Welcome and congratulations!
Please take the next day or so to nail down exactly why you are in the caravan that arrived in Sandpoint and flesh out any pre-existing relationships if desired.
Okay, wow, this is the largest party I've ever been in. Give me a second to hunt down the prerequisite equipment for an animal trainer. I can afford two training harnesses along with the rest of my equipment. I'm thinking horses and dogs. Any thoughts?
Greetings and salutations. :)
Glad I checked the thread before going to bed.
Zella will be glad to have pre-existing relationships with anyone that wants one.
Zella would have joined up with any caravan heading towards Sandpoint when she learned about the festival and temple dedication. Her cards told her that it was important for her to be there for it. Plus, festival are always good places to make money. :)
Salutations returned! Greatly looking forward to this.
Arduino is on the caravan because he needs the money and because entertaining strangers is vaguely interesting.
As far as pre-existing relationships go, I'll have a crawl through your backstories and see any he might warm up to (or not, as the case may be).
Here is some information about the mechanical side of this game:
Combat:
I will roll initiative for everyone at the beginning of combat. Enemies will be grouped together for the most part. Within your initiative group, you may act in any order. That means that if 5 of you are consecutive in initiative, those 5 may act in whatever order they choose. This will help keep combat moving.
On the same note, I will not wait more than 24 hours to move on with combat. Fall behind, left behind.
We will try freeform combat to start, but if we decide we don't like it, I can do grids. That means that you will have to be descriptive in your posts so that everyone understands what you are doing.
Other Mechanics:
I expect you to take the initiative for rolling skills. Don't wait for me to ask for a knowledge check; make one. The worst that could happen is nothing.
I like to use a little thing I call "flux time." Sometimes, in order to preserve a fast pace, a character will say something and then take an action in the same post. I another character wants to continue interaction with the first half of the post but not the second, simply put your continued dialogue in a spoiler with the name of the person you are addressing. That way, dialogue can happen between two or three players without making all the rest wait.
My Style:
I'm all about putting the spotlight on the you, the players. Don't be afraid to try crazy things and pull moves that aren't in the rules. I'll make it work.
Player skill does count for something. Just because your character has a charisma score equal to that of a decaying stump, doesn't mean that he/she can never put together a rousing battle speech. If you write up a killer speech/description/dialogue, that's worth more than any roll.
This will be extremely fast-paced. I want to actually make progress in the game, so we will be blazing right along. If you want to digress on a tangent, do it quickly.
I'm always open for questions. I'm the kind of GM who isn't afraid to just make a decision on the fly, so I don't intend to lay out guidelines for everything here and now. We can just let come what may.
GM Created info about the caravan:
Just a few things that I'm adding on to the caravan structure.
The caravan is organized by a man named Elric. He is big, strong, and single. However, he is also fair and worship Desna devoutly. He does not make decisions for the caravan as much as he facilitates discussion and votes. He is a strong believer in personal liberty, so there are no real rules of the caravan as long as each member does not damage any other's well being.
The caravan has about 75 people in it. Enough that you know of everyone else, but may not actually know some folks. The numbers stay mostly stable, with a few fringe layers constantly changing out and a few inner layers staying mostly the same.
The caravan is Zestlian's world, he's been traveling with the same core group of people for his whole life. It has come to the point where he sees a lifetime of constant travel as sacred task, an act of devotion to Desna.
There were a few suggestions for my character that I rather liked. Zelladanyia's mother as the cleric who inspired him to embrace Desna is great. I like having Eleshanto as a hunting buddy, and the notion I might help train non-martial characters in a little swordplay.
I'm afraid my insistence on carrying around a greatsword and a longbow has left me cash poor so I can't join Adventus in purchasing animal handling gear. But Zestlian would have probably often been called on him to assist with those duties.
Don't worry too much about purchasing animal gear. We can assume that you own that stuff as part of the caravan. Besides, you'll be leaving a lot of that behind to go adventuring, anyway.
-I would greatly prefer grids, I find 'free-form' combat just gets confusing and leads to many questions which basically come down to 'where the heck am i?'. That said, we are a level 1 party so knowing specific distances may not be necessary
-Adventus, I don't think you and Arduino will like eachother, you because he seems a young lazy civilian layabout, Arduino because the concept of an army and military service is beyond his experience.
