Battle for the Underdepths!

[Lmns Crn]

I'm strongly interested in this game, even though I don't know Pathfinder, and I'm a little uncertain as to how the timeframe is going to work. But if it's a sort of "show up when you can" style of thing, I'd like to give it a try.

I'll play a drow, of course. When in Rome, and all that. (Does it rhyme with "how" or "know"?) Maybe a non-caster, since it looks like a lot of the group is going for some type of magic.

[Seraph]

I'm somewhat interested, not sure I can commit, though. I have some time Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday in the evenings now (Pacific time)

[sparkletwist]

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

I felt like they'd just be in too much opposition with the drow, and I couldn't think of a worthwhile way to buff them up to the power level of the other PCs without losing some of their flavor.

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 left Rogue off mostly because I left off every purely martial class that wasn't from Paths of War-- the martial/caster disparity isn't likely to be a huge problem given that it's only level 4 and many characters getting SLAs, but I wasn't really eager to recommend them. That's not to say you can't play a Rogue! Although mechanics-wise I'd recommend a reflavored Ninja instead.

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

Nice concept.
I'm seeing a certain death and undeath theme forming here. Perhaps that might be an early unifying goal for the party?
I will try to prepare a bit in all directions so as not to be caught off guard, but if this theme holds and the characters are willing, it's looking like the Crypt of Phantoms may be a worthwhile adventuring target to start off.

But if it's a sort of "show up when you can" style of thing, I'd like to give it a try.

not sure I can commit, though

It is definitely designed to be casual and to not expect a huge commitment.

Timewise, the best times for me these days are afternoon (Central time) and weekends. This would probably push it to earlier in the afternoon Pacific time, so I'm not 100% sure how well that'd work out if you're only free in the evenings. Once things come together a bit more and I'm more sure of when I'll be available I'll try to get a Doodle up.

[Seraph]

5:30 or so is the earliest I can go.  I like the idea, I'm afraid if you need to go earlier, I can't make it.

[Steerpike]

For Rogue I was thinking more as a multiclass option or as a gateway to the Assassin Prestige Class, but Ninja probably makes as much/more sense there, actually.

That makes sense for Duergar. If you did want to buff them I'd just add one of the Dwarf racial abilities or give them an extra Racial Trait from the Alternate Racial Traits list, but blood emnity vs. Drow makes them an unlikely PC race.

On the subject of enemies: I assume that in classic Drow fashion Torrizod runs on slave labour. What kind of people are enslaved? You mention Kobolds. Would surface-dwellers be here too? Grimlocks, Goblins, Troglodytes...?

I'm seeing a certain death and undeath theme forming here. Perhaps that might be an early unifying goal for the party?
I will try to prepare a bit in all directions so as not to be caught off guard, but if this theme holds and the characters are willing, it's looking like the Crypt of Phantoms may be a worthwhile adventuring target to start off.

I was noticing this too. Maybe we're all members of some kind of Death-related cult/society in Torrizod? Or at least some of us are and the other PCs are mercenaries or something.

EDIT: Another question, touching on the "we're cool with slavery, right?" aspect of things. We're all "Evil" here - how dark are you picturing this? I can get carried away, so it'd be good to know if the campaign has any kind of parameters around that sort of thing, beyond common-sense stuff. For example, can we purchase slaves (they're in the Pathfinder equipment list) with our starting wealth?

[sparkletwist]

Minor correction: It's Torizzod.
Nothing says "drow" like a double z in a word, at least to me. :grin:

The drow just wouldn't be the drow without slavery, so I'm assuming that there are more than a few slaves about. I think goblins and kobolds would be the most numerous slaves, if only because it's easier to play a "cool with slavery" character with our modern sensibilities when most of the slaves act like they deserve it 90% of the time anyway.

On that note, I expect that things may get a bit dark, although I was planning on more of a "dungeonpunk" feel rather than being oppressively grimdark and bleak. The tone you set in Underdeep is not a bad reference, now that I think about it. You can certainly purchase slaves, although I'd expect that if you own a house or whatever you'd own some already.

[Steerpike]

Heh, thanks! Drow names have so many double letters I get them mixed up.

That's good to know on the tone - that's basically what I figured. A little sadism, I hope, won't go amiss so long as it's not totally tasteless. I think my character will probably be the inverse of Kindling's: not an ascetic but an aesthete and a hedonist who sees Undeath as a means of extending life's black pleasures. Think, like, Cenobites from Hellraiser...

EDIT: Might actually go Gravewalker (Witch archetype). They can get a little zombie-herd quite early on and have access to Animate Dead 2 levels before a Sorcerer. sparkletwist, how do you interpret Bonethrall and Animate Dead as interacting? Bonethrall grants control of 1HD of Undead per caster level. Animate Dead grants control of up to 4HD of Undead per caster level. I'd be inclined to say that the two "pools" of control don't interact (more zombies is always better), but I'll defer to your judgment here...

[Seraph]

I'm not very familiar with the Path of War stuff, but it looks awesome.  I really like the Black Seraph discipline and if I participate, I think I'd like to go in that direction.  What would be your suggestion, since the three classes mentioned don't quite seem to fit the flavor of the Black Seraph, who feeds on pain and fear? 

[Steerpike]

Would Stalker or Soul Hunter (one of its archetypes) not fit the Black Seraph Discipline?

I notice also that Black Seraph is only available to those who join the Black Thorn Knights, so they'd need some kind of equivalent in Torizzod, unless sparkletwist houseruled it.

[sparkletwist]

I'd be inclined to say that the two "pools" of control don't interact

I'd be inclined to agree.
I remember reading somewhere that the pool of undead controlled by a negative energy Cleric's Command Undead ability is distinct from the pool that can be created via animate dead. I see no reason why the Bonethrall ability shouldn't work the same way, since it's written up similarly.

What would be your suggestion, since the three classes mentioned don't quite seem to fit the flavor of the Black Seraph, who feeds on pain and fear?

As Steerpike has pointed out, the "official" way to learn Black Seraph is to be a member of the Black Thorn Knights martial tradition, and I think any of the classes is able to do that, but it has a strong bias towards lawfulness, and the Warder is the most lawful character, so, from that, the Warder probably "works best." However, I don't really want to use martial traditions in this game in general, and the ultra-lawful Black Thorn Knights would especially not fit in Torizzod at all, at least as a player character faction.

So I'd say you could simply swap out one of your disciplines for Black Seraph, and, ignoring all that fluff, any class would work pretty well-- Steerpike's suggestions of a Stalker work pretty well.

[Steerpike]

We're calculating HP randomly, right?

[Seraph]

I didn't at first, but looking closer at it, especially the two archetypes, I am liking the stalker.  I am thinking a sort of monastic hunter-killer; perhaps operating on behalf of the cult that people are talking about.  Soul Hunter Archetype.  I am happy with him being Drow.

[sparkletwist]

 :huh:
And here I thought you knew me! :grin:

No, HP is average. 16 HP for a d6 class, 21 HP for a d8 class, 26 HP for a d10 class, and 31 HP for a d12 class.
(If you're multiclassing, you can figure it out yourself. :P )

[Steerpike]

Heh, I thought it was curious you didn't have a rule for it (knowing your dislike of randomness for stat generation) - I must've missed it.

[Xathan]

Trying to decide between about 3 characters right now, because I'm horribly indecisive and keep changing my mind, but just saying I'm still interested in playing...although I doubt I'll be able to often because of the planned times.