[PF-1e] Wrath of the Righteous: Paths of Ascent

[OneDarkness]

potential interest, I mean who wouldnt

[Kenjitsu]

Originally Posted by CatCanCook

@Kenjitsu - kineticist items might be found or purchased.

I added to the section on object-bonds as a catch-all.

Thank you for the clarification and modification.

And just to clarify the last sentence of your modification, for a kineticist to use their Reduce Burn in exchange for taking longer to cast the kinetic blastgather power class ability they need both their hands free. Would the in-hand implement count as being hands free for not only the kinetic blast but also the associated gather power?

Regarding caps on how much level boosting things can stack, I have no problem with that. If I am selected to play, I will work with you to manage those expectations.

[grumblyarcher]

Just so we're clear, Psionics is on the table? How about DSP's Malefex class? It uses a lot of Path of War's rules but I don't think it technically qualifies as a Path of War class.

[CatCanCook]

@Kenjitsu - fine for use with Gather Power. The text is meant to impede dual wielding, sword and board, or similar multihanded strategies, not to impede the core class ability.

@grumblyarcher - yes psionics is on the table. 3PP - no, I'm not going for anything in this directory: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/3rd-party-classes/ . For psionics I'm sticking to "core" and by that I mean what is under this directory: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative...ics-unleashed/ ; likewise for Path of War what's under this directory: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative...s/path-of-war/

I have to draw the line at some point, and given my time spent playing and reading, this is it for now.

[CatCanCook]

@MundayKnight - hey there. So, I can promise is that if the characters are over the top, the monsters will be more so. :-)

With these materials one can get to things like unlimited rage / no fatigue, or unlimited out-of-combat healing, or other sorts of things - sooner than typical. So a bit of power-gaming is expected.

For monsters, mythic doesn't mean large numbers, it means whatever kind of mean I need it to mean to pose an interesting puzzle. The advert mentions Nigh Invulnerable Creatures, so that's hanging a gun on the wall to pull down in the 3rd act. :-)

@OneDarkness - hello again!

[MundayKnight]

Ohh I remember the Father, I just like the silliness that it allows. Like how I can make what basically equates to a 3.5 totemist.

Quick questions: for said basically totemist would the cruelty drawback and metal intolerance flaws be okayed? Also think the metal intolerance should add cant use metal armor or weapons as one extra damage from metal weapons is kind of forgetable. Going abberant so the metal armor would have an impact though the metal weapon wouldnt matter to him much.

[LeoByron]

