Battle for the Underdepths!

[sparkletwist]

BATTLE FOR THE UNDERDEPTHS

[ic=The Underdepths]The proud dark elven city of Torizzod, on the shores of the black waters of the Undersea, has stood for many centuries as a bastion both against incursions from ambitious surface-dwellers as well as to keep vile things from the deep at bay. Its merciless legions, led by a ruthless nobility, have pacified the surrounding lands and taken many slaves, but the city's leadership now grows stagnant and complacent, preferring to bask in its decadence. It is time for a new generation of heroes-- or what passes for them among the drow-- to rise.

The threats to the city are many, and found in all directions. Southward and below, the maw of the Great Jungle opens, a vast cavern full of intertwined roots, every kind of moss and fungi imaginable, lush greenery that sustains itself by the light of strange glowing rocks, and all types of carnivorous plants and beasts. This is a land that always hungers, yet, in recent times, its appetite seems particularly insatiable. Warrens of ambitious kobolds and hideouts of bloodthirsty orcs are numerous among its tangled and twisted passageways-- and it is rumored that the living god of the kobolds himself, a gargantuan draconic beast, lives at the bottom of one of the deepest, darkest pits here. Further down still, below the Great Jungle, lies the realm of Blackflame, where greenery gives way to igneous rock, boiling seas of lava scour the land, and any number of terrible beasts are said to dwell; at the bottom, it is rumored, lurks a dragon even more fiendish than the Kobold-God. To the east of Torizzod, along the sea coast, stands the Crypt of Phantoms, an ancient tower that once belonged to the surface, but has since sunk beneath the ground and become part of the Underdepths. It is a truly ancient and truly massive catacomb, built in a classic style unlike the modest buildings that the surface-dwellers now employ, and, indeed, different from drow architecture as well. Whoever built it is long gone, and it is perhaps just as well, considering the numerous undead horrors that lurk within. Fortunately, they have kept mostly to themselves, but signs are beginning to manifest that they are no longer content with being confined. And, of course, who knows what terrible things lurk beneath the dark waters of the Undersea itself? There are many rumors...

The battle for the Underdepths has only begun.
[/ic]

Characters and Information thread

Battle for the Underdepths will (hopefully) be a casual and episodic (and rather sandboxy) Pathfinder game, without any strict timetable, because that format has worked pretty well for other games I've been in, like Fimbulvinter. Basically, it's not going to be a big commitment for anyone. I'm not sure how good of a Pathfinder DM I'm going to be or how well this is going to work, anyway, so I'd rather not commit to anything big either!

20 point buy, starting at level 4. This should hopefully give everyone a chance to have a character that is a pretty good at stuff without the power level getting completely out of hand right at the beginning. Any more than it is already, I mean.

You will have around 4500 gp to spend on equipment and items. You are assumed to have your full WBL, but the other 1500 or so gp that you'd have is tied up in the fancy house that you live in, a business, or some other such thing in or around Torizzod. Since you are pretty well-off, don't worry about buying every minor thing you might need. Please write down on your character sheet what you own that is worth 1500 gp, also.

To avoid problems, I'd much prefer it if the initial group of player characters is a group that has already agreed to work together and has a good reason for doing so. This will also avoid the intraparty conflict that might otherwise break out if everyone is a nasty cutthroat. Perhaps the party is a band of mercenaries, or the members and retainers of a certain noble house. We'll figure out more once it's determined what kind of characters people want.

Drow is the default race for player characters, and I'd encourage drow characters.
However, the following other races might also be seen around, and are playable, with changes:

• Orcs - You're probably a mercenary of some repute. You're sharper than the average Orc; you have no mental stat penalties, just your +4 to Strength, and you have your choice of either Ironguts or Ironhide, even if you don't meet the prerequisites.
• Kobolds - You could be a former slave or a tradesman who does work considered too "dirty" for the drow. You're quite a bit more sturdy than the average kobold; you get +2 Dexterity and +2 to any other stat of your choice instead of the usual kobold stats, and you also have the Draconic Aspect feat.
• Tieflings - You're the spawn of a drow and something more demonic. No changes to their crunch.

I have kind of strong feelings about player empowerment and player character death and such things. I know I get a bit crazy, so please consider yourselves forewarned. :grin:

[ooc=House Rules I would like to use]

• For the sake of mechanics that rely on alignment, all player characters are chaotic evil. However, you can and should play your character however you like.
• The Underdepths are dark but everyone has darkvision, so for the most part I'm not going to pay much attention to illumination or visibility and describe things like it was fully lit. The darkness spell will provide concealment even against darkvision so that it can still be useful.
• HP is average, not rolled. Level 4 characters have 16 HP for a d6 class, 21 HP for a d8 class, 26 HP for a d10 class, or 31 HP for a d12 class.
• Everyone gets a bonus feat at level 1, like you were a human. Except you're not, so you get to be more awesome.
• Everyone gets one free weapon proficiency of any type. This is probably whips or elven curve blades, but firearms are also acceptable, as long as you can figure out how you got a gun.
• "Improved" combat maneuvers have no prerequisites. "Greater" combat maneuvers have their Improved maneuver as a prerequisite, plus whatever BAB requirement they normally have.
• Dodge includes Mobility. In addition, the +4 dodge bonus granted by Mobility applies to any AoO provoked by performing combat maneuvers without the "Improved" feat.
• Precise Shot includes Point-Blank Shot and Far Shot.
• Rapid Shot includes Rapid Reload. Its only prerequisite is now Precise Shot.
• Improved Unarmed Strike also increases the unarmed strike's damage to 1d6 and allows you to make two-handed unarmed strikes for the usual 1.5x strength bonus.
• Expanded Arcana allows you to change your spell choices at every level, including learning spells you couldn't cast at the time you took the feat.
• If you have taken the Drow Nobility feat, you can choose to have +2 Intelligence or +2 Wisdom instead of +2 Charisma.
• Any feat that lets requires you to specify a type of weapon (e.g., Weapon Focus) can be changed by spending a day of downtime training with a new weapon.
• Drow and Tieflings can have different SLAs than the defaults, as long as they're thematic, of an equal spell level, aren't obnoxious, and don't break the game. Here are some suggestions but feel free to ask about others if you'd like:
  
  
  • Level 0: arcane mark, dancing lights, detect poison, mage hand, purify food and drink, putrefy food and drink
  • Level 1: blend, charm person, color spray, divine favor, faerie fire, feather fall
  • Level 2: blur, darkness, glitterdust, levitate, twilight haze, whip of spiders
  You get to choose whether to base save DCs from your SLAs on your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

• Content from Path of War is available so that martial characters can have nice things.
• New feat: [ic=Magical Synergy]
  Prerequisites: Able to use racial spell-like abilities, able to cast spells.
  Benefit: You possess the powers inherent to your race, but other esoteric abilities flow in your blood as well. Through concentration, mediation, and willpower, you have learned how to make them work together.
  Your cantrip-level spell-like abilities are now usable at will. As a swift action, you may sacrifice one spell slot of an equivalent level or higher in order to restore a daily use of any spell-like ability you have.
  In addition, your spell-like abilities count as spells known.
  [/ic]

[/ooc]

Recommended Classes
Alchemist: You study arcane mysteries, but you do so using methods far more scientific than some scatterbrained wizard, brewing concoctions that are filled with arcane power.
Antipaladin: You take up a dark banner and even darker sword in the name of the Abyssal gods, above all, the Great Spider-Queen herself. That which you do not merely crush under your boot, you enslave and make serve your own goals.
Arcanist: You have a trace of the arcane blood of a sorcerer, but it would ordinarily be too weak to manifest any real power. You do not believe in weakness; you have studied your craft like a wizard, honing your diluted blood into power just the same.
Bard: You carry yourself with grace, sophistication, and flair, possessing skill in numerous arts, be they martial, magical, or, musical. Your haunting song of battle is often the last thing your foes hear in this world.
Bloodrager: The pure hatred of the Abyss itself has touched your heart and turned it black. Even for a drow, your raw cruelty is something terrible-- and wonderful-- to behold.
Cleric: You are a loyal servant of a demonic god, at least as far as a drow can be a loyal servant of anything-- in other words, you are a willing servant as long as your demonic patron continues to grant you hideous otherworldly powers. Call it a business arrangement.
Magus: Some believe the sword is the surest way to true power, others put their trust in the black arts. Why can you not master both? Would that not be the surest way to ensure dominance, no matter what comes?
Oracle: Your birth was an ill omen, tainted by demons. All sorts of black magic surges through you, along with a demonic curse straight from the bowels of the Abyss itself.
Sorcerer: Every drow worth anything has blood that surges with magical power, but yours is particularly strong. Your eyes have a faint red glow nearly all the time, and people tend to give you a wide berth. Those who do not fear you will learn to, the hard way.
Stalker: The surest way to survive is to never even be seen. You hide in the shadows, slay your target with brutal grace (or is it graceful brutality?) and then disappear back into the shadows.
Summoner: You have a particularly close bond with the Abyss, and have enslaved a creature from its depths. You can also call upon other Abyssal horrors in a more limited fashion. Why do anything yourself with an army of pawns at your disposal?
Warder: You fearlessly protect your house from its enemies, wherever they may lurk. You excel at defense, but also know that often the best defense is a good offense.
Warlord: You are a warrior, but you are no mere common sword-swinger. You command the battlefield with your strength and gravitas, cutting down any foe that so much as dares to look you in the eye.
Warpriest: You have the same basic agenda as a cleric, but are better at killing things. Considering the kind of religious practices that are common among the drow, this is a useful talent to have.
Witch: In forgotten streets and back alleys between the towers of more academic mages and the temples of faithful priestesses, a powerful but misunderstood folk arcane tradition has developed; it is from this that you have derived your power.
Wizard: Rather than waste time on the usual petty plotting and scheming of the drow, you locked yourself away in a tower and studied old books, mastering their arcane mysteries. With the power you gained, you can now engage in plotting and scheming on a far grander scale.

Please post if interested, or with other comments, suggestions, and whatever.

[Xathan]

Count me in! Assuming my schedule allows that to happen, of course, but I'll be making a character! :)

[Steerpike]

Terrific premise! I'd probably go with a Drow Necromancer, or maybe a Tiefling.

Actually, question: might Dhampir be a valid race? Not that the Race Points are a particularly accurate gauge, but they have fewer Race Points than a Drow. In D&D Vampirism is the "Kiss of Lolth" and seen as a blessing. Might it be the same in Torrizod?

I'm very intrigued about those house-rules. I respect your crunch insights (despite my occasional grumbling) and am curious to see how those play out.

[Kindling]

Definitely interested. Would probably play some kind of divine caster, just for a change from the martial characters I have played in CE and Fimbulvinter.
Will you be following the typical ultra-matriarchal ultra-rigid ultra-backstabby model for Drow society?
I like the idea of my character being an underling of another PC, any volunteers to be my boss? :)

[Ghostman]

It'd be fun to play if it's not going to be too late for my timezone. I'd probably go for a tiefling PC. This being a dark elf game, it might be a good idea to call for an OOC agreement to limit inter-party conflict, since that kind of thing would stem naturally from a group made up entirely or mostly of treacherous cutthroats.

[sparkletwist]

Actually, question: might Dhampir be a valid race? Not that the Race Points are as particularly accurate gauge, but they have fewer Race Points than a Drow. In D&D Vampirism is the "Kiss of Lolth" and seen as a blessing. Might it be the same in Torrizod?

A Dhampir could work, though it would be half-drow and not half-human, of course. I would probably fluff it as you having some sort of connection to the Crypt of Phantoms, if you're ok with that.

I'm very intrigued about those house-rules. I respect your crunch insights (despite my occasional grumbling) and am curious to see how those play out.

Thanks! Me too!

Will you be following the typical ultra-matriarchal ultra-rigid ultra-backstabby model for Drow society?

Definitely! However, it won't be too much of a burden on player characters, because they are of course supposed to be exceptional. In other words, you can feel free to play a male who somewhat defies conventions if you'd like, and you don't have to worry that I'm constantly going to punish you for doing so.

This being a dark elf game, it might be a good idea to call for an OOC agreement to limit inter-party conflict

I completely agree. I'll add this to the initial post in the part about how I'd prefer if the party was able to work together.

[Steerpike]

Yeah, I'd be fine with a Crypt of the Phantoms connection, not that I'm absolutely intent on playing a Dhampir.

[Kindling]

I'm probably gonna go for Ascetic-archetype Cleric of Kiaransalee, the Drow goddess of vengeance and undeath. After a little light googling, it seems that in some places her worshippers are described as operating in secret from mainstream Drow society, either individually or in small cells, and in others as being an open rival to the church of Lolth that has recently won over a significant portion of the Drow population. I don't know which of these is canon (or maybe if both are at different times and in different places) but unless you have strong feelings about the place of Kiaransalee's cult in Torizzod I would lean towards my character at least being able to openly declare her religion.

[sparkletwist]

I would like to mention, this is the Underdepths, not the Underdark, so canonical Underdark things don't necessarily exist-- this is not to restrict anyone but mainly because I'm lazy and don't know much about the actual Underdark setting and don't want to have to be consistent with a canon. However, part of the advantage to being so open-ended is that we're able to do what works best for the group at the time, so it's perfectly fine for us to say that in Torizzod the drow are less aggressively henotheistic as they might be in other places, and the Great Spider-Queen (i.e., Lolth with the serial numbers filed off) is not the only deity worshiped. It all fits together rather nicely, because I'd already envisioned a cult associated with the Crypt of Phantoms, so your character could certainly be a member. So I like the fluff a lot.

Crunch-wise, however, I'd really rather not use that archetype. I'm all for powerful characters, and I hope the way I've set up the game demonstrates that, but it just seems a little... overkill. To contrast, a transmutation or wood Wizard gets +1 to a stat (+2 starting at level 5) and has to give up other school powers to get it, and it's widely regarded as a very strong school choice. On the other hand, that Cleric gets a much bigger bonus and better spontaneous casting and still gets domains-- it just seems like too much of a CoDzilla.

[Kindling]

Oh cool! I presume I could come up with my own rough idea for a death-goddess that isn't Kiaransalee then? That would be even better, I was just searching for an existing Drow death-deity to use, I'm really not that well-versed in Underdark lore myself.

As for the Ascetic, that's fine. I haven't played Pathfinder except for Fimbulvinter, and I just thought it might be fun to try out an archetype just to explore the possibilities, but I'd be very happy with a vanilla Cleric as well! I don't have much to do for the rest of today except make a meal at some point, so I might even start to make my character now :)

[Rhamnousia]

I'm strongly leaning towards playing an orcish antipaladin after I found out that they don't suffer any mental penalties, since I love playing fanatic characters. Tiefling (potentially half-orc instead of half-drow) was also a strong contender for obvious reasons, but it seemed like a popular choice and I don't want to flood the party with half-fiends.

[sparkletwist]

I presume I could come up with my own rough idea for a death-goddess that isn't Kiaransalee then?

Go for it!

I'm strongly leaning towards playing an orcish antipaladin after I found out that they don't suffer any mental penalties, since I love playing fanatic characters. Tiefling (potentially half-orc instead of half-drow) was also a strong contender for obvious reasons, but it seemed like a popular choice and I don't want to flood the party with half-fiends.

I like it-- maybe your orc could even be a member of the same death-cult as Kindling's character?

By the way, on the issue of tieflings or any other race, while I had originally envisioned a drow game, if the party ends up being mostly non-drow, I can work with that. Their struggle to integrate themselves into the rather xenophobic and quote class-conscious drow society of Torizzod would make for interesting adventuring opportunities in its own right.

[Rhamnousia]

If non-drow characters end up outnumbering the drow, I could just as easily play some sort of dark elf character.

[Steerpike]

I'm still playing a Drow, but have you considered allowing Duergar characters?

Also I noticed that Rogue is not included on the recommended class list. Is this intentional? I would have thought Rogue would be a pretty good class for this sort of game.

I'm currently leaning towards a Drow Sorcerer with the Undead bloodline, with Lichdom as a likely long-term goal.

[Xathan]

I will say that of the various characters I'm considering, all of them are Drow. Still trying to narrow my list - I kinda have one of each class.