RavenCrown (Carrion Crown + Ravenloft)

Game Master Gonturan

Gothic horror in Ustalav, with a side helping of Barovia.


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M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

Hello!

Before we get started, I have some houserules and policies to run past the party. None of these are carved in stone, although once we start playing, I don't intend to change my rules unless a unanimous vote says otherwise.

Some of these rules arise from long years of experience as a GM, but a couple are new for me. I hope you'll trust me on both counts as we proceed.

1) No XP
With an AP like Carrion Crown, there is no need to fiddle with experience points. Every character will advance at the same rate, and I'll let you know when it's time to level up, based upon the standard progression written into the AP.

Some GMs award extra XP for good role-play. Don't worry; I have something else in mind for that (see #4 below).

2) A natural 20 always crits
If your weapon's critical range is larger than 20, you will still need to roll to confirm on a 19 or lower. But anyone who rolls a natural 20 on an attack roll does not need to confirm their crit.

This rule applies to both PCs and foes, but on balance, it will benefit you much more than your enemies, because you tend to roll more attacks.

3) (Almost) No attacks of opportunity
This is probably my most controversial houserule, but nearly every player I've gamed with has agreed afterwards that eliminating AoO helps to speed up gameplay and create more dynamic options on the battlemat.

Without having AoO to worry about, your characters can dance around foes, cast spells without having to roll concentration checks, and even go for combat maneuvers when they suit the flavour of the encounter. It's about creating new strategies. It's also about streamlining the initiative order, so that players (and GMs) aren't constantly jumping into each others' turns.

Without AoOs, some abilities and numerous feats become nerfed. I deal with this on a case-by-case basis. Some feats can be retooled (for example, Improved Grapple and similar feats lose the "no AoO" element, but I'd increase the CMB/CMD bonus to +3, to compensate). Some feats can just disappear (you know how annoying it is to have to take Combat Reflexes in order to get to the good feats? Now you don't have to!). As always, I'm open to suggestions, but I get the final say.

If you already have AoO-focused abilities on your character sheet and you're unsure about what to do with them, send me a PM.

Notice I said "Almost" no AoO. I reserve the right to grant an AoO to an NPC (or offer one to a PC) if the circumstances seem extreme. A character who sits down in the middle of combat to read a book, or who tries to grapple two large creatures at once but fails both rolls, or a character who botches an Acrobatics check to pass directly through an opponent's square -- these are times when an extra attack seems warranted. The most common example that comes up is firing a bow, or reloading a crossbow, in melee. That seems like the sort of thing that's liable to get you stabbed, so I would add an AoO -- but whenever I do, I will always give the PC a warning -- "That's going to incur an AoO, I'm afraid" -- and then give you a chance to change your actions.

4) Fate Points
These function a bit like Hero Points from the APG, except I've renamed them because heroism is not always the best choice for a Gothic horror campaign. I've also retooled their uses a bit to account for the likely lack of a healer in the party.

I will award a Fate Point for any post that:

  • Contributes very effectively to the game's atmosphere, either through descriptive imagery or action.
  • Illustrates character traits or story points very effectively, especially if they also contribute to moving the narrative forward.
  • Establishes or builds on relationships between characters.
  • Marks a major turning point for the character, party, or story.

You'll know you get a Fate Point because I will mark that post as one of my favourites.

You can use one Fate Point to do any of the following:

  • Heal yourself, or another PC or NPC, 1d6+your level hp.
  • Remove one basic condition from yourself or another PC, such as shaken, dazzled, or prone. Major conditions like frightened, blinded, or unconscious do not apply.
  • Remove 1d4 points of ability damage from yourself or another PC.
  • Reroll any single d20 roll you just made.
  • If you're stuck, you can spend a Fate Point to get a hint from the GM.

It will largely be your job to keep track of, and remember to use, your Fate Points.

5) Horror Adventures Material
I haven't used anything from Horror Adventures yet, but I'm keen to try. In particular, there is an expanded system for tracking fear that I'll probably bring into play early on.

There are also advanced rules for corruption, which we can apply gradually as we go. And I might dabble with the rules for madness, although I'm not as keen on those as written. We can probably role-play madness without getting caught up in the numbers.

If there are other sub-systems that appeal to you, from Horror Adventures or elsewhere, let me know!

6) Unchained Material
I'm going to try working with the Automatic Bonus Progression system, which kicks in at 3rd level.

I'm also willing to try the Background Skills system, which would effectively grant each of you an extra 2 skill ranks per level, to spend on any of the following: Appraise, Craft, Handle Animal, Knowledge, Linguistics, Perform, Profession, or Sleight of Hand. However, I'm not going to add Artistry and Lore to the list, as I think they are already covered by Craft and Knowledge options.

Phew! That's a lot of houserules. I'll post something about gameplay policies soon, but it won't be as long and not nearly as crunchy. :)

Dark Archive

Male

Hi Scott, I'm GMing a Strange Aeons game in these boards that uses both the madness and the fear rules from the Horror Adventures book, and here are my opinions so far:

Madness: This system isn't specially good, since it can be too hampering to the PCs or not even noticed. For an example, lets say half your players have a high Sanity Threshold (like 3) while the others have a pretty low one (1 or 0). If your 'sanity check trigger' deals high damage so your players with a high threshold can be affected (like 1d6 sanity damage), the other players will constantly be affected... as a player, when you are affected by one madness it could be interesting and fun, but when they start to pile up (since you get one each time you take damage greater than your threshold), it becomes increasingly difficult to RP all of them, plus your character own personality, plus react to the other PCs and NPCs.

