Spore
2019-07-15, 05:01 AM
Evil counterpart was my favorite trope as a child growing up. I just enjoy symmetry, and the idea of twisting a character idea on its head, analyzing what truly defines a character and what is just minor sidework is truly enjoyable to me. Recently I DMed for a group of Cayden Cailean's best, basically a group of happy drunks and party goers that try to save the world, all while having fun. Their core alignment is chaotic good, and I even allowed a CG paladin to pull the idea together. And I want a linear guild for them, not necessarily in Pathfinder since I plan on switching to 5e, so let's keep your responses in a vaguely D&Desque manner without trying to show me particular builds. Also keep in mind these need not be characters built like player characters (remember Sabine to Haley is also just a monster with class levels to a character).
Heroes of Cayden's Calamity, turn back!
{scrubbed}
Currently they are in the town of Falcon's Hollow, a small town completely controlled by the evil Lumber Consortium. They stopped Winter Fey from destroying its inhabitants (the fey queen wanted the lumberers dead but overstepped and called on the heroes to save what was left) and made a local pimp go out of business by freeing his prostitutes. They also encountered a fey quickling jester that mocked them at every opportunity.
The linear guild should be a guild of evil adventurers employed by the Lumber Consortium to put an end to the heroes. The world is Golarion and unless I intend to play Curse of Strahd, it stays that way. If I decide to play CoS, I assume a mixture of Vistani, Dusk Elves, Vampires and Werewolves to substitute for that.
So the active group is composed as the following:
NG female Elven Druid of Storms, very spritely, happy to help. Started off kind of (mechanically) weak but her spells really defined the latter. Player is not that interested in combat but she learned a bit.
CG swashbuckling Human Paladin of Cayden, very much your template hero type. Extremely skilled in combat, and enjoys mechanical combat.
CG fighter with tricks up his sleeve. Likes an unfair advantage.
CG Satyr (Fey) Bard/Skald/Mesmerist, focussed on screwing with the mind, playing his flute, son to a Dryad, a story which I want to explore further.
We have two ditched PCs, but I will use those to support their backline. They have a cleric and a barbarian who can serve as a protector (they said they'd rebuild the brothel with free dames) and as NPC cleric (without cost, but they'd have to track back and I cannot guarantee he has the necessary spells prepared or slots available).
So for the ideas I'm having. The druid needs someone to despoil nature, to kill birds (and other animals), possibly someone who is grounded in the earth element thematically. I am thinking ruthless dwarf/duergar (man) hunter, NE with a touch of sadism (lets animals and men suffer before capping them).
The paladin is also not cut and dry, first I thought a Blackguard/Antipaladin but those are often CE and with Falcon's Hollow being so close to Cheliax, the Empire of Devils, I thought maybe a strength based juggernaut of a Hellknight. Someone who responds to elegant swordplay with brute force, someone who intimidates the living heck out of everyone except the paladin (VERY good saves vs. mind affecting stuff). Possibly really just a mundane fighter that got a few evil magic items. Human though possibly Tiefling (not 5e tieflings though, I hate their artstyle).
The fighter's easier. Basically I am thinking just a tricksy assassin that LIVES the concept of "never a fair fight" by poisoning, alpha striking and retreating when necessary. Though playing him could easily go wrong (i.e. killing the fighter without so much being able to respond) so I should make him CE and with a sense of mental superiority. Could halfling work? (yea, at this time the subversion of psychotic murder halfling IS getting stale so maybe someone hired by his family? He mentioned he pacted with a fiend so maybe just another minion of his former master trying to get him killed to collect his soul. Double points for the fiend to turn his own family (whom the fiendish deal saved) against him. Ungrateful bastards.
Last but not least the Satyr. That one's special since I feel an ordinary race doesn't do the trick. I feel this at LEAST has to be partially a monster statblock. I thought about going for the quickling jester but I am not sure if I want him to be the big villain of the game. Of course the jester being the villain is so cliché it hurts. A quick rundown on the jester though. Winter court themed, quickling (so hard to catch), mental debuffing (mocking).
If the whole thing goes down in CoS, I think Vistani fortune teller (bard or wizard), werewolf brute, dusk elf assassin and a vampirified former ally (maybe one of Ireena's siblings, maybe a dead former adventurers as CoS does NOT pull punches). (why add a linear guild to that? they are 5th level when starting CoS which is a third level but since I dont want to rewrite everything I could have Strahd's agents interfere every once in a while).
Heroes of Cayden's Calamity, turn back!
{scrubbed}
Currently they are in the town of Falcon's Hollow, a small town completely controlled by the evil Lumber Consortium. They stopped Winter Fey from destroying its inhabitants (the fey queen wanted the lumberers dead but overstepped and called on the heroes to save what was left) and made a local pimp go out of business by freeing his prostitutes. They also encountered a fey quickling jester that mocked them at every opportunity.
The linear guild should be a guild of evil adventurers employed by the Lumber Consortium to put an end to the heroes. The world is Golarion and unless I intend to play Curse of Strahd, it stays that way. If I decide to play CoS, I assume a mixture of Vistani, Dusk Elves, Vampires and Werewolves to substitute for that.
So the active group is composed as the following:
NG female Elven Druid of Storms, very spritely, happy to help. Started off kind of (mechanically) weak but her spells really defined the latter. Player is not that interested in combat but she learned a bit.
CG swashbuckling Human Paladin of Cayden, very much your template hero type. Extremely skilled in combat, and enjoys mechanical combat.
CG fighter with tricks up his sleeve. Likes an unfair advantage.
CG Satyr (Fey) Bard/Skald/Mesmerist, focussed on screwing with the mind, playing his flute, son to a Dryad, a story which I want to explore further.
We have two ditched PCs, but I will use those to support their backline. They have a cleric and a barbarian who can serve as a protector (they said they'd rebuild the brothel with free dames) and as NPC cleric (without cost, but they'd have to track back and I cannot guarantee he has the necessary spells prepared or slots available).
So for the ideas I'm having. The druid needs someone to despoil nature, to kill birds (and other animals), possibly someone who is grounded in the earth element thematically. I am thinking ruthless dwarf/duergar (man) hunter, NE with a touch of sadism (lets animals and men suffer before capping them).
The paladin is also not cut and dry, first I thought a Blackguard/Antipaladin but those are often CE and with Falcon's Hollow being so close to Cheliax, the Empire of Devils, I thought maybe a strength based juggernaut of a Hellknight. Someone who responds to elegant swordplay with brute force, someone who intimidates the living heck out of everyone except the paladin (VERY good saves vs. mind affecting stuff). Possibly really just a mundane fighter that got a few evil magic items. Human though possibly Tiefling (not 5e tieflings though, I hate their artstyle).
The fighter's easier. Basically I am thinking just a tricksy assassin that LIVES the concept of "never a fair fight" by poisoning, alpha striking and retreating when necessary. Though playing him could easily go wrong (i.e. killing the fighter without so much being able to respond) so I should make him CE and with a sense of mental superiority. Could halfling work? (yea, at this time the subversion of psychotic murder halfling IS getting stale so maybe someone hired by his family? He mentioned he pacted with a fiend so maybe just another minion of his former master trying to get him killed to collect his soul. Double points for the fiend to turn his own family (whom the fiendish deal saved) against him. Ungrateful bastards.
Last but not least the Satyr. That one's special since I feel an ordinary race doesn't do the trick. I feel this at LEAST has to be partially a monster statblock. I thought about going for the quickling jester but I am not sure if I want him to be the big villain of the game. Of course the jester being the villain is so cliché it hurts. A quick rundown on the jester though. Winter court themed, quickling (so hard to catch), mental debuffing (mocking).
If the whole thing goes down in CoS, I think Vistani fortune teller (bard or wizard), werewolf brute, dusk elf assassin and a vampirified former ally (maybe one of Ireena's siblings, maybe a dead former adventurers as CoS does NOT pull punches). (why add a linear guild to that? they are 5th level when starting CoS which is a third level but since I dont want to rewrite everything I could have Strahd's agents interfere every once in a while).