The city of Lethe is an ancient place, built on the bones of its own past for more generations than can be counted. The Nameless river that flows through it has swept a untold number of seas beyond the Arch, into the sea.
Lethe is a city of commerce, where anything can be bought, sold, traded or rented for the ight place. There is only one law in commerce - mortal lives are not on the market. Well, not the ownership of those lives at least. The ending of them, and the starting of them...well, there’s a price for that.
Even the law is for sale, it is said. While the law is certainly present, it’s also certainly more enforced for the rich, the powerful and the elite. And that’s where you come in. There are plenty of agencies empowered to sell justice, to find lost goods, missing loved ones and even the murders of those who don’t warrant investigation by the city guard.
You can help the people who have no one else to turn to.
For a price.
------------------------------------
Hiya, welcome to the game. I’m Jon. The idea behind this game is that you guys will be running your own Law Enforcement Agency - effectively, a detective agency in a city where the law doesn’t care unless you’re rich, and everyone else has to pay for it. And so, they come to you...and your competitors, of course.
This will be a heavily social game, where combat will be the spice rather than the main course. Investigation, logic and word play will be on display. Trickery and deception too.
Most of all, this game is about choices. Lots of choices. And the consequences.
Format
This game will feature an episodic format, in that I’ll give you a list of possible missions to choose from and you guys will pick one by voting. Some stories will be more important than others, some will be multi-part tales with more to the story further along the line, and others will be simple one offs.
The problem for you? You can’t be where you aren’t. Each Case will take around a week (even if you resolve them quicker it’ll take time to sort out paperwork and such). In the time you’re working on one case, things will happen in others. Sometimes another Agency will take the case. Sometimes the client will vanish. And how you resolve each case will have an effect.
The idea here is that this is a living, breathing city - you are not the sole force moving the story, but simply one factor. If you don’t affect a person someone else will. If you don’t help, maybe they’ll never get it.
Your choices will have consequences. Keep that in mind.
Setting
This will be an investigative game in a Noir style, but expect a few other themes to pop up from time to time - horror, love, friendship, comedy.
Lethe itself is a city primarily a trading city, dominated by the Trading Houses. Law and life are secondary concerns to profit. But there are plenty of people who are simply trying to live their lives, and plenty more ready to take advantage of them.
And there are many people who just need help.
Application
Still interested? OK. Since this game is about choices, we're gonna start off as we mean to go on. There are, therefore, several different types of character you can play. Please note that the goal here is to build the character you want to play, not an Unholy Demi-lord of Blackened Chaos whose glorious ascension is all but assured. If I think your character is broken as hell (literally, if it can take it over) I won't pick it. Feel free to ask if you think something might be a problem.
Universal Rules
Background Skills will be in effect.
Spheres of Power and Spheres of Might are both allowed.
Other Third Party Material is allowed, including classes, races and archetypes so long as you can provide either a link or a copy of the material so I can read it for myself. If I can't see it I won't choose it.
Alignment - I'll allow evil characters, so long as they can function with a party of good characters. If you would obviously do something that the Paladin will need to Smite you for, perhaps think again? Races or Templates that are traditionally good or evil do not need to be so here, but using some of there abilities might be.
Stats should not be raised above 20 or below 8 after Racial, Template adjustments, Class Bonuses, Feats or Acts of Deities. The sole exceptions are the points you get at level up o Automatic Bonus Progression. As to how you generate those stats? See below.
Starting Gold - 8,000gp.
Automatic Bonus Progression - We’re using these rules, with mild house rule - you may swap the levels when you get Mental Bonuses and Physical Bonuses around.
Skills - Background Skills shall be in use.
Special - For every level under 6 your character is, get a level's worth of HP. This is a simple bonus to make sure the more whacky characters with a low level don't die. It doesn't mean your character counts as a higher level or anything like that.
Standard Characters:
The normal method of building a character. No fancy gimmicks, no odd abilities - just normal heroes able to remove a head with dual wielded greatswords.
Stat Buy: 25 Points
Races: Any Core or Standard races. Races with a RP value of 16 or less are also acceptable.
Level: 6
Special: Receive one bonus feat. Can’t let the others have all the whacky fun.
Jon's Expectations: Go Nuts. So long as you don't insanely min-max you should be good.
Gestalt Characters:
Gestalt Characters are characters that progress in two classes at the same time, getting all class features, skills and abilities, and the best of both BAB and Saves. They start at a lower level, however, and get less points.
Stat Buy: 20 Points
Races: Any Core or Standard races. Races with a RP value of 16 or less are also acceptable.
Level: 4
Special: Gestalt Rules are in used for these characters. Rules that have the same effect, such as adding a Stat to AC, will no stack between Gestalt Classes.
Jon's Expectations: While the Temptation is there to make the ultimate fighter or caster, Gestalt should, ideally, be used for versatility. As a rule only one side of the Gestalt should be a full caster or full BAB class. Try not to double up on things.
Template Characters:
Normally Templates are reserved for monsters or enemies. But they can also make for some interesting heroes...
Stat Buy: 20 Points
Races: Any Core or Standard races. Races with a RP value of 16 or less are also acceptable.
Level: 4 or 5 depending on the level adjustment.
Special: Choose a Template from Here or Here of either CR +1 or +1 and of a level you meet and apply it.
Jon's Expectations: Templates can be very powerful, and many are unsuited to adventuring. A certain level of adjustment may be required. On the plus side, feel free to re-flavour Templates. For our purposes read 'Racial Hit Dice' and such as Character Level for determining effects or ability unlocks from those.
Undead and Construct Templates are allowed but keep in mind that they will continue with the weaknesses as well, and healing will very likely be a problem.
Monstrous Characters:
Stat Buy: 15 Points
Races: Races with a RP value of 16 or more or Monstrous Races. You may also use the Create a Race up to a max of 25 points to replicate monsters from the Bestiary. Size can be no greater than Large and no smaller than Small.
Level: 4
Special: You get to be a monster. You're kinda awesome.
Jon's Expectations: Don't make me regret giving out access to the create a race rules, guys. Remember to pick things for reasons other than 'ragh, this means I can hit things harder!' A skill bonus to Cooking goes a long way. Make sure you meet the flavour of the race you're making.
And because someone will ask...yes you can try and make an Entropy Enfused SvirfneblinHedgewitch/Antipaladin Gestalt character. To work out the level work out the number of levels below 6 each method you're applying is, and add those together, then deduct them from 6. Use the lowest Stat Buy of the ones you're getting. You may be heavily under leveled if you do use all the different methods, but...and no, don't be a smartass and try and get the bonus feat from the Standard Characters.
What am I looking for?
A group that can interact with each other and the setting, characters and story. That means things like goals and reasons to want to help people, even if it’s a darker goal and darker reason. Interesting characters with a background I can hook into the plot, create side stories from and the like.
Both you and your character need to drive the story. I am more than open to ideas, suggestions and plot hooks. Equally, however, I expect players to make an effort to keep the story moving.
I also tend to prefer characters with a bit of balance to them. I don’t mind a certain level of focus and specialization - this is Pathfinder, after all - and being good in a role is fine. It’s breaking the game in one role and being damned near useless in everything else. Both Gestalt and Templates were included to allow your character some variety, not make you even better than a character of your level should be at magic or melee. I’m opening options to encourage versatility, not to let you make a combat monster. A literal monster is fine, however.
Advice on Characters?
I don’t look to fill in specific party rolls, but for the characters I feel are the best for the game. If that happens to be 5 or 6 Rogues, well, then that’s what we’ll play with. So don’t worry about what roll or class everyone else is applying as - apply as the character you want to play.
This game will primarily happen within the city of Lethe and its outskirts. Characters geared for wilderness survival will find less to do than they might like.
Monsters and monstrous races exist with a limited amount of prejudice within the city, and so monstrous and unusual mounts are also tolerated so long as they’re kept under control. Mounted characters or those with animal companions are fine. However, this is an Urban setting, and larger or less nimble companions will struggle in some areas. If you can’t get your mount down the well to save Timmy then it’s going to have to stay behind.
Martial and caster characters may wish to consider Gestalt or Templates, to add some additional versatility and skills to their character. Not a requirement, of course - there are plenty of both kinds with lots of versatility - but characters that are more focused on it might wanna think about it.
