Snatching Defeat From the Jaws of Victory

Using Loses to Help Advance Your Story

A lot of times when going to see a film people are expecting the happy ending. Except for maybe a handful of horror movies the villain doesn’t win. Empire Strikes Back is my favorite of the three original films because it leaves us with the villain out ahead. So why don’t we see the big bad actually being the victor in most games? Is losing that bad for the heroes? There’s an old adage about learning more in defeat than in victory. So can your heroes learn from a decisive loss to your antagonist?

I think it all depends on how you frame it. A loss shouldn’t be the end result of an entire campaign. But one or even multiple losses during the middle part of a game can often compel the heroes to do better. In the search for pieces of an artifact what if the big bad’s minions get there first and make off with some of the pieces. This happens often but in most games I find the heroes are always winning the day. But they still have a chance to defeat the villain before he can actually put the artifact to use, even if he has collected all the pieces.

One of the other hurdles I see is that many groups will fight to the death at every instance. Especially when a GM usually fudged die rolls or doesn’t allow character deaths, the players will just try and persevere. It often needs to be impressed upon the players early in a campaign that it’s ok to flee. Or even if the bad guy has the ability to kill the players he choose not to. Let them know that they would have died but he thinks their beneath him and so he doesn’t finish them off.

Capturing player’s is a difficult method of handing the party a loss. If we look at the end of Empire Solo’s capture is part of the party’s defeat. But in a game the player of solo would now be out of a character and that can be unfair. I find capturing important NPCs works better for this type of defeat so that the group still has some one to rescue but one player doesn’t need to make a new character.

The last issue is the sparing use of defeat. If the players feel like they are being stymied at every turn then they’ll feel like they have no chance. In wrestling the bad guy will often beat on the good guy for a while building up hatred in the fans. But the good guy needs to get a little back, even if he gets cut off again not to soon after. This is called the hope spot and you need to give your players hope.

The ebb and flow of the games drama can be seen in victories and losses. And it’s ok to have more losses than victories because if the player’s succeed in the end all that heartbreak will be vindicated. The question becomes what is the right win to loss ratio for your group. That’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself. But if you can find the right balance you can really enhance your story telling.

I’ve used defeats in my game but how have you used them in yours? How many losses are you willing to give your players? How do you guide your players to a setback without killing them? What kinds of failures are your group able to handle?

Everyone likes a big win after any defeat. If the CRB has helped you find your success, please consider becoming a supporter. Monthly donations of as little as one dollar can be made to my Patreon. A one-time donation can easily be made to my Paypal. Every bit helps me keep the lights on so I can concentrate on bringing you the content you deserve.

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Following Your Own Path

Ways of Making a Pre-Written Adventure Your Own

I am not now, nor have I ever really been a fan of sandbox games. Just because that’s true does not mean, however, that I believe a story must be a straight shot with immutable conclusions. There are many ways for GMs to roll with the punches of their players and make minor adjustments or additions to a game with a defined plot. Many veteran GMs have learned this fine art but I think it’s time to share some ideas with new GMs trying to find their way in the hobby for the first time.

The first way a world can be made to feel more dynamic is its people, so your NPCs are going to help make the game more interesting. Your PCs are going to latch onto all the NPCs you didn’t expect them to like and ignore all the ones you thought would tickle their fancy. This is a fact of gaming. So even when you are throwing in a character that’s only supposed to be met once, you have to be prepared to bring them back if need be.

In one of my games, the players met with a woman who runs the dockside area, kind of like a mob boss. They found a locket that belonged to her father in an underwater part of a dungeon and returned it to her. This was a literally supposed to be a throwaway part of the adventure. There was the possibility they may not even have found the locket or met the NPC. Upon meeting her they took an interest in her and as a side quest for the adventure they’ve run errands for her and we even roleplayed a whole shopping excursion where they wanted some items that only a black-marketeer could find.

I’ve also discussed my dislike for random encounters . But I do add encounters – especially during travel – that are placed to give the players a way to see what’s going on in the region they’re in. Many modules and adventure paths also add these one-off encounters that have nothing to do with the plot. You can expand on these and add other aspects to it to connect the characters past, making their previous actions matter.

As an example one of the Pathfinder adventure paths has an encounter with some boggards. The players are meant to defeat them but my players have a tendency to try and redeem anything that isn’t undead or an evil outsider, so they tried to make the boggards change their way and let them go. Later they encountered a few dead hunters that another group of boggards had killed earlier and this put the characters on a path to hunt down the boggards who wouldn’t change their ways.

A book earlier in the campaign they faced off against another group of boggards and a boggard “witch” escaped. I decided to add this character to the encounter as a recurring villain. Later, when the player went to save the hunter’s younger son who was going to be sacrificed to their dark god, they found this witch leading their efforts. She escaped again and has popped up two books later.

