The Black Dahlias [seeking players, 3.5]

[BelGareth]

The Black Dahlias

You are all agents of the Kingdom of the Eternal Rose. Whether that means, servants of the crown, sellswords, free blades, bounty hunters, Geas’ murderers, mercenaries or any other manner of pastimes, you have been trained in the art of subterfuge, espionage, stealth, and death. You have sworn fealty and obedience to the Queen herself, Raalia Vegas, and her spymaster Illya Constantine, you are their Rose petals and they have activated you and a cell to perform a mission.

Recently the Empire of the East Sun has began invading the kingdom, which is worrisome, other than the military implications, as there has been a formal truce for decades. But that is besides the point, your missive (in whatever form) was short and sweet, and included your activation phrase. Whatever you were doing is unimportant, you must go to the small fishing village of Bakenridge as soon as possible, where you will meet your contact.

You are NOT agents of the crown, you are evil n'er dowellers, prisoners of the crown, held in stasis in the kingdoms infamous Midnight Abyss, the highest security level prison that exists. You re here for reasons, and you want out, maybe this is your chance, will you take it?

Here's my 16:

Spoiler: Big 16

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1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?
3.5

2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)?
Home-brewed setting, special agents of the crown

3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?
6 players.

4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?
These Forums

5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?
9th level (36,000 xp) no LA buy off

6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?
36,000 gp, no item more than 1/3 of starting wealth (12k)

7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or home-brewed classes?
No brew.

• Hexblade class fix http://irongamersguild.wikidot.com/f...fficial-source
• Shadow caster fix http://bg-archive.minmaxforum.com/in...7441#msg397441
  
  • Double mysteries per day
  • Mysteries are Int based
  • Mysteries = Spells and CL = Arcane CL for the purposes of qualifying for prestige classes
  • Add Sleight of Hand and Use Magic Device to class skills.
  • Fundamentals At Will at level 10
• online vestiges are fair game

8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow home-brewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?
Humanoids preferred. I'm just not a fan of eldritch monsters.
In this game however, you can be monstrous, but it better be good. All the evil folk, gnolls, orcs, half-breeds, even Tanaruk are fair game.
Please no goblins, I am not a fan. (Or kobolds)

9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?
32 point buy, max HP 1st level, 3/4 (rounded up) or rolled thereafter (re-rolling 1's)

10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
Alignment is in place for spells and spell affects. I'm lenient on Alignment restricted classes and Paladins have a more grey area.
Alignment is like the Pirate code, it's more of a guideline than an actual set of rules.
Evil is perfectly fine for this game.

11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?
Have at, no penalty.

12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?
DM will make his rolls and some of the players, Players, will make their rolls most of the time.

13. Are there any home-brewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.

• Every class increases their skill points by 2 every level
• Feats every other level
• Teleportation is blocked by force effects.
• Gates work on the same plane
• Retroactive skill points
• Max 2 flaws (Dragon magazine flaws preferred, please request with edition number)
• Fractional BAB and saves (only receive the +2 once per save)
• up to 2 traits
• 1 xp = 5 gp for crafting and spells (no costly spell components)
• This VoP
• 0% Psionic-Magic transparency
• Tongues/Speak language affect don't work as per the spells, I will give you an interpretation of the language. (comes out to great RP and effects)
• No PvP
• Essentia investment is 1/4 levels, instead of 1/5 levels.
• No early entry
• No bloodlines
• No truenaming
• No item familiars (sentient items are fine)
• Movement can trigger more than one AOO from the same combatant

Additional changes:

• Sneak attack functions on undead
• Rangers can change their favored enemies with 8 hours of rest and 10 minutes of communing with nature
• Flanking provides +1d6 of sneak attack damage (stacks) to anyone willing to use it. (Some may not want to)
• Rogues (and only rogues) can trade sneak attack dice for critical hit multiplier at a ratio of 2:1 and vice versa, this must be made before an attack, and applies to all attacks that round. The maximum you can trade is the amount Sneak Attack dice you have gained from class levels.
• For example: A 5th level rogue has 3d6 SA dice, and attacks with a dagger, they decide to sacrifice 2d6 SA dice to improve the dagger's critical multiplier by 1.

14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?
Yes, skirt length is fine.

15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, role-playing, or a combination of the above?
Mostly hack and slash and role play. I intend this to be more role-playing than anything, interspersed with combats. I want to include some kind of mechanic to deal with the brutality of death, and dealing it out, with the human psyche etc

16. Are your Players restricted to particular rule books and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?
Any 3.5 WoTC and only WoTC, no brew whatsoever, so please do not ask.
Dragon compendium is fine
Dragonlance is not
Dragon magazine is not
3.0 is not

[CozJa]

Wow, I was in the other one, but then I got lost in the work flood... this seems interesting to play!