Mother Name: Veronica Bliss Race: ChangelingHag Magic 1, Object of Desire, & Witchborn alternate racial traits.* Ability Scores: Str: 7; Dex: 14; Con: 10; Int: 21; Wis: 7; Cha: 17. Age: 17 Gender: Female Primary Classes: Empathic Duelist Eliciter 1 / Ascendant Mind Psychic 1 Gestalt Class Levels: None (yet) Mythic Path: Spheremaster Mythic Tradition: Riftwarden Orphan Feats: F1] Extra Magic Talent: Forceful Telekinesis; 1] Heavy-handed ForceHeavy-handed Force (Champion, Combat) [BaP] Creating leverage is an art. Prerequisites: Brute sphere, Telekinesis sphere. Benefit: You may use telekinetic force to perform a shove against a creature within Telekinesis sphere range using the same action normally required to perform a shove (normally a move action). A shove performed this way does not allow you to move. Make a ranged touch attack against a creature within your telekinesis range, using your casting ability modifier for the attack roll and to determine damage dealt. When applying a (manhandle) talent, the target takes additional bludgeoning damage as though they were used as a Bludgeon. A creature can only take additional damage this way once per round. If you possess a talent to shove with a weapon (such as the Brute sphere Brace Weapon talent) and the Telekinesis sphere Dancing Weapon talent, you may perform a shove using a Bludgeon and may move the Bludgeon up to 1/2 your telekinesis speed when doing so.*. Traits: Riftwarden Orphan [Campaign]; Conscious CultistConscious Cultist Prerequisite: You must openly belong to a community of psychic influence, such as an agency or guild, and have experience with esoteric rituals and incantations. Benefit: Gain a +1 trait bonus to caster level when using talents and abilities from the Divination, Mind and Telekinesis spheres. This increase in caster level may not raise your caster level over your Hit Dice.* [Faith]; UntetheredUntethered You follow a spiritual path of freedom, distancing yourself from the world in order to achieve enlightenment. Benefit: You may choose to count yourself as either one size smaller or one size larger when you would be affected by telekinesis due to your ability to detach yourself from worldly bonds.* [Religion]; Gift For Magic: ConjurationGift for Magic Whether through ancestry, training, or another personal aspect, your skill with a particular type of magic is far more natural than normal. Benefit: Choose a sphere. You gain a +2 trait bonus to your caster level with that sphere. This bonus cannot cause your caster level to exceed your Hit Dice.* [Magic] Drawback: Umbral UnmaskingUmbral Unmasking Effect: You cast no shadow whatsoever, or the shadow you do have is monstrous. Under normal lighted conditions, this is not hard to observe—but uncommon to notice. Creatures that succeed at a DC 15 Wisdom check notice it plainly (an additional Perception check may be required based on environmental conditions). This telltale sign of wickedness cannot be concealed by misdirection, nondetection, or illusions, except those that also affect shadows (such as invisibility).* Flaw: Free-SpiritedFree-Spirited You seek to live your life freely, unburdened by excessive material possessions. Prerequisite: Chaotic alignment. Benefit: The weight of any gear you carry is considered double for the purposes of determining your load. For example, a half-elf with a Strength of 10 and 30 pounds of gear is treated as carrying 60 pounds, which is a medium load. In addition, any armor check penalties you have are also doubled (or tripled, in the case of making a Swim check).*, Alignment: Chaotic-Good Deity: None   The young woman skulked in the shadows near the corner of the room at the very edge of the silver moonlight pooling in from the open window. She was draped in the shadows as if caressed by them and her svelte form was set in a vaguely languid pose as her thin pale arms dangled at her sides. Her head tilted to one side in a strange angle almost as if her neck were broken, yet the soft subtle sounds of her respiration reached you confirming that she was, in fact, breathing. She took a single step forward, allowing the pale light to splash upon her face. She was beautiful in a dark, nearly sinister way, with long black hair streaked with strands of white framing her pale perfect face. She was obviously quite young, barely seventeen, yet her dark shadow-rimmed eyes cast an ancient gleam that belied her lack of years. Realization dawned on you with sudden paralyzing shock. You recognized this girl! She was much younger that day long ago when she was made to serve your lascivious tastes, but that long languid face was unmistakable. Her name came to your lips but before you could speak it she placed one finger to her lips and uttered a silencing hissing sound that sent shivers coursing down your spine. Her head swung slowly forward, draping her face with her dangling hair as though she couldn't quite bear to be so exposed even in the dim light of the moon. She was small in stature, barely reaching the level of your chest, yet she nonetheless seemed to loom from her place in the shadows as though something about her caused her to fill the room with her presence. There was a sudden movement behind her then and you realized that a small child was skulking there, behind