This list of NPCs that have become allies, acquaintances, and recurring enemies – there is a wererat my players hate – is a mile long. The one big rule is don’t force an NPC on the players. Let them pick the ones they like and make those ones a part of your story. A robust cast of characters from the unnamed shopkeeper, to the escaped minor villain, to the town guard whose barbershop quartet you are going to go see can become important characters. And, if need be, events can be made more personal if one of these friendly characters meet their demise by your villains.

Some GMs are afraid of character death, but really a dying character can be a great way to have a little fun and play with the script of the game. One of the characters in my game died and the player really wanted to play something else, so we came up with an idea. The character was resurrected but turned on his partners. He stole a few pieces of the McGuffin they were hunting down and might have kidnapped their paladin – the player was leaving the game. Now the players have a new challenge to overcome to complete their quest. It wasn’t originally a part of the game layout, but it makes the game something created by the character and their actions and not wholly what was written.

So there are plenty of opportunities to put your stamp on a game as a GM. Even if you’re running a module, there are points where you can veer off while still keeping the overall plot intact. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and most of all, don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

In what ways have you made a module your own? What characters did you not expect to become reoccurring that have? How have you adjusted your own stories to take into account the decisions of the players?

Everyone likes to put their stamp on things. If the CRB has helped you get that stamp ready, consider becoming a supporter. Monthly donations of as little as one dollar can be made to my Patreon. A one-time donation can easily be made to my Paypal. Every bit helps me keep the lights on so I can concentrate on bringing you the content you deserve.

The CRB has been growing as a community on social media. Please join us on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter. My inbox is open on all forums for questions, comments, and discussion. If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to have the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon.

Random Roll 103 - The Randomness

This week’s character presents an interesting conundrum from a background perspective, two actually. The first is he’s raised in an elven homeland, but on the elven home land chart he rolled a non-elven town or village. How can you be from an elven homeland but not from an elven town? The second is his drawback being race. How can one be uncomfortable around others not his race when he is basically a bastard half breed? Does he not trust anyone who isn’t an elf or a human? Or does he truly not trust any of his parent races and only feel comfortable around other half-elves? We’ve gotta lot of work cut out for us so let’s see what we can come up with.

Gender:Male

Race:Half-Elf

Human Ethnicity:Shoanti (Skoan-Quah)

Nationality:Varisian

Age:26

Height:6’ 4”

Weight:180

Alignment:Chaotic Good

Str: 11

Dex: 18

Con: 12

Int: 15

Wis: 10

Cha: 10

Homeland: Raised in an Elven Homeland - Non-Elven Town or Village

Parents: Both of your parents are alive.

Siblings: You have no siblings.

Circumstance of Birth: [Prophesied] Your birth was foretold, as recently as during the last generation to as far back as thousands of years ago.

Parent's Profession: Thieves

Major Childhood Event: [Competition Champion] You distinguished yourself at an early age when you won a competition. This might have been a martial contest of arms, a showing of apprentice magicians, high stakes gambling, or something mundane like an eating championship.

Influential Associate:[The Fool] One of your close associates was a clown who mocked propriety and custom, instead engaging in wild and somewhat random actions from time to time. After a while, you learned that there was simple wisdom to this foolery—a careless worldview that taught you how to cast off concern.

Conflict: [Major Theft] You stole expensive items.

Conflict Subject: Leader.

Conflict Motivation: Family.

Conflict Resolution: [You Enjoyed It] Those who cling to petty morals have no understanding of what true freedom and power is. The fact is, you enjoyed your part in the conflict and would do it all over again if the opportunity presented itself. Many people know of your misdeed, and they also realize your complete lack of remorse.

Deity/Religious Philosophy: Count Ranalc

Romantic Relationship(s):[Several Inconsequential Relationships] You have had many lovers but no long-lasting, meaningful relationships.

Drawback:[Race] You are truly comfortable only around others of your race, and you have a hard time putting faith or trust in those of races different from your own.

(Trait) Child of the Streets

(Trait) Failed Apprentice

(Trait) Influence

(Trait) Prophesied

(Trait) Shaper of Reality

(Trait) Unpredictable

(Story Feat) Champion

(Drawback) Xenophobic

In the comments give us your ideas for how to make this into a fully realized character? What class would this character take up? What was the prophecy of his birth? What Competition did he win? Who was his foolish friend? And don’t forget to stay tuned Friday when my background hits the CRB.

The CRB not only brings you the creative content you desire but makes you look inside for your own creativity. If you feel both inspired and pushed to created please consider supporting your favorite content provider – that’s me right – by pledging as little as $1 on my Patreon or making a direct donation to my Paypal.

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Flood of Lies

Heretics of Geryon

Each layer of Hell has its own ruler that represents the purpose of that particular area. We’ve looked at a number of these archdevils, including Barbatos, Dispater, Mammon, and Belial. This week we take to the fifth layer of Hell known as Stygia and try to come up with followers of Geryon, the archdevil of forbidden lore, heresies, and snakes. Presented are three sects you might use in your game.

As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game that we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Geryon. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of The Serpent. What character do you make?

