Opening Discussion
Okay!
Before we get into game stuff, I want to put forth a couple of things to you guys.
This is going to be a fair bit darker and more involved than a standard ROTRL game. The game as written is a series of crawls. They're good crawls, to be sure, and the story is interesting, but I want more. There is going to be a LOT more material for you in my game. I am designing custom content for all of you, as well as non-personal but in-depth side quests to help expand the world and ensure your investment in the storylines.
If I were to give my games a rating, they would be R. There will definitely be violence, sometimes very graphic. Some of this game has some disturbing horror elements. Sexual content is possible, though will not be graphic. As a rule, I strictly prohibit any type of sexual assault content; I will not use it as a DM, because to me that's not only blatantly sexist but it's lazy writing. As players (and especially good or neutral characters) I certainly will not allow it.
Romance options may crop up between players, or a player and an NPC. That's absolutely fine! I will not be participating in any graphic roleplay scenarios. If you as players wish to do so, please do so through some private method of chat, such as GChat or over the messaging system of these forums.
I value your input as players. If you have specific goals, please list them on your character profile in a Spoiler tag. Let me know if you do so, and I will speak with you about the feasibility of accomplishing those goals and try to create custom content for you.
I completely understand life getting in the way of things from time to time, but this is a relatively small and intimate game, so if possible I'd like at least one post a day. Weekends are of course more lax, and I do completely understand life getting in the way. If it does, just let me know and we will handle things appropriately. If you just need to be away for a few days for illness or personal reasons, and there is a combat coming up, I will bot your character. If there's a more important roleplay decision to be made, we will wait for you.
I think that's about it for meta stuff. On to the game proper!
First of all, some mechanical bits;
In the tag line on your profiles, I would like;
Initiative Modifiers.
Perception Modifiers.
AC, Touch AC and Flat-footed AC.
Saves.
Spells prepared.
If it is acceptable for people, I will roll your Perception and Initiative checks when appropriate. In my experience, this speeds up gameplay.
Similarly, if you wish, rather than explicitly stating that you are checking for traps, I can assume you are actively doing that and roll for you when appropriate. If you wish to do so, let me know.
You may set up some things as Standard Operating Procedures. Some examples of this would include;
Marching Order.
Always having Message up.
Always listening at unexplored doors or intersections with Perception before opening the door or crossing the hall.
Always going left or right when in an unexplored area without a clear sense of where to go.
Keeping watch.
Discuss amongst yourselves what you all think would be good Standard Operating Procedures and when you agree, I will simply assume your group does those things. Again, this is to facilitate speedier gameplay.
The link for the roll20 portion of the game is HERE. If you have not used roll20 and require some assistance, please let me know.
We will be using a combination of roll20 and theatre of the mind for exploration. We will be using roll20 for battles. Essentially, I am going to present you with flavor text and descriptions of your environment in the Gameplay thread. As I do so, I will move your characters appropriately on the roll20 map. When something happens I will stop you in the correct places. When combat occurs, I will put the relevant tokens on the map and it will be a tactical map situation.
When you can, please log in and change your display name to that of your character. Once you do, I will assign you a token. There are also several handouts that will automatically be available to you; these are items that you have found in previous adventures. I will briefly summarize those adventures forthwith;
You all were in Sandpoint, for your own reasons. When the Goblins attacked, none of you could stand idly by. Some may have thought it fortune that such capable adventurers were in the same place at the same time, but all of you are capable of channeling Divine magic. Though luck certainly plays a part in this world, it is difficult to see your meeting and your rescuing of many townspeople as anything but destiny.
One of the notable people you saved was a local noble named Aldern Foxglove. Aldern invited you all to a boar hunt in the nearby Tickwood Forest several days after the attack.
The day after the attack, Father Zantus, a Cleric of Desna and the local spiritual leader, came to you. He'd noted your actions and hoped you would lend him some assistance. It seemed that someone had broken into one of the crypts. Father Zantus did not investigate himself, instead coming straight to you for help.
Upon investigating, you found the crypt. Waiting inside were two Human skeletons, which you handily dispatched. Further investigation showed that the skeletons came from a discarded and fully spent Robe of Bones, and you saw that the solitary coffin in the crypt was open and empty. After discussing your find with Father Zanthus, he had no answers, but did reveal that the remains that had been removed were those of Father Ezakien Tobyn, the previous head of the Sandpoint Cathedral, who had died along with his daughter Nualia in the fire that burned down the previous Cathedral.
