Korvosa Forum
This is probably the place for any Character / party structure discussions. As far as I understand it so far …
Greg = Barbarian / Monk type character
Dave = Cleric or oracle
Ari = Magus.
NPC = Bard set up as as an Archer / secondary healer / secondary caster - who sings the +1 song a lot.
Although there is still time to change that if you decide you want to play something else - or you think you would like a different NPC.
Now it is looking like ….
Ari playing a female Magus (either Human or half elf)
Dave with a Cleric of Saranae (either human or half-elf)
Greg with a Monk (Note - Monks get 4+int skill points per level - but get lots of bonus feats)
NPC =
Bard tweaked for ranged attacks and secondary caster and perhaps Lock opener? (although with minimal diplomatic skills)
or
Heavy Fighter of some sort (also with minimal diplomatic skills)
I have decided to go with a monk with the Zen Archer subclass
That gives you
Dave's Cleric in a medium melee role
Ari's Magus in the light melee role
Greg's Zen Archer as Machine Gun support (as opposed to artillery)
How do you want your NPC to fit with this?
Previously I have suggested bard or Fighter - because those have looked best - but you can have any class you fancy in the NPC role - or a multi-class if that suite better.
Id say our biggest weaknesses are charisma and skills so bard seems pretty good to me
Yep - that cool. However, he won't be really high Charisma - that pushes too much into PC roles rather than NPC roles :)
I suspect from the party make up - that opening locks, picking pockets and other skills of that type will be in short supply among the party members.
While the healing from a bard is always a good fallback if something happens to your cleric ….
Based on kingmaker I think you mean when something bad happens to our cleric :)
Ari, we have spoken about Katerina being an orphan, being associated with the militia and being associated with Abadar. so …
Katerina’s parents were fisher folks, but they died when she was about 9 or 10. Her parents had kept themselves to themselves and moved around quite a lot - but when they died various relatives appeared, and before long Katerina was packed off to serve an apprenticeship with the Abdarian Militia – although none of those uncles or cousins ever kept in contact. In her new life, Katerina started to get an education and was taught the basics of weapons play and armour. However, she never really got the hang or patrols and guard duties - or even how to use a shield. An older member of the militia (who had trained as a mage) saw her potential and taught her the rudiments of magic - after that the more mundane lessons didn’t seem important. Over the last couple of years training has had a practical aspect and as well as duties at the main Bank-Temple Katerina has served regular guard duty at the Shrine to Abadar in the Pantheon. Now her apprenticeship is over, and she must make her own way in the world.
Katerina had a particular friend amongst the apprentices, who ran away after a scolding. While the militia searched for her, she was never seen again. Just some nasty rumours that she met up with a crime lord called Gaedren Lamm. Recently you heard she died of a drugs overdose.
(we have already talked about the traits you get)
Dave you said you were thinking of using the “religious” option in the list and you mentioned Sarenrae …
Xxxy can’t remember much about his early life, just being wet cold and hungry as he grew up on the streets of Korvosa. Then Gaedren Lamm came into his life and Xxx spent several years of your life his one of Gaeden’s “Little Lamms” before escaping. He has nursed a grudge for the old man ever since. You found a holy symbol of Saranrae while on a job for Gaedren and, intrigued by it, you snuck off to attend services. When Gaedren found out, he beat you to within an inch of your life and broke your holy symbol. Your faith let you block out the pain, and you escaped his control and took shelter in the Sarenrae’s shrine in the pantheon. You have spent the rest of your youth here helping to maintain the shrine in return for a dry place to sleep and regular meals.
However, you regularly climbed up to the temple in the heights to attend all the lessons and classes that you could. Now you are trained as a cleric of Sarenrae, it is time for you to move on, and then (perhaps) another street child can be saved in the same way.
(Traits. The suggestion is +2 concentration - which I guess turns into a +2 to casting defensively. I need to check how we might be able to do that.
However as an alternative, you could take
Flame of the Dawnflower (Sarenrae)
Description: You have been raised to view yourself as a blade in Sarenrae's service, or you have taken that duty on for yourself. Whenever you score a critical hit with a scimitar, you deal an additional 2 points of fire damage to your target.
Or
Indomitable Faith
Benefit: You were born in a region where your faith was not popular, yet you never abandoned it. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Will saves as a result.
Or
You could try and justify one of the other feats :}
I was already thinking of Flame of the Dawnflower, and had been thinking about "Reactionary".
I have finally decided on human cleric; Osric Snow; and I have got the character sorted with PCGen 60400.
The height that was generated gave me the idea for the background.
Osric is found by Gaedren Lamm when he's 4 or 5 years old, and for the next few years he's one of Gaedren's lads.
