[D&D-3.5e] Lost Cause

[RisenMartyr]

Game Name Lost Cause

Game System DnD 3.5e

Theme Island hopping, high adventure, and survival.

Flavour Think Link's Awakening: you wake up washed up on an island with few memories and must survive and thrive.

Plot Summary Your eyes flutter open tentatively. You smell brine, feel the warm surf lapping against your prone body and hear the screeching cries of seagulls. Slowly, you push through the muddled mess of your mind and manage to sit up. Everything spins and you cough up more seawater. You're alive, but don't remember much. Images flash through your mind: a ship, a storm, and a fire. You hear screams echo in your mind as the flashes recede. You see other survivors littered around you as well as broken bits of wood from the ships and crates bobbing in the surf. Somehow, you find a way to stand. Your legs are a bit shaky, but you don't seem to be injured. You stumble slowly around the wreckage, looking for gear and weapons as you can't be sure what dangers lie in this unknown land. This will be a simple campaign of exploration, survival, and adventure. You'll begin at 1st level after your ship sinks and you'll have only a few memories to work with. This amnesia may be unnatural in nature, but the truth is something you'll have to discover in time. You can make your memories and past an integral part of your character, or you can embrace this fresh new beginning. You'll find danger, excitement, and riches during your adventures and perhaps you'll find your destiny. I'll be including my own little surprises starting when players are chosen and progressing throughout the game. I'll keep these hidden for now. -Deadline: 7/25/2022 -Starting Level: 1 -Hit Points: Full at 1st level -Gold/Wealth: You'll have to find everything you get or make it. -Abilities: 40 Point Buy -Experience: You'll gain this pretty fast. -Books Allowed: Any official 3.5 book except Tome of Battle and no Magic of Incarnum until later in the game. -Traits and Flaws: 2 -Name: -Race: -Class: -Party Role: -Appearance: -Personality: -Memories or Background: -Expected Character Progression:

Special Abilities   1. Titan's Gift: Dual wield 2 two-handed melee weapons with no additional penalties. 2. Colossus Strike: Two-handed melee weapons deal x1.75 damage rather than normal damage. 3. Nature's Bond: Gain an animal companion as a druid. Works exactly like the druid's animal companion ability. 4. Animorph: Gain the ability to wild shape into one medium or small animal at will. The single choice is permanent and cannot be changed. Works exactly like wild shape otherwise. 5. Nightstalker: Become invisible while not moving. You can take actions except for combat or spell-casting while invisible. Attacking or moving to another square brings you out of invisibility. 6. Smashing Shield: Unleash a shield strike that deals bludgeoning damage after each weapon attack. The shield strike deals 1d8 damage at the highest BAB. 7. Rejuvenation: Gain a self-heal that improves as you gain more hit die. Heals for 1d6 hit points and increases by +1d6 every other level. Can be used at will. 8. Malicious Touch: Gain a touch attack that can put targets to sleep, paralyze them, or cause them to be nauseated. The DC is 11 + hit die, requires a fortitude save, and can be used at will. 9. Lion Pounce: Gain the pounce special attack. 10. Mighty Charge: Gain the powerful charge special attack. 11. Psychic Link: Gain 100 ft. telepathy. 12. Scorpion Sense: Gain tremorsense out to 50 ft. 13. Dragon's Fury: Gain a breath weapon that improves as you gain hit die. Useable once every 1d4 rounds and begins at 1d6 damage, increasing by 1d6 per hit die. You choose a dragon and imitate its breath weapon. Damage dealing breath weapons only. 14. Fear Scream: Gain a 15' sonic cone attack that grows in power as you gain hit die. Useable at will and the enemies are shaken. At level 5 this improves to frightened and at level 10 improved to panicked. The save DC is 11 + hit die and requires a will save. 15. Warlord's Fury: Deal increased damage with weapons equal to your charisma modifier. 16. Warrior's Presence: Gain a bonus on attack rolls equal to your wisdom modifier. 17. Mage Bolt: Unleash a bolt of elemental power that increases with power as you gain hit die. This ability mimics eldritch blast and increases in damage as if the character is a warlock. The damage dealt is chosen between: fire, cold, electricity, acid, and sonic. Once chosen, the choice cannot be undone. 18. Monster Door: Gain the ability to summon a monster to fight for you that gains power as you gain hit die. Begins at summon monster I and improves as the character levels up. You can use any version you qualify for based on your hit die but can only have one creature summoned at a time. 19. Vampiric Essence: Gain the ability to drain the life from targets and restore your own. At 1st level this ability deals 1d6 damage and increases every other level by +1d6. You must be in melee range to use this ability and can use this ability in conjunction with a melee weapon attack or unarmed strike. 20. Morphology: Gain the ability to enlarge yourself or shrink yourself at will. This ability allows you to become size large or size small at first level. At 8th level, you can become one size category larger than large or one size category smaller than small. At 16th level, you gain the ability to become two size categories larger or two size categories smaller.