You have all been staying at the Rusty Dragon Inn, popular with locals for it's delectable cuisine and for the charm of it's proprietor (who also happens to be the cook), Ameiko Kaijutsu. Ameiko is a beautiful young woman of Tianese descent. Rumor has it that she was an adventurer herself, but after a tragic turn of events (that no one knows and she doesn't talk about), she returned to town and opened an Inn with the money she'd earned. Ameiko offered you a few weeks free stay at the Rusty Dragon as thanks for your actions, and you found yourselves quickly becoming friends with the boisterous young woman.
Over the next few days, you rubbed elbows with several of the locals, among them Sheriff Belor Hemlock, who was supremely grateful for your actions and has already had more than one drink with you. On the fourth day, Aldern Foxglove invited you all on a boar hunt in Tickwood Forest. Your skill in tracking, Torvin, let you all find the impressive beast rather easily. You all brought it down, and Aldern suggested taking the meat back to Ameiko and having her cook it for a feast. He implied that in so doing, you should invite notable members of the town and increase your own status and reputation; a savvy bit of social maneuvering.
Ameiko was only too happy to host at the Rusty Dragon. Not only is she a big fan of yours, but it could only help her business. She and Bethana, her halfling employee, slaved all day and created a truly impressive feast featuring the boar prepared several different ways. The party went smashingly for a while.
Then a man slammed the door open and began shouting for Ameiko in Minkaian.
You heard enough whispers around you to get the gist of the situation; this was Lonjiku Kaijutsu, a local nobleman, and father to Ameiko. And he did not approve.
The argument escalated quickly, and the older man actually tried to strike Ameiko. However, she ducked, quick as a snake and smacked him upside the head with the soup ladle she still had in her hand. It still had stew in it too, and splattered Lonjiku's fine clothes and perfumed hair. For a second, he stood, sputtering angrily, until uttering words in Common laced with ice-cold anger; "You're as dead to me as your mother."
Lonjiku then left. The Inn was dead silent and you could see hurt welling up in Ameiko. However, she shrugged it off and turned to the assembled guests, dazzling smile filling her face. She laughed and said "I'll have to get a new ladle! Jackass stew isn't on the menu tonight!"
That broke the tension, and the guests laughed and resumed enjoying the evening. All seemed to be well.
Then came the next morning. Bethana was beside herself; Ameiko was missing.
You investigated her rooms and found no sign of struggle. What you did find, written in Minkaian, was a letter from a person named Tsuto. Bethana informed you that Tsuto was Ameiko's half-brother, a result of their mother's affair with an Elven man. It was well known that Tsuto had never had Lonjiku's love. Tsuto had had a bad reputation in Sandpoint before disappearing. No one had known he was back.
The letter asked Ameiko to meet him at the Glassworks, a business run by Lonjiku. The letter also implicated Lonjiku in the Goblin attack on Sandpoint. You decided to go to the Glassworks and investigate.
You found most of the building abandoned. However, upon investigating the furnace room where glass was made, you found a macabre sight. The Goblins had murdered the workers, and were hacking apart their bodies and attempting to pour molten glass on them in a macabre mockery of art. You engaged them in combat. Before long, from a chamber you had yet to explore, more Goblins and a Half-Elf appeared as reinforcements. The Half-Elf fought well, using a combination of martial arts techniques and bardic magic, but you overcame him, managing to keep him alive for capture and questioning.
With time to explore you were now able to see the most gruesome feature in the room. In a chair, you were able to see what was once Lonjiku Kaijutsu. He'd been strapped down and had great planes of molten glass poured onto him, killing him in agonizing fashion while simultaneously preserving his body in a grim display.
Upon searching the Half-Elf, you found his journal and confirmed his identity as Tsuto Kaijutsu. The journal held many other pieces of information. One was that Tsuto was involved in planning the raid on Sandpoint. You also learned of a tribe of Goblins called the Thistletop, and it was implied they were dominating other tribes. Another piece of information was that the initial raid was meant to distract the town while Father Tobyn's bones were stolen, and that another raid was being planned.
You found out several names; Bruthazmus, Ripnugget and Malfeshnekor. You've not yet had time to properly find out anything about them.
You also found out about someone Tsuto referred to as his "love". He speaks of her burning her father's remains on Thistletop, and removing her "Celestial Taint". You remember that Father Tobyn had a daughter called Nualia, and you had heard that she was an Aasimar...but from everything you had been told, Nualia had died in the fire that also claimed Tobyn's life.