He's only a small lad, and is regularly bullied by Gaedren's other lads and beaten by Gaedren Lamm too.
While doing a job for Gaedren he finds himself in the temple of Saranrae. He starts to go regularly, and a priest takes an interest in Osric.
He keeps going back to Gaedren, but after a bad beating by Gaedren he runs away to the temple. He swears to get even with Gaedren Lamm.
The priest undertakes educating Osric, and his induction to priesthood.
Osric has a plain wooden holy symbol given to him by the priest; his first personal possession.
It has great sentimental value.
What do you think?
Superb - that works well enough for me :) Remember that you get three traits this time round - but one of them need to be tied to the story / background. So Flame of the Dawnflower and Reactionary are both fine - and you can still have one more trait :)
You can alter the number of traits by clicking into the 'remaining' box and adding it in there.
Greg I am not sure how you might want to justify your characters Knowledge / Link with Gaedren Lamm, however, I don’t think there is a lot written into Korvosa about Monks.
There are a few suggestions that could for a base for us to work with on the Korvosa pages - but I am happy with anything that gives us a link.
I would appreciate it, it we could include (at least) occasional visits to the pantheon perhaps to visit the shrine of Irori (who should be of interest to Monks). That way I have an excuse for the three of you to be ‘aware’ of each other - which makes introductions a bit easier.
Saturday evening we were talking around alignment and what was and wasn’t appropriate. So here are some thoughts on actions, alignments and legality. Along with some extracts from the Guide to Korvosa.
At best Gaedrun Lamm would have been considered an Empty.
“Empty: A beggar, vagrant, or homeless person. Most Korvosans consider an empty to be someone without meaning or purpose, whose existence doesn’t matter and whose life and death occur without mention.”
At worst – he was a known killer and crime lord.
Crime | Punishments |
Treason | Torture, death; no appeal |
Murder | Torture, death; no appeal |
Rape | Torture and castration, imprisonment |
Drug Use | Imprisonment (4–6 months pre-trial, plus 2–3 years if guilty) |
He had certainly been a drug dealer. And dealers are always dealt with much more harshly that users.
“Despite (or maybe because of ) its strong militaristic and highly regimented leanings, Korvosa has a drug problem. Most popular among the wealthy young and the poor of any age (presumably in both cases to escape their lives, if only for a time), Korvosa’s drug trade reaches into most of the city’s wards. The Magistrate of Health estimates one Korvosan in 10 is addicted to one or more of the substances. Those found in possession or under the effects of any of these drugs face up to half a year in jail before they even get a trial (in order to let them overcome their addiction).”
He was certainly acting well outside of the law for most of his life.
In Alignment terms, stopping his operation certainly counts as a Lawful Act. It might even have been legal as you were attacked before you fought back – but it is probably best not to ask.
Freeing the children from his tyranny certainly counts as a good act.
Killing the baddies was, at worst, a neutral act. You certainly gave them plenty of chances.
The actions in The Old Fishery aren’t going to cause anyone any alignment problems. None of you are at the extremes of your alignment but you are comfortably within your alignments.
Returning stolen property to their owner could be both a lawful and a good act. Trying to return stolen property when you don’t know who the owners are could be seen as a stupid act.
Trying to return all of the stuff you found in Gaedrun treasure chests would be the very extreme of a Lawful alignment. Keeping all of it would probably be seen as a neutral act. Returning stolen goods to an owner who can be easily identified would be a moderately lawful act.
The Really Expensive brooch is distinctive and ownership can probably be identified.
The Holy Symbol of Shelyn could be said to belong to her church.
The inscribed ring might be on a jewellers’ watch list (and I think we can be fairly sure that Korvosa has one) – but it is unlikely.
For the other items in the ‘Treasure Chest’ - it will be practically impossible to track down an owner.
Stuff taken directly from the bad guys now has no legally identifiable living owner and can therefore be seen as ‘Legitimate Loot’. Donating some of that to a good cause would be a good act. (condoning the few silvers and coppers that Larry took from the cabinet intending to distribute to the other children counts as a minor good act)
Making provision for the children could be either lawful or good – depending on your motivations. Getting a bunch of thieving street vagabond kids off the streets will certainly make the environment more lawful. (as does closing down the Fagin-like operation in the Old Fishery). Being concerned for the children’s well being is a good act.
In game terms – I am not going to punish anyone for alignment changes – unless there are class limits. However, actions and behaviours may well affect the way that other people see you. I suspect that characters who are very evil will have a really torrid time – eventually :)
Dorian has to maintain a lawful Alignment - or else he will loose his monk abilities. (However he could be LG, LN or even LE)
Osric has to stay in favour with his god, but Sarenrae can have clerics who are LG, NG, CG or even TN.
Katerina - has no limitations on alignment.