For more information on Geryon

Geryon’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Geryon’s Archives of Nethys Page

The Oath Bearers

This sect of followers of Geyron seeks to emulate his diabolic followers that man the Library of Oaths in Stygia. Masters of the deal, they seek out the desperate and the lost with honey words of vows to help better their situation; if only they make a promise. These oaths are kept secure in special books that each acolyte binds themselves and are stored in a central library, presumed to be in Abasalom, for safekeeping when full.

Becoming an Oath Bearer is a promise in and of itself. The first oath recorded by each supplicant is their own before becoming a full member. Because each pledge is also recorded in the infernal library in Stygia, divine power is unnecessary when coercing one, but many of this sect’s followers are still clerics. Bards also make up a number of the small group’s membership, but really anyone who can talk a good game has a chance at becoming and Oath Bearer.

The Fetid Water

Every lie told on the material plane becomes a drop of poison that fills the swamps of Stygia. The Fetid Water is a group of assassins who have dedicated themselves to Lord of Filth. Unlike most assassins guilds that have an image to uphold, the members of the Fetid Water more closely resemble homeless urchins living in a sewer than a proper guild. They specifically take jobs where one person betrayed another by breaking a promise and have an odd habit of showing up just when someone wishes a liar dead.

The leader of the cult is a Chelish oracle named AverniusKreuger. Although he has lost his ability to see, he says he has visions of where his assassins need to be. They operate out of the sewers in Egorian but their influence spreads as far as Riddleport in Varisia to the North and Augustana in Andoran to the East. Those few who know about The Fetid Water call them the liar’s death.

The Lost Prophets

Geryon was one of the Asura Rana before becoming an archdevil. Mixing his former life’s love for taking over ruined holy sites and abandoned deific domains with his no positions as the master of all lies, he has become known as the source of all great heresies. The Lost Prophets look to spread heresy on Golarion in the name of their master. They do so by creating completely new deities that fit the needs of those they wish to convert, or by claiming to be a small sect of an existing deity; twisting the chosen god’s dogma until the unwitting congregation is too far gone to do anything about it.

These false clerics are consummate liars with the ability to contort the emotions of their small groups of worshipers. Although a few true clerics of Geryon join the sect’s ranks, sorcerers, bards, and mesmerists make up a large portion of their numbers. Many of the downtrodden folk they claim as a “flock” don’t know the difference between divine intervention and arcane magic.

Like their master, these serpents revel in what is unknown and what is untrue. Who is your disciple of Geryon? What lie has brought them to worship the Source of Lies? Where does their devotion to this Archdevil come from? Let me know in the comments.

If the CRB has helped you take a closer look at those inspired by the divine, please consider showing support and become one of my patrons by donating to my Patreon or making a donation to my Paypal. Looking for more out of the CRB? Then you’re in luck! Facebook, Google +, Tumblr, and Twitter all have a CRB presence. And if you’re as impatient as I am, have the CRB pushed directly to your Kindle with every new post by signing up for Kindle Subscriptions.

Character 102 - Vasuman Walia

I write the intro to these things after I actually write the character. It gives me a chance to comment on difficulties I may have had and my process. I say that specifically because I am going to point out that even I cannot tie everything together. As I was writing the background I thought I had hit on all the little tidbits, but upon rereading the random rolls post I realized I missed something. I liked what I had and I couldn’t see shoehorning another piece into it, so you will find that the influential person – the academic – has been left out. It just goes to show that this is not always easy and it’s ok if you miss a piece when creating your character.

As for character choices I went looking through the Advanced Races Guide for some information on Suli but there wasn’t a lot. I wanted to play on their natural ability as negotiators, his worship of the Empyreal Lord of communication and music, and his need for pleasure. Although charisma was not his best stat it was still good so I choose the celebrity bard archetype from Ultimate Magic.

Vasuman Walia

The nation of Katapesh has become a common home for Vudrani who seek a life outside of the caste system of their homeland. The people of The Impossible Kingdoms have spread through the region, finding homes not just in the cities, but in the towns and villages as well. The city of El-Fatar, where adventures come to plumb the depths of ancient ruins, is where the Walia family have made their home now on three generations.

VasumanWalia is one of nine children born to Bhupati, a farmer who inherited his land from his father before him. The boy was in many ways the most unremarkable of his brothers and sisters; not the strongest, fastest, or most attractive. And he most certainly was not the smartest, a fact that infuriated his father often.

The boy did have a good heart and a decent voice, and could often be heard in the kitchen singing as his mother prepared meals. His lack of critical thinking occasionally caused him to act out of bad judgment, even if he meant well. He once overheard his father complain about how a merchant “robbed him blind” and so he snuck into the trader’s caravan and stole a few mostly worthless trinkets to recoup his father’s losses. He would never understand why his dad was so mad, but he made him return the baubles.

Vasuman also had a tendency to literally get lost in his own thoughts. He desperately wanted to be famous. Seeing all the powerful warriors, wizards, and occasional scoundrels flock to his city made him dream of that kind of life. Often while practicing swordsmanship or pretending to learn spells he would find himself lost in the desert. Sometimes he could find his way home, other times his eldest siblings would have to search for him.

On one adventure among the dunes the boy ran into a man sitting under a palm tree. He was like no person Vasuman had ever seen before with bronzed skin and eyes that almost sparkled like stars in the night sky. The man at first seemed insulted by the interruption of his nap but he soon realized it was just a boy.

The two talked well into the night with both Vasuman and the man losing all sense of time. The being explained that he was a janni, a type of genie that lived on Golarion itself. The boy asked about wishes, which from a grown less innocent man would have been a grave breach of etiquette, but the janni let it slide with a few tactful words. Before the night was through he told the boy that he too would feel the pull of the elements and left him with that thought at the gates of his parent’s farmhouse.

Eventually, as he aged Vasuman began to see that his chance meeting may not have been by chance. His own blood seems to have been laced with that of the janni, and like the mortal genie he was blessed with the natural ability to understand the desires of people and play to their wants. With a honeyed word and a pleasant tune, the young Vudrani began to make a name for himself in his hometown.

Vasuman hopes to one day be known throughout Golarion for, well, anything really. But that day is not today. Today he starts his adventure in the deserts of Katapesh.

Did you come up with something similar to Vasuman? Which class did your suli gravitate to? What creature did he meet as a child? Why did he steal from a merchant? Who was her academic influence? If you haven’t written your background yet you still have a chance.

The CRB not only brings you the creative content you desire but helps you look inside for your own creativity. If you feel both inspired and pushed to create, please consider supporting your favorite content provider – that’s me, right? – by pledging as little as $1 on my Patreon or making a direct donation to my Paypal.

If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to get the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon. And to keep up with my other musings and thoughts you can follow the CRB on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter.

Silent Night

Faithful of The Black Butterfly

Some beings come from the very fabric of what it means to be good, or evil, and others are created by mere chance. Even true gods don’t always understand their own power and today’s being of divine power was formed by accident from the creation of the stars by the deity Desna. The Empyreal Lord known as The Black Butterfly is concerned with distance, silence, and space. We look today at this defender against the madness of the Dark Tapestry and I present you with three possible sects to The Silence Between.

As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game that we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Black Butterfly. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of The Silence Between. What character do you make?

For more information on Black Butterfly

Black Butterfly’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Black Butterfly’s Archives of Nethys Page

Monks of the Black Tower

There is a saying about becoming the monster you hunt. Delving too much into how any evil creature thinks and acts is likely to rub off on the one studying them. This is even truer when the creatures you wish to understand are the personifications of madness. But the Monks of the Black Tower do just that as they study the Dark Tapestry – the void between the stars – for hints into the workings of the great old ones and the outer gods.

Wizards, sorcerers, occultists, oracles, and astronomers make up the membership of the Monks. They each take a vow of silence, as to speak the names of these eldritch creatures is to invite them into your heart. They also take a vow of isolation never to leave the monastery again. All of their findings are kept on scrolls that are locked away until the information is needed to battle specific threats.

Void Hunters

Whereas the Monks of the Black Tower isolate themselves, the Void Hunters actively seek out the agents of their enemies on Golarion. Far older than the Monks. it is believed that one of the members of this sect was the founder of the Black Tower Monastery. The Hunters are believed to have come into existence as some of the earliest explorers of the crashed starship in Numeria. They were very active in Osirian during the second age in AR -1498, where they fought against a mysterious cult they discover from their findings in Numeria.

The Void Hunters consists of active field agents who work in small cells to hunt down agents of the mysterious Dominion of the Black. Any person who has felt the touch of these emissaries of the void can join. Often, though, hunters and investigators of the occult find their way into the ranks. Clerics, rangers, investigators, occultists and other psychic classes make up the core of this sect.

The Silent Gift

Battle against the unknown isn’t the only way followers of the Black Butterfly make their presence felt on Golarion. Like many Empyreal Lords, there is a small mystery cult to The Silence Between in the city-state of Magnimar. Their existence is mostly unrealized but their impact is felt by many of the most downtrodden of the citizens of the City of Monuments.

Most of the sect members were at one point destitute themselves and know what it means to want for even basic necessities. As such the cult members perform seemingly random acts of charity every day, often taking from the well-off to give to those truly in need. The leader is a shadow dancer by the name of NyvenWildershins, a Varisian who grew up in the shadow of the irespan known as Underbridge. His followers are mostly rogues and a few clerics to the Black Butterfly who came from the slums of the city they call home.

Some fight the darkness and some use it to do good, but all pay homage to this chaotic deity. Who is your disciple of Black Butterfly? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to The Silence Between? Where does their devotion to this Empyreal Lord come from? Let me know in the comments.