Aside from the madness, the sanity becomes just another hp for the players to keep track, albeit with a much less recovering rate.

Fear: This system, on the other hand, is pretty nice! In my game I've divided the fear triggers in two type: Horror Scenes and Horror Creatures. I took the liberty to post these rules her under a spoiler. Oh, and if you take any PC capable of using psychic magic, you'll probably want to make some house-rule about his casting, if not they'll constantly be unable to cast thanks to their emotion component!

Fear Rules and Effects:

Triggers and Durations

Many situations might strike fear in your hearts and the most common are 'Horror Scenes', 'Horror Creatures', and 'Spells or Abilities'.

Horror Scenes: Trully horrific scenes are divided in three categories. 'Mild Horror' (Will DC 10), 'Standard Horror' (Will DC 15), and 'Strong Horror' (Will DC 20). The first time you encounter such horrific scene, you must save against the appropriate difficulty, increasing your 'fear level' by one (never increasing from Lesser Fear to Greater Fear however) until you remains within sight of the triggering scene.

Horror Creatures: The first time you encounter a horrific creature (generally undead and aberrations), you must make a Will save with a DC=10+Creature's CR, or DC=15+Creature's CR in the case of truly horrific creatures. On a failed check you increase your 'fear level' by one (never increasing from Lesser Fear to Greater Fear however) until you remain within sight of the triggering creature.

Spells or Abilities: Anytime you fail an appropriate spell or ability which gives a fear effect, your 'fear level' becomes the new 'fear level' appropriate for the spell or ability (shaken for an intimidate skill check, frightened for a cause fear spell) or increase by one if you current 'fear level' is higher than the one the spell or ability would cause (if shaken and targeted by a demoralize attempt, would become scared). The duration of this fear effect last as normal for the spell or ability.

Fear Levels:
Lesser Fear

1.Spooked: The nature of your surroundings or events that you have witnessed makes you uneasy. You take a –2 penalty on saving throws against fear effects and on Perception checks, as your mind conjures potential horrors in every shadow. However, you are ready to face danger, and gain a +1 circumstance bonus on initiative checks.

2.Shaken: Fear has taken hold of you and you are no longer thinking or acting clearly. You take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.

3.Scared: You are noticeably afraid, jumping at shadows and easily panicked by odd sights and unexplained noises. You take all of the penalties of the shaken condition, except the penalty on saves against fear effects becomes –4. In addition, if being subject to a lesser fear effect would increase your fear level, you are staggered for 1 round instead.

Greater Fear
4.Frightened: You are so afraid that you must flee from the source of your fear. On your turn, you must move away from any source of fear you perceive. Once you can no longer perceive any source of fear, you can act as normal, but you still take all the penalties of the shaken condition. You can use special abilities, such as spells and equipment, to flee and must resort to such abilities if they seem like the only way to escape. If you flee from the source of your fear and it later reappears while you are still frightened, you must immediately begin fleeing again. If unable to flee, you can fight.

5.Panicked: This functions as the frightened condition, but you drop anything held whenever you are forced to flee and you flee in a random direction. In addition, you treat all sources of danger as fear sources and must flee from them as well. If unable to flee, you cower in fear.

6.Terrified: This functions as panicked, but you do not treat any other character as an ally and thus must attempt saving throws against spells that allow them, even if the spells are beneficial. If unable to flee, you cower in fear. In addition, once you have fled from fear, you do not act as normal. Instead, each round you roll on the following table to determine your course of action.

1-25) Continue to flee, moving away from any known source of danger.
26-50) Find a place nearby to hide, using Stealth as normal. You
do nothing until you are discovered (and forced to run again) or you are no longer terrified.
51-75) Lash out at the nearest creature, even an ally, attacking it with whatever weapon is available.
76-100) Do nothing. If you get this result in two consecutive rounds, you no longer need to roll on this chart starting on the third round and can act as normal unless you encounter a source of fear or danger, in which case you are still terrified and act accordingly.

7.Horrified: You are transfixed with fear and can take no actions. You take a –2 penalty to your AC, are flat-footed (even if you normally cannot be), and are considered helpless.

Fear and Psychic Magic:
Instead of automatically failing to cast a psychic spell, you need to succeed at a Concentration check with a DC=10+'Fear Level'+twice the spell level. Casting a psychic spell also adds the normal +10 increase in this check if you don't center yourself as a move action.

About your other house rules, I'm completely OK with all of them.


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

Posting Policies:

1) Respect
As with all Paizo messageboards, this should be a place of mutual respect and support. Posts which could be construed as racist, sexist, homophobic, or which otherwise compromise other people’s dignity will not be tolerated. In-character exceptions will be rare, and you’re better off discussing them with me in PM before you post them publically.

In a horror campaign, respect also extends to triggers. Over the course of the campaign, it’s possible that the narrative may include references to, or descriptions of: suicide, torture, and child endangerment. Personally, I draw the line at sexual violence, although oblique references to past affronts may crop up occasionally. BUT, I am willing to go to great lengths to avoid references to any of these subjects, or any others which players construe as triggering, because I want everyone to game in a safe and respectful environment.

If you are concerned about personal triggers before or during the game, or if anyone else’s posts cause you distress, PM me so we can discuss it, and so that I can make allowances. It’s not an imposition for me to make the game more comfortable. It’s part of my job.

2) Commitment to Posting
As I said up front, I’d like all players to post once per day, at least. When we enter combat, it might be helpful to check and post in more often, but I won’t demand it of anyone.

I’m in France. Assuming most of you are in North America, your daytime/evening will occur while I’m eating supper and going to bed. I will try to check in once around 10pm my time (that’s 4pm EST), but my most dedicated check-in time will be about 9am (that’s 3am EST). So most of the time, yas can look forward to a fresh scare first thing in the morning. :)

If you know that times will arise when you find it more difficult to post regularly, simply try to let me know in advance. When those circumstances arise, you might consider asking me, or another player, to run your character for a few days. If not, we’ll just have you fade into the background (or be overcome with terror!) until you’re back on schedule.

If someone hasn’t checked in or posted for three days, I’ll send a PM. If I still haven’t heard from them three days after that, I’ll politely write their character out of the game, and post a search for a replacement player. Returning to the campaign subsequently could still happen, but you’d have to wait your turn.

3) Posting Protocols
The usual protocols apply to your posts. Please put your basic stats in your header, so I can refer to them more easily. (Also, post your complete stats in the Characters thread).

Write your posts in third person, present tense (as in, “Sharplinicus chuckles to himself as he wipes the gore off his blade...”).

Use the bold tag for in-character dialogue, and the ooc tag for out-of-character questions or comments (try to keep these to a bare minimum, as they can sour the flavour of the game. For complex questions or jokes, please use this thread instead).

Roll dice. Roll them pre-emptively – if you think there’s even a chance that I might ask for a Perception check, go ahead and roll one. (I might sometimes roll group checks, especially Perception or Sense Motive. But if you’ve already rolled that skill in a given encounter, I will use your result for your character. Remind me if I miss it).

4) Posting Style
Gothic horror has a distinctive, ornate style of writing, but I don’t expect everyone to nail it. I’ll probably get lazy sometimes myself. If English is not your first language; if you’re not comfortable trying to emulate a style of writing that hit its peak 300 years ago; if you’re simply tired and find it easier to write “He hits the zombie with his sword” than “Gripping his hilt with clammy hands, he grimaces as he brings the blade down towards the shambling monstrosity’s putrefying form” – THAT’S OKAY. Atmosphere is my job, and while I welcome assists (see the Fate Points rule above), I’m not expecting them every post.

I’m more concerned with keeping the game moving forward. So if you only have a few minutes in which to compose a post, leave the thesaurus on the shelf and concentrate instead on the question: “What can my character do to advance the plot?” Reactive descriptions are great, but try to balance them with proactive suggestions or actions.

REACTIVE = “That was close,” Sharplinicus exhales, leaning against the stone wall to catch his breath, “I don’t know what those things were, but I pray we never meet their like again.”

PROACTIVE = “That was close,” Sharplinicus exhales, leaning against the stone wall to catch his breath, “I don’t know what those things were. Have any of you met their like before?”

SUPER-HELPFUL = “That was close,” Sharplinicus exhales, leaning against the stone wall to catch his breath, “I’m not sure what those things were.”

Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

If sufficient:
Then he snaps his fingers and bolts upright. “I remember, though! One of the Professor’s tomes mentioned that unclean abominations are sometimes repelled by silver. Does anyone have anything that can help?”

If insufficient:
“I’ll have to read more of the Professor’s books about the dark arts – assuming we ever make it out of here alive.” He looks pleadingly at his companions. “Have any of you met their like before?”

5) Have Fun
I should note that I’ve adapted a few of these policies from GM Damo’s page. Check it out, as there are a few other useful points which I haven’t brought up. His very first rule shall be my last word: we’re here to have a good time. If there’s ANYTHING that’s getting in the way of that, PLEASE let me know.


Every time I read a new post here I get more and more excited for this game. I have no problems with any of the above rules - removing AoO actually makes a lot of sense for PBP. I myself am truly not offended by anything so nothing to worry about contentwise on my end. I am all for dark themes and situations and such.

My time zone is EST. I usually have time enough in the morning before work to get a post in. I usually get off of work at 6 pm, sometimes 8. I can try to post sometimes on my break but it would be via phone and thus quite annoying at times.

I like to think that I will be quite capable of contributing to the atmosphere with my posts. Generally speaking I am a descriptive writer and I took a lot of creative writing classes through school and have been writing in my free time since I was a child. I am quite excited about being able to put it to use in a campaign with this level of atmosphere and hope I do not disappoint!

Silver Crusade

Hmm, have you by chance ever played any of the Warhammer 40k RPGs? That fate point ruleset looks very similar.

The house rules all look a-okay to me. I'm living in Germany for the next year so you (GM Scott Sharplin) and I should be active at similar times. I would like to note that while I've been gaming for years, I'm new to PBP as a format so I may be a little clumsy with my posting for the first couple of tries. Apologies in advance.


N Male Hum Investigator 2 | HP 17 | Init +2 | Perc +6 (+1 vs traps) | AC 14; T 12; FF 12; CMD 12 | F +1; R +5; W +5 (+2 vs emotion effects & poison) | Trapfinding | Fate Points: 3

I'm definitely down for using the background skills, by the way. If we are going to use them for sure, I will move Dmitry's rank in Knowledge (Local) from adventuring skill to background skill, and use the other background skill in Profession, since his profession plays a big part of his backstory. I'm not sure what to call the profession under the skill - bookkeeper? or perhaps clerk?

That leaves him with an extra adventuring skill to replace Knowledge (Local), and I'll go with Sleight of Hand.


Jeeeez, Scott! They had to come right as Wictor's deeply mourning... ;)

If he wasn't so emotional already he'd probably be approaching this situation completely differently.

I'm trying to play him as consistently as possible, and I fear that his cards are being played perhaps too 'off the cuff'. That being said, the context of this situation is very involved and now very misfortunate. I've pulled no punches thus far.

My first two posts were given when my mind wasn't working on all cylinders, and in my mind were too sloppy. BUT I'm GONNA make this work! I'm going to actively focus on working towards concisely expressing his internal bits and being more proactive with his actions. At this specific point within the juncture the party is facing however, Wictor isn't running in his ideal state.

How's my driving?


I'll be hunting tomorrow, probably won't be posting until the evening if at all.


Female Human Occultist 1 | HP 9/9 AC: 14 (12 Tch, 12 Fl) | CMB: +1, CMB: 13 | F: +1, R: +2, W: +5 | Speed 30ft | Spells: ?? | Init: +2 | Perc: +7 | Active conditions: NONE.

Oh, good point Wuliev - I'm hitting the road early on Sunday and will be out of the country until late Thursday. Internet access is undetermined, but I will check in as often as possible.


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

Thanks for the heads-ups. I won't expect as much posting from the two of yas in the times you've mentioned.


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M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

I'm delighted by everyone's commitment so far to the tone of the campaign. Psychological realism is hard to write at the best of times, and it can get easily undermined amongst RPG mechanics that, in many ways, dehumanize characters and especially combat encounters.

Gothic fiction came of age in the Enlightenment, when proclamations like Descartes's "I think, therefore I am" changed the way people understood themselves and their relationships. Early Gothic novels place a lot of import on the relationship between interiority -- the inner world that Freud would eventually call the unconscious -- and the exterior landscape.

So far, everyone is doing an impressive job of bringing those two elements into their posts. Your characters all bring with them goals, secrets, traumas, and private relationships, and those are already resonating with the present-day event in interesting ways. To show you what I mean, I'm going to quote Dmitry's last post (I gave him a Fate point for it):

Dmitry Pavlovich wrote:

He notices around him the other pallbearers pummeling the belligerents with fists and elbows. Dmitry has half a mind to batter the man's pitchfork to the ground and leave it at that, but upon turning sideways, Kendra Lorrimor is put neatly in his peripheral vision. The woman's distraught look over the situation, her sadness at her father spilled out at her feet, conjures up the aggressive image of a young girl, a young girl who sobs into Dmitry's inner-self, a young girl who fades away in a sudden streak of black.

His fingers tighten around the cane, knuckles paling at the tension. When his eyes refocus solely on the man before him, the pitchfork finishing its deflected arc, they are sharp and clear and bare the soul of something darker than the clerk to whom they belong. A coldness burns deep within them, a coldness that forces Dmitry's hand.

I respect the way Dmitry intertwines his observations (Kendra) with his inner life (missing daughter) to produce a psychologically plausible action.

There's also a lot of emphasis on outward imagery, like his paling knuckles and his sharp, clear eyes. Whenever you're in doubt about how to portray the movement from inner emotion to outward action, think about the body's autonomic responses: breath, heartbeat, changes in the skin and eyes, etc. Those can be powerful and revealing images.

Keep up the great work!


That's a GREAT link. I've never had that thought before. Really seamless. Thank you!

Also that post is indeed a work of art. Much props.


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N Male Hum Investigator 2 | HP 17 | Init +2 | Perc +6 (+1 vs traps) | AC 14; T 12; FF 12; CMD 12 | F +1; R +5; W +5 (+2 vs emotion effects & poison) | Trapfinding | Fate Points: 3

Well shucks, thanks. I'm just glad my posts are up to snuff so far.


Should be posting by tonight. I've been recovering from my hunting trip and am a little sick. Miss you all.


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12
Wuliev the Indignant wrote:
Should be posting by tonight. I've been recovering from my hunting trip and am a little sick. Miss you all.

I'll wait until you've had a chance to post before I resume.


Male Human Bard 3

I'm on a trip to Florida until the 26th, which is why I'm not posting too much. Today I won't be able to post at all, but hopefully tomorrow morning I'll post Ivan's actions.


Wictors' reaction is up, sorry to hold up the tempo..........


Female Human Occultist 1 | HP 9/9 AC: 14 (12 Tch, 12 Fl) | CMB: +1, CMB: 13 | F: +1, R: +2, W: +5 | Speed 30ft | Spells: ?? | Init: +2 | Perc: +7 | Active conditions: NONE.

American internet access is the pits. I'm back in Canada but won't have a keyboard until tomorrow.


Idk it's always worked for me lol. Where are you by, Buffalo area?


Female Human Occultist 1 | HP 9/9 AC: 14 (12 Tch, 12 Fl) | CMB: +1, CMB: 13 | F: +1, R: +2, W: +5 | Speed 30ft | Spells: ?? | Init: +2 | Perc: +7 | Active conditions: NONE.

I was in Knoxville for a few days, using whatever WiFi I could find. Should be able to post tonight.


Going through midterm hell this week. I'll be as active as I can. I don't think I'll actually be posting irregularly, but in the event it happens, that's why. If you've a mind to, pray for me. Lol.

I think I'm beginning to hit my groove with this character. That last post just came real organically to me, as opposed to the several prior to it.

Real excited for this game.


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

No worries, Wuliev. I'm traveling right now myself, but I'll still do my best to post daily.

I hope that other players can seize upon the narrative's opportunity to post some dialogue exchanges. You may have unanswered questions relating to your backstories, and/or to events that occurred at the graveyard.

Finally, a point of clarification: a couple of you have posted details suggesting that your characters have visited Ravengro before, but remember, Lorrimor and his daughter have only lived in this town for 10 years, since he retired. Your interactions with him have almost certainly been in the city of Caliphas, or elsewhere during one of his explorations. It's much better for the narrative if you are strangers in Ravengro.

You don't need to change or revise anything based on this knowledge, but please keep it in mind for future posts. Thanks!


Will do, sorry for the dissonance!


Wictor IS read. Mostly in the histories of the nations and their kings. The stories and actions of kings always enamored him. In his deepest of dreams he always wondered what it would be like, to be on top of the world like that.

In his studies he had indeed come across the claims of supernatural events and magic traditions when they became prevalent in the histories of the kingdoms he'd read about. Oft, the historians themselves explained many events through lenses of supernatural and invisible significance and explanation.

Of course, as he read modern scholar's commentaries, he learned to filter through the premodern argot and drivel.


Male LN urbanite human occultist (battle host) 4 | HP: 35/35 | AC: 21 (11 Tch, 20 Fl) | CMB: +7, CMD: 18 | F: +7, R: +3, W: +7 | Init: +1 | Perc: +9, SM +7 | Speed 30ft (20ft with armor) | Active conditions: none. |

@Wictor: As far as I understood, the booze and the smoke room are the same place and is currently occupied by Esdras, Alec, and Magdalen. If you need some privacy, that is not the place I think.


He'll meander over, make an appearance, grab a good flask and whisk off.
I'm just waiting on Scott really. Nooooo rush. Thanks for the run through!


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

Sorry to say, but my posting will be more infrequent than I'd like until early next week. I am staying at an airbnb that, it turns out, does not come equipped with wi-fi.

I'll try to check in every couple of days. In the meantime, please keep the conversation flowing. It's great exposition, and it helps to lay some of your characters' goals and relationships on the table whilst maintaining the game's atmosphere.

Silver Crusade

So if I understand correctly, the waking characters (Wictor, Dmitry, & Magdalen) will take their turns, and the sleepers (Alec, Esdras, & Ivan) will act when able?


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12
CrusaderWolf wrote:

So if I understand correctly, the waking characters (Wictor, Dmitry, & Magdalen) will take their turns, and the sleepers (Alec, Esdras, & Ivan) will act when able?

That's the general idea, but feel free to post in response to dreams or whatever.


Male LN urbanite human occultist (battle host) 4 | HP: 35/35 | AC: 21 (11 Tch, 20 Fl) | CMB: +7, CMD: 18 | F: +7, R: +3, W: +7 | Init: +1 | Perc: +9, SM +7 | Speed 30ft (20ft with armor) | Active conditions: none. |

Just waiting to give Dmitry the opportunity to react to the GM's previous posts.


N Male Hum Investigator 2 | HP 17 | Init +2 | Perc +6 (+1 vs traps) | AC 14; T 12; FF 12; CMD 12 | F +1; R +5; W +5 (+2 vs emotion effects & poison) | Trapfinding | Fate Points: 3

Sorry, been a terrible week. I will post this evening after work.


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M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

No worries, Dmitry. Life happens.

Here are some thoughts, suggestions, and questions as we wrap up Day One of RavenCrown. It's been an eventful 24 hours or so!

I've enjoyed everyone's contributions to the Gothic style so far. The internal monologues have been useful in providing exposition, and in helping PCs to sort out what matters to them, and how they will react in various situations. I especially liked how everyone took seriously Professor Lorrimor's funeral rites, and how you described your horror at seeing his corpse in its current state. That shows great commitment to role-playing, considering you only cared about the Professor because I told you to. :)

As we move forward, I'd suggest we all try to ease off the inner lives, flashbacks, and internal monologues a little bit. Don't axe them completely, by any means. But when the action begins to pick up and the narrative needs to move forward, there's a genuine risk that we will all withdraw into six separate stories, instead of working together to build a single strong one.

One suggestion to help this transition: here on the Discussion thread, I encourage each of you to post your impressions of the other characters so far. Single-sentence descriptions are fine. Those posts will help the other players to tell if they're playing their traits accurately. But more importantly, it forces you to think about the relationships as they begin to solidify.

If you'd rather not do this publicly, that's fine, but maybe do it for yourself. And if your impression of another PC is "???" then it means your character ought to make an effort to engage with that mystery PC sometime during the next chapter. You're stuck in the same house for 2 weeks, after all.

Ask each other questions that relate to the current situation (see the lists below for suggestions). Or, keeping your personal goal in mind, suss out the other PCs to see if they are allies or obstacles.

Speaking of goals, one last piece of advice: play the long game. I hope that, like me, you're settling in for an epic story. If we get to the end of Volume One of Carrion Crown, there will be plenty of surprises and twists in store -- and that's only Vol. 1 of 6! Your personal goals are not going to get resolved overnight, so pace yourselves. If every single thing you post is an obsessive diatribe on how badly you need X, then even you will get bored of the idea, long before it pays off.

Now, to help get everybody on the same page before we start Chapter 2 (not Volume 2 -- like I said, it's a long game), I'm going to provide two lists: What You Know and What You Don't Know. But before I do that, let me put an open question to the rest of you: how do you like the game so far? What would you like to see more/less of? Please be honest -- or, if brutal honesty seems inappropriate here, PM me instead.

What You Know So Far:


  • The Ravengro townsfolk shunned Professor Lorrimor –- some think he’s a necromancer -- although this behaviour may have begun only recently, since Kendra seems surprised by it. (Magdalen knows a bit more about Gibs Hephenus in particular).
  • During the graveyard scrap, Dmitry mortally wounded a villager, positioning the townsfolk (especially Sheriff Caellar) against you.
  • Out of concern for his daughter, the Professor has asked you to guard her for two weeks, and then to transport a chest of “dangerous tomes” to the University at Lepistadt.
  • Supernatural occurrences seem to be happening frequently in House Lorrimor (Wictor is receiving visits from a mystical hare; Ivan and now Alec know that ghosts from Ivan’s past are haunting him; Dmitry has observed Esdras’s limited shapeshifting powers).

What You Don't Know Yet (hint, hint):


  • Why did the Professor name all of you in his will?
  • How did the Professor die?
  • What are the “dangerous tomes” kept in Lorrimor’s office? (Esdras has the key, in case you weren’t keeping track.)
  • Will Riff Trestleman die from Dmitry’s wound?
  • Who is the Sczarni man who visited Kendra’s window at night?

A couple more points of business: First, I know that some of you are still waiting for prearranged objects or prompts that will clarify your characters' arcs. Wictor just received his spellbook, but if you're asking yourself, "What about MY thing?" then don't panic. They should be coming your way very shortly.

Also, I hope I haven't been remiss in handing out Fate Points. I'll distribute another round of them at the start of each chapter, and/or when you go up a level (not just yet for that; sorry). So add a Fate Point to your tally now, and don't forget what they can do for you:


  • Heal yourself, or another PC or NPC, 1d6+your level hp.
  • Remove one basic condition from yourself or another PC, such as shaken, dazzled, or prone. Major conditions like frightened, blinded, or unconscious do not apply.
  • Remove 1d4 points of ability damage from yourself or another PC.
  • Reroll any single d20 roll you just made.
  • If you're stuck, you can spend a Fate Point to get a hint from the GM.

Finally, I realized I accidentally locked the title of our Gameplay thread as "Chapter One: The Last Will etc." Rest assured, despite appearances, we're moving on to...

Chapter Two: Dark Days in Ravengro

Cheers!


NG male Dhampir Ranger2 l hp19 l Init +3 l Per +4 l AC18, T13, FF15, CMD15 l F +4, R +6, W +0 l Fate 5 l CMB +3 CMD16

I'm really enjoying this PBP, it's hands-down my favorite of the four I'm currently a player in. I am a little concerned that with the deep dark secrets and whatnot that there's going to be little reason for the characters to trust one another, which makes it more difficult to justify "the party" except as a well-we're-all-PCs-here sort of thing. Obviously this can change as the adventure continues but it's a first impression.

Alec's Impressions:

Esdras Alec's favorite, he sees in the grizzled mercenary a kindred spirit--a fellow warrior who nonetheless sees value in the lives of others, even those who have wronged him or are weaker than he.

Magdalen Harder to read, but definitely impulsive & probably somewhat sheltered--her sudden rush at Hephanus, her vaguely classist challenge to Alec & Esdras in the smoking room, and her insistence on believing Wictor's poison theatrics all puzzle him.

Dmitry Reckless, maybe a little sociopathic? Hard to separate player knowledge from character knowledge on this one because ~80% of Dmitry's development is internal monologue and most of the rest Alec wasn't privy to.

Wictor A prima donna. At first Alec just assumed that Wictor was closer to the Professor than himself and that justified the outbursts during the burial, but the invented tale and especially the incident with the "poison" makes him suspect that Wictor just craves attention and doesn't really care how he gets it. Doesn't particularly like or dislike him, but will be more skeptical of anything he says going forward.

Ivan The most dangerous to Alec, since their history means that Ivan is the most likely to suss out that he didn't leave Vigil by choice. He might even eventually connect the dots to the Lord Marshal's murder, though that would be a big leap without more information. He's been trying to avoid Ivan for most of this, but given his interest in vampire lore and Ivan's all-too-apparent connection to the supernatural he'll probably have to take a risk and reach out to the scholar.

A question for you, Scott: for a little while there I was rolling interaction-skill checks to guide my roleplaying a little bit--if I fluffed a Diplomacy check then maybe my temper got the better of me, etc. I stopped doing it because it doesn't seem to be something that any other players do, but I would be interested in your take on the practice.


Male LN urbanite human occultist (battle host) 4 | HP: 35/35 | AC: 21 (11 Tch, 20 Fl) | CMB: +7, CMD: 18 | F: +7, R: +3, W: +7 | Init: +1 | Perc: +9, SM +7 | Speed 30ft (20ft with armor) | Active conditions: none. |

OK, lets do this! If anyone is reading this, I'd like to emphasize that these are Esdras's thoughts, not mine.

Esdras's Impressions:
Alec: So far, Alec seems to be a pretty reasonable and pragmatic man, much like Esdras himself. He sees himself a lot in the young man and could, eventually, develop a pretty close bond.

Dmitry: Esdras is a bit chocked by the man's hubris and a bit confused because he had not noticed it when they have worked together.

Ivan: No formed opinion since the two had little interaction.

Magdalen: A bit disappointed. So far, he kind of disapproves every single act of her (the sudden attack at the burial, the attitude at the smoking room, and the drama about Wictor).

Wictor: A man not worthy of trust so far, similar to the story of the boy how called wolf to many times.

About the game: I'm loving it! The only think I'd like to change is about Esdras's shifting scene... I was imagining Esdras as a common human who was the target of terrible experiments in the past. The skinwalker race was simply the best one to fit this concept. That said, I found it a bit weird for him to change in recognizable animalist features... perhaps if his changes are more monstrous it would fit him better.


LN Male Hum Necromancer 1 | HP 6/10 | Init +7 | Perc +1 | AC 12; T 12; FF 10; CMD 11 | F +1; R +2; W +2 Fate Points: 2?

I'm having so much fun with this. I can't wait to develop all the relationships with everyones' characters as we move forward and begin to see everything blossom into the terrible tulip we all know it shall be.

Wictors' Impressions:

Alec: A cold, focused man who is on some sort of secret crusade. Deplorable attitude, but indeed a mysterious fellow.

Dmitry: A friend who is oft lost in his own thoughts; brilliant though they be. Highly esteemed.

Ivan: The pupil who may have easily succeeded the master. Proud to see him have budded as he has.

Magdalen: A fair girl, caring but perhaps fragile? Reminds him of his daughters.

Esdras: A pointed man who silently claims to know all things. Wictor is envious of his stature and power, perhaps subconsciously?

This has been an emotional first day, and I must confess that being a prima donna is certainly the crux of Wictor's flaws.
As we go forward he will for the most part be more reserved, especially as the supernatural becomes less strange and alien to him.

I look forward to this campaign immensely and esteem each of you very highly.


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

I'm glad to hear that everybody (so far) is enjoying the game!

Alec du Chevrou wrote:
A question for you, Scott: for a little while there I was rolling interaction-skill checks to guide my roleplaying a little bit--if I fluffed a Diplomacy check then maybe my temper got the better of me, etc. I stopped doing it because it doesn't seem to be something that any other players do, but I would be interested in your take on the practice.

There's no firm rule. If Diplomacy/Intimidate checks help you to decide how to frame your dialogue, feel free to use them. If I need a check (usually to provoke a particular & unlikely reaction from an NPC), I'll ask you for one.

Esdras Martalen wrote:
The only think I'd like to change is about Esdras's shifting scene... I was imagining Esdras as a common human who was the target of terrible experiments in the past. The skinwalker race was simply the best one to fit this concept. That said, I found it a bit weird for him to change in recognizable animalist features... perhaps if his changes are more monstrous it would fit him better.

Generally, as we go forward, I will try not to seize control of your characters, even their appearances. Esdras, if you haven't already done so, maybe you could write up a list of specific changes/features? If you PM it to me, then I can include them in my descriptions -- or else feel free to beat me to the punch.

Thanks, everyone! Onwards and darkwards!


LN Male Hum Necromancer 1 | HP 6/10 | Init +7 | Perc +1 | AC 12; T 12; FF 10; CMD 11 | F +1; R +2; W +2 Fate Points: 2?

Will post by 5pm Eastern tomorrow. Hunting until then. If I have service while in the stand I'll try and hammer it out beforehand.


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

I'm almost scared to ask...but what, exactly, are you hunting for?


N Male Hum Investigator 2 | HP 17 | Init +2 | Perc +6 (+1 vs traps) | AC 14; T 12; FF 12; CMD 12 | F +1; R +5; W +5 (+2 vs emotion effects & poison) | Trapfinding | Fate Points: 3

Dmitry's Impressions:

Part of Dmitry's "thing" is that he is so obsessed and tunnel-visioned into his goal (and his own head) that he might not necessarily get a lot of impressions on a person, or at least might not focus much on reading them, unless he thinks them in particular an enemy or obstacle.

The "incident" is shaping much of Dmitry's connections and opinions of the others. He is truly puzzled by everyone's reactions to it, especially by many of them looking to be killers themselves. Dmitry certainly doesn't think of himself as a capable fighter or combat veteran or even a trained combatant, so it is strange to him how others look upon the situation as a seasoned warrior murdering a poor farmer.

Esdras: A man who assisted him once, but now it seems odd that they could have ever worked together. Dmitry sees him as rather stern and condescending presently; obviously Dmitry had not expected to be subject to such scorn over Riff.

Wictor: Dmitry once had a good friendship with Wictor, back when good friendships were something Dmitry could have. He looks upon his old friend now with a distant fondness, as one would look upon a photograph decades old. Dmitry was a different person then, and so too, it would seem, was Wictor. Though not particularly vexed by him, Wictor's current eccentricities perhaps prove to be somewhat distracting to Dmitry's own problems.

Alec: Dmitry looks upon Alec a bit as he does Esdras, though without the history there is more animosity there. Again, Dmitry was not fond of being chastised for his actions, and further behavior has led Dmitry believe him to be quite the smug, conceited fellow.

Ivan: Dmitry is most intrigued by Ivan due the him being the only one so far to shed light onto even a small portion of Dmitry's darkness. He senses something strange at work within or around Ivan, but honestly that interests him much less than the man's potential information.

Magdalen: Dmitry finds her peculiar. Definitely a different person inside than she appears to be, but he is basing that opinion solely on her sudden outburst at the funeral - certainly not what he had expected from the young woman. She is the one Dmitry has the least opinion of or connection with so far.


LN Male Hum Necromancer 1 | HP 6/10 | Init +7 | Perc +1 | AC 12; T 12; FF 10; CMD 11 | F +1; R +2; W +2 Fate Points: 2?

ohhhh yaknowwww...


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

Behind the Screen: From my perspective as the guiding storyteller, the books in Lorrimor’s chest serve two purposes: first, they provide the story hook necessary to carry you to Lepidstadt after you’ve had some close shaves in Ravengro. Second, they are a sort of gateway drug to the Corruption system. If you’re interested in role-playing a slow, psychosomatic descent into madness or supernatural corruption (with its attendant benefits and drawbacks), then let’s talk about it over here, so we can agree to steer the book plot in the right direction.

The books are not intended as shortcuts to your characters’ goals, although we can work to make them dovetail in the long run. Even the most obssessed of these PCs should recognize that ancient tomes don’t tend to offer immediate solutions to pressing personal concerns. :)


NG male Dhampir Ranger2 l hp19 l Init +3 l Per +4 l AC18, T13, FF15, CMD15 l F +4, R +6, W +0 l Fate 5 l CMB +3 CMD16

Not certain if gameplay is the place to post this, but Alec's two cps is that the books are potentially useful overall (not so much for him personally), but at the moment a distraction. He will choose to focus on assisting Kendra, and if possible attempt to smooth things over in Ravengro. He talked half the mob into going home, he figures a clear attempt at peacemaking ought to count for something.


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

Hmm, was it something I said? :)

I'm going to blame all the radio silence on the American Thanksgiving weekend, and hope that we can get back into the swing of things soon. If there are other reasons why you, in particular, won't be able to post regularly in the foreseeable future, please let me know, either here or in PM.


I'm here, very invested. I think it's just the American holidays.

However, in the coming weeks I'll be gearing up for finals and the implications of that are subdued and hectic.
If I'm missing please bot me through; it's far from my intent however.

I would really appreciate it so much if we as a group could continue to work on our conciseness... It's easy to glaze over damning details of interactions and misinterpret them and then act IC with those misinterpretations in mind.

I'm definitely speaking to myself here as well.

Y'all are awesome and I'm very much looking forward to this melting pot coming to full boil. Thus far everything smells terribly delicious.


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

It sounds as if everyone has agreed to set the evil tomes aside for now, except for Dmitry, who will skimp on sleep in order to study On Verified Madness. We can talk on PM about the effects of that choice, both in the short- and long-term.


It feels so good to post again. I wish I had been able to interact with the revealing of the books scene, but life was tooo busy.

Wictor is most certainly tantalized by the tomes, but his ambition at the moment has not overridden his aged sense of commitment and responsibilities. Knowing that the books aren't foreseeably going anywhere, he also feels that once he's mastered the secrets of the hare's tome that he'll be more able to approach those heftier volumes.

Needless to say that he is more than ecstatic about both prospects.


N Male Hum Investigator 2 | HP 17 | Init +2 | Perc +6 (+1 vs traps) | AC 14; T 12; FF 12; CMD 12 | F +1; R +5; W +5 (+2 vs emotion effects & poison) | Trapfinding | Fate Points: 3

Perhaps I was a bit more ambiguous in my posts than I thought, but I had meant to imply that Dmitry would not be accompanying the others in the foray into town. I can go with it now since it is kind of established that he is present, but he is quite paranoid about the Sczarni perhaps laying a trap for him or some other such thing,


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

Sorry about that, Dmitry. I'm sure you were explicit about your intentions. I just miss stuff sometimes. I'll pay better attention next time.

However, I think in this case it's better to have the whole party together for now.


I don't want to act with misinformation.

What again are the current significance of the van royens as we know in character thus far, and what is our total task given to us by the will of Professor Lorrimor/his daughter's asked favors of us?

Also I assume that at the moment Kendra is reacting emotionally to the travesty which just befell her in an uncouth manner. Yes? Is that plain or something I'd have to roll for IC?

Thank you exceedingly in advance.


M Post-Human Thespian 8/Wright 13/Academic 7/Geek 12

The Van Roeyens were a noble family in Ustalav eight centuries ago. As far as you know, their line died out during the reign of the Whispering Tyrant. The tomb bearing the raven-wolf insignia of the Van Roeyens is therefore likely abandoned.

Professor Lorrimor's will asked you to (1) stay with Kendra for two weeks, to protect her from unspecified threats, and (2) thereafter transport the chest of "dangerous tomes" to Lepidstadt.

Kendra is clearly emotionally distraught about the desecration of her father's tomb. It takes no skill check to see that her suggestion comes, at least partly, from that. If you suspect she may have some ulterior motive, you can make a Sense Motive check.

Oh, and speaking of the dangerous tomes, I want to clarify something behind the screen. The other PCs are not aware of it, and Wictor himself might not have clued in to this yet, but the description of the missing fifth tome (ie. the book that was supposed to be in the chest, but wasn't) matches the spellbook given to you by the spirit hare.

Searching for the missing fifth tome is kinda low on the priority list right now, but eventually Wictor will have to decide whether to come clean, or if he's going to try to keep the book for himself.

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