Carnival in Pathfinder

[Ryan Naylor]

Are you including Evil Eye etc?

[Mortavius]

Are you including Evil Eye etc?

I knew I forgot something! Thanks for reminding me. I've added it in.

[Nemesio]

The Familiar is looking good.

[The Giamarga]

Indeed. I like the revision (and the revised blade brothers too btw).

Tiefling works really well. But I don't like the fluff about claws and teeth. It seems to indicate that he could have the maw or claw alternate racial trait, but then he'd have to swap the spell like ability. Also it seems rather weird nobody noticed this during his childhood/adolescence.

I used the Variant Abilities and Physical Features table for the fiendish heritage feat and rolled 27,30 for

27 You can speak two additional languages spoken by extraplanar beings.
30 Face: other

I quite like both of those...

So physically something is wrong with his face. Maybe it's the stoic look? Or the skurra mask is etched into his face permanently now?

[The Giamarga]

So next up: the Organ Grinder.

Originally I had him pegged as a beastmaster ranger but it does not really fit. Next came the carnivalist rogue archetype, which did almost fit but not quite. In the end I think an animal speaker bard 5 is the way to go. It always rubbed me wrong that he was so low level anyways.

[The Giamarga]

With Ryan's rules full vistani receive the same tasque bonus as half vistani. Did you include them so far? Probably included in the skills. I'd really like to have the tasque and the Evil Eye spell-likes spelled out in the stat blocks. If every skurra has the evil eye, the Crimson Rose doesn't need minor magic.

[Ryan Naylor]

From my thread for reference (rather than making you hunt for it):

Vistani Characters
Vistani are defined by their class levels—they do not possess racial Hit Dice. A Vistana’s challenge rating is equal to their class level. All Vistani have the following racial traits.
+4 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Vistani are insightful, proud, determined and manipulative.
Medium: Vistani are Medium creatures, and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Vistani have a base speed of 30 feet.
Cursemonger: Vistani gain the Voice of Wrath feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. Vistani can withdraw their curses at will, although they almost never do so.
Evil Eye: Vistani gain the following spell-like abilities: constant—detect magic; at will—spark (touch only), cause fear, ill omen, hold person; 1/day—burning gaze (nonlethal damage only), bestow curse, charm person, suggestion. The caster level for these effects is equal to the Vistana’s level. The DC for these spells is equal to 10 + the spell’s level + the Vistana’s Charisma modifier.
Mist Navigation: Vistani can navigate the Mists with 95% success. Most Vistani are unable to summon the Mists, but can control where they go should they find themselves in them.
Moon Madness: During the period of the full moon each month (3 days out of every 28 in the Core, although isolated domains may have more or less frequent full moons), the Vistana is shaken if indoors at night. The moon does not have to be visible for a Vistana to suffer from moon madness.
Survivor: Vistani gain a +2 racial bonus to Survival and Sense Motive checks.
Tasque Abilities: Each tasque of Vistani are particularly adept with some skill with which they typically make their living among the giorgio.
Canjar: +2 Spellcraft
Corvara: +2 Disable Device
Equar: +2 Handle Animal
Kamii: +2 Craft (any involving metalworking)
Naiat: +2 Perform (any)
Vatraska: +2 Heal and Craft (alchemy) rolls to create poisons and antitoxins.
Zarovan: +4 to Initiative checks.
The Sight: Female Vistani have the Sight, which increases their chance of a correct augury, allows those who are not Oracles to cast divination, and gives them access to the Seer domain.
Languages: Vistani begin play speaking Patterna and one other domain language. Vistani with high Intelligence can choose any language used in Ravenloft for their bonus languages.

[Mortavius]

Indeed. I like the revision (and the revised blade brothers too btw).

Tiefling works really well. But I don't like the fluff about claws and teeth. It seems to indicate that he could have the maw or claw alternate racial trait, but then he'd have to swap the spell like ability. Also it seems rather weird nobody noticed this during his childhood/adolescence.

Well, here's my reasoning.

The Twisting always changes it's subjects in a physical manner. Some can hide the changes, some cannot. If I just gave the Familiar the non-physical traits of a Tiefling, that wouldn't be holding true to the Twisting. So I thought that perhaps giving him the claws and bite would reflect that. As to no one noticing, that can be explained a few ways.

I picture the Familiar as a very shy child. He doesn't want people noticing him. If it got out that he had claws and fangs, he might get pressured into becoming a performer, and he doesn't want that. So he keeps his teeth hidden (easily done, considering he doesn't talk), and he keeps his nails trimmed. The Half-Fiend template just says it gives a claw attack, it doesn't say what form those claws actually take.

As well...maybe his mom the Rose, knows? Perhaps she keeps his secret, because she knows his desires, and shares them? Maybe she's worried they'll be cast out?