If the CRB has helped you take a closer look at those inspired by the divine, please consider showing support and become one of my patrons by donating to my Patreon or making a donation to my Paypal. Looking for more out of the CRB? Then you’re in luck! Facebook, Google +, Tumblr, and Twitter all have a CRB presence. And if you’re as impatient as I am, have the CRB pushed directly to your Kindle with every new post by signing up for Kindle Subscriptions.

Character 101 - Amere Inistar

I had a rough go with this week’s random rolls. It was tough trying to stick with the lore of the world and two aspects of the rolls that didn’t mesh well. Our Dhampir this week had some kind of academy training but didn’t really have the intelligence to be an arcane caster or any type of learned person. She was almost assuredly going to be a martial of some type with the strength of sixteen but finding the names of actual martial academies in Andoran proved difficult. Although I never found the school of combat I was looking for I did find other inspiration.

Along with class, one note on mechanics I will make is that I dislike that Dhampir start out at such an old age. I know they are longer-lived than humans but it makes having living parents and siblings tough. Paizo made adjustments to the Aasimar and Tiefling, reflecting that because they are raised by humans they generally reach the age of maturity when a human would. So although they’ll live longer eventually they have a starting age for play now more in line with humans. To that end even though I rolled 130 years old for this Dhampir I am disregarding that and making her in her early twenties.

As for class I decided on cavalier. I knew I needed a martial and the cavalier fit into the background I had been generating. Although, in this case, she could have just as easily been a fighter as, unlike many of the other characters I have come up with, the class wasn’t central to the character.

Amere Inistar

When you’re born in Claes everyone is always talking about history. For such a small fishing town the people there tend to act much like big city folk; not that a certain amount of pride is unwarranted. One of their own is the commander of the Eagle Knights. But as a child, the legend of General Reginald Cormoth is not easy to live up to.

Being held to the standard of the General was nothing compared to what Amere would later learn was common treatment for those of her kind. Born after an attack by vampires on the village, the eldest Inistar daughter retained some of the taint after her mother was bitten. Most Dhampirs cause the death of their mother during birth and are often ostracized by family and their community. But Amere was loved by birth her parents and, for the most part, accepted by the community at large.

Life is not without its conflicts, and although the Dhampir lived a life that would be considered idyllic by the standards of most of her race, she did butt heads often with her younger sister. Kalistree despised the fact that her sister had an otherworldly beauty about her as well as the fact that she was stronger than even most of the boys in their village. The younger Inistar girl was constantly playing pranks and trying to ruin her sister’s reputation.

In the battle with her sister, Amere would not always stay on the right side of the law. Although she never got caught, she would occasionally break or mar things her sister loved, even if they didn’t technically belong to the younger Inistar girl. The war of the sisters would never be won but Amere never felt too bad about what she did.

Being a Dhampir in a small town felt confining to Amere as she grew up. She longed to see the world around her. She would pray to Desna for the chance to travel the world and meet new people. Her parents knew they couldn’t keep her there forever so they reached out to a friend in Almas. Keiron was a man who came from Claes but unlike the General, he wasn’t world famous. What he was, though, was a man who knew everybody.

Amere left home to see Andoran with Keiron, sent on her way with a hand knit hat from her mother. He traveled from Almas to Augustana to Carpenden; he did business everywhere. And anywhere they went, there were the Eagle Knights. What had been her childhood obsession of pushing away the trial of living up to General Cormoth’s legacy became a young adulthood of trying to embrace it. And with her mentor’s help, she was enrolled in one of the military academies in Augustana.

Although she graduated for the academy with high commendations in the Andoran Defense sword style, a life in the military was not for her. Amere knew that the Eagle Knights recruitment methods were often non-traditional so she decided that she would make a name for herself on the road. With her trusty steed, the girlfriend she met at school, and her dedication to the order of the shield and the protection of her people, AmereInistad headed out into the wider world looking for adventure.

Amere is the direction I went but who was your Dhampir? Which class did your character become? Who was the well-connect friend? What academy did she go to? How why did she commit minor crimes either for or against a family member? If you haven’t written your background yet you still have a chance.

The CRB not only brings you the creative content you desire but helps you look inside for your own creativity. If you feel both inspired and pushed to create, please consider supporting your favorite content provider – that’s me, right? – by pledging as little as $1 on my Patreon or making a direct donation to my Paypal.

If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to get the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon. And to keep up with my other musings and thoughts you can follow the CRB on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter.

Character 99 - Mkpulunma Usweko

Picking a class for this week’s character was difficult. Although the high charisma screamed some kind of charisma caster; Bard, Bloodrager, Oracle, Skald, and Sorcerer all had magic that in the Mana Wastes would be unreliable at best and dangerous at worst. This goes to show that although the stats may lean toward one thing, background information may dictate another.

I was originally thinking that she would be some sort of charisma-monkey rogue. Then I remembered that constitution was the core stat for the kineticist from Occult Adventures. In looking through their archetypes I found one for specifically for changelings out of the Blood of the Coven book called the Arakineticist. Upon further delving I also found the Overwhelming Soul, which replaced con as the core stat with charisma. The fact that they stacked was just the providence I needed to make this character.

