Quick history ... I've been playing D&D/Pathfinder for over 35 years and have DMed well over 500 sessions of Pathfinder to date. Of all the games I have DMed over the years I have found that I enjoy Adventure Paths the most. To date I have DMed Age of Worms, Kingmaker, Carrion Crown and am currently halfway through Iron Gods. I have been looking forward to running Strange Aeons for years and have decided to startup a new campaign. However, only half of my regular group can make this campaign (there is only so much Pathfinder one can play per week!). Hence, I'm looking for two (possibly more) people to join a brand-new campaign starting soon. Some general information on the campaign and how we play: We play 99.9% RAW: I try to run all modules exactly as written and rarely change modules (usually only to fix errors or improve story flow). The only exception is when it comes to Daze (and similar effects) and summoning monster spells. We usually don't allow Daze effects for PCs or monsters (anything restricted for PCs will also be restricted for the DM as well) since sitting around for 2-3 hours while your PC is dazed and everyone else is playing is never fun for anyone. Limiting monster summoning is simply to move play along. Looking for 2 or more players: Currently two of the players are my "regulars" and have as much experience as myself. They are currently running an Investigator and a Fighter or Monk (he's still deciding). We normally only play with 4 PCs but might go with more depending upon how this goes. When & how we play: Usually are currently planning to play once a week on Wednesday nights from 8:30pm - midnight EST, online. In addition, you'll need to have Hero Lab to build your characters and a microphone. We utilize Discord for online voice and all handouts/player notes. I've been playing this way for around 5 years now and it works really well. We might play more than once a week depending upon schedules but right now we are expecting once a week. Because of the length of APs in general it will probably take around 2-3 years to fully complete the AP, so long-term commitment is needed! No Power gaming/Game breaking PCs: Anyone can "win" Pathfinder if they try hard enough ... it's really not that hard. Want to make a 5th PC that can do 500 points of damage on a single hit? Have fun, but we don't play that way. Over the years we have discovered that playing slightly "broken" PCs or thematic PCs are much more fun/challenging than making a PC min/maxed to death. In addition, having even a single super-powerful PC breaks the balance of the game for everyone as all encounters need to raised to challenge the optimized PC. I'm not looking for gimped or underpowered characters, just not min-maxed to the point of breaking the game. Character Creation: will be in line with PFS character creation rules. That means 20 point buy, max HP at level one, half rounding up after that, etc. 150 gp worth of gear. Races: Nothing too exotic, usually the common races are the best. However, if you have an idea for something cool let me know what you are thinking and perhaps we can work something out (some appropriate exotic races include Changelings, Orcs, Dhampirs, and Skinwalkers (some heritages)). Classes/Archetypes: Did I mention party balance? Well I'll mention it again as party balance is key. It's helpful to have a self-sufficient party with proper balance. Again, so far, the Investigator and Fighter/Monk have been spoken for, otherwise almost anything else is up for grabs. The Strange Aeons Player's Guide has a lot of suggestions and I would STRONGLY suggest one of the recommended classes listed in the Player's Guide. Also, no Summoners. Alignment/Deities: Almost anything goes but party balance/cohesion is key. Nothing evil is allowed and no in-party pvp (although disagreements and roleplaying is encouraged). Having a healthy number of skills points will come in handy as nearly nothing in this is AP is "standard" ... so even "real world" knowledge won't work. You will most likely know what your PCs know. Traits: Two traits. One of these MUST be from the Player’s Guide. The second should be PFS legal. Alternate Rules/Subsystems: Again, we play RAW but I will most likely going to use the Sanity rules from Horror Adventures. The Library rules from Ultimate Intrigue and Ritual rules from Occult Adventures are part of the AP as written. Feats: Crafting feats are allowed but you may or may not have the time and/or resources to take full advantage of them. Otherwise most feats will be allowed. Fugue State: As most people know by now the AP starts off with your characters in a fugue state with a significant amount of their memories completely forgotten. This might sound a bit strange, but you should trust me that it's part of what makes this AP so unique and will a major part of the campaign. You'll still be able to use your abilities and remember who you are (for the most part), but a large chunk of your memories will be gone. Make sure to consult the Player's Guide for additional details on how this will work. Difficulty: I am not a "killer GM" but you should use your brain. My "regulars" will rarely run from a fight unless they really feel it's above their paygrade. Hence, party cohesion and clear communication is more important than overpowered PCs. My "regulars" have pulled an entire floor at once (more than once actually), and lived to tell the tale as they work together and formulate a plan. If that sounds like the type of game you like to play, then you'll probably fit right in. This is hard campaign and an above-average level of system mastery should be expected. Character Death: I am not a "killer GM" but the possibility of death is always around the corner. There are lots of ways to come back to life. I'll be allowing reincarnate and there are lots of other ways to come back ... this is Strange Aeons after all. However, your PC will probably be changed in new and bizarre ways. The party should plan/save up for potential death insurance. Hero Points: I will be using the Hero Points system from the Advanced Player's Guide ... but no Hero Point feats, spells, or magic items. Your PC will simply get 1 Hero Point per level that you can use as listed in the rules. I am planning on starting as soon as we find enough players, probably within a week or so. If this sounds like the type of adventure you might be interested in playing let me know and if you have a character in mind, please post it. And if you have any questions please let me know!