her. The child placed her small hand against the woman's leather-clad leg and peeked from behind her thigh. The girl seemed like some strange, tiny mirror of the woman, with lanky long black hair and skin even paler than her mother's. The child turned its gaze upon you and you shuddered at the depth of intelligence peering out at you from those child's eyes. She smiled shyly then hid behind the woman once more. Another movement from behind her drew you to little hands grabbing at the woman's arms and shoulders as the child climbed until she clung to her mother's back, her face peeking out just above the left shoulder. The child peered at you again and giggled. Her face began to contort suddenly, as if in pain, her features beginning to melt and twist as her hair bleached completely white. Her eyes glazed over and became empty white orbs and her face smoothed out completely, leaving only a slight curve where her nose had been. Her mouth closed and squirmed as vivid black stitches erupted from the flesh to seal it shut. An angry slit wound streaked down the middle of the child's forehead all the way down to where her nose would be, had she still possessed one, and more wicked stitches sprung from her pale flesh to hold it closed. The little girl's eyes burned into you, sapping at your will, holding your attention completely as she seemed to feed from the unease rising from within you. The woman smiled and her face became fully beautiful but you realized that her thoughts were inside your head and she became terrifying. You felt them burrowing into you like a worm, stealing your very essence as you began to drool. A small voice whispered inside your head. It was a girl-child's voice. "Sleeeeeeeep..." You realized with complete and utter horror as your eyes began to droop and your entire body began to lose sensation, that you were falling asleep... Veronica Bliss stands five feet, one inch tall and weighs barely one hundred pounds soaking wet. She is strikingly beautiful in a dark, nearly sinister way, but there is an intensity in her eyes that can be unnerving to some. That is, until she chooses to engage someone in conversation and her entire demeanor undergoes a startling transformation. She becomes vibrant and alive, speaking at nearly dizzying speeds about most topics to keep any listener engaged for hours. She has long black hair that is streaked with strands of pure white which frames a long slender face with dark striking eyes of the deepest violet peering from the center of her soul. Her feminine curves are slight and nearly boyish but somehow fit her tiny frame in a way that is attractive. She favours tight black gowns which look like they might once have been a child's nightgown and always seem a little too short for her, as though she may have long ago outgrown it yet could not quite bring herself to abandon a favorite childhood nighty. Strands of black leather coil around her upper arms and weave themselves sinuously around her shoulders, attaching themselves to the thin fabric of her gown almost like roots seeking nourishment from her living flesh. Most would find her brooding as she often chooses to remain quiet and remains, more often than not, distracted from the world around her, if not by her near constant ministrations over her daughter Vivian, then over some deep thought which causes her eyes and demeanor to turn forlorn and distant. She prizes freedom above all else, having suffered greatly at the hands of captivity herself, and finds herself avoiding almost all earthly attachment and cannot easily suffer the burden of carrying any weight that is not Vivian. Almost always, Veronica can be seen with her daughter, clinging to her in some way, as though she had become an ornament to be worn rather than a burden to be carried or strung along. A little shadow which always seems to creep and crawl, somehow at the very edges of sight. And then there is Wuzruz. The Mad Orc and Bringer of the Word. He was a companion from before. He is a giant muscled mass, nearly seven feet tall, as devoted as he is insane both to his ancient gods and to the woman and child whom he calls family... He is always naked, his rippling flesh glistening with scars and rune and is as prone to snarl and yip as he is to speak with abject clarity of the return of the Crimson King and the Lady in Red who will rule... Veronica hopes to save him one day and calls him to her side to keep him close, but her hold on him is precarious as the Old Gods call him back to do their bidding.   