INT) = 6
Knowledge (Engineering): 4 + 2 (INT) + 1 (Trait) = 7

Special Abilities:
  • Trapfinding: Cob adds 1/2 his level on Perception checks to locate traps and on Disable Device checks (minimum +1). He can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.
Equipment of Note: Dagger x4; Stonebow
 
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Artemis1992 said:
As an Unchained Rogue he gets Finesse Training anyway, rendering Deadly Agility less important?
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We're using EitR rules, so Weapon Finesse isn't required to use Dexterity for attack bonus instead of Strength. That means Finesse Training isn't really doing anything for us at the moment, since it doesn't start applying the Dexterity modifier as a damage bonus until 3rd level. We can use Deadly Agility until 3rd level, then retrain it to something else when Finesse Training takes over that function.
 
@DragonParadox, was just looking at the Lizardfolk page before starting a sheet for Gorok and realized he doesn't have Darkvision. There isn't any way he could have functioned so well as he has already without that ability, especially hunting the spiders on his own in the Darklands.

Since the race entry mentions that Lizardfolk who live in other environments can adapt to them, such as losing their Swim speed in favor of a Climb speed when not living in swampy areas, can we just swap out his Swim speed here in order to gain Darkvision? The value of the latter definitely exceeds that of the former, but I don't see any other way to make it work and it's a simple enough change.
 
Arhin said:
Oh, many thanks!
*quickly browse through this book*
But I can not find a familiar quirks from fey in ASWAH (inability to lie, value of Names, trading price for every service, undeserved thanks are a bane for fey).
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That is because I stole most of that from mythology. Like I said there really isn't a lot of canon on fey in Pathfinder/D&D.

Goldfish said:
@DragonParadox, was just looking at the Lizardfolk page before starting a sheet for Gorok and realized he doesn't have Darkvision. There isn't any way he could have functioned so well as he has already without that ability, especially hunting the spiders on his own in the Darklands.

Since the race entry mentions that Lizardfolk who live in other environments can adapt to them, such as losing their Swim speed in favor of a Climb speed when not living in swampy areas, can we just swap out his Swim speed here in order to gain Darkvision? The value of the latter definitely exceeds that of the former, but I don't see any other way to make it work and it's a simple enough change.
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He isn't from the darklands, he came down here specifically to look at the Xulgath ruins.
 
DragonParadox said:
He isn't from the darklands, he came down here specifically to look at the Xulgath ruins.
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Okay, so this part of the Darklands must have enough bio-luminescent flora to see? Works for me.

@Artemis1992, @everyone, what direction do we want to take Gorok? Melee or ranged, animal companion or not, 1st favored enemy, etc. We need to focus his build from the start instead of deciding at 2nd level.
 
Goldfish said:
Okay, so this part of the Darklands must have enough bio-luminescent flora to see? Works for me.

@Artemis1992, @everyone, what direction do we want to take Gorok? Melee or ranged, animal companion or not, 1st favored enemy, etc. We need to focus his build from the start instead of deciding at 2nd level.
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Flora, crystals, sometimes like in the room you are in there is just light coming through the cracks and you have no idea what it comes from.
 
Goldfish said:
Okay, so this part of the Darklands must have enough bio-luminescent flora to see? Works for me.

@Artemis1992, @everyone, what direction do we want to take Gorok? Melee or ranged, animal companion or not, 1st favored enemy, etc. We need to focus his build from the start instead of deciding at 2nd level.
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I had a auggestion here:
Artemis1992 said:
I have had some ideas for the Lizardman.

Namely the Two-Handed Weapon Style, a Dex-Weapon like the Courtblade and the feat Shield of Swings.

That would, in combination with high Dex and his natural armor, make for a very efficient tank if he needs to be, while preserving his ability to function as a damage-dealer if he does not use the Shield of Swings, but rather a Power Attacks for a round.
If you add some little extra from poison or spells you have a versatile and dextrous fighter, who can switch to a bow or spear if need be, but can also stand his own next to some regular two-handed bruisers.
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It does depend on getting the right weapon, but aside from that it looks like a strong and flexible build.
 