-Zelladanyia, I'm guessing you'd have a bit more patience and might get along reasonably well with him.
-Zestlian, your 'paen to the gods' and wandering lifestyle would be quite familiar to Arduino's druidic roots, I'd suggest you two would be good acquaintances, possibly friends?
I love grids, but not as much as a happy GM. It doesn't have to be all one or the other anyway.
Arduino, we can be friends! Just be ready for some ribbing about your layabout demeanor.
|
hello all.
glad to be in the game
And hi to Zella - what up cuz
here is My take on relationships (just a start)
1) Noro and Zella are cousins (Zella mother is Noro's mother's sister)
2) Aventus and Noro -- friends most likely not sure on anything more
3) Arduino -- not sure Noro would not like his laziness
4) Zestlian -- I liked the idea of him trying to keep Noro from "blowing a fuse" so to speak when she is ridculed I picture him and Noro spending some time together as friends
5) Nicat -- I can only imagine him teasing Noro in their youth possibly even being the boy that Noro beat up in the market place (see her backstory)
6) Sylvan -- He looks like the kind of character Noro might like but she would never admit that. she knows nothing of his past
7) Eleshanto -- probably just aquaintenances at the moment, until he learns Noro knows people at both the hagfish and the feedbag.
well there is my first attempt to tie us together please add thoughts, objections, or enhancements.
@Arduino
You're assuming his brief time in the military has completely colored his personality. Ventus is a pretty laid back guy. However, if Arduino's behavior follows the usual tactical progression of most caster (hold back until things get ugly then start blowing things up), he may still peg him as unreliable and treat him pretty dismissively.
@Noro
I get a feeling most of their interactions up to this point have likely consisted of Noro dealing out some violence and Ventus hanging back and trying to decide whether he should be helping Noro or providing first aid to the poor saps she has been wailing on.
Hi all! Very glad to be in the mix with you. Thanks for including me, Jacob.
I'll study up on those of you I haven't read closely, and suggest any connections that come to mind. I've been with the caravan for several months, but am still something of a new kid.
@Zella - I'd like to explore the family relationship, especially to build some intra-party loyalties, but it seems you already have a cousin in the group, not sure if you need a half-sib as well. Let me know what you think.
@Zestlian - glad you'll be able to teach me to use the swords.
@Sylvan - can you say "flanking buddy?"
@Noro - Nicat isn't much of a teaser, but he might have managed to annoy you enough that he got a pounding anyway - though he's pretty quick. I think we're both a bit different from the mainstream, so we might have gotten along okay.
@Eleshanto - first round's on me!
Got some reading and dreaming to do!
Oh, and by the way, my first name is not pronounced nick-it, which someone said who read it, but nigh-cat - a significance I didn't think of when I came up with it, but that fits my acrobatic, dexterous, apparently nine-lived self. Though I guess nick-it fits a rogue well enough.
@Adventus- I suppose I am, sorry. And yep, at level 1 with only 3 lv1 spells per day, Arduino will be holding back quite a bit.
@Noro- If you're patient enough he's an okay fellow but yeah does come off as a little bit unlikeable because of his laziness.
@Zestlian- Excellent :)
@Jacob - minor skill question - can I use Dex as the relevant stat for my juggling skill, rather than Cha? It makes more sense, and I'd like to be good at it, if it's the reason I'm useful to the caravan.
Thanks
@Arduino
If you had more skill ranks to toss around I would almost suggest putting a few in handle animal as Ventus forcefully takes you under his wing to learn how to be a drover but Bluff, Spellcraft and UMD are far more useful and should not be sacrificed for the sake of story.
Hmm I could sacrifice my HP level bonus for a point to put into handle animal, do you think droving would be worth it as RP-material?
You're way too squishy to do that. You've got a good charisma score and would have a decent chance of handling an appropriately equipped animal. If you hit a good plateau later you might want to consider it for the sake of flavor but it actually seems more in character for Arduino to be half-assing it
Hooray! I am excited.
Okay, so Sylvan has been with the caravan for four years. Elric will know about his past, I don't see Elric as the type of guy that would let him be with the caravan for a long period without telling him at least about his past. So Elric knows who he is and why he is hiding. Sylvan tries to keep a fairly low profile (he will leave seducing mayors daughters to Eleshanto)and when ever the caravan gets close to Magnimar he becomes a ghost.