Finally, and of most immediate importance, the journal referenced tunnels underneath the Glassworks and you had yet to find Ameiko. You secured the prisoner and descended down. One of the rooms did happen to have Ameiko, who has bound and beaten unconscious. After a bit of healing, she came around, but was clearly out of it. You decided to take her back to safety and take your prisoner to Sheriff Hemlock, and then returned to explore below the Glassworks.
You found exceedingly strange creatures, aberrations that you identified as Sinspawn. As you wound your way through the tunnels, you found a minor demon, a Quasit, and defeated her. She summoned one of the Sinspawn from a type of well using her blood, and you were able to put together your knowledge and ascertain that any blood would do, and that the well only had the power to disgorge a few more such creatures. You theorized it would run out of power if you summoned enough of them, and you were right.
In these tunnels, you did find several bizarre things. There was a shrine to Lamashtu, Mother of Monsters, profaned with unholy water. There were disturbing remains of creatures that had clearly been magically experimented on. There was a room that gravity seemed to be suspended in, and along the walls, occasionally Thassalonian runes would flash. There was a three-armed Goblin, seemingly insane and full of a berserk rage.
Despite these strange challenges, you persevered, surviving and emptying the tunnels beneath the Glassworks of threats. You informed the Sheriff of the tunnels, and Hemlock took steps to keep a watch on them.
Ameiko had not been close to her father, but his loss, especially in the manner that it occurred, shook her. Tsuto has not been a helpful captive; Hemlock will not allow torture even if any of you might have suggested it, and non-magical means of coercion seem to have failed thus far. You have yet to try magical means.
Ameiko contacted an ally of hers, an Elven ranger named Shalelu, who had many run-ins with Goblins around Sandpoint. After sharing information with her, Shalelu gave you some in return. Bruthazmus is a particularly nasty Bugbear, one she has been able to get the upper hand on despite running into him several times. Ripnugget is the Warchief of the Thistletop Goblins. The Thistletop Goblins have subjugated several other Goblin tribes in the region, such as the Birdcrunchers and Toadeaters, because they have gained powerful new "longshanks" allies. Shalelu believes that another Goblin raid on Sandpoint, with the gathered strength of the Goblin tribes, would be too much. However, most of the Goblin's might were still in their tribal territories as far as the Elf knew. If you hurried, you could make it to Thistletop and take out the Thistletop Goblins and their allies, which should reduce the Goblins back to their normal contentious states and tribal rivalries.
At this point, your party is getting ready to travel to Thistletop. If you have any gold to spend, you may do so.
If there are any questions, please let me know. Once you've all dotted in and updated your profiles, we can get started!
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Hey everyone, thank you for selecting me GM - delighted to do this. I love small games like this! :D
Hopefully my tagline is suitably detailed. Listing spells will be tricky since both sides are spontaneous so I'm just tracking spell slots right now.
I approve heartily of Standard Operating Procedures - please do roll for Sio (and Shadow) looking for traps etc.
The link to RollD20 doesn't work right now. :)
Fluff and some more background for Sio.
1. Sio has lived in Sandpoint all of her life, some 37 years. Unfortunately she still looks like an 11 year old girl.
2. She doesn't like many people in the town due to how she's been treated over the years. Ameiko, Brodert Quink and Mayor Derevin are the only people she seems to actively like. Sheriff Balor and Father Zanthus she tolerates (aka. speaks politely to).
3. While around Aldren she will have been playing the 11 yr old to the hilt.
4. It was only in the glassworks that you all met her alter-ego, Siobhan the Shadow. She's asked you all to keep it a secret from everyone in Sandpoint.
5. She knows a lot about Thassalonia.
Anything else just say :D Also - is anyone willing to pretend she's their daughter? :)
Hey all, don't have a lot of time to make a detailed response right now, but one should be coming later tonight.
TLDR version:
1) This is the social identity of my character. All of you would be familiar with him as a good natured traveling merchant that originally had come to town for the festival, but stayed after the troubles made it plain that the town and its heroes might need additional supplies. The vigilante identity, Blade's Shadow, would have helped out during the assault and in the subsequent problems that have occurred. You would know that he is very adamant on punishments being doled out for crimes being committed, small or large.
2) I have not used R20 before, so I might need some assistance with that portion. I am somewhat of a fast learner though.
3) As a standard operating procedure, Shadow will usually attempt to be stealthy prior to fights, attempting to ambush his foes unawares. To that end he will likely use his magic to aid in being stealthy or distracting from where he really is (ghost sound is a fun ability). He may or may not have previously used that with a phantom image of his social identity to trick townfolk into not asking why the two of them were never seen together.
Will circle back and post more later. Thanks for the selection and looking forward to playing with you all!
And this is Valari's.... more combat oriented form.
Any time there has been danger, Blade's Shadow has been there. He has volunteered to go with the others to Thistletop, as justice has yet to be met upon these goblin intruders and their leadership.
The sheriff will be happy to see him go, if only so that he no longer has to hear his insistence on Tsuto's execution... or ideas on ways to make it more "fitting".
So a few things about the way these two work together:
Valari started out as a merchant, pure and simple, until he bought the black blade from a weary, burned out adventurer. The blade... almost dominates him when unsheathed, forcing him to hunt injustice and lawbreakers. For its part, it channels power through him in such a manner as to prevent others from readily identifying his true identity... and augmenting him in ways to better hunt criminals.
Valari, though, just wants to be a merchant. He fights the blade's will often, resisting its powers in order to have a normal life. When you see him next to his stall he will often look tired, though friendly.
After some thought, I believe Val will have a decent supply of metals in bulk, as well as several finished metal products. He does not make anything himself, mind you, but he is willing to defer some cost of raw goods for payment in processed ones, which he then brings to places like Sandpoint that might not have them. I will get an exact split on what portion of his wealth is invested in what soon.
And this is Siobhan's better/worse/scarier half. :)
This version of Siobhan actually looks like a woman in her mid-thirties, very gaunt and with a drawn face. Her eyes are constantly glowering and her fingers are always slightly curled, as though she is constantly about to rip into someone or something.
Stats will be done soon :)
Hey everyone first off I just wanted to thank Ragnarok for picking me, I really look forward to the extra work you'll be adding it makes me very excited for whats ahead.
Sorry for the late check in, I live in the UK but I work from home 90% of the time so shouldn't have any problem keeping up with posting.
Standard Operating Procedures - Makes sense to me, We always setup the basics like that in other games I'm in. I'm also guessing Valari/blades shadow will be our front line(As much as we need one) with Siobhan and then me as marching order? Although I will be mostly ranged/ I can still switch hit if needs be. I'll also be picking up trap finding and I can stealth decently.
Valari's you confused me for a moment there with two aliases but then I noticed the Vigilante, I've never played with a Vigilante before this should be pretty interesting.
1. Torvin is a hunter, although the hunted bigger prey than boars and elk. He's from a family of monster hunters and was in Sandpoint by change seeking out monsters to make a name for himself since he was always living in the shadow of his brother and looked down apone by his parents(Preferring to command in battle and use a bow).
He would be one of the first to volunteer and would relish the fame that came with helping out the town but always attempting to hide how happy it made him to help people.
His Bard side is more along the lines of pointing out where to attack from and where to strike.
2. Torvin and Shadows blade would see eye to eye on a lot of things. (Your will to volunteer/ your insistence on Tsuto's execution) As party members would we know of Shadow/Valari is one and the same?
3.Torvin would look to protect Siobhan Sable but have seen a lot in his time growing up and would cause of Siobhan the Shadow, but welcoming of what she brings to the group and happy to see Siobhan is more than meets the eye.
4.I've used R20 only a little bit and that was awhile ago, if I'm doing anything wrong please just let me know.
No, neither would know the two are the same person, at least yet.
First time playing one as well. Not sure he would be a "front liner" so much as "scout/assassin", at least until the fighting starts. He gets 2d8 bonus damage vs anyone who doesn't know he is there or considers him an ally. This drops to 2d4 for flanking or denied its dexterity bonus... still useful, but it is the difference between dealing 3 times my normal weapon damage and about 2 times it... before factoring in crit strikes.
As such, he will likely take advantage of a lot of magus concealment spells and his decent stealth bonuses to ambush foes before they even know he is there.
One last thing... Shadow and Val have very different opinions on some things. Val thinks Tsuto deserves a trial for what he has done, but doesn't necessarily think he is beyond salvation. His blade, on the other hand, thinks that it was foolish to even bring him back... execution was possible and preferable, given his actions.