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Goldfish said:
Here's the final draft of Cob's character sheet, @DragonParadox.
Name: Cob
Alias: N/A
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Age: 14-ish
Race: Goblin (Small Humanoid)
Level: 1 (255 XP/2000 XP)
Class: Unchained Rogue 1
Feats: Deadly Agility
Traits: Color Thief, Goblin Foolhardiness, Mathematical Prodigy
Drawback: Magical Klutz
Class Features: Sneak attack (+1d6)
Senses: Darkvision 60ft
Languages: Goblin, Duergar

HP: 11
AC: 10 + 4 (DEX) + 1 (Size) = 15
Initiative: +4 (DEX)
Attack: +0
  • Stonebow: 0 + 1 (Size) + 4 (DEX) = +5
    • Damage: 1d6 [x2], +1d6 damage with Sneak Attack
  • Dagger: 0 + 1 (Size) + 4 (DEX) = +5, Special: +1 attack bonus when facing a larger foe with no allies nearby)
    • Damage: 1d4+4 [19-20/x2], +1d6 damage with Sneak Attack
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Unchained Rogues are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, short sword, and shortbow. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

STATS:
8 (-1) Strength
18 (+4) Dexterity
14 (+2) Constitution
14 (+2) Intelligence
14 (+2) Wisdom
8 (-1) Charisma

SAVES:
FORTITUDE: 0 + 2 (CON) = +2
REFLEX: 2 + 4 (DEX) = +6
WILL: 0 + 2 (WIS) = +2

SKILLS:
Appraise: 4 + 2 (INT) = 6
Climb: 4 - 2 (STR) = 2
Disable Device: 4 + 4 (DEX) + 1 (TF) = 9
Escape Artist: 4 + 4 (DEX) = 8
Knowledge (Dungeoneering): 4 + 2 (INT) = 6
Knowledge (Local): 4 + 2 (INT) = 6
Perception: 4 + 2 (WIS) + 1 (TF)* = 6/*7 (to find traps)
Ride: 0 + 4 (DEX) +4 (Racial) = 8
Sleight of Hand: 4 + 4 (DEX) = 8
Stealth: 4 + 4 (DEX) + 4 (Size) + 4 (Racial) + 2 (Color Thief) = 18
Swim: 4 - 2 (STR) = +2

BACKGROUND SKILLS:
Craft (Alchemy): 4 + 2 (INT) = 6
Knowledge (Engineering): 4 + 2 (INT) + 1 (Trait) = 7

Special Abilities:
  • Trapfinding: Cob adds 1/2 his level on Perception checks to locate traps and on Disable Device checks (minimum +1). He can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.
Equipment of Note: Dagger x4; Stonebow
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Sorry to be a bother, @DragonParadox, but I made a slight mistake with Cob's skills. Craft (Alchemy) needs to be in the Background Skills section and Knowledge (Dungeoneering) needs to be in the regular Skills section. Fixed it on my sheet, but I noticed you had already updated the front page.
 
Also I think I prefer Lantern Bearer as Archetype, since it enhances his abilties to act underground, without sacrificing anything too important like Animal Companion or Combat-Style.

For his Favored Foe I support Magical Beasts, since that is just a very nice and broad category for a hunter, particularly with an interest in trophies and materials, like him.
 
Artemis1992 said:
Also I think I prefer Lantern Bearer as Archetype, since it enhances his abilties to act underground, without sacrificing anything too important like Animal Companion or Combat-Style.

For his Favored Foe I support Magical Beasts, since that is just a very nice and broad category for a hunter, particularly with an interest in trophies and materials, like him.
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That is an amazing archetype for our underground adventures. I like it.
 
Here's what I've got for Gorok so far.

He's using the Lantern Bearer archetype, with the Harvest parts feat that was previously discussed. He needed a suitable Craft skill, or the Heal skill, to qualify for Harvest Parts, so I went with Heal. It's more useful in general and makes sense for him to have.

Nothing special about the traits I selected, just standard stuff to boost Initiative and some skills, all of them useful and fitting for a Ranger that operates as a hunter.

Anything y'all are that needs to be adjusted? He's Dexterity-focused to a certain extent, but I didn't neglect his Strength.

Not sure what weapons or equipment he has, so I left all of that out for now. His natural attacks are pretty solid for now, though.

Name: Gorok
Alias: N/A
Alignment: ???
Age: ???
Race: Lizardfolk (Medium Humanoid[Reptilian])
Level: 1 (??? XP/2000 XP)
Class: Ranger (Lantern Bearer)
Feats: Harvest Parts
Traits: Reactionary, Seeker, Silent Hunter
Drawback: Scarred
Class Features: Enhanced Vision, 1st Favored Enemy (Magical Beasts), Track
Senses: Low-Light Vision
Languages: Draconic, Duergar

HP: 14
AC: 10 + 3 (DEX) + 1 (Natural Armor) = 14 (Touch AC: 13)
Initiative: +3 (DEX) + 2 (Reactionary) = +5
Attack: +1
  • Natural Attacks: 1 + 3 (DEX) = +4, Special: +2 attack bonus vs Magical Beasts
    • Damage: 2 Claws: +4 (1d4+2), 1 Bite: +4 (1d3+2), Special: +2 damage bonus vs Magical Beasts
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).

