Escape the Cult of Belial! | Bloodshed and Intrigue

Creating your character

Character ideation will be done in Discord before session zero. In session zero, we'll refine character concepts, create our pre-existing party relationships, and finalize the concepts. All published Paizo materials are available. I encourage using Pathbuilder 2e. I'm open to custom character content from specific sources (Team+ options). You're also welcome to aggresively reflavor mechanical elements to suit your vision. I'll ask you many questions to better situate your character in the setting. I assume no familiarity with Pathfinder 2e's world—that's what I'm here for! By the time we start, you should feel like you have a strong sense of the character you're playing.

Preparing for the session

Players will join my Foundry instance, which is hosted through The Forge to preserve IP anonymity. They'll also need to join my Discord server to jump into the voice call! I'll be on microphone and camera throughout the session. Players are required to have a microphone, but camera is not expected.

What Saoirse brings to the table

I provide art, music, and acting to immerse my players. I'll be on camera, too, because physical mannerisms are important to characterization. I've been told I have a soothing "podcast" voice—which is *probably* a compliment!—and I create some pre-written descriptions to give certain locations or enemies an authorial flair. I tinker with combat to ensure it pushes your characters to be creative and resilient. Expect real challenges and close encounters. That said, I will not kill characters without player consent—if your character would die, we'll figure out a more interesting consequence for your brush with death. I have a strong understanding of the rules and the setting. It isn't a perfect understanding, but I'll make rapid rulings in moments of uncertainty to keep the action moving. I do my best to ensure each character gets a scene where they're at the center during a session. I also use a "Raise Hand" module in Foundry. If your character has something to say, but someone else is talking (myself included!), you can click Raise Hand to notify the party without interrupting. This makes sure each person gets a turn in a conversation or negotiation. I'm also responsible for keeping combat moving smoothly. Turns should not take longer than two minutes. If players are routinely taking too long during combat, I'll meet with them and coach them on better leveraging the Foundry interface. It's important we're all conscientious in how we use our shared time.

Homebrew rules

We'll play with the Free Archetype, Ancestry Paragon, and Gradual Ability Score alternative rules. The archetype you pick will need to be approved. I strongly encourage picking an archetype which makes your character more nuanced or versatile—don't double-down on your existing strengths for raw mechanical advantage.

How Saoirse creates a safe table

We'll establish Lines and Veils. The X-card is available in Foundry. Players are always welcome to reach out to me privately about any concerns. In twelve years running games, I haven't had a player report feeling uncomfortable at my table... but that doesn't mean we shouldn't have the appropriate tools in place. We'll also set Stars and Wishes at the beginning of each chapter to make sure player desires are clearly communicated.