Mkpulunma Usweko

The Mana Wastes is a barren place, but life can be found here and there amongst the mutants and monsters. In many instances, these small towns and village fall along what few trade routes pass through these desolate lands. In one of these towns is where Yafeu Usweko made his home after leaving the jungles of Mwangi with his first wife and son.

Yafeu was a merchant among his people and used what money he made to expand his business upon his arrival in the Wastes. Just as his career grew, his family did as well. His late wife bore him one more child, although she passed before her youngest son even turned ten.

It took a few years but the merchant eventually remarried. The woman reminded him very much of his first wife. The married quickly and within a year she produced a daughter. But on the night of their child’s birth, the mother mysteriously disappeared leaving Yafeu to raise the child alone. The coming of a daughter and the loss of a second wife was bittersweet.

Mkpulunma grew the youngest child with two overprotective brothers. Even if she was only their half-sister they still loved her very much. As she grew up, the young girl exhibited a certain unnatural beauty that attracted many of the boys in their town. Nothing ever lasted and she often used her brothers to help her break off a romance that she decided she was over so as to protect her ego from the pain of being broken up with.

When she was spurned for another girl by a young man who she took a fancy to she became exceedingly jealous. She used her position as the daughter of one of the more prominent tradesmen to humiliate the young girl, who she felt stole the affections of the boy she wanted. Again her pride would not let her be hurt in this way.

Things began to change for her when Mkpulunma was sixteen. Aspects of her true heritage began to show themselves. The curse of her mother’s bloodline began to overwhelm her body with negative energy. The blood of a hag almost tried to kill her and those around her as she began to lash out with blasts of entropy and decay.

The young changeling began to hide from the world; her ego could not allow for those around her to see her so vulnerable. In her quest to remain unseen she turned to the lady of veils. She begged to be made invisible to those who would seek to know her. She also took up the wearing of many veils to cover the green hair and different color eyes that gave her away as the daughter of a hag.

The Mana Wastes are full of chaos. Magic has gone awry when it even works at all. Those who exhibit some of these wild talents do not go unnoticed. Although Mkpulunma’s abilities were neither divine nor arcane in nature they were still seen to some as a symptom of the anarchy of power in the region. One such person to take notice was the hunter Heracrix.

Heracrix’s powers came from the discordant nature of the land around them. His wild soul infused with the beasts of the land, but not so much that he could manage true druidic magic. As a member of one of the few druid groups in the region who looked to heal the land, he chooses to do so by helping others with wild talent to find some sort of balance within themselves.

The Hunter took Mkpulunma under his wing as her mentor and trainer. He found her strength in the force of personality she exhibited and helped her to learn to use that to control the power of her curse. Although it lessened what she was able to accomplish, it did keep her constant production of negative energy from eating away at her physical being.

Through years of constant study, learning to force her mind over her body, Mkpulunma eventually gained control of her curse. She still wanted very little to do with others, lest her fragile pride be hurt. She decided to leave all those who knew her in the past and make her way in the world where the new her was the only her people would know. What that will bring she is quite unsure of.

With that I give you a complete background but what class do you think this character would have become? Who was her mentor? Why was she jealous enough to humiliate someone? Where did her worship of Sivanah come from?

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Giving Magic Flavor

What Do Potions Taste Like

I’ve touched on the topic of dynamic magic before; noting that one can make their world seem more real by using descriptions of how one casts spells. This kind of depth can be added to much more than just immediate spell casting. Although I’ve talked about it before with some of my groups, it dawned on me the other day while drinking some tea to help defrost, “I wonder what different potions taste like?”

Potions definitely have a flavor. When attempting to identify a potion – in Pathfinder at least – you have to take a little taste of it. Different potions will have differing flavors and that healing potion won’t taste the same as a portion of barkskin. I would imagine that something like a portion of healing might taste a little like kids cough syrup, and describing this to your players will help immerse them more deeply into your world.

Although the ability to determine what a potion is by tasting a bit suggests that all of the same types of potions taste alike, I’m not sure I’d like it if that were true. It might be interesting if the more scientific minded alchemists’ healing potions tasted like chalky medicine while the motherly witch has healing salves that taste like chicken soup. Making the flavors dependent on the one who brews the potions could add an interesting twist to identifying them.

Tasting something isn’t always about flavor either. Texture plays a big part in how we consume food. The aforementioned barkskin potion my feel like moss on your tongue while having a woody taste. A potion of haste might slide across your tongue and down your throat. And a potion of slow might feel like molasses and stick to the sides of your mouth.

Adding little things like the flavor and texture of potions can honestly be the difference between a memorable game and just a good one. What do you think potions taste like? Do the common ones like cure potions all taste the same? What is the flavor of a love potion?

Today we brewed up another bit of flavor for your games here at the CRB. If you’d like to throw some ingredients in the cauldron, please consider becoming a contributor. Monthly donations of as little as one dollar can be made to my Patreon. A one-time donation can easily be made to my Paypal. Every bit helps me keep the lights on so I can concentrate on bringing you the content you deserve.

