Keante

Lira Esmeranda - Half-Elf Thaumaturge 1 • • AC: 17 | HP: 9/17 | Fortitude: +6 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +6 | Perception: +6 | Conditions: Frightened 1 Her heart still racing, Lira looks at the last enemy standing in the room and feels around in a pouch for the right object to bring out against him. She moves into the room where she has a clear line to throw her starknife at Tarth, and then she does just that, sending the blades whirling toward him. OOC ... Mechanics Main Hand: Starknife Off Hand: Lantern Implement Action 1: Exploit Vulnerability (Esoteric Lore check). Action 2: Stride. Action 3: Strike Tarth by throwing her starknife. ACTIONS () +6 to hit, 1d4+2 piercing or slashing, deadly d6 (on crit add 1 die) (the +2 damage is from Implement's Empowerment) Select a creature you can see and attempt an check against a standard DC for its level, as you retrieve the right object from your esoterica and use your implement to empower it. Lantern Initiate Benefit While you hold your lantern, its burning light leaves secrets no place to hide. You can light or extinguish your lantern as a free action once each turn with nothing but a thought, which has the trait. The lantern shines out to 20 feet and out 20 feet further; this has the , , and traits (the level against magical is equal to half your level rounded up). The lantern's magical light attempts to reveal the unseen. You and your allies in the lantern's area of bright light gain a +1 status bonus to visual Perception checks to notice anything that is also within the bright light, and a +1 status bonus to checks to against creatures within the bright light, as the light exposes their true natures. During exploration, even if you aren't , the GM rolls a secret check for you to find traps, environmental hazards, haunts, and secrets (such as secret doors). The GM rolls each time a given hazard or secret comes within 20 feet of you and within the lantern's bright light. These effects have the , , and traits.

Lira Esmeranda - Half-Elf Thaumaturge 1 • • AC: 17 | HP: 9/17 | Fortitude: +6 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +6 | Perception: +6 | Conditions: Frightened 2 Lira's heart is racing now with fear and pain from Grakk's assault. But her new allies still stand with her, and much of her wound is already alleviated by Aquila's magic. She picks up her starknife again from where the raven dropped it beside her, and she tries to end Grakk's life before he can do the same to her. OOC ... Mechanics Main Hand: Starknife Off Hand: Lantern Implement Action 1: Interact to pick up starknife. Action 2: Strike Grakk. Action 3: Strike Grakk with -4 MAP. ACTIONS () +6 to hit, 1d4+2 piercing or slashing, deadly d6 (on crit add 1 die) (the +2 damage is from Implement's Empowerment) Select a creature you can see and attempt an check against a standard DC for its level, as you retrieve the right object from your esoterica and use your implement to empower it. Lantern Initiate Benefit While you hold your lantern, its burning light leaves secrets no place to hide. You can light or extinguish your lantern as a free action once each turn with nothing but a thought, which has the trait. The lantern shines out to 20 feet and out 20 feet further; this has the , , and traits (the level against magical is equal to half your level rounded up). The lantern's magical light attempts to reveal the unseen. You and your allies in the lantern's area of bright light gain a +1 status bonus to visual Perception checks to notice anything that is also within the bright light, and a +1 status bonus to checks to against creatures within the bright light, as the light exposes their true natures. During exploration, even if you aren't , the GM rolls a secret check for you to find traps, environmental hazards, haunts, and secrets (such as secret doors). The GM rolls each time a given hazard or secret comes within 20 feet of you and within the lantern's bright light. These effects have the , , and traits.

Lira Esmeranda - Half-Elf Thaumaturge 1 • • AC: 17 | HP: 11/17 | Fortitude: +6 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +6 | Perception: +6 | Conditions: Her shoulder smarts from the hard fall after Hookshanks tripped her, but Lira gets back up quickly and makes two more attempts to stab him with her starknife. OOC ... Mechanics Main Hand: Starknife Off Hand: Lantern Implement Action 1: to end Prone's -2 to attack rolls as well as the accompanying Off-Guard's -2 AC. Action 2: Strike Hookshanks. Attack: +6 usual +1 inspire courage; Damage: +2 implement's empowerment +1 inspire courage +3 personal antithesis Action 3: Strike Hookshanks. Attack: +6 usual +1 inspire courage -4 MAP; Damage: +2 implement's empowerment +1 inspire courage +3 personal antithesis ACTIONS () +6 to hit, 1d4+2 piercing or slashing, deadly d6 (on crit add 1 die) (the +2 damage is from Implement's Empowerment) Select a creature you can see and attempt an check against a standard DC for its level, as you retrieve the right object from your esoterica and use your implement to empower it. Lantern Initiate Benefit While you hold your lantern, its burning light leaves secrets no place to hide. You can light or extinguish your lantern as a free action once each turn with nothing but a thought, which has the trait. The lantern shines out to 20 feet and out 20 feet further; this has the , , and traits (the level against magical is equal to half your level rounded up). The lantern's magical light attempts to reveal the unseen. You and your allies in the lantern's area of bright light gain a +1 status bonus to visual Perception checks to notice anything that is also within the bright light, and a +1 status bonus to checks to against creatures within the bright light, as the light exposes their true natures. During exploration, even if you aren't , the GM rolls a secret check for you to find traps, environmental hazards, haunts, and secrets (such as secret doors). The GM rolls each time a given hazard or secret comes within 20 feet of you and within the lantern's bright light. These effects have the , , and traits.