[Mortavius]

From my thread for reference (rather than making you hunt for it):

Vistani Characters

Thank you so much Ryan. I am grateful that there is a search function on these forums...but it leaves something to be desired. On the plus side, I've used it enough to find things in your thread that I'm getting better and better at it.

[Mortavius]

To take a page out of Ryan's thread,

Things we have learned over the past week.

1) I am really bad at stating up Vistani.

2) People are really interested in the Skurra of Carnival. Probably the part of the book that least interested me, paradoxically.

With Ryan's info I have gone back and given another pass to all the Skurra I've done so far.

[The Giamarga]

The Familiar is missing the 0-level/at will spell-likes. Most other Vistani still are missing their Tasques.

As for his Twisting, yes the Twisting does always take an external form. But I would probably still leave open if he's twisted or not. The Skurra-Vera Mask should have had at least some effect after all.

I still don't like the teeth and claws. It's too overt and too cliche imo. Perhaps you could make it a rumor too. The Familiar seems to be the "each DM should decide what it really is" NPC.

[The Giamarga]

The Illuminated Man

I just found the Haze of Dreams and Dream Feast spells, which might be interesting spells for him.

[Mortavius]

The Familiar is missing the 0-level/at will spell-likes. Most other Vistani still are missing their Tasques.

As for his Twisting, yes the Twisting does always take an external form. But I would probably still leave open if he's twisted or not. The Skurra-Vera Mask should have had at least some effect after all.

I still don't like the teeth and claws. It's too overt and too cliche imo. Perhaps you could make it a rumor too. The Familiar seems to be the "each DM should decide what it really is" NPC.

Which 0th level spells are you referring to?

My understanding is the Familiar is a Giomorgo, a Half-Vistani (since his father was the GC). Half-Vistani don't get all the spell-like abilities of full Vistani, if we are using Ryan's rules in his thread.

As for them missing their Tasques, do you just mean missing it being noted? I did apply all the skill adjustments. Although if you just mean I should note it in their stat blocks, I agree with you, and will go back and do that.

A thought occurred to me about the Twisting. It is possible to recover from it, given time. I'm at work right now, and don't have the books in front of me, but I believe the ratio is 1 day:1 month.

While wearing the Skurra-Vera, the person is immune to the Twisting...which could be the same as being away.

If the Rose joined Carnival right after she was assaulted, then the Familiar was exposed to the Twisting for 38 weeks (average human gestation). That would mean he would need over 22 years of wearing the Skurra-Vera to revert from the Twisting.

But, I don't think the Rose joined right after the assault. In fact, I believe she was a ways into her pregnancy. I believe the actual term in the book is "soon after" she joined she gave birth. That implies at least half way through, to possibly two-thirds of the way through.

If she was half way through the pregnancy, the Familiar would only need to wear the Skurra-Vera for about eleven years, and he would be fully unaffected by the Twisting anymore. If it was two thirds of the way through (which seems more appropriate to me), he would have to wear it for seven and a half years.

Either way, if we assume the Familiar has been diligent in wearing his makeup, then he should actually not be Twisted at all anymore!

Then comes the question...what race is he? Is he a Half-Vistani? Is he a Tiefling?

[Mortavius]

The Illuminated Man

I just found the Haze of Dreams and Dream Feast spells, which might be interesting spells for him.

Thanks for sharing! I'm trying to stay away from the great dearth of what I call "3rd party" material in Pathfinder, because there is SO much of it, and I'm sort of assuming a neutral stance in regards to just looking at the "core" books.

But, I like these spells and I think they fit too well to ignore, so I'm tossing them in there.

Thanks again!

[The Giamarga]

Both spells are by Paizo iirc albeit from obscure sources. Also, yes I only meant the notation of the tasque, in the history and/or in the statblock, I.e. "Female Giomorgo (Zarovan) Sorcerer (Maestro bloodline) 11"

And you're right the Familiar is not a full vistani, so no missing spell likes. I didn't even notice that Ryan's half-vistani get some spell likes too. Though i think there is an error left in his statblock: Special Attacks Evil Eye (DC 12, 3/day), what does 3/day mean here?

As for what race he should be if not Twisted that's a difficult question. IMHO he should be a tiefling. It's a simple way to describe the offspring of the GC mechanically and offers enough customization. Its also a nice way to introduce tieflngs to PFRP. They should differ from normal giomorgo IMO. Though if they should get any half-vistani traits is debatable. They probably should as that is what make these half-vistani fiendish offspring special. Someone needs to design the race or a template for it...

I would really like to hear Ryan's thought on this. It's a similar question as how to represent giamarga (the rare half elf half vistani). The paizo tiefling racial description notes that the non-fiendish parent race is largely subsumed by the fiendish blood only affecting base-size.

As for his Twisting or tiefling appearance, I say give him the Prehensile Tail alternate racial trait. It's almost too Nightcrawlerish together with Dimension Hop, but who cares, Ravenloft is full of pastiches and amalgams. It would also explain his very strange stance/posture on the picture in the Carnival.