Veronica Bliss was barely five years old when they came for her, just about the age that her daughter Vivian was on the day Veronica died. It was night, of course. They always come at night, don't they, these creatures from the deepest recesses of our twisted minds? Fiends from the Worldwound who froth and hunger at the thought of inflicting harm. She was sleeping in her new big girl's bed when she heard the screams. She started awake, her long luxurious black hair tangled and wild as she blinked away the thickness of some sweet dream that still clung to her and bade her slip blissfully back towards restful slumber. Anything at all but to accept the horror and implication of that shrill scream in the darkest time of night. Veronica stirred herself from her bed, her tiny feet touching the cold wood floor as her thin nighty flowed loosely around her thin child's legs, one small hand clasped tightly around her blanky. For some reason she would never know, she did not panic that night. It was as though some part of her knew that these few moments would be her last lucid ones that would be hers for many many years and now she dallied and stepped slowly from her bedroom to the corridor which would lead her to her father's bedroom. She heard the grunts and mewlings that signaled acts of depravity her small mind could not quite grasp and she held the blanky tight in her tiny fists in front of herself like a talisman against the reality that waited for her mere steps away. Veronica peered into the bedroom. What she saw broke her. Blood. There was so much blood. Her papa dead at the foot of the bed, his face contorted by horror. His wife dying, too slowly to escape the horrors inflicted upon her by the creatures who were killing her. One fiend, larger than the others, had two long horns protruding obscenely from its forehead as it stood with its back to Veronica as she stared blankly at the horrors unfolding before her. She dropped the blanky and it flitted slowly until it rested wetly in her father's pooling blood. The horned creature turned to her and unleashed upon her that rictus grin that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Its flesh was black as pitch, mottled in scarlet streaks seeming too taught over its wiry, muscular face, seeming like old leather. Its eyes were of the brightest red shone with what looked like living fire to Veronica's addled mind. She screamed. Before she could run, however, a tail sprang from behind the creature and latched itself around her tiny wrist holding her firm. Pull and yank though she might, she could not break free. "Oh... so pretty!" it said in that unbearably raspy rumble of a voice. It began to pull her towards itself, the sinuous tail flexing languidly as it lifted her. Veronica's nighty rose, slightly, revealing the small mark on her left thigh. The creature froze. ""What are you waiting for? Kill her!"Чого ви чекаєте? Вбити її" Another creature, smaller and slyer-seeming than the one that held her, spoke the guttural words at her captor, though she did not, of course, understand them at the time. ""She bears the mark. We must not touch her."Вона несе знак. Ми не повинні її чіпати." The creature let her go, discarding her like unwanted filth and bade the others leave through the open window. The snarling things hissed and cackled, one of them licking blood from its misshapen beak before leaping out into the darkness, its howls losing themselves to the night as it flew over the silent rooftops of Kenabres. The Fiend turned to her then, it's burning eyes squinting in the dark as they bore into her. In a thick, guttural accent, it said: "Someone will come for you. When you are ready, I will return." The creature leaped out of the window, leaving the child to tremble and weep for her tremendous loss as the drapes blew callously in the night breeze as though mocking her. The next morning, as Veronica lay unconscious in the congealed pool of her father's blood, a man came into her home and loomed over her in the morning light. He nudged her awake with his foot, gently at first, but more insistantly as she proved difficult to wake up. "Wake up," he said and she opened her eyes, blinking in the harsh morning light. "Good, you're still alive. My name is Aamon Gauth. You are mine now. Come with me." She turned her face away from him, clutching at her father's torn night clothes, trying to put her nose in the crook of his broken neck. Aamon grabbed her by her bloodied nighty, lifting her easily with one hand as she kicked and hissed at him, reaching for her father's cold corpse. "You are a feisty one. Good. I will enjoy beating that out of you." Aamon reached inside his cloak and retrieved a large hempen sac. He opened it and with one deft move tossed her into it and looped it closed, quickly tying the leather drawstring closed. She began to scream and flail inside the bag so in one smooth motion, he smashed the sac into the wall, quieting her instantly. He turned to the two men who waited patiently by the door and handed them the sac. "Make sure she's not dead and then take her into the back of the carriage. I'll have my work cut out for me with this one." The years passed and Aamon set himself to work on breaking Veronica's spirit. He mostly succeeded. The beatings, the punishments, the isolation, all of these things eventually had her regressing into some wild feral thing but Aamon worked hard to mold her and shape her into a useful tool which could serve him. Aamon operated one of the most successful brothels in Kenabres, after all, and such a lovely thing as Veronica could not go to waste, especially with the words of warning which had come to him from the mysterious stranger who had told him where to find her. Eventually, Veronica broke and became the subservient whore Aamon wanted her to be. He put her to work, too young, really, but not so much younger than others who were pulled into this underworld to barter nightly for their very survival with the one thing which remained to them: their flesh. One