Lira Esmeranda - Half-Elf Thaumaturge 1 • • AC: 17 | HP: 17/17 | Fortitude: +6 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +6 | Perception: +6 | Conditions: As Carthen gets the fight started, Lira takes an inquisitive look at Lamm's halfling underling, sizing him up before moving in closer to strike at him with her starknife. OOC EDIT: I forgot about Inspire Courage, so the attack and damage rolls from my Strike should each get an additional +1. Mechanics Main Hand: Starknife Off Hand: Lantern Implement (not lit at this time) Action 1: Exploit Vulnerability against Hookshanks the halfling. See roll attached to post, it is against a standard DC for Hookshanks' level. Because of the Diverse Lore feat: "when you succeed at your check to , compare the result of your Esoteric Lore check to the DC to Recall Knowledge for that creature; if that number would be a success or a critical success, you gain information as if you had succeeded at the Recall Knowledge check." Action 2: Stride to move 10ft to be adjacent to Hookshanks. Action 3: Strike, with Implement's Empowerment granting 2 additional damage per weapon damage die. See roll attached to post. ACTIONS () +6 to hit, 1d4+2 piercing or slashing, deadly d6 (on crit add 1 die) (the +2 damage is from Implement's Empowerment) Select a creature you can see and attempt an check against a standard DC for its level, as you retrieve the right object from your esoterica and use your implement to empower it. Lantern Initiate Benefit While you hold your lantern, its burning light leaves secrets no place to hide. You can light or extinguish your lantern as a free action once each turn with nothing but a thought, which has the trait. The lantern shines out to 20 feet and out 20 feet further; this has the , , and traits (the level against magical is equal to half your level rounded up). The lantern's magical light attempts to reveal the unseen. You and your allies in the lantern's area of bright light gain a +1 status bonus to visual Perception checks to notice anything that is also within the bright light, and a +1 status bonus to checks to against creatures within the bright light, as the light exposes their true natures. During exploration, even if you aren't , the GM rolls a secret check for you to find traps, environmental hazards, haunts, and secrets (such as secret doors). The GM rolls each time a given hazard or secret comes within 20 feet of you and within the lantern's bright light. These effects have the , , and traits.

Lira Esmeranda - Half-Elf Thaumaturge 1 • • AC: 17 | HP: 17/17 | Fortitude: +6 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +6 | Perception: +6 | Conditions: Lira watches as Ihrin disappears into the building, and her shoulders tense as she wonders what may happen next while the rest of them wait outside. OOC ... Mechanics Main Hand: Starknife Off Hand: Lantern Implement Action 1: Your action goes here. Action 2: Your action goes here. Action 3: Your action goes here. ACTIONS () +6 to hit, 1d4+2 piercing or slashing, deadly d6 (on crit add 1 die) Select a creature you can see and attempt an check against a standard DC for its level, as you retrieve the right object from your esoterica and use your implement to empower it. Lantern Initiate Benefit While you hold your lantern, its burning light leaves secrets no place to hide. You can light or extinguish your lantern as a free action once each turn with nothing but a thought, which has the trait. The lantern shines out to 20 feet and out 20 feet further; this has the , , and traits (the level against magical is equal to half your level rounded up). The lantern's magical light attempts to reveal the unseen. You and your allies in the lantern's area of bright light gain a +1 status bonus to visual Perception checks to notice anything that is also within the bright light, and a +1 status bonus to checks to against creatures within the bright light, as the light exposes their true natures. During exploration, even if you aren't , the GM rolls a secret check for you to find traps, environmental hazards, haunts, and secrets (such as secret doors). The GM rolls each time a given hazard or secret comes within 20 feet of you and within the lantern's bright light. These effects have the , , and traits.