STATS:
14 (+2) Strength
16 (+3) Dexterity
16 (+3) Constitution
10 (+0) Intelligence
14 (+2) Wisdom
8 (-1) Charisma

SAVES:
FORTITUDE: 2 + 3 (CON) = +5
REFLEX: 2 + 3 (DEX) = +5
WILL: 0 + 2 (WIS) = +2

SKILLS:
Climb: 4 + 2 (STR) = 6
Heal: 4 + 2 (WIS) = 6
Knowledge (Nature): 4 + 0 (INT) = 4
Perception: 4 + 2 (WIS) + 1 (Trait) = 7
Stealth: 4 + 3 (DEX) + 1 (Trait) = 8
Survival: 4 + 2 (WIS) + 1 (Track)* = 6/7* (to follow tracks)
Swim: 0 + 2 (STR) + 8 (Racial) = +10

BACKGROUND SKILLS:
Knowledge (Geography): 4 + 0 (INT) = 4
Profession (Hunter): 4 + 2 (WIS) = 6

Special Abilities:
  • Enhanced Vision (Ex): Gorok gains Low-Light Vision.
  • Track (Ex): Gorok adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow tracks.
  • 1st Favored Enemy (Magical Beasts): Gorok gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against Magical Beasts. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them. He may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify Magical Beasts.
Equipment of Note: ???
 
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Warded against nature does not work with what I have in mind for his background. Maybe Fey Taken if you want something that would make some part of the natural world not like him or just Scarred, I do not imagine you are going to have much reason to disguise him.
 
Vote closed, on to Cauldron.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Mar 4, 2023 at 10:00 AM, finished with 61 posts and 7 votes.
  • [X] Jurdan is sure to come to a bad end if he keeps using his tribe like this
    [X] The goblins were foolish to take a leader from among their human foes
    [X] The Stone Munchers and other tribes would have been better off trading and crafting than continuing to raid and thus tempting the wrath of their neighbors
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Arc 1 Post 11: A Fair Shake
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    • A Fair Shake ​

    The Season of Still Stone

    The High Hearth meal, strange as it is to call it that with no hearth to speak of, not even a lantern, makes for a strange experience with so many people around. So many people who want to talk to you at least.

    Mina and Cob are clearly still envying being able to eat their fill of their former masters' provisions as opposed to the slop they had been given on their journey, though they show it in markedly different ways. Cob digs into it with the gusto of a digger through a root plot while Mina eats in quick bites like a frill lizard at the watering hole, one eye peeled for danger.

    That is not to say there is much in the way of danger around here. Long feathery curtains of moss mark a path dotted with lantern-rests, though really you have no idea who would need that much light on a wide flat road that could hold a whole cart and beetle with room to spare. No sooner had the sound of water to your left shifted from the slow steady drip to a constant bubbling that you see the first sign of habitation. The low amber light of a stone lamp revealing a face that seems to have been carved from the uneven stone of the tunnel, half-horned and spouting chitinous plates that flow into his hardened robes the man holds up a crude stone spear adorned with strange whorls.


    "Halt, who goes there?" he snaps, the last syllable twisting into a whistle from his odd mouth parts.

    "Strangers seeking shelter, spider hunters," Gorok answers, motioning to the chitin capsule on his back.

    "Huh... dark folk, don't see many of you lot this far south. Anything to trade?" he looks you over head to toe, though he does not notice the shadow cast by his lantern thankfully.

    "A few weapons mayhap, some water sponges, though you do not seem to be lacking for a clean drink," you shoot back in what you hope is a laidback way. "We've some coin, so more likely to be buying than selling."

    Wisdom Check To notice the Unnatural shadow: 1d20+1 = 5 (Failure)

    "Well then, pass by the Belly of the Beast to get a drink of something stronger than water, you hear," the guard says, waving you off with a three-fingered hand.

    With that the four of you pass under the roughly triangular gate that leads into the village of the mongrelmen.

