[OOC] The Rusty Dragon

[Sassafrass]

This section is for Out of Character stuff. That's fun, right?

Weeb time.

Alright, as we start building this thing, let's lay down few ground rules about what we see Jade Regent as. For those who haven't accessed it yet, here's the Player's Guide. So let's discuss a few things.

How Sass sees the game: To me, this is a travel game that focuses on relationships over time and space. A travel game because it, unlike most APs, travels a vast distance over the period of six entries; most APs move maybe a few hundred miles, but Jade Regent most certainly does not. Not only that, but you're supposed to do so with four NPCs who the DM has to make matter and who the PCs are to interact with. As such, you are meant to be fish out of water culturally: you're supposed to engage with something your character has never seen before (strange cultures and creatures and races). There are sections of the game where Paizo goes out of their way to tell the DM "Hey, freak out your PCs with weird stuff, like snake-urine-alcohol" and such. Like, no joke.

As such, the party will need to interact very well, and will need to interact with the NPCs introduced. No lone wolves; you can be antisocial, you don't have to like everyone and I encourage that, actually, party conflict on a road trip is nothing if not realistic. But I want it to be highly regulated: the last JR died because people were too emotionally immature to play this game. I can reveal that story if you'd like but I've written it more than a few times on-site.

Also, I jokingly call this Bioware: Pathfinder Edition. To get people in on the joke, Bioware games (Mass Effect, Dragon Age, KoToR) focus on creating relationships (friendships, romantic relationships, occasionally rivalries) with the NPCs, most of whom are party members or important plot persons. Jade Regent very much borrows from the romance systems from these games (this was before ME3 bombed so hard) and tries to replicate it. You are not required to have romantic relationships in this game with the NPCs, but you probably need to interact with them hella much.

Class and Race: Last time, I elected to say "no Asian-flavored stuff, unless you've got a really good reason, or your character is a literal weeb" because of the aforementioned "fish out of water" feel you're supposed to have. I'm going to do away with this. I'll allow Samurai and Ninja in this incarnation, as long as you work for the Kaijitsu family. Tian-flavored stuff has exactly one outlet in all of Sandpoint (location of Rise of the Runelords) and Magnimar, so keep that in mind. Races I don't honestly care as long as you're all down for it. I'd prefer the more Asian races not appear (especially Vanara and Wayang), but I will make a notable exception for Tengu because Tengu are all over the Inner Sea for some reason. Also, because phinar's character Kraa was such a major influence on the last Jade Regent.

So, case by case on Race, all Classes allowed as long as they're Paizo, I could be seduced into non-Paizo Psionics. Alignment likely needs to be similar to things like Giantslayers or RotRL: this is pulpy, but you're traveling with good people. So no Antipaladins.

NPCs and Traits: Everyone's Traits are pretty important, so check those out and state which ones you're interested in. Each one is tied to specific NPCs, so check those out too.

I think that's all for now. We don't have a full roster just yet, so I'm still thinking about that.

[Jarl11]

You had me at "snake-urine-alcohol".

[Blackfyre]

He had me with the preliminary roster.

Speaking of which: since you're apparently going to invite specific players without prior apps, would you like us to coordinate what general type of character we wish to play, so we don't end up with a party entirely made up of healers/buffers for example?

[PopCultureBard]

Originally Posted by Blackfyre

He had me with the preliminary roster.

Speaking of which: since you're apparently going to invite specific players without prior apps, would you like us to coordinate what general type of character we wish to play, so we don't end up with a party entirely made up of healers/buffers for example?

Best party ever. We would stalemate every combat by dealing no damage to enemies who can't outstrip our healing potential.

Man, I had so many ideas come to me last night when I should have been sleeping. A Naderi worshipping spiritualist who is haunted by the ghost of their lover after a failed double suicide. An orphan who is training with the kaijitsu family in the samurai way but can't quite get their head around the whole honor culture. A vagabond cleric of Groteus who wants to see the whole world before the arrival of the imminent apocalypse. Gonna have to make a dartboard decision.

[Sassafrass]

Maybe you can heal the enemies to death?

Yes, the idea is to plan classes in advance so we can coordinate who's filling what roles, assuming you bunch are into that.

Those seem like awesome concepts; I can support the spiritualist entirely because I frickin' love that class, but the other two are fabulous ideas in their own right from concept alone.

On a note concerning RotRL and you two, PCB and Jarl, the connections to my current game will be vague at best; I'm going to leave it open enough that anyone could have been the Saviors of Sandpoint years ago. The game begins in early fall of 4711, a whole 4 years after RotRL's start. So, references to Buddy and Raelia will likely not appear in this game, though I will still utilize people like Benel and the obvious consequences of RotRL on Sandpoint's adventurer economy will be hinted at.

[PopCultureBard]

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

On a note concerning RotRL and you two, PCB and Jarl, the connections to my current game will be vague at best; I'm going to leave it open enough that anyone could have been the Saviors of Sandpoint years ago. The game begins in early fall of 4711, a whole 4 years after RotRL's start. So, references to Buddy and Raelia will likely not appear in this game, though I will still utilize people like Benel and the obvious consequences of RotRL on Sandpoint's adventurer economy will be hinted at.

So no bust of Raelia in the town square that people worship in a monthly celebration? Raelia has quite the bust worth celebrating, let me tell you.

Inappropriate jokes aside, given the spread of concepts I am toying with I can probably step in where I am needed if people already have roles they'd like to fill.

[Blackfyre]

While I don't have a concept yet - that usually takes a while to form, hence the last-minute applications - I am looking at a hunter at the moment.

[Sassafrass]

While you're thinking of these concepts, let me remind ye Jacobites that each of these concepts need to be tied to a specific NPC, by way of Trait. Those NPCs are Ameiko Kaijitsu, Shalelu Andosana, Koya Mvhasti, and Sandru Vhiski. Ameiko is pretty well-known, the town darling and owner of the most frequented tavern in Sandpoint and noble scion of the Kaijitsu family, which has a sordid past in town of late. Shalelu Andosana is perceived as the town savior, having protected Sandpoint since its inception almost a lifetime ago, who stalks the Sandpoint Hinterlands more than its streets, she is enigmatic and elusive, almost apocryphal, but Ameiko's best friend. Koya is the daughter of the town seer, who died this last winter. Still in morning, she spent her entire life taking care of not just her blind elderly mother, but two of the three Vhiski boys; as a Varisian, she spent only a brief period of her time traveling as she wished. A Cleric of Desna, she wants to hit the road, even this late in life. Sandru Vhiski is the eldest of the two Vhiski boys raised by Koya, a well-known Varisian master trader and caravan driver who has recently retired and apparently is going to go into politics in Magnimar. As a former companion with Ameiko, with whom he shares a dark secret and a flirty relationship, it's clear that he's not the only one who's tired of the provincial life of the Lost Coast.

Each of you has a connection to at least one of these NPCs. Some of the options allow you to be either a genetic sibling or an adopted one, so keep that in mind (the eldest and youngest Vhiski boy positions are not available, I'm afraid, for severe plot reasons). Others offer childhood romance as an option, or that you admire them. Each trait offers a generic bonus, and then one specific to your NPC.

I wasn't kidding when I said the NPCs were instrumental

I can set up private threads as soon as you lot are ready for it.

[Jarl11]

Killer group, yo. But who is the 4th??? Dun-dun-duhhhhhhnnnnn

We should be seeing Raelis bust and everyone in Sandpoint should be smoking a ceremonial bowl once a month to Buddy. I don't know, let's call it a New Moon party.

Have been thinking of an inquisitor of Abadar, LN, with the trade domain and ties to Sandru. Say saved him from being swindled a time or two and was called to Sandpoint to aid with some trade deals. Debating archery and an animal companion or melee with the trade dillio. Sanctified slayer archtype perhaps.

[Sassafrass]

Ooh, shiny, I like that. The merchant angle will be direly important and you're onto something there.

I have a few candidates in mind, truth be told. That said, I'd rather not discuss them in public so I'll send out a PM and we can discuss it there.

[PopCultureBard]

Originally Posted by Jarl11

Killer group, yo. But who is the 4th??? Dun-dun-duhhhhhhnnnnn

We should be seeing Raelis bust and everyone in Sandpoint should be smoking a ceremonial bowl once a month to Buddy. I don't know, let's call it a New Moon party.

Have been thinking of an inquisitor of Abadar, LN, with the trade domain and ties to Sandru. Say saved him from being swindled a time or two and was called to Sandpoint to aid with some trade deals. Debating archery and an animal companion or melee with the trade dillio. Sanctified slayer archtype perhaps.

You aren't fooling anyone, Jarl. We all know that an inquisitor of Abadar is nothing more than a legbreaker for some sanctified loan sharks.

Also, I read that 'melee with the trade dildo' and thought that was an amazing way to spent an Exotic Weapon Prof feat.

[Sassafrass]

My sides=Orbit

[Jarl11]

At least someone gets me around here. And for the record, I actually did have to un-autocorrect dildo out if it. Made me think of a sap type weapon for him. Or her...

It's not called a loan shark when it's a god

[PopCultureBard]

Hmm. You know, I don't think I've played a human character in...well...maybe ever. Sass, you have issue with the background generator? I was thinking I might give it a go to formulate elements of backstory around the core concept. What about variant multiclassing?

Also, how long does the AP cover as far as in-game time goes?

[Sassafrass]

Background Generator is hella neato, more people should use it. Go for it. As for variant multiclassing, I'd need to actually sit down and look at it (as with most Unchained things). So, let me do that after I pump out the RotRL and S&S post I've got lined up for today.

Jade Regent requires at least 2 years to pass in-game. This is definitely not a short trip and it's not a quick route either, but your choices in Part III will determine if it will be 2 years or if it will be longer.

It's weird, Kingmaker and JR are the longest as far as time goes, whereas you've got games like RotRL and CC which are pretty much set over a smaller amount of time, often less than a year. Most APs take place over a 6 month period, roundabouts.