I vote #2 Distraction.

Lira will always be carrying her lantern, even when she doesn't light it, as it is her thaumaturge implement and so it's used for the ability that improves her damage. As long as Lira is around you'll have a light source, and others won't need to carry one if we stick close enough. Although with a group this large there could certainly be line of sight issues with one light source while we're coming around a corner or in other similar situations which are common enough.

I would like to spend my Hero Point to succeed on Lira's check, yeah.

Lira Esmeranda - Half-Elf Thaumaturge 1 • • AC: 17 | HP: 17/17 | Fortitude: +6 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +6 | Perception: +6 | Conditions: As the others speak of their plans, Lira nods along, as they all sounded reasonable enough. "I'm going to remain here for a while longer," she says. "The mystical energies that were gathered here to allow my mother to communicate with us in the way she did are worth lingering in some more. It may be that the echoes of Lamm's crime against my family could lead me somewhere, if I can just listen properly." OOC I'm using option #3: Intuition. See my Esoteric Lore roll attached to the post. EDIT: Spending Hero Point to change the check from a failure to a success. Mechanics Main Hand: Starknife Off Hand: Lantern Implement Action 1: Your action goes here. Action 2: Your action goes here. Action 3: Your action goes here. ACTIONS () +6 to hit, 1d4+2 piercing or slashing, deadly d6 (on crit add 1 die) Select a creature you can see and attempt an check against a standard DC for its level, as you retrieve the right object from your esoterica and use your implement to empower it. Lantern Initiate Benefit While you hold your lantern, its burning light leaves secrets no place to hide. You can light or extinguish your lantern as a free action once each turn with nothing but a thought, which has the trait. The lantern shines out to 20 feet and out 20 feet further; this has the , , and traits (the level against magical is equal to half your level rounded up). The lantern's magical light attempts to reveal the unseen. You and your allies in the lantern's area of bright light gain a +1 status bonus to visual Perception checks to notice anything that is also within the bright light, and a +1 status bonus to checks to against creatures within the bright light, as the light exposes their true natures. During exploration, even if you aren't , the GM rolls a secret check for you to find traps, environmental hazards, haunts, and secrets (such as secret doors). The GM rolls each time a given hazard or secret comes within 20 feet of you and within the lantern's bright light. These effects have the , , and traits.

Lira Esmeranda - Half-Elf Thaumaturge 1 • • AC: 17 | HP: 17/17 | Fortitude: +6 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +6 | Perception: +6 | Conditions: Lira's eyes were closed as the vision ended, and she stroked the scarf resting on her shoulders, almost as if it had been a loved one's hand there and not simply an object. She whispered, "Mother," and a tear glistened for a moment on her cheek before she wiped her eyes with the kapenia and opened them to see in their natural state the figures that had joined her here. "Hello," she began in a voice stronger now than that of her earlier whisper. "My name is Lira. I wonder if you have begun to suspect that it was I who gave you those cards to summon you here today, but it was not. Zellara is my mother, whom I have not seen for many months now. I don't know by what means she communicated with all of us here today, but I assure you I am no spellcaster, capable of magnificent illusions." Mechanics Main Hand: (Starknife is put away, not in hand) Off Hand: Lantern Implement Action 1: Your action goes here. Action 2: Your action goes here. Action 3: Your action goes here. ACTIONS () +6 to hit, 1d4+2 piercing or slashing, deadly d6 (on crit add 1 die) Select a creature you can see and attempt an check against a standard DC for its level, as you retrieve the right object from your esoterica and use your implement to empower it. Lantern Initiate Benefit While you hold your lantern, its burning light leaves secrets no place to hide. You can light or extinguish your lantern as a free action once each turn with nothing but a thought, which has the trait. The lantern shines out to 20 feet and out 20 feet further; this has the , , and traits (the level against magical is equal to half your level rounded up). The lantern's magical light attempts to reveal the unseen. You and your allies in the lantern's area of bright light gain a +1 status bonus to visual Perception checks to notice anything that is also within the bright light, and a +1 status bonus to checks to against creatures within the bright light, as the light exposes their true natures. During exploration, even if you aren't , the GM rolls a secret check for you to find traps, environmental hazards, haunts, and secrets (such as secret doors). The GM rolls each time a given hazard or secret comes within 20 feet of you and within the lantern's bright light. These effects have the , , and traits.