Lethe is a city of commerce, where anything can be bought, sold, traded or rented for the ight place. There is only one law in commerce - mortal lives are not on the market. Well, not the ownership of those lives at least. The ending of them, and the starting of them...well, there’s a price for that.
Even the law is for sale, it is said. While the law is certainly present, it’s also certainly more enforced for the rich, the powerful and the elite. And that’s where you come in. There are plenty of agencies empowered to sell justice, to find lost goods, missing loved ones and even the murders of those who don’t warrant investigation by the city guard.
You can help the people who have no one else to turn to.
For a price.
------------------------------------
Hiya, welcome to the game. I’m Jon. The idea behind this game is that you guys will be running your own Law Enforcement Agency - effectively, a detective agency in a city where the law doesn’t care unless you’re rich, and everyone else has to pay for it. And so, they come to you...and your competitors, of course.
This will be a heavily social game, where combat will be the spice rather than the main course. Investigation, logic and word play will be on display. Trickery and deception too.
Most of all, this game is about choices. Lots of choices. And the consequences.
Format
This game will feature an episodic format, in that I’ll give you a list of possible missions to choose from and you guys will pick one by voting. Some stories will be more important than others, some will be multi-part tales with more to the story further along the line, and others will be simple one offs.
The problem for you? You can’t be where you aren’t. Each Case will take around a week (even if you resolve them quicker it’ll take time to sort out paperwork and such). In the time you’re working on one case, things will happen in others. Sometimes another Agency will take the case. Sometimes the client will vanish. And how you resolve each case will have an effect.
The idea here is that this is a living, breathing city - you are not the sole force moving the story, but simply one factor. If you don’t affect a person someone else will. If you don’t help, maybe they’ll never get it.
Your choices will have consequences. Keep that in mind.
Setting
This will be an investigative game in a Noir style, but expect a few other themes to pop up from time to time - horror, love, friendship, comedy.
Lethe itself is a city primarily a trading city, dominated by the Trading Houses. Law and life are secondary concerns to profit. But there are plenty of people who are simply trying to live their lives, and plenty more ready to take advantage of them.
And there are many people who just need help.
Application
Still interested? OK. Since this game is about choices, we're gonna start off as we mean to go on. There are, therefore, several different types of character you can play. Please note that the goal here is to build the character you want to play, not an Unholy Demi-lord of Blackened Chaos whose glorious ascension is all but assured. If I think your character is broken as hell (literally, if it can take it over) I won't pick it. Feel free to ask if you think something might be a problem.
Universal Rules
Background Skills will be in effect.
Spheres of Power and Spheres of Might are both allowed.
Other Third Party Material is allowed, including classes, races and archetypes so long as you can provide either a link or a copy of the material so I can read it for myself. If I can't see it I won't choose it.
Alignment - I'll allow evil characters, so long as they can function with a party of good characters. If you would obviously do something that the Paladin will need to Smite you for, perhaps think again? Races or Templates that are traditionally good or evil do not need to be so here, but using some of there abilities might be.
Stats should not be raised above 20 or below 8 after Racial, Template adjustments, Class Bonuses, Feats or Acts of Deities. The sole exceptions are the points you get at level up o Automatic Bonus Progression. As to how you generate those stats? See below.
Starting Gold - 8,000gp.
Automatic Bonus Progression - We’re using these rules, with mild house rule - you may swap the levels when you get Mental Bonuses and Physical Bonuses around.
Skills - Background Skills shall be in use.
Special - For every level under 6 your character is, get a level's worth of HP. This is a simple bonus to make sure the more whacky characters with a low level don't die. It doesn't mean your character counts as a higher level or anything like that.
Standard Characters:
The normal method of building a character. No fancy gimmicks, no odd abilities - just normal heroes able to remove a head with dual wielded greatswords.
Stat Buy: 25 Points
Races: Any Core or Standard races. Races with a RP value of 16 or less are also acceptable.
Level: 6
Special: Receive one bonus feat. Can’t let the others have all the whacky fun.
Jon's Expectations: Go Nuts. So long as you don't insanely min-max you should be good.
Gestalt Characters:
Gestalt Characters are characters that progress in two classes at the same time, getting all class features, skills and abilities, and the best of both BAB and Saves. They start at a lower level, however, and get less points.
Stat Buy: 20 Points
Races: Any Core or Standard races. Races with a RP value of 16 or less are also acceptable.
Level: 4
Special: Gestalt Rules are in used for these characters. Rules that have the same effect, such as adding a Stat to AC, will no stack between Gestalt Classes.
Jon's Expectations: While the Temptation is there to make the ultimate fighter or caster, Gestalt should, ideally, be used for versatility. As a rule only one side of the Gestalt should be a full caster or full BAB class. Try not to double up on things.
Template Characters:
Normally Templates are reserved for monsters or enemies. But they can also make for some interesting heroes...
Stat Buy: 20 Points
Races: Any Core or Standard races. Races with a RP value of 16 or less are also acceptable.
Level: 4 or 5 depending on the level adjustment.
Special: Choose a Template from Here or Here of either CR +1 or +1 and of a level you meet and apply it.
Jon's Expectations: Templates can be very powerful, and many are unsuited to adventuring. A certain level of adjustment may be required. On the plus side, feel free to re-flavour Templates. For our purposes read 'Racial Hit Dice' and such as Character Level for determining effects or ability unlocks from those.
Undead and Construct Templates are allowed but keep in mind that they will continue with the weaknesses as well, and healing will very likely be a problem.
Monstrous Characters:
Stat Buy: 15 Points
Races: Races with a RP value of 16 or more or Monstrous Races. You may also use the Create a Race up to a max of 25 points to replicate monsters from the Bestiary. Size can be no greater than Large and no smaller than Small.
Level: 4
Special: You get to be a monster. You're kinda awesome.
Jon's Expectations: Don't make me regret giving out access to the create a race rules, guys. Remember to pick things for reasons other than 'ragh, this means I can hit things harder!' A skill bonus to Cooking goes a long way. Make sure you meet the flavour of the race you're making.
And because someone will ask...yes you can try and make an Entropy Enfused SvirfneblinHedgewitch/Antipaladin Gestalt character. To work out the level work out the number of levels below 6 each method you're applying is, and add those together, then deduct them from 6. Use the lowest Stat Buy of the ones you're getting. You may be heavily under leveled if you do use all the different methods, but...and no, don't be a smartass and try and get the bonus feat from the Standard Characters.
What am I looking for?
A group that can interact with each other and the setting, characters and story. That means things like goals and reasons to want to help people, even if it’s a darker goal and darker reason. Interesting characters with a background I can hook into the plot, create side stories from and the like.
Both you and your character need to drive the story. I am more than open to ideas, suggestions and plot hooks. Equally, however, I expect players to make an effort to keep the story moving.
I also tend to prefer characters with a bit of balance to them. I don’t mind a certain level of focus and specialization - this is Pathfinder, after all - and being good in a role is fine. It’s breaking the game in one role and being damned near useless in everything else. Both Gestalt and Templates were included to allow your character some variety, not make you even better than a character of your level should be at magic or melee. I’m opening options to encourage versatility, not to let you make a combat monster. A literal monster is fine, however.
Advice on Characters?
I don’t look to fill in specific party rolls, but for the characters I feel are the best for the game. If that happens to be 5 or 6 Rogues, well, then that’s what we’ll play with. So don’t worry about what roll or class everyone else is applying as - apply as the character you want to play.
This game will primarily happen within the city of Lethe and its outskirts. Characters geared for wilderness survival will find less to do than they might like.
Monsters and monstrous races exist with a limited amount of prejudice within the city, and so monstrous and unusual mounts are also tolerated so long as they’re kept under control. Mounted characters or those with animal companions are fine. However, this is an Urban setting, and larger or less nimble companions will struggle in some areas. If you can’t get your mount down the well to save Timmy then it’s going to have to stay behind.
Martial and caster characters may wish to consider Gestalt or Templates, to add some additional versatility and skills to their character. Not a requirement, of course - there are plenty of both kinds with lots of versatility - but characters that are more focused on it might wanna think about it.