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So Torvin and Sio know of each other... interesting. Given your age you weren't alive when Sio first 'became ill', so you'll always have known her as a slightly weird looking child - meeting the Shadow will have been eye opening I imagine but Sio will really appreciate acceptance, since its not something she's been able to take for granted.
As to party role I think Torvin is our front man - biggest HD etc. Ideal battle formation is probably Torvin flanked by the two Shadows, with Sio at the back helping. Sio is also well suited to being party face - but she looks like she's 11... this could be interesting/fun/difficult to work around! :D
"Is it a midget?"
Get used to that question :p
I'll get the first game post up soon now that everyone has checked in
@Valari/Siobhan I understand I might have to step up and take the front line for now then since I have the health maybe not the AC :P But I can work as a switch hitter for now. At 6th I'll probably take Point Blank Master so I can fire into melee and keep my ranged potential.
@Siobhan Maybe not know know, but understands there are people out there like you with gifts that might look strange to other people but aren't. But if you want us to have a passing knowledge of each other maybe you knew my father he was quite high up in the 'adventuring/monster hunting world'
I'm happy with that front line. Now lets get to it!
Updated with personally owned equipment that I had to pay for... I didn't throw my spellbook or starter garb on there, will amend that later.
Prior to setting out, Val would have left town in social identity on the premise of going to visit some of the outlying towns or some such. He then would have changed into vigilante form and met up with the other two. He has not changed form since, and likely will not again until they return to Sandpoint.
"Is it a midget?"
Get used to that question :p
"How much do you like your intestines?" will be the counter question :P
You'll probably find they are quite...attached to them (I'll go away now please don't throw tomatoes)
So in theory I have joined the game on R20, but not seeing anything when I click "Join game"... also not seeing any options to create a character page for it.
Like I said, never used it before... so assistance will be required with that element.
You won't see anything until I create a token, give it sight and assign it to your profile, which I have. You can click on the Journal button in the upper right to pull up your character journal. The map is also quite large so if all you see is black, try zooming out to see if you can see anywhere on the map
Ok, pretty sure I have things working... just waiting on bad guy's perception to determine his actions.
Sorry about the lack of updates, guys. I had a sudden infestation and had to have my place tented, and failed to grab my laptop. All is well now and regular updates will resume!
Hey guys and gals.
So posting this in all my games. My job is sending me south (closer to the path of the hurricane) for additional training, so I might not have internet for a few days, depending.
I will post as I am able, but that might not be all that much (even after the hurricane) as I have been told to expect longish hours. Feel free to bot me as needed. I should be there for about three weeks, give or take.
Regards!
Understandable!
Thanks for the heads up.
Stay save!
Having to post from my phone for now, but safe from the bulk of the storm.
Hey gang. Put up a recruitment for a Lord of The Rings game, check it out if you're interested!
I'll take a look.
He did mention that he'd be unavailable for large stretches due to work. If he doesn't get anything up soon I'll just bot him.
Hello everyone,
Quick update on posting; I had some close friends and family at the concert in Las Vegas that were injured in the attack. They will recover just fine but I've just gotten back driving them back from Vegas, and am going to spend the next couple of days making sure they have everything they need.
I might get a post up tomorrow if I find myself with some time but if not, regular updates will resume on Monday.
That’s no problem at all Rag, no pressure here take all the time you need I’m glad to hear their ok.
Transmission received.... signal strength weak....
Origin: Blocked
Message cypher.... decoded. Beginning playback:
Hey all,
I am- <corrupted code> -ery sorry that this took so long to get out.
Good news first: I am alive and very much kicking. My training at- <corrupted code> -is completed,
and I have somewhat more reliable internet connection.
Bad news: My job has sent me abroad, and as such my work hours have increased. Worse, my internet is not
as reliable as it was stateside. This is not to say that I cannot resume play again (assuming there is a
spot for me still... I know I was gone for a bit, and if I have been replaced I understand) just to say
that I might be only able to post once or twice a day.
At- <corrupted code> -ny rate, glad to be somewhat back and hoping that y'all are doing well!
Regards,
The Emerald Duke
End Transmission.
Certainly still a spot and once or twice a day is just fine.
Welcome Back!
@Emerald Duke- have you been called away once more?
Hey gang! Sorry about the lack of updates; I've been zonked out on pain meds from a back injury. Thankfully I'm all better. Updates will resume on Monday!
As Emerald Duke has been unresponsive, I'll recruit another character before we move along.