For out of character discussions and strategy talk.
This thread simulates around the table discussion.
What is the name of the city where we are starting at? or the closest city.
I was looking over a Greyhawk map and the free city of Cauldron seems close to the Amedio Jungle.
Cauldron??! Do you really want to start a game in that city?? For the record, that is the city where the Shackled City AP takes place...he he.
just asking really I am trying to customize Talon's story to best fit the adventure.
However the story I have so far Cauldron would actually work but it does not mean that we have to start there, It could just be where Talon grew up.
Also I did not know the Shackled city AP was Greyhawk
PFS is a laughably simple reason for a group to be working together. Since that doesn't exist in Greyhawk do we need to come up with a premis or will one be provided in Gameplay?
Sasserine is on the way south. It was the start point for Savage Tide and as a sea port it makes a decent home for Talon. The most salubrious quarter was Shadowshore. Very dodgy place.
That's from memory.
cheers
Well the alias made and updating profile
left blanks in the backstory to be filled in Once the starting point is decided upon.
You start at Duxchang, the equivalent of London at the height of British Colonial power and journey to the jungles to the south.
thanks
Plenty of dodgey places. Thieves run rampant. In some places human life is very cheap.
Trading posts in the jungle are a dangerous place too.
I know most do not really read others back stories.
even GM's usually skim through if they are too lengthy.
unfortunately Talon's story is written as just that "a story" I broke it into chapters (there are more to come probably) but I courage all to take a read and give some feedback.
possibly once you do read it. you may understand why I was asking about the starting city.
@GM tribute / Samduc: If you have read the section of Janna's story title Assassins and friends. Talon was originally scripted to be the assassin sent after Janna.
I hope to expand Talon's story to include his induction into the thieves guild
Checking in. If you don't have other plans for that shaman GM Tribute, Bikmalu can be him and go with the group. If you do, I'll have Bikmalu be a shaman who joined them along the way.
Perfect! Make Bikmalu the young son of the chief and apprentice shaman.
are we assumed to have journeyed here together and already know each other? except for Bikmalu of course.
I am thinking Talon may be from a seedy Trading Post. Set up to make commerce easy, these trading posts mainly tried to exploit natives by getting local goods and materials ready for shipment back to the Lords of the Isles.
Plan is to have the majority hired by the Lords of the Isles to stop the raiding. They have landed and marched a short distance inland to meet up with the natives.
would it be alright if he spent most of his childhood in Duxchang but moved to one of the trading posts later which is where he is from now.
Perfect!
Milhar, could I play your troubled half-elven daughter? Perhaps my mother died, so I recently found you again and have been dogging your footsteps ever since? A half-elf who does not fully understand her elven heritage, but who has been doing her best to "maker her ancestors proud"?
Mostly just checking in. I don't suppose there's any interesting elven lore to be dug up in these parts?
Added next chapter in the story of Talon.
for those that follow along or at least care for a nice read...
Milhar, could I play your troubled half-elven daughter? Perhaps my mother died, so I recently found you again and have been dogging your footsteps ever since? A half-elf who does not fully understand her elven heritage, but who has been doing her best to "maker her ancestors proud"?
Milhar comes from a place where they probably don't allow halfbreeds. But perhaps he travelled on down towards Duxchang via your home, hoping to meet up with some family for the first time in decades. Then you could have stuck to him like glue - he is a caring wild elf so would let you tag along.
Milhar, could I play your troubled half-elven daughter? Perhaps my mother died, so I recently found you again and have been dogging your footsteps ever since? A half-elf who does not fully understand her elven heritage, but who has been doing her best to "maker her ancestors proud"?Milhar comes from a place where they probably don't allow halfbreeds. But perhaps he travelled on down towards Duxchang via your home, hoping to meet up with some family for the first time in decades. Then you could have stuck to him like glue - he is a caring wild elf so would let you tag along.
Sounds good. So not child but perhaps cousin?
There is not a daughter in the official module, just a personal touch I added that seems popular over the years.
1st ed modules can be a little sparse in the RP department. Any fleshing out is greatly appreciated.
Map will be up soon. Right now you are going down a long twenty foot wide passage. Determine the marching order of the party.
I'd like to be somewhere near the front (although not AT the front), with my snake Bouzz (who takes up a 10' X 10' space) going ahead.
Sandrion would be more than happy to take rear guard. He will also watch behind the group as well, knowing lots of ambushes take place at the rear of the group.
EDIT: I believe Talon should consider scouting ahead of the group as well (depending on what light sources are available.)
OK, so how about this?
Front: Vardlon/William
Bouzz (snake)
Skirros/Milhar
Bikmalu/Talon
Back: Sandrion
Also, Bikmalu, would you be willing to cast your barkskin on my AC Bouzz? He's more likely to be getting into melee than either of us.
I think we need Talon at or near the front with me to watch for traps. Also Unless Vardlon is planning to armor up he may not want to be in the front row. How about this?
Front: Talon/William
Bouzz (snake)/Vardlon
Skirros/Milhar
Bikmalu
Back: Sandrion
That's fine with me, although the snake is a large creature, which means that in a 10' marching order he takes a whole row to himself. So perhaps we move Vardlon to the back to bring up the rear, or put him next to Bikmalu?
I didn't realize that. How's this?
Front: Talon/William
Bouzz (snake)
Skirros/Milhar
Bikmalu/Vardlon
Back: Sandrion
If we're headed in to the dangerous land of dangerous danger, Vardlon would have cast his mage armor spell. He's more of a ranged person than a melee person, so it's probably better to put him towards the back.
hey all I have been out (offline) most of the day, getting caught up now. I will be lite on the posting until later on though but will try and get some responses out there.
Map should appear at top of page or in campaign tab denoted as current map.
Purple squares correspond to 100' of tunnel to save on space.
Blue squares are water, black are tunnel sides. I am experimenting with not using borders as much this time.
Party is entering bottom left to a grotto.
I'm just catching up too, but fine with the order and with casting barkskin on Bouzz.
I have a wand of mage armour too.
Those stack so that would be a good idea too if we want Bouzz tanking.
Indeed.
That would bump his AC up to 24, which is not too bad. Let's go for it!
Hmm, well I'm glad that's all cleared up. That is now a well-armored snake! All he needs now is a deflection modifier!
Anyone with shield of faith :)
Anyone with shield of faith :)
Sadly no clerics in the group ... right? Maybe I'll take my next level in cleric ;)
P.S.: I don't know if folks here are aware of the "traditional" bard that I am going for with Skirros. In 1st ed, you had to take a lot of levels before being able to take one level of bard. To quote wikipedia:
To become a bard, a human or half-elf had to begin with very high ability scores: Strength 15+, Wisdom 15+, Dexterity 15+ and Charisma 15+, Intelligence 12+ and Constitution 10+. These daunting requirements made bards one of the rarest character classes. Bards began the game as fighters, and after achieving 5th level (but before reaching 8th level), they had to dual-class as a thief, and after reaching 5th level as a thief (but before reaching 9th level), they had to dual-class again to druid. Once becoming a druid, the character then progressed as a bard, but under druidic tutelage.
P.P.S.: FYI, I'll be out of town next weekend all day Fri, Sat, and Sun. May have trouble posting regularly during that time (although I can still post in a limited fashion from my phone).
Also, I'm a little confused as to where the statue of the snake-thing is. I thought it was on the "northern" part of the map, but everyone else seems to be down south ...
been in bed sick with the stomach flu since sun. will post shortly
Statue added to the map. I guess people are recovering from the weekend.
There are 4 Canoes and 7 of us so someone will need to be on their own unless we want to triple up in one canoe. I had be thinking we should try and put a ranged person in each boat but perhaps the easiest thing to do is to mirror our matching order in the boats putting talon and William up front. That will keep Talons eyes availible to look for trouble and let William beach first. I am not sure how Talon is at swimming but William has 6 with his armor on so should be ok if the boat sinks.
Vardlon's ready to (try to) put an arrow in a crocodile, but first, where does William want the boat?
Canoes according to AD&D stats were AC 8 with 8 hps. They didn't last long in this encounter for any group.