Trek to Ceberek! (A Custom Campaign in Pathfinder 1e)
Pathfinder 1e | Campaign
About the adventure
The Godshoulder Cliffs of mainland Algoren rise three miles above sea level at their highest point. Nestled within and beneath them, the great port city of Ceberek sits precariously level with the ocean, with only the Kymata Walls holding back the tide from sweeping the lower streets with waves. Almost a third of the city is built on floating docks outside of the walls, forcing the city's poorer population to develop sea legs at an early age. The shipwrights in Ceberek are the best in the world by necessity, earning their home the nickname "City of Sails". The wealthiest city in Algoren besides its capitol, Ceberek is also home to the de facto headquarters of the entire continent's Arcane Council, the regulatory body that governs the study and use of magic. A city so strange and powerful is never without shame. Just as a portion of the city floats in water, another is suspended in utter arcane chaos. The Hollow Haunt, the gravesite of a deity, has become a festering wound in reality. Wild magic tears at the fringes of every defense the city's mages can muster. Strange shapes and eerie voices persist no matter how hard residents try to ignore them. Whether it be due to curiosity, ambition, revenge, or any number of other reasons, each one of you has banded together to make your way to this city. You're not strong enough yet to survive the destiny that awaits you there, but you will be one day. When that day comes, fate will greet you with open arms. How you greet fate, dear adventurers, is up to you. This is a custom campaign in Pathfinder 1e. The destination is known, but the plot you'll follow to get there will be based entirely on the characters and backstories you bring me. Got a character idea burning in your brain or a story hook that needs a line to pull it? Come on in, I'll give you my best shot!
Game style
Rule of Cool (RoC)
“Rule of Cool” emphasizes creative story beats over sticking to a system’s rules as written. Players have the ability to push the limits of the rules or even break core rule mechanics at times if the Game Master thinks it is interesting, fun, or cool enough.
Roleplay Heavy
“Roleplay Heavy” games place the focus on the story, the characters, and the world they live within, and tend to lean hard into the various roleplaying elements of the game. These games will frequently find the party talking with NPCs, exploring the personal elements of their backstories, or even having emotional moments around the camp fire.
5.0
(14)
2 years on StartPlaying
75 games hosted
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Inclusive, Creativity
Average response time: 2 hours
Response rate: 100%
Additional details
How to prepare
Players will need an account on Discord and Roll20, for starters, and both are available for free. If players do not have a copy of the rules, it's not a big deal. The D20 PFSRD and the Archives of Nethys are extremely useful online resources, and I have a lot of experience teaching new players. Having a character created ahead of time will be helpful, but not required, and sending me a summary of each character's backstory before Session 1 is highly recommended. It makes my job a lot easier if I have all the threads I need to weave in my hands from the start. If players think they might want to add on to their character's backstory later, great! I'd be happy to help.
What I provide
I use Roll20 as my VTT of choice, and have multiple ways to make nice-looking maps for important locations. I also have a pro subscription to Hero Forge, so I can help make custom tokens for players with ease. I use royalty-free music as background ambience in my games, and take joy in doing character voices whenever I can. I usually stick fairly closely to Rules as Written, but the minutiae of the rules can sometimes be up to interpretation, and I am more than willing to assert the Rule of Cool if it fits the narrative well. My focus as a GM is primarily collaborative storytelling. My players aren't cars on a railroad track or rats in a maze; they're co-authors of an epic tale. The players' choices and actions will have a definite impact on the world around them, and if they can think of a way to solve a problem that steps outside of my plans, my plans can and will be adjusted.
Gameplay details
The link to the Lines and Veils form will be included in an email with other prep materials. The results will be compiled into a Google Docs file that the whole party will have constant access to through a pinned post in the game's text channel on my Discord server, and we'll also go over it in Session 0. I will generally try to call for ten-minute breaks in the middle of sessions, but if the party needs a break for any reason, I'll enforce it right away. If tensions are high in the game, I'll check in on everyone to see if there's any bleed between in-game stress and real stress, and try to address bleed directly whenever possible. A version of the XNO card system is installed in the game as macro links on the bottom of the VTT' screen. Clicking one of the macro buttons will send a signal in chat. I'll explain each button's meaning in Session 0. Besides the previously mentioned safety strategies, Session 0 will also be a chance for the players and I to introduce ourselves. We'll go over the concepts of everyone's characters and try to figure out the baseline party dynamic. If a player doesn't have a character yet, we'll work on that. I'll also do some explaining of my homebrew setting, and work on getting character backstories fit into it.
Content warnings
Safety tools used
• Bleed
• Breaks
• Lines and Veils
• Monte Cook RPG Consent Checklist
• Session 0
• X, N, and O Cards
How will character creation work
Player characters will start at level 1. Stats will be rolled using 4d6 with the lowest value dropped, and players may reroll 1s. I don't care where players make the characters initially; whatever works for them works for me. I've had players use Mythweavers, PCgen, the PFSRD, and more (I myself use HeroLab). Once they've been made, though, they should be entered into Roll20 onto a character sheet there. If players do not have a character made yet, I will help them make one in the latter half of Session 0, and if that is not enough time, I will also schedule another meeting between Session 0 and Session 1 to fill in the gaps. I will review every character sheet before final approval and check it against the PFSRD and Archives of Nethys if I see something I don't recognize, so be sure to only use material that can be found there. That should give a very wide array of options. Loot and character leveling will follow the Auto Bonus Progression rules from Pathfinder Unchained. There will be a link to the PFSRD entry on the Auto Bonus Progression rules in the Discord server.
Players can expect
Combat / Tactics
Medium
Roleplay
High
Puzzles
Low
Experience level
Open to all
Platforms used
• Discord
• Roll20
$25.00
/ Session
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Details
Bi-weekly / Friday - 7:00 PM UTC
May 23 / Session 2
3.5-4.5 Hour Duration
4 / 5 Seats Filled
Schedule
Requirements
Experience required: Open to all
Age: 18+