None of Lira's features are really combat-related, except that if she succeeds on an Esoteric Lore check against an enemy, she'll get to do some bonus damage against them (the thaumaturge's Exploit Vulnerability action). Her attack bonus is +6. I'm not sure how that compares to any benchmark. I do think she'll be in melee because if she throws her starknife she won't have any other weapons until she picks up the starknife again. And I have used up basically all of my money--a fine Harrow deck is expensive (for starting character wealth)! The thaumaturge's Esoteric Lore is a very versatile Recall Knowledge skill, made even more so by my first class feat choice of Diverse Lore. And Lira's lantern implement can give us all a bonus to visual Perception checks and Recall Knowledge checks against creatures within 20 feet. The GM will also roll secret checks for me to find traps, environmental hazards, haunts, and secrets (such as secret doors).

Pending a little background re-write--the NPC Zellara Esmeranda is going to be Lira's mother, rather than the woman I made up with a name and nothing else.

In a potentially violent or otherwise highly confrontational situation, Lira is much more likely to try to deflect a prejudiced antagonist than to engage them head-on, if an escalation can be avoided. She fights prejudice in a more gradual and subtle way--anyone who comes to her for a Harrow reading is influenced by her to some degree, and by these small degrees Lira slowly makes a mark on her world here in Korvosa. This is simply an effect of Lira providing guidance, however--she does not view the Harrow as an avenue for her to wield influence and enact her own will through others. Lira's half-elf heritage, especially with the elven father totally absent, has always left her feeling confused about who she is and what her purpose might be. Her mother and the other Varisians she grew up among taught her well how to live in the moment, so she is not frequently melancholy, but the desire for answers about identity and purpose still persist. Lira believes that every Harrow reading she performs, even though they may be for others, could reveal some new bit of truth to her, and this makes her always eager to perform a reading for anyone who asks.

I think story elements like these are at their best when multiple people have a hand in where they go, so I would think it was really cool for the GM to run with the backstory I created for Luke and give it a twist.

I don't know that this would work if the game world is limited to one monoculture, but if we have some different nations or regions which differ enough culturally, I'd like there to be one in the mix that really focuses on and exaggerates the colorful art associated with Día de los Muertos. The revenants there would all be very brightly decorated skeletons, for example.

Adapting modules is a good idea, and that's probably what I'll do. I see no need to make up everything myself. I'm not an endless fountain of creativity, I need lots of inputs to provoke my own thoughts. I will always be delighted to hear an idea a player has and work it into what we're doing. And they can be gigantic ideas, too. I really want to impress upon everyone that while I will be the one ruling over decisions as the GM, I have not fleshed out a whole detailed world all my own such that other people's ideas would be intrusions upon my precious creation.

For races I imagine something like typical Pathfinder. Lots of members of the Core races, others are around but not as common as Core races. Probably no Androids, in keeping with the lack of higher technology.

Great questions. Let me be clear first off that I don't have answers decided for all this already. I can try to make those decisions on my own, but would actually be more interested in hearing others say what they would like. If pressed to decide it all myself I'd probably make this a sort of mini-plane similar in scale to Ravenloft so that I need not invent multiple whole nations. But if others wanted to pitch in, I'm happy for it to be a bigger world. I do have something of an opinion on technology, though--I like early firearms in my Pathfinder, but not higher tech.

The style I feel naturally inclined toward is Sword & Sorcery, except that I wouldn't be holding to the low magic characteristic. I expect magic to be a bit more accessible than that. I'm really not much of a Noir or Intrigue guy, and certainly not Horror. This will also mean that social interactions are never going to be the biggest focus.

Still not advertising for players yet, but I have created the game forum here: Right now its status is Open so that everyone can see everything. The is open for anyone to start a topic if you feel like commenting or have ideas you want to share (that kind of musing will help me get excited and spur me along, as well as help me make actual decisions about what the game should be like).

For my planned archetype, I'd be interested in taking the Harrower archetype, which appears to be from another adventure path called Stolen Fate. I don't actually know anything about that adventure path, I'm just very interested in the Harrow stuff.

Cool! I'll just leave the free skill feat blank for now. The other ones available with my proficiencies weren't speaking to me really.

is a feat of Uncommon rarity--may I have permission to take it? If it makes a difference, I kept all three of ancestry, background, and class to Common options. This feat reminds me very much of the Pathfinder 1e psychic spell and the Occultist's equivalent class feature, Object Reading, and I think it would be a great fit for my thaumaturge.

Did you mean to assign skill feats to these, or are we to pick our own that we justify as being related to the specific tie?