There are others in sand point that know who he is and what his story is. He looks too much like his father for them to not recognize him. Daviren Hosk is one(see campaign trait Friends and Enemies), and Father Zantus would be another.
He has spoken to the others about his past but avoids specifics about Hawke and why he had to leave Magnimar.
He would probably get on pretty well with Adventus,Zestlian,Nicat, and Eleshanto. I am not to sure about Arduino, the lazyness might get on his nerves.
@Zestlian-Zestlian would have to endure a bit of good natured harassment because of his peity.
@Adventus-Adventus will get teased about being grumpy.
@Nicat-he will go along with Nicat's profession of being blessed by Desna and take to rubbing his head "for Luck".
@Eleshanto-Eleshanto would be given the nickname songbird or maybe peacock.
@Noro-If he has had a chance to see Noro fight he will have asked her to show him some moves.
If you guys okay with this I will work these ideas into RP. If not let me know.
Wow, went to bed too early last night. Thanks for the selection. Can't wait to get started!
Nicat and Sylvan - are you two both ok getting targeted with disappearing act?
I am okay with that. after all the best place to stab someone is in the back.
For the grid thing, I know that it's a little different. I actually love grids myself, but I'm willing to sacrifice them if it helps speed things up. If we hate it, we an always just start using grids.
@Nicat - Of course. I'll even add another general principle of my play style: If you ask a sensible question, the answer is yes. Do what works for you.
Nicat and Sylvan - are you two both ok getting targeted with disappearing act?
I'm more than okay with it, I'm looking forward to it.
@Jacob - great - thanks for the sensible answer and even more for the broad, sensible approach.
As to the grids - I'll be doing a lot of acrobatics and flanking, so grids may be helpful, but I'm good with starting without them and seeing how it goes. Let's all try to remember to check in in a while and evaluate how it seems to be going.
I opened the gameplay thread up so that we can dot it. I know that's helpful for keeping up with developments.
1) Noro - Being big on the importance of family, Zella would have welcomed Noro with open arms when she joined up with their caravan. I imagine that the more girly Zella has often tried to get Noro to be less tomboy-ish, though she has likely given up hope of ever getting Noro into any dresses.
2) Aventus - Zella probably hasn't gotten to know the outsider too well yet though she has surely noticed one of the few non-Varisian's in the caravan. His blond hair does stick out a bit amidst all the dark. She has yet to decide if he's worth flirting with though.
3) Arduino - Though a bit more patient than most, Zella is likely to have had to scold you for laying about when there was work to done on at least one or two occasions. Though it was likely done to save you from being spotted by one of the elders who would have given you a much worse scolding and possibly extra chores as punishment.
4) Zestlian - Due to his piety, he and Zella likely have frequent talks of a relgious nature in addition to a little bit of flirting since they are about the same age.
5) Nicat - Another target for some occasional flirting (yes, Zella is known to flirt with about any male around her age). I would also imagine that given his occasional accidents, Zella has tended to him on quite a few occasions as one of the healers of the caravan since the elder healer probably couldn't have been bothered to see about his little mishaps.
6) Sylvan - A slightly older target for some flirting, though Zella likely hasn't had a chance to actually get to know Sylvan yet.
7) Eleshanto - With an 18 charisma, I'm sure Eleshanto gets more than his fair share of flirting from Zella. As a "talker" for the caravan, he has probably steered a number of people to Zella for services in fortunetelling and the two of them likely have some actual conversations aside from her attempts at flirting.
Here are some notions about relationships I'd have with the rest of the party. Let me know if you want to tweak/remove/whatever.
@Adventus – we probably don’t have a ton in common, but I may bug you about flying on a hippogriff - what could be more exciting?
@Zella - half-sib, imagined or real, gives me a sense of loyalty to you – I’m probably less dedicated than you in my approach to Desna – I feel like she chose me, and I may take it for granted a bit
@Zestlian – you’re teaching me swordplay, which I appreciate – you’re probably a good deal more serious than I am about it, but I enjoy the play of it and it has made us friendly toward each other
@Eleshanto – I think we’ll be drinking & performing buddies, and likely support each other in fighting. I can also help with hunting, as I’m good with my bow and quite sneaky. I’m a good deal less suave and polished than you, so while you’re talking up the barmaid, I’m more likely to be wondering if I could make it to the top of the cathedral tower in the dark.
@Noro – it seems like we’d know each other from growing up, but perhaps not have been very close – now that we’re two Sandpointers travelling with the caravan, we probably gravitate towards each other as familiar faces
@Sylvan – you’re a lot more worldly than me, having grown up in the big city – but perhaps we knew each other as little kids in Sandpoint? Maybe we vaguely remember each other, but haven’t yet raised the issue, and can do that in play? For the time being, I’m happy to be your good luck charm
@Arduino - I may not have a ton of patience with your laziness, as I’m more of a never-sit-still type – but I haven’t seen a lot of magic and I’d probably find your abilities quite fascinating
Zella - I like the angle of your tending to me after my brushes with less than perfect luck. I'll emphasize that and my suspicion that you and I may be related. That way your flirting with me will be a bit confusing to me, giving some roleplay fodder, but I'll still feel like I should look out for you, in case you're the sister I never had.
Now I'm thinking about Luke and Leia...
Now I'm thinking about Luke and Leia...
I cannot believe I didn't think of that. I even have R2D2 as my ringtone, and my partner is named Lea. And I didn't think of it.
Well we've got a plethora of dashing rogues to play Han but I'm the only one that'll be able to fly.
Also if it turns out the Runelord is your father, I may have to fly away and never look back.
@Sylvan:
Compared to the positively bombastic crew we have so far, Ventus is a stick in the mud.
@Zella
Yeah, he does stick out in the crowd of brown and black haired Varisians. Their paths wouldn't really cross ll that often in the course of a typical day. He is not one of the entertainers and is usually working with the animals. He may show up for the occasional fortunetelling when he is feeling out of sorts
@Nicat
That may take a little time, he won't be able to use a hippogriff as an animal companion until 4th level
You are going to have to tell me where you got an R2D2 ringtone. :)
@ventus: This is something sylvan will point out frequently
@Nicat
That may take a little time, he won't be able to use a hippogriff as an animal companion until 4th level
I know the mechanics of it - but Nicat can still bug Ventus about wanting to try it until we're 4th level.
Yeah, PCs tend to blast through the first four levels anyway.
Once I have the gold for it I'll buy one.
We have begun! The first post of the adventure is up in the gameplay thread. By all means continue working out relationships and stories here, though, too.
arrgh you can't add more dice rolls to the middle of a post without messing up all the rolls that come later. I hope the dice are kinder the next time I do some gambling if not I am going to have to change my profession to beggar.
arrgh you can't add more dice rolls to the middle of a post without messing up all the rolls that come later. I hope the dice are kinder the next time I do some gambling if not I am going to have to change my profession to beggar.
Is that why you have that box-within-a-box look on your gameplay post? I was about to PM you to ask you how you did it when I saw your discussion post. So the order in which you enter the dice rolls is important? That's good to know.
part of me was hoping that the role would come out badly enough that I could have hit you Nicat. That would have been hilarious.
part of me was hoping that the role would come out badly enough that I could have hit you Nicat. That would have been hilarious.
I knew it was a possibility going in, but I asked myself the question "What's the worst that could happen?" The answer was that I'd get hit with an arrow, lose my balance, and plumment to my death. But I was feeling lucky.
Thanks for playing along with it!
Excellent roleplay everyone! This is looking very good already.
Are there any shops or stalls set up apart from the games?
@Ventus - There are stores around town selling all sorts of things.
Everyone check out this guide to Sandpoint:
Hey gang - I've been posting pretty heavily and was going to hold off for a moment to give others some time, but went ahead since I was first in initiative.
I'm really enjoying this character, so am checking the posts a lot, but if I'm hogging air time, please let me know.
one of my traits Friends and Enemies grants me a trained and equiped heavy horse that I think needs some background with it. It may be utter crap but I hope you all enjoy it. lol
Three years earlier
Goblin Squash Stables
The first time Sylvan returned to Sandpoint
Daviren Hosk?
The question from the shadows stopped the owner of the Goblin squash Stables in his tracks. The stable had been closed for several hours and there should not have been anyone there but him. He was just there to make a final check on the horses before retiring for the night. He knew who ever it was wasn’t there to rob the stable, if he had been he wouldn’t have called attention to himself. That meant he was here for some other more personal reason.
Are you Daviren Hosk?
The voice from the shadows asked again. There was a soft scuffing sound as the speaker drew closer moving out of the deep shadows into the dim light. The appearance of the man that emerged from the darkness stopped the old rangers whirling mind.
Jal? he asked the man in the shadows. Is that you Jal? He raised the lantern in his hand higher and squinted at his visitor.
I am afraid not Master Hosk. the man said as he stepped further into the light. Fully in the light Daviren could see that this man was not his old friend Jal Quinn. The resemblance was striking but this man was too young, too young by at least twenty years.
My name was Korr, I am Jal Quinn’s son. I am sorry about coming to see you under such strange circumstances Master Hosk, but I couldn’t risk having this conversation in public.
Well you look enough like your father that I can believe you are who you say you are. You scared me half to death boy, hiding in the shadows like that. the old man looks his young visitor over. He was definitely Jal Quinn’s son he looked exactly like his father did at eighteen when he hired him to work in the stable, but Jal Quinn never carried a rapier like this boy did. Can’t be more than eighteen, that makes him the same age little Korr would be now.
What do you mean you couldn’t risk having this conversation in public? The older man turned and continued to check the horses in their stalls, expecting that the younger man would follow him, which he did after a moment hesitation.
Master Hosk, my name is Sylvan Hawke now. I had to change my name. There are some people in Magnimar that are looking for Korr Quinn. I couldn’t risk you recognizing me and unintentionally giving me away.
People looking for you eh, and I will bet they don’t mean to do you well if they find you, do they? the old man stopped and turned to the younger man. Well lets, go to my office were we can sit down and you can tell me your story.
Sylvan followed Daviren Hosk to his office. Over the next couple of hours he sat and told the older man everything that had happened after his family left Sandpoint. His father being crippled, his mother dying of fever, Hawke Whilwren, his father’s death, and the events leading up to his fleeing Magnimar. He held nothing back. When he finished he sat still and waited for Hosk to respond.
I can’t tell you how sorry I am to hear about your parents boy. the old man said after sitting quietly for a long moment. Your father was a good man. He saved my life when we were fighting the bonegrinder’s. Your mother was a good woman too, a bit foolish about somethings, but a good woman.
Daviren Hosk leans back in his chair and studies the young man sitting across his desk from him. So, how can I help you? What do you want from me?
All I need you to do is keep my secret Master Hosk. Don’t let on that I am anyone other than Sylvan Hawke. That’s what you can do for me. That and tell me who else might recognize me as Jal Quinn’s son. Sylvan leaned forward anxious to hear what the older man’s answer would be. Hosk frowned, and stared at the young man, the boy really. Hosk stood and smiled at Sylvan.
I think I can do a bit more for you than keep quiet. Come with me boy, if you are going to be travelling with a caravan I got something that you will find useful.
Sylvan - very nice - I do love depth and detail in a backstory - seems like it was fun to write that.
Nicat and Sylvan, you're up next
Not sure if you want us to post in initiative order. I'm going to go ahead and post my move so I can have it in before I go to work in the morning.
Eleshanto could you use your disappearing act on the little girl? you are probably not in range to do that yet but can you only use it on cooperative characters or can it be used on anyone?
I could and was definitely considering that as a possibility, but I think the range is going to be a similar problem with her.
I was thinking that for the goblin to have it's prey suddenly vanish leaving it standing there in confusion would be a good thing. goblins aren't that bright I would think the confusion would give you all some bonuses when you go to attack it. you have to be within 30 feet of the goblin to pull the trick. so I see it happening like this. you vanish the girl. the goblin has to make a saving throw to avoid being confused. if he fails he stops in confusion. you and Nicat reach him and cut him to ribbons before he gets over the confusion and can fight back. just a thought.
To clarify on initiative: I'm doing group initiative. Everyone who is before the enemy move together, then the enemy moves, then everyone after the enemy. In practice, this means that, after the first round, it just goes us, them, us, them. Everyone who acted in the surprise round got their move. Now I am parsing Sylvan's and Nicat's moves since they got initiative before the goblins in regular combat. After the goblins, everyone will get to act before the goblins go again.
However, you can still feel free to post early, just let me know if you are. 8 is a lot to keep track of, after all.
I'll wait till after the gobs