[Ermine]

You're sure you wanna allow Magic of Incarnum? That'll give an unfair advantage at first, since they'll essentially start with magic items.

[RisenMartyr]

Good call Ermine. No Magic of Incarnum at character creation.

[Ermine]

It could easily be unlocked during exploration, like finding an ancient book on it or something.

Edit: I want to join this so bad, but I'm in a lot of games, and am looking for a PF2e one (which my mind is fixated on and making it hard for me to keep up with the other games). Hopefully you get a bunch of good players.

Edit 2: I may join this, actually, to get out of PF2e mode a little. As a human or elan egoist psion.

Edit 3: Will there be elements of colony-building as we meet other people? If we meet other people? Also, when you say "expected character progression," do you mean like what classes we plan on taking? (If so, I plan on going Incarnate when Magic of Incarnum is allowed, but otherwise staying as psion).

Application -Name: Erika -Race: Elan -Class: Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 6 Hit Points: 15/15 (6 (psycarnate hit die) + 6 (Psionic Body and 2 Other Psionic Feats) +3 (Constitution) Power Points: 9/9 (2 (Elan) + 0 (Psycarnate) + 5 (Psionic Talent x2) + 2 (Int 18)) Alignment: Neutral Good Armor Class: 16 (10 + 2 (dex) + 4 (psycarnum avatar)) Feats: Psionic Body, Psionic Talent x2 Flaws: Noncombatant (-2 to melee attack rolls) Powers: Crystal Shard Traits: Nearsighted (+1 Search, -1 Spot)Psycarnate (Class Info) -Party Role: Ranged Combat, Knowledgeable One, Possibly other roles daily at later levels. -Appearance: Red hair and fair skin, like all elans. Erika has a dour resting face, and leaves that face up most of the time, even when she should be emoting. She has a small frame and stature (5', 90 lbs). Her clothing was of the middle class, though she doesn't remember what she did for money. Or for the illusion of having money. She has no tattoos, but knows of the existance of psionic tattoos, which she may scribe onto herself or others at some point. Regardless, she's seen the majority of 30 years as an elan (27 elan years old). -Personality: Introspective, pensive, inquisitive maybe? Seeks knowledge before all else, so losing even some of her memories is more frustrating to her than to most others. Erika will admit she's not the most social unless it's to get her answers to her questions. Though for her, social encounters are definitely not her forte. She does, however, try to do the right thing most of the time, to leave the world a better place. Or at least to feel good about herself. -Memories or Background: Lost all of her memories before, when she was turned into an elan. Before that, she was a doting human mother to five half-elf children. As an elan, she had no interest in having children, however, and no longer looks anything like she did in that life. She spent many years simply contemplating her existence and newfound psionic gifts before leaving her newest home (for elans are scattered when created) to gain as much knowledge as she could in her much longer life. She's sure there was more to it than that, though, and wishes she could remember. She doesn't remember why she was even on a ship; was it to explore the world? Or was there a more specific reason? -Expected Character Progression: Psycarnate all the way. Unless Incarnum isn't unlocked before 4th level. Then I'll multiclass (probably into Ranger). -Special Ability: Scorpion Sense or Mage Bolt (Acid)

[RisenMartyr]

Yes, you'll be able to find all sorts of forgotten lore in this game.

Yes, there will be elements of colony building if that's what you want. I'll definitely provide the opportunities for colonies or such.

Yes, that's what I meant by progression. Psion into incarnate sounds powerful. Interesting.

[OsmundCinderholt]

Application -Name: Vivian -Alignment: Chaotic Good -Race: Human -Class: Ability Scores:STR:8|DEX:14|CON:18|INT:14|WIS:10|CHA:16 Hitpoints:13/13 Invocations: Beguiling Influence, Endure Exposure Feats: 1: Entangling Exhalation 1: Human Bonus: Extra Invocation 1: Class Bonus: Dragontouched 1: Flaw Bonus: Ability Focus(Breath Weapon) Flaw: Murky-EyedDragonfire Adept -Party Role: Face, Battlefield Control -Appearance: Vivian is a young woman in her early 20's. Her pale skin is speckled with freckles, especially across the bridge of her nose. Viv's eyes are a pale grey, bearing a slight foggy quality to them as if she's beginning to lose some of her vision. The young woman's wild brown hair spills nearly halfway down her back, which she allows to flow freely. -Personality: Vivian has a good sense of humor, often presenting a happy-go-lucky attitude. Despite the dire situation they find themselves in, Viv doesn't seems the least bit worried, oozing the type of confidence that they'll be just a-okay. She also had a stubborn side, perhaps due to the over-confidence, and would be hard-pressed to change her mind when push came to shove. -Memories or Background: There isn't very much that Vivian recalls about her life before the shipwreck, but what little she does is... strange. She recalls white flames, tall shelves of books in an enormous library, and the sounds of musical performances. Vivians put enough together that she must be a follower of the god Hlal -Expected Character Progression: I think I'll just keep building into Dragonfire Adept. I'm not sure what sort of multiclassing is worth it. Never really played this obscure class, so who knows!

[Clawsome]

Would playing a OA Spirit Shaman be allowed?

[RisenMartyr]

Yes, I'll allow it.

[CrowArmstrong]

-Name: Kilik, the pirate king !
-Race: Kobold
-Class: Rogue
-Party Role: rogue (infiltration/ruse/sneak attacks)
-Appearance: Serrek is a green lizard standing 4 feet tall dressed in a red cape, oversized pirate captain hat circled with darts and adorned with a huge feather , as well as two belts of alchemical capsules/explosives crossed over his chest.
-Personality: an aspiring malicious pirate ready to sink everything on his way, except gold and women, pretty human women, both needed for his plan of indomitable pirate fortress. Despite his obvious weaknesses he behaves like a dragon with his foes and a chivalrous bard with women (pretty human women). Aware he needs biceps and fireballs to advance his schemes, he is willing to lead a party towards a destiny of Grandeur !
-Memories or Background: tried to take control of a military corsair ship by placing explosives and taking the crew hostage, before his plan failed and he fled to hide in the hold of a random ship.
-Expected Character Progression: continue to level up as rogue with focus on crafting skills for machinery/alchemy.

[triedtherest]

Are Artificers allowed?

If the Party has to make/find their own gear, then an Artificer would be handy.

Could the Mindsight Feat be taken in conjunction with the Psychic Link ability?

[RisenMartyr]

Yes, artificers are allowed.

Yes, mindsight can be taken with the psychic link ability.

[triedtherest]