The CRB has been growing as a community on social media. Please join us on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter. My inbox is open on all forums for questions, comments, and discussion. If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to have the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon.

To Stone They Pass

Faithful of Magrim

Everything dies in its time. This is not a bad thing, it is the natural order. For the dwarves, there is one deity who overlooks the afterlife and helps send those souls that wish a second go-round back to the mortal plane. Magrim, brother of the father of dwarves Torag, is the dwarven deity of death, fate, and the underworld. Today I give you three possible sects of this divine being.

As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game that we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Magrim. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of The Taskmaster. What character do you make?

For more information on Magrim

Magrim’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Magrim’s Archives of Nethys Page

Ward of the Restless

Not all of the spirits that pass on wish to wait for their proper time to return. The Ward of the Restless is a sect of Magrim worshipers who seek to force these spirits to follow their rightful path into the underworld. They specialize in fighting ghosts and other incorporeal undead. They use both the ability to hit these insubstantial creatures as if they were solid and special runes granted them by Magrim.

All followers of the Wards of the Restless are specially trained by the church of The Taskmaster. They consist of clerics with the wards and souls subdomains, inquisitors, and some of the few paladins of Magrim. No lay folk may join the sect and they have a strict hierarchy led by the Divine Commander Oran Ironside.

Faith of the Forebears

Dwarves are nothing if not respectful of their history and ancestors. Magrim’s position as lord of the dwarven underworld gives his followers better access to commune directly with the spirits of their foremothers and forefathers. The Faith of the Forebears speak to their people’s ancestors to guide their communities.

All members of the sect must have some way to speak with the long dead. Oracles of the ancestor mystery, shaman, and clerics make up the core of this sect. Joining the sect is done at the behest of the ancestors themselves. New members are whispered into the ears of a current member by one of the forebears.

The Returned

The Returned is considered a heretical sect by most, although they still draw some power from Magrim. Sometimes fate gets things wrong and a dwarf dies before their time. The Returned travel the planes to the afterlife to return a soul back to the material world where it can achieve its fated destiny. How The Returned choose the souls that must be brought back is unclear.

The Returned is a small sect that consists mainly of dwarves who have themselves returned from the dead. The dozen or so members include a few who can travel between the planes as well as those who are strong enough to fend off the powerful divine or profane beings they might have to face to retrieve a soul.

For the dwarven followers of this deity, death isn’t always the end. Who is your disciple of Magrim? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to The Taskmaster? Where does their devotion to this dwarven god come from? Let me know in the comments.

If the CRB has helped you take a closer look at those inspired by the divine, please consider showing support and become one of my patrons by donating to my Patreon or making a donation to my Paypal. Looking for more out of the CRB? Then you’re in luck! Facebook, Google +, Tumblr, and Twitter all have a CRB presence. And if you’re as impatient as I am, have the CRB pushed directly to your Kindle with every new post by signing up for Kindle Subscriptions.

Hate Solves Everything

Wrathful of Eiseth

Among the ranks of the infernal are not just those devils formed in Hell, but creatures of the divine who fell with their lord Asmodeus. The Whore Queens followed Lord of Darkness from the lands of light and have made a name for themselves among the male centric hierarchies of Hell. Eiseth is the Whore Queen of battle, revenge, and wrath and I propose to you this week three possible sects to follow her teachings.

As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game that we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Eiseth. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of The Erinyes Queen. What character do you make?

For more information on Eiseth

Eiseth’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Eiseth’s Archives of Nethys Page

Divinity Hunters

Eiseth uses her infernal minions to war with the celestial realms. On earth the Divinity Hunters war directly against those who serve the good gods in the mortal realm. Trained to hunt and kill clerics and paladins, as well as planar foes bound to the material plane the Divinity Hunters hope to one day sever the connection between the gods of good and their worshipers, by doing away with those who pray to them. They are especially keen to root out all cults of the Empyreal Lord Ragathiel.

The Divinity Hunters careful pick who might join their ranks. They search for people dissatisfied by the churches of the good gods and offer them an outlet to feed their wrath. They especially seek out the young and impressionable so they can train them in a secret monastery somewhere in Isger. Anyone can do battle for Eiseth but those trained by the sect itself usually become warpriests, anti-paladins, inquisitors, and rangers.

The Black Wing Division

Although it seems counter to the orderly nature of Hell many of Eiseth’s followers are plagued by anger issues. Would they not have means to channel this rage they would become no better than savage barbarians. A group of female devotees – each with unparalleled beauty to match their rage – have formed a subsect within the Hellknight, Order of the Nail. From Korvosa, these female warriors do battle against the savage tides of Varisia, personified by the tribes of the Shoanti.

Members of the Black Wing divisions are usually chosen internally from the Order of the Nail. Occasionally the group will find a woman believe belongs among their ranks from outside the Hellknights. They will guide this perspective member through the process of becoming one of the feared knights before inducting her into The Black Wing Division.