night, her life was changed forever, the second time so precipitous an event would come to so deeply affect the direction of her life. This time, however, it would be for the better. She was brought to his room, her cold dead eyes suffusing with feigned charm and vivacity as she was nudged through the door to meet her latest client. She plastered her most seductive smile onto her pretty face and began the motions which would relieve her of her clothing for the viewing pleasure of the Master's client. Two gentle hands posed themselves on hers, stopping her. Veronica's smile faltered and she allowed her striking violet eyes to meet his. His eyes were a deep shade of amber and she saw green flecks in them which added to their depth and mystery. His dark hair was slightly long, for a man's, falling over his ears in a way she thought was not unattractive. "I just want to talk to you. Please," he said, his voice slightly tinged with nervousness. "Great, a talker," she thought. "I am much more than a talker," he said. "I am Aiden." Her eyes went wide and she looked intensely at him, suddenly guarded and suspicious. "Aiden? You read my thoughts!" she accused. "Not exactly. You sent them to me. I happen to be sensitive enough to receive them. Please, don't be afraid. I really do just want to talk. So they talked. For hours Aiden engaged her with his melodious baritone voice, inquiring about her and speaking of his travels, which had been fascinatingly extensive. He regaled her with tales of the sights he had seen and the wonders he had witnessed across the wide land of Golarion. He was young, the son of a wealthy merchant, but he worked hard for his father and sought to seek his own fortune in the world at large. He admitted to her, shyly, that he had visited Aamon's establishment to fulfill something of a checklist of experiences, to sample such an establishment's finest courtesan. Having spoken to her, he had begun to realize that the nature of the business was somewhat darker than he had understood it and apologized to her for the part he played in her enslavement. He meant it, too. As their time together drew to a close, as the night had drawn on and the hours led them near that time just before dawn when the horizon began to turn orange with the fire of the coming day, Aiden drew away from her and began to say goodbye. She quieted him with a kiss and pulled him to her. He pulled away and tried to speak but she stopped him, fear transforming her young face. "We have to. They will check and I will be beaten if you don't." He tried to protest, but she kissed him again and he surrendered. Nine months later Vivian was born and Veronica's life changed forever. She began to explore the inner gifts which the man had revealed to her. She began to unleash her potential and learned that she could project her thoughts into others' minds and practiced daily with her daughter, whom she was blessedly allowed to keep. Her knowledge grew, as did her power, but still she remained enslaved to Aamon. Some small part of her knew that the only reason she was allowed to keep Vivian was because she was female and would one day serve him in the same way she had. She would not let that happen. She began to formulate a plan to escape Aamon's clutches and run away with Vivian to the farthest reaches of Golarion. She knew the mark on her thigh had something to do with the strange gifts she possessed and wanted to know more about what it meant. She had asked Aamon about it once and he had responded that such a mark was a Sign of the Seeker’s Spiral. She tried to get more from him but he waved her off saying it meant her father was probably a Riftwarden. "A Riftwarden? What is a Riftwarden?" she wondered. She hoped to find out one day. Before her plans to escape could come to fruition, around the time of Vivian's fifth birthday, Veronica's existence came crashing down around her, literally. Armasse had begun and she knew she would be extremely busy that night. She had secured permission from Aamon to go to market to secure special herbs and perfumes to get herself ready for her night's work, when the great Infestation Demon came down on Kenabres. The world was sundered around her and as consciousness returned and all around her became darkness and dust, Veronica was horrified to see Vivan's broken bloody body among the ruins. Her entire world had been destroyed. No matter that she yet lived and seemed relatively unhurt. No matter that the dragon, resplendent and silver, had saved her from certain death. Vivian was dead. Though she could barely see through her veil of tears, Veronica put the entirety of her powerful will into wishing Vivian back to her. Denial and rage seethed through her and she felt herself bent and changed by the wrath within herself. She felt her mind snap, a little, as insane amounts of power flowed from her and into her daughter's tiny shattered corpse. Somehow, Vivian came back to her. Veronica knew that it was not quite her daughter who had returned to her. She saw the stitchings on her face where her psychic magic had repaired her and conjured her from the realm of death back to her side, and saw how she was changed, but she did not care. Vivvie was back and that was all that mattered... She could live a little bit longer.

[CatCanCook]

@Munday,

My rule of thumb is that drawbacks and flaws ought to make some meaningful negative impact on a character; if they don't, then they shouldn't earn the associated benefit.

Will taking these sting often enough to matter? If the answer is no, pick something else.

Or, pick them and I'll rewrite them to be of magnitude that feels like a real disadvantage.

I agree that Metal Intolerance is too feeble to be a proper flaw. Compare it with the flaw right next to it: -3 to Fortitude saves, which is the magnitude of negative 1.5 feats and will matter to just about anyone across many encounters and for all levels. You'll fail 1/6 of your fortitude saves because of it! ... which just gets worse as you level. +1hp damage in contrast starts as almost nothing, and vanishes as you level.

[CatCanCook]

Thanks LeoByron. Your games and rulesets are an inspiration for how I've structured this game.

[LeoByron]

I have another question.

Are Changelings allowed?

They appear in the "Race Points Unknown" section of the Pathfinder SRD Race page.

I would assume they would fall in the higher point category and have 23 point buy, if allowed.

[CatCanCook]

LeoByron, Yes Changelings are ok, in the higher RP bracket.

[grumblyarcher]

So... I may or may not be listening to the Doom soundtrack right now so the primary idea I'm kicking around might be a Reaper (Chem Dog/Magekiller) | Technician

[LeoByron]

In case you missed the question in my original post:

 

Also:

Under Mythic advancement, you state:

Originally Posted by Mythic Advancement

When characters advance 2 mythic character levels, they gain (beyond their normal class levels) the following:

• +1 mythic rank, with associated path abilities
• 150% of the HD for each character level. This replaces the bonus hit points listed in a mythic path's description. Example: a Conscript’s d10 HD grants 15 hp.
• +1 mythic bonus to an ability score (but the same ability score cannot be chosen in consecutive mythic ranks, so this gets split between two ability scores.)
• +1 mythic feat slot. (This replaces the +1 feat per 2 mythic ranks progression.)
• Mythic Bond. Choose one of the following.

To make sure I understand correctly, when you choose to advance a Mythic Tier when that option presents itself every 2 character levels you gain:

150% Hp for each character level. Does this apply for both level 1 and level 2, when the game starts, and every level thereafter if we continue to progress Mythic rather than Gestalt? Or does the bonus only apply once for the class level gained at level 2? The text "for each character level" confuses me.

So if I was a Fighter level 2, I would get 15 HP at 1st level and 15 hp at 2nd level (plus Con bonuses)? If it applies to each level, it seems you get far more Hit Points from choosing Mythic every 2 levels rather than Gestalt since Gestalt only applies a bonus to HP every other level.

[CatCanCook]

The Leadership feat -- in much of its broken glory -- is allowed and characters will probably find it advantageous to the Spheres leadership Sphere (which has more play balancing limitations.) However, cohorts like other companions will be capped by similar HD progression limits:

• Animal Companions are approximately 1 + 75% of character HD
• Eidolons are approximately 75% of character HD

Keeping parity across those and cohorts (from leadership or other sources), I'm going to cap Cohorts using the same progression as an unchained eidolon.

Cohort builds will be 15 point-buy, no campaign traits, not mythic or gestalt. Races over 10 RP become 12 point-buy.

However, a mythic character can use their Companion Bond option to give mythic capabilities to a companion. (But a cohort is not necessarily mechanically better than any of the other major sources of companions -- Animal Companion, Eidolon, Mount all have some good mechanics and could benefit just the same.)

--

And so, LeoByron had a secret question about whether a certain Companion with levels in Spheres class would be buildable. The answer is yes.

[CatCanCook]

To make sure I understand correctly, when you choose to advance a Mythic Tier when that option presents itself every 2 character levels you gain: 150% Hp for each character level. Does this apply for both level 1 and level 2, when the game starts, and every level thereafter if we continue to progress Mythic rather than Gestalt?

Correct.

Or does the bonus only apply once for the class level gained at level 2? The text "for each character level" confuses me.

So if I was a Fighter level 2, I would get 15 HP at 1st level and 15 hp at 2nd level (plus Con bonuses)?

Correct.

If it applies to each level, it seems you get far more Hit Points from choosing Mythic every 2 levels rather than Gestalt since Gestalt only applies a bonus to HP every other level.

Not my intent. I clarified with the following revision:

Hit points. Gain 100% of the largest hit die and 50% of the smaller at each character level.

So, for example, suppose a character was a 2nd level Gestalt Barbarian / 2, Oracle / 2 (lame curse naturally). HP per level would be 12 + 8/2 = 16. Plus Constitution bonues.

Net -- Mythic and Gestalt paths should have pretty similar hit points.