Application Name: Yu/You Race: Kalashtar Class: Ability Scores:STR:8|DEX:14|CON:14|INT:12|WIS:14|CHA:18 Hitpoints:8/8 Feats: 1: Hidden Talent (Vigor) 1: Flaw Bonus: Psicystal Affinity (Resolved) 1: Flaw Bonus: Mindsight Powers: Energy Ray, Mindlink (Racial Bonus), Vigor (Hidden Talent) Flaw: Noncombatant Flaw: Pathetic (Strength -2)Wilder Educated Wilder Variant Party Role: Communications (Telepathy/ Mindlink), Foe Detection (Mindsight), Social Skills, Blaster, Controller (later on) Appearance: Intense expression, with a gaze that seems to stare right through to a person's soul. Keeps the rest of his body covered, perhaps to conceal the burn scars that mark most of his body. He is somewhat emaciated, as though his body had been denied sustenance through his life. On each wrist is a metal band, which look as though it could have been part of a set of manacles. Personality: Like many Kalashtar, Yu tries to keep his emotions in check. Unlike most Kalashtar, he is terrible at it, perhaps due to his memory loss, or perhaps it is because of the trauma he had clearly undergone beforehand, but he seems to have forgotten how! While he seems to like people well enough, he doesn't like them to get too close, and he especially doesn't like people touching him, though it is unclear whether this is from some kind of phobia, or it just plain hurts from the various burns over his body! His emotional state may be unstable for a while, as he is currently having to deal with TWO sets of emotions, his own and that of his recently awakened Quori personality, which he mentally refers to as "You". Whenever he gets emotionally overwrought, he brushes his Psicystal and mentally whispers to it through their link. It's emotionless nature is strangely calming to him. Memories or Background: Just fragments really, and little of it pleasant! He remembers being chained, though he cannot remember for what reason. He can remember a spiralling feeling of misery, and then one day the misery turned to RAGE! The rage felt strange though! Displaced, almost as though it was being felt by someone (or something) else! His last memory is of fire, and a strange feeling of exultation! While his memory is still a little scrambled, he has vaguely pieced together in his mind that the strange feelings and experiences, were his Quori partner waking up in his mind, and the unlocking of his Psionic potential. He is also getting the sinking feeling that his burns may be somewhat self-inflicted! Expected Character Progression: Wilder mostly, possibly dipping into Thrallherd, and much later a dip into Anarchic Initiate. Special Ability: Psychic Link: Gain 100 ft. telepathy. Character Sheet: Yu/You

[Snicker]

How complete is our amnesia? Do our characters know what their names are? Do they know what classes they are? Do they remember their childhoods or the homes they want to get back to? Do they remember getting on a ship?

Also, if we can have two traits and flaws, does that mean two of each or two total?

[RisenMartyr]

The amnesia will be different from person to person. One person may get a sense of a past or who they were, and others may not remember anything, including name and take on a new name. Up to you. You will however know your class. Anything else will be in your creative hands. Just as long as it's not a complete memory.

Two total.

[Cristal08Darkmoon]

Name: Ralanna
Race: Aventi
Class: Druid ('Deadly hunter' variant but maybe swap favored enemies for favored terrains.)
Party Role: Melee combat, aquatic survival & hunter/gatherer, healer (back-up)
Appearance: Ralanna stands a bit under six feet tall and has a slim, athletic build. Her skin is naturally lightly tanned, though she hasn't spent much time near or above the surface until recently. She keeps her silvery blond hair cropped to roughly shoulder length and often has it tied back into a pony tail. The small fins on her forearms and calves, which fold nearly flat against her skin when she's on land, are a pale blue that are several shades lighter than her eyes. She tends to dress in clothing that's rather close fitted to create minimal drag when she's in the water.
Personality: A quiet person by She is a hunter (of sorts) after all. They tend to do better when quiet.necessity, Ralanna rarely speaks up unless she feels it's needed. She prefers to observe before acting when possible. This occasionally leads people into thinking that not much fazes her. Ralanna tries to avoid taking a life (or shedding blood, for that matter) as much as possible. She'll hunt to feed herself and others but refuses to take more than is needed. Despite being a fairly serious person and seemingly sane, people can sometimes witness Ralanna talking to herself or smiling or laughing for no apparent reason. She always either says 'it's nothing' or mentions Dawn.
Memories or Background: Ralanna doesn't remember much beyond her name. She does remember that she's a druid that avoids armor and some basics about hunting and gathering (both on land and in the sea). The otter, which only she can see, is an old friend that she somehow knows is called Dawn. All she can do is hope that the rest will come to her in time.

Planned Progression: Not set in stone, but probably a blend of druid and warshaper. Possibly include a few levels of master of many forms.
Special Ability: Rejuvenation