    The first thing that hits you is the faint but pervasive smell of rotten eggs rising from the eponymous 'Cauldron', a thermal lake some three hundred feet in diameter whose margins had long since outgrown the settlement that had grown up around it. A rickety array of scaffolding thus climbs up the walls of the cavern, hooked into ledges laboriously carved with stone and copper tools over the generations with each business and house seeking to advertise itself in a way as varied as the people who call them home: here a colorful carpet lolls out like the tongue of some cave dwelling frog, there lanterns burn with sputtering purple fire of some alchemical concoction. It's hard to miss the Belly of the Beast, it being the place whose door is wrought from the petrified jaws of a great dragon with lettering proclaiming a good time to be hand by all in half a dozen languages under stone and over it. Deep and sonorous, the call of stone drums rings out as if from the Belly of the Beast.

    "Come, Gorok pay for meeting meat, we talk business after," your guide motions up the most solid set of stairs leading up to the tavern. He had clearly had Cob at 'meat' and Mina is content to follow you along for now so follow you do into the noisy cavern filled mostly with a bewildering array of mongrelmen, though you spot a pair of orcs, particularly small-tusked ones, in the corner throwing dice and even a Dancer of the People offering some kind of game involving colorful cups at another table.

    'Meeting meat' proves to be some kind of spiced lizard haunch covered in a thick sauce of pale bulbs and the meaty petals of the spider-bane flower, fresh off the stem too for they are still wriggling a bit.

    "You don't like?" Cob asks Mina hopefully.

    "Just the moving bits," she answers, sounding a little faint.

    The goblin does not need to be told twice, polishing off the offending petals and his own portion before you are halfway through the meal, though to be fair you are keeping more of an ear on what Gorok is offering.

    "You come with me to xulgath vents, use bows, use magic healing, we take what we can, split it even four ways, other than the knowledge we can all take in our heads, then we go share with tribes."

    "Ah, I do not have a tribe..." the words taste strange on your lips. Not unpleasant, but like the sauce you had just eaten, unfamiliar.

    "Cob not have tribe either. Jurdan take..."

    "To his ruin," you say with simple conviction. "Chiefs who use their people can only get away with it for so long before they are caught out and then they too are used, for kindling."

    Mina nods adding: "My tribe is far away in the Burnlands."

    The saurian guide considers the words for a long moment before his tail twitches in what might be a decision. "Then you come with me longer. We can teach tribe then learn things along the way, find new tribes."

    You look around at the faces in the shifting light of the Belly, so different from one another and yet animated by a common seeking, a shared spark. You extend your hand. "A fair deal." A moment later Mina's pinkish hand and Cob's small grey one is added to the pile, leeching the color from the table. Then the slightly bemused Gorok gingerly places his scaled hand atop it.

    What do you do next?

    [] Go to the market to sell some of your goods
    -[] The spider remains
    -[] Weapons and alchemical items
    -[] Write in

    [] Look for jobs or bounties, there is sure to be someone in need of hands for hire
    -[] That pair of orcs seems to be trying to catch Gorok's eye
    -[] The Dancer in the corner is trying to catch your eye

    [] Head out at once to the Vents to steal the secret of steel

    [] Write in

    OOC: We will be doing more companion talks in the next update, but for now you guys have to decide what to do now that you are in civilization.
     
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    • Artemis1992 said:
    I guess this time we are the sidekick and Gorock is the man with the Quest.

    Nice for a change.
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    Yeah, this is cool. We can just go along for the ride for now. Before we leave the Cauldron, however, I wouldn't mind checking if there are any local jobs or bounties we might be able to handle. The XP and any gold we earn would be nice to have before we get back on the road.

    I think we should hit up the market first. We've got the sponges to sell and now is a good opportunity to find Cob some armor. And the sooner we start looking for the supplies for Mina to summon a Familiar, the better off we'll all be. If we can manage that before she levels, it will only cost 500 gp, but that will double to 1,000 gp at 2nd level.

    [X] Go to the market to sell some of your goods
    -[X] We'll sell the three Water Purification Sponges we looted and give Gorok a chance to sell his harvested spider remains.
    -[X] Mina can begin looking into finding the supplies to summon another Familiar. Even if we can't afford it at the moment, she can try to get an idea of the prices involved and the availability of necessary materials.
    -[X] Cob needs armor if anything suitable is available, plus Gorok might need supplies or equipment of his own. Gorok might be able to recommend any additional equipment we might need for our journey.
     
    This is a wonderful change of pace and I like it!

    I am intrigued by the Dark Folk Dancer nearby. I don't know if after going to the markets we will have the chance to talk to him again.

    [X] Look for jobs or bounties, there is sure to be someone in need of hands for hire
    -[X] The Dancer in the corner is trying to catch your eye
     
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