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

I am also interested. Not sure on the character yet - maybe a druid with a splash of swordsage (Dwarf ? Gnoll?).

[Halfelf ninja]

Looks interesting - I have a vague concept of a hot-blooded "spellslinger" (sorcerer 6/magic missile mage 3) who believes ghat what doesnt work with magical force didnt use enough of it.

[Ilerien]

Dibs on melee warlock. :)

[Burning Spear]

Blah Blah Blah

[Athaleon]

I think I might try the Hexblade with the listed fixes. I do have a couple of questions about those:

- The Hexblade gains Medium Armor casting, does he gain Medium Armor Proficiency as well?
- Given that these changes are supposed to improve the Hexblade, should Hex really be a Swift Action or should it remain a Free Action restricted to one use per round?

[BelGareth]

Interested, can I ask if Undead are allowed? I am eyeing a Revenant (+3 LA?), I'd lean Assuran (Hoar)/ Velsharoon. Alignment L.N.

Pm sent

PM answered

I think I might try the Hexblade with the listed fixes. I do have a couple of questions about those:

- The Hexblade gains Medium Armor casting, does he gain Medium Armor Proficiency as well?
- Given that these changes are supposed to improve the Hexblade, should Hex really be a Swift Action or should it remain a Free Action restricted to one use per round?

yes
lets keep it to free for now, we can adjust if needed

[Cygnia]

If the set-up is we're prisoners, do we actually have gear?

[namo]

There's no Warlock "fix" that you approve of, Bel? (they're homebrew - basically they tend to give some more Invocations)
I'm prioritizing the Rose Petal game, but for this one that also looks like a lot of fun I was thinking a necromancer with a complete lack of morals (so not a fan of evil/rampage, but just unable to distinguish a good from a bad act...), mechanically a (ranged) Warlock or Cleric/Warlock/Eldritch Disciple.

[BelGareth]

If the set-up is we're prisoners, do we actually have gear?

technically no, but you get your stuff back when you are thawed

There's no Warlock "fix" that you approve of, Bel? (they're homebrew - basically they tend to give some more Invocations)
I'm prioritizing the Rose Petal game, but for this one that also looks like a lot of fun I was thinking a necromancer with a complete lack of morals (so not a fan of evil/rampage, but just unable to distinguish a good from a bad act...), mechanically a (ranged) Warlock or Cleric/Warlock/Eldritch Disciple.

nope, i like warlock the way it is.

[Ancient]

technically no, but you get your stuff back when you are thawed.

So, Winter Soldier meets Snake Pliskin?

How stabby do you expect this to be? I have an idea for an Evil bard, but want to make sure it is right for this game.

[BelGareth]

So, Winter Soldier meets Snake Pliskin?

How stabby do you expect this to be? I have an idea for an Evil bard, but want to make sure it is right for this game.

oh yes, this is basically suicide squad, you guys are evil, and should be evil, as that is what you are being thawed to do. [within certain parameters ofc]

[Metastachydium]

…and I might just have a VERY stupid idea for this. For a quick preview: we are talking an Anthropomorphic Huge Viper Snake here, known as "The Manticore" in criminal underground circles.

[Auranghzeb]

I had to make this character. She is a spymaster specialized in disguise and misdirection and she also has 5 dips on different classes that I tried to justify thematically.

The first thing one learns is to seduce and incite trust, to disguise one's emotions and intentions in layers of appearance. The second lesson is the Prana Bindu forms of meditation: the Shaping of the Soul and The Harnessing of The Genetic Lines within one's heritage. Then, the Mind is left to wild exploration that breaks it for it to be remade: The destruction of the Identity. Then comes the Sword that sharpens the body and make steel an extension of the mind.

What remains is an instrument made of layers and layers of truth and lies, with secret conditionings and complexities that are hidden even from themselves.

Thespos
F? NE Kalashtar Face Dancer, Level 9, Init 5, HP / , Speed 30
AC 24, Touch 15, Flat-footed 20, Fort 7, Ref 9, Will 5, Base Attack Bonus 6/1, Power Points 32/40
Spiked Chain +13 (2d4+13, )
Eagle Claws +12 (1d6+8, )
Gnome Quickrazor +12 (1d6+8, )
Inertial Armor (+9 Armor, +4 Dex, +1 Deflect)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 16

Spoiler: One of her Faces

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Design Notes: I'm re-fluffing Binder and Incarnate as two complementary forms of Prana-Bindu meditation. The idea is that instead of "Binding a Vestige" she Access her own Genetic Heritage into past lifes. Most of the time she will be Bound to Naberius for the At will disguise self.

[Forsaken]

Ooooh have so many ideas xD

For races if it has an La buy off do you want us to dip it off our character? Because doppelganger or troll would be fun. Or an ogre lol. I like playing gimmicky Ish characters.

Would be fun Playing a troll or ogre that desperately thinks or want to be a mage, so it got a lot of magic items but is truly a barbarian who uses the magic items acting like its casting spells.

Or be a doppelganger with multiple personalities. One thinking it's a hero another a coward and last the villain. So, the whole time he is trying to find the villain in hero mode but is secretly the villain himself.

Or go the whole black knight route. by being a war forged war blade who is a dark knight and plots his revenge on the kingdom that has betrayed him so many ideas.



but would like to know which you would prefer or prefer me to stay away from while constructing a character. Haven't played a pc in forever lol

[BelGareth]

Not a huge fan of non-humanoid gimmicky pc’s, this game is more serious, role playing and will go into the details of death, combat, prod and stuff like that.

[Forsaken]

Not a huge fan of non-humanoid gimmicky pc’s, this game is more serious, role playing and will go into the details of death, combat, prod and stuff like that.

So more the warforged warblade then? Or want something different?

[Burning Spear]

oh yes, this is basically suicide squad, you guys are evil, and should be evil, as that is what you are being thawed to do. [within certain parameters ofc]

Ok, my Pm was shot to bits, so we cant be Undead/ L.N.?
Anything from Libris Mortis not allowed?

[LairdMaon]

I should like to offer Asano as my submission to this game. He is sneaky-sneaky, a thief and sometime assassin. He has an unfortunate lack of luck when mixing gambling and drinking, a fact which lead to his incarceration. Seems the queen doesn't take kindly to folks who forge her name on documents to make withdrawals from the royal treasury.

[BelGareth]

So more the warforged warblade then? Or want something different?

I mean, yes, but I don’t really care tbh? I know that sounds terrible, but I mean it’s really up to you, I don’t have preferences on what you build as long as they are within the guidelines.

A warforged warblade is fine for this game

Ok, my Pm was shot to bits, so we cant be Undead/ L.N.?
Anything from Libris Mortis not allowed?

Yeah, sorry about that. No, undead are ok, but I don’t want anything that’s so far removed from
Humanity it makes it hard to roleplay, which in my head is anything non-humanoid.

So a vampire would be fine.

[Auranghzeb]

I should like to offer Asano as my submission to this game. He is sneaky-sneaky, a thief and sometime assassin. He has an unfortunate lack of luck when mixing gambling and drinking, a fact which lead to his incarceration. Seems the queen doesn't take kindly to folks who forge her name on documents to make withdrawals from the royal treasury.

That's the hottest Gnome ever. But more importantly, I believe the "adventurer" rogue bonus feats have to be used on feats a fighter can take as bonus feats.

[Burning Spear]

Yeah, sorry about that. No, undead are ok, but I don’t want anything that’s so far removed from
Humanity it makes it hard to roleplay, which in my head is anything non-humanoid.

So a vampire would be fine.

How is an undead-concept based on the "punisher/ revenge far removed from humanity?

Anyway; 🤣
The only question then is, will you allow us to use those classes as if they were normal classes?, as in, take levels intermitted and when I as a player want to, instead of being forced to go on to the class and not get off it untill its fully fulfilled?

[LairdMaon]

That's the hottest Gnome ever. But more importantly, I believe the "adventurer" rogue bonus feats have to be used on feats a fighter can take as bonus feats.

There's a good chance you're right on that. I'll see about correcting that.

[Burning Spear]

That's the hottest Gnome ever. But more importantly, I believe the "adventurer" rogue bonus feats have to be used on feats a fighter can take as bonus feats.

How is that a Gnome??? 😆

[Forsaken]

I mean, yes, but I don’t really care tbh? I know that sounds terrible, but I mean it’s really up to you, I don’t have preferences on what you build as long as they are within the guidelines.

A warforged warblade is fine for this game

Gotcha gotcha. Not terrible in the least was just confirming that that was all good lol. I think its going be a more tanky build trying to buff up some passive damage lol Want him to be tough enough to survive your campaign.

[LairdMaon]

How is that a Gnome??? 😆

Whisper Gnome! Seen from the perspective of a normal sized person! 😀

[BelGareth]

How is an undead-concept based on the "punisher/ revenge far removed from humanity?

It's not, I just don't like/want the template you wanted.

Anyway; 🤣
The only question then is, will you allow us to use those classes as if they were normal classes?, as in, take levels intermitted and when I as a player want to, instead of being forced to go on to the class and not get off it untill its fully fulfilled?

I'm not sure I fully understand, you mean take dips? or PRC's?

[LairdMaon]

Asano has been fixed. Feats are in the right places, though I had to drop my Lucky Dice for Combat Acrobat. Still, fits the idea I'm going for.

[BelGareth]

Asano has been fixed. Feats are in the right places, though I had to drop my Lucky Dice for Combat Acrobat. Still, fits the idea I'm going for.

thats a cool feat.