The Descriers

Although Eiseth has a hatred for the heaven’s in general the only deity she despises on a one on one level is another denizen – or former denizen – of Hell. The Infernal Due Lorthact betrayed her and for that she hunts him down. She has determined he is not in Hell and has begun scouring the other realms. Her Descriers are a mortal sect that searches for him on Golarion, usually be uncovering sects dedicated to The Unraveler and torturing them for information.

The sect is mostly groups of hunters and trackers, whether that be through the dark forests or the urban streets. Many are also skilled interrogators and torturers who use their talents to squeeze information from the cultists the capture. Investigators, rangers, hunters, inquisitors, and rogues are the most common members of this group.

Even the orderly nature of Hell needs a way to display its unholy wrath. Who is your disciple of Eiseth? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to The Erinyes Queen? Where does their devotion to this Whore Queen  come from? Let me know in the comments.

If the CRB has helped you take a closer look at those inspired by the divine, please consider showing support and become one of my patrons by donating to my Patreon or making a donation to my Paypal. Looking for more out of the CRB? Then you’re in luck! Facebook, Google +, Tumblr, and Twitter all have a CRB presence. And if you’re as impatient as I am, have the CRB pushed directly to your Kindle with every new post by signing up for Kindle Subscriptions.

Liar Liar Pants on Fire

Sense Motive is not an Automatical Lie Detector

Just like magic has limitations, so too do skills. One of the skills that sees the most abuse is Sense Motive. Oftentimes people use sense motive as an automatic lie detector, or in some cases, even a means to read someone’s mind. However, the skill doesn’t really work that way; magic is often not even that precise. So how do we allow a player to use Sense Motive – especially if they’ve maxed out ranks in it – and still make it a skill and not perfect ability?

What many people tend to forget is that there is a big difference between knowing something is up and knowing what that something is. Sense Motive is really looking for non-verbal clues that reveal something about the character. Just saying  “you know he’s lying” honestly pays a disservice to the skill and the character using it. Instead, you should try explaining the ticks that the character sees, and because our character is not our player, talk about what they could mean, because your player may not know.

The Eyes are the Windows to the Soul

A lot of people believe that the eyes will give you away. Some say that when constructing a lie a person will look up and to the right. Others believe that someone can’t look you In the eyes when he is lying. The fact of the matter is that psychologists have done numerous studies on this and have found no connection with eye movement and lying.

Although there is no direct connection, not everyone knows that and that means the eyes can give something away. Bad liars tend to believe the statements about eyes – especially about not being able to look someone in the eye. They will often compensate by trying to stare at you for too long to prove that they aren’t liars. Many professional interrogators now use this as a means to spot a liar.

Studies have also shown that liars tend to blink more. Although the difference between the amount of eye fluttering between a truth-teller and a liar isn’t vast, it is there. Someone with a high sense motive may be able to tell when the subtle line of too much blinking been crossed.

The Face of Fear

Although it’s not foolproof when added to other factors, fear can be a signal of someone obfuscating the truth. Liars are often afraid that the person they are lying to will see through their lies and fear is often one of the clearer emotions that you can read on a person. But the reason I say this should be used in conjunction with other signs is that a truth-teller may be afraid that no one will believe they are telling the truth.

Words a Plenty

Liars will often use overly formal language. Whereas they might normally call their coworker Bob, they will instead call him “Mr. Smith”. Most people use contractions and would say “didn’t” but a liar will often say that they “did not” do something. Innocent people tend to adamant in their defense using hard words like “steal,” they don’t mince words. Liars will often soften the words they use and talk about “borrowing” things.

Liars can be caught, not just in the words they use, but in how they use them. When fibbing, a liar will tend to offer shorter responses. The feeling is that they believe the less they say the less likely they will be to make mistakes. In those short statements, you may also hear more ums, ers, and ahs as the fibber tries to look for the correct word to meet his crafted statement.

Now that you know some of the things your player’s character with the high sense motive might be looking for, you can try and weave these things into your description of what he sees. There are many other signs and a lot of research into proper methods of discerning the truth. But the ones I’ve put forth here have been agreed upon by a number of different studies.

One thing you may want to take into account is: What if your player fails his sense motive roll? Is he just unable to read his target? Does he see false flags in the cues given by the suspect? The biggest fear of a truth-teller in stressful situations is not to be believed, so you can play off this for interesting roleplay situations.

How have you used Sense Motive in your games? Do you just tell your player that his target is lying? What clues do you give your interrogator? What happens when they fail their checks?

Have I given you the sense that my motives are pure? If you’ve found this article useful please consider becoming a contributor. Monthly donations of as little as one dollar can be made to my Patreon. A one-time donation can easily be made to my Paypal. Every bit helps me keep the lights on so I can concentrate on bringing you the content you deserve.

The CRB has been growing as a community on social media. Please join us on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter. My inbox is open on all forums for questions, comments, and discussion. If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to have the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon.