- 40 Point Buy (that's not a typo)
- 1st Level
- Limited Dipping - 3 classes max & must be appropriately justified by background/story
- HP: Max at 1st, then 1/2 Die + other 1/2 die - i.e. 1d10 = 1d5+5 ; 1d8 = 1d4+4
- Races: Generic (non-Golarion) Human only
- ARG racial alternate abilities are OK on DM approval
- Alignments: Good or Neutral (real-world alignments - Shades of Grey)
- Limited PF Classes ONLY - Alchemist (possibly), Barbarian, Bard, Cavalier (possibly), Cleric (possibly), Druid, Fighter, Monk (possibly), Oracle, Paladin (possibly), Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Witch, Wizard (possibly)
- No necromantic builds or feats
- This will be an E7 game (characters cap at 7th level but continue to gain feats)
- No more than two full casting classes in the party
- Starting Cash: POOR - Max Amount/3 (certain weapons costs will be waived based on class)
- Traits: 2 - no limitations
- All classes gain 2 extra skill points at each level
- Hero Points - we're using them, you each get 1 at start
- Deities: Golarion standard
Recommendations - Glass cannons will get crunched in this game. You are far better off going with a good 'all around' character with a mix of combat abilities, stats, and a range of skills. Extreme optimization and min/maxing are not needed. If you want a Fighter with a CHA of 14 - go for it. Since Horror/Dread Points will be 'in play' and they require Will and/or Fort saves - depending on the type of horror that confronts you - flat-lining (i.e. minimizing to less than 10) your WIS or CON is not a good idea. You have been warned.
I expect the game to have a large element of RP (conversations, sleuthing, deduction, etc.) - so social skills will not go to waste. Also, you'll want to have a variety of skills covered. I'd suggest that you (as a group) go through the build process and divvy up skills to make sure you have the range covered. Hopefully you’ll have a bit of overlap, so Bob isn't the only guy who can throw out a Know: Religion roll.
Without revealing too much of the broad plotting… you can expect to run into a good number and variety of undead encounters, so Combat Maneuvers will be of reduced use and ‘straight forward’ combatants will probably be more successful. Plan accordingly.
Typical professions in Dies Drear: Logging, Hunting, Forest Foraging, Farming.
Sideline professions: Fishing, Crafting (wood & some metal), folk healing.
The campaign takes place in the land of Mylhaven in my world-in-progress called Miir. For more information on Miir and Mylhaven, check the Miir Guide and Mylhaven Guide (under the Campaign Tab). Mylhaven is an homage to the original Ravenloft and the 2e (or there-about) version when Ravenloft became the Demi-plane of Dread. The atmosphere of Mylhaven is very much in that spirit but the rulership of it and the realities are quite different. Nevertheless, if you are familiar with Ravenloft, you'll feel 'at home' in Mylhaven.
I build my campaigns around my players and their characters. So the more feedback I get from you guys on what you like, don't like, want more of, want less of, etc. the better the experience will be for you and the happier I'll be as a DM. Normally, I'd judge all that based on watching you while we play and listening to your IP OOC chatter. Alas, PbP is a poor medium for that kind of feedback. So please, do me a favor and get as chatty as you like in the OOC thread. Let me know what you liked and how much. If you want to discuss the twists and turns of the game in the OOC instead of via PM, that would be great. It lets me know what you are thinking and I can tweak things... especially if my poor writing has led you down a wrong path.
More about me... I've been playing and DMing a pretty long time but I haven't built up an ego about it. I don't have all the answers and I don't have all the rules memorized. I look to you guys to correct me, or at least speak up when you think I've got something wrong. I'm happy to retcon if I've screwed the pooch and happier to apologize if I've shorted your character in some way. I have an open door policy about my DMing, the campaign, and everything else. So feel free to critique my performance at any time.
- To me, trust is the absolute basis of the game. I won't cheat on my rolls and I'll go to great lengths to be above-board in my rolls and to remove any possible appearance of 'fudging'. I expect you to do the same. Player cheating is both an affront to me AND an attempt to gain advantage over your fellow players. I won't tolerate it. I will issue one warning after I see several incidents of cheating. After that, you will be booted from the game.
- Nearly all of my rolls will be done 'on the table' but others will be done privately (using the dice-roller on my iTouch or rolled and deleted in thread) to keep 'the mystery' and to prevent certain aspects from being metagamed.
- To keep things rolling along, I will proactively roll things like Initiative or general Perception checks. This may include saves if they are required several rounds in a row (like round after round hits with a ghost's corrupting touch attack).
- I'll try to post rolls in the same order every time: Characters (in alphabetical order), NPCs, then Monsters (in initiative order). If the narrative flow has to be oddly ordered for clarity, I may post the roll order to match the narrative. I find that makes it easier for me to write up my posts and it makes it easier for you guys to review the dice if there is any question about what the hell happened.
- I may audit your characters to ensure they are built correctly and to double-check your math. In general, I won't be looking over your shoulder - we are on the honor system here.
- All monsters are equal, but some are more equal than others... While I may put you up against a standard Orc, I will also be taking liberties with their stats and abilities. That includes alignment. You could run into a 12HD LG Harpy or an LE Black Unicorn, if the mood strikes me. Generally, you will receive some warning that creature X may not be quite 'typical'. I won't purposefully sandbag you... but if your trigger fingers are a bit too quick, that is your problem. At this point, we've all got the Bestiary practically memorized. I find changing up creature abilities lets you put your Know: X skills to better use, it also brings back the excitement of the unknown when we all first started playing... when even a Goblin was a mysterious encounter because you didn't know their HP or abilities.
- While most NPCs you encounter will be of the standard classes found in the Pathfinder Core materials, a few may be either from 3PP sources or a homespun class.
- Good RP and Common Sense trump interpersonal rolls. Your Diplomacy +10 tacked on to a lame argument will draw a serious circumstantial penalty. Conversely, a weak Diplo +2 can be heavily strengthened by a compelling argument. In short, don't rely on your rolls alone to make your case.
- I will, periodically, act on obvious suggestions from one or two players without waiting for agreement from everyone to move the plot along. I won't do this in any situation where the choice seems 'questionable' to me. If you disagree with some choice I've made after the fact, I am happy to retcon things.
- This is an open world and you are free to roam around - but there are no training wheels. There are challenges and areas that will be well beyond your ability to handle early in the game. I will give warnings about these areas if I think you are walking into a TPK but ultimately the decision is yours.
- Spoilers - Please try to respect the DM spoilers to individual characters/players. They will say something like "Bob Only". It is information designed for the characters to reveal or not as they choose. I don't mind you peeking into language-based spoilers, dice spoilers, or anything else.
- I do give out DM Hints on request. So if I lose you guys or you feel like you are floundering, ask for a little help. Remember that were we playing IRL, there would be more back-n-forth chatter on which you'd base your decisions. Moreover, I am known for plot twists and convoluted plot-lines, just ask Ben (aka Eben the Quiet).
- I believe in a ‘realistic’ world where actions have consequences. As such, Player-vs-Player (PvP) fighting IS acceptable. If you mouth off to another character to an extent that a ‘reasonable’ person would pop your character in the mouth, then you should expect it to happen here. Frankly, I don’t anticipate this happening with this group of players, but better safe than sorry. I do have some expectations on how this will be handled. I expect warning to be given – “Randall looks like his skull is about to explode and he clenches his fists. It seems obvious to Nate that if he doesn’t shut up, he’s going to lose some teeth”. Second, the PvP action should be appropriate to the offense. If Nate falls asleep on watch, Randall douses him with a bucket of piss amid curses… he doesn’t beat him unconscious with a cane. Finally, if the PvP is a result of player not character friction – then you best bring me in before drawing weapons. Player issues are mine to handle and hopefully resolve before they spill over into the game.
Finally, I don't have the rules, spells, or feats committed to memory. Any help you can give me in terms of putting in a link to the spell you are casting, citing the important things I need to know, and keeping your character sheet easy-to-read with *gasp* linked references would be greatly appreciated. I also reward honesty. If I've shorted the damage you will be taking and you let me know - your honesty will not go unnoticed.
I will be making EXTENSIVE use of the Campaign Tab. Chances are, if you don't remember a NPC's name, a village name, an important event, a Map, or a House Rule, you will be able to find it listed in the Campaign Tab.
Just to let you know, I'll be asking you to post a Status spoiler with some basic info in your combat posts and will probably have some format requests regarding your character sheets just to make them easier for me to reference/read. For the moment, you won't need to worry about that.
OK, gentlemen, feel free to post your character concepts here (or link to your character sheets in progress) and we can hash things out.
Very excited for this game!
Reporting in! I'll try to have an early concept/build post up today.
Very excited, Stormraven!
So what are all the local languages? That seems like a "merchant-y" skill to have. :)
Also... just to get the ball rolling...
Male Human Bard (Arcane Duelist) 1
NN Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +3; Senses Perception +5
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +1 shield, +3 Dex)
hp 10 (1d8+2)
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +3; +2 trait bonus vs. fear
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Dagger +3 (1d4+3/19-20/x2) and
. . Quarterstaff +3 (1d6+4/x2) and
. . Whip +3 (1d3+3/x2)
Special Attacks Bardic Performance (standard action) (7 rounds/day, Bardic Performance: Distraction, Bardic Performance: Fascinate (1 targets) (DC 13), Bardic Performance: Inspire Courage +1
Bard (Arcane Duelist) Spells Known (CL 1, +3 melee touch, +3 ranged touch):
1 (2/day) Grease (DC 14), Cure Light Wounds (DC 14)
0 (at will) Light, Prestidigitation (DC 13), Ghost Sound (DC 13), Detect Magic
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 17
Base Atk +0; CMB +3; CMD 16
Feats Arcane Strike, Bard Weapon Proficiencies, Lingering Performance, Point Blank Shot
Traits Charming, Courageous
Skills Acrobatics +5, Bluff +7, Climb +1, Diplomacy +7, Escape Artist +1, Fly +1, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (local) +6, Linguistics +6, Perception +5, Profession (gambler) +5, Ride +1, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +5, Swim +1, Use Magic Device +7
Languages Common
SQ Bardic Performance: Rallying Cry
Combat Gear Buckler, Dagger (3), Quarterstaff, Studded leather armor, Whip; Other Gear Backpack (5 @ 13 lbs), Bedroll, Belt pouch (empty), Blanket, winter, Flint and steel, Marked cards, Waterskin
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Arcane Strike As a swift action, add +1 damage, +1 per 5 caster levels and your weapons are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Bardic Performance (standard action) (7 rounds/day) Your performances can create magical effects.
Bardic Performance: Distraction (Su) Counter magical effects that depend on sight.
Bardic Performance: Fascinate (1 targets) (DC 13) (Su) One or more creatures becomes fascinated with you.
Bardic Performance: Inspire Courage +1 (Su) Morale bonus on some saving throws, attack and damage rolls.
Bardic Performance: Rallying Cry (Su) Replace your allies' saves vs. fear with your Intimidate check result.
Charming +1 Bluff/Diplomacy/save DC for a language-dependent spell vs. targets who could be sexually attracted to you.
Courageous +2 save vs. fear.
Lingering Performance Bardic Performances last 2r after you stop concentrating.
Point Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Once we get going, I'm going to remove all references to teh bard class, as I'll be playing him as a scoundrel. So don't expect any real Performance checks or "bardy" attitudes. Though you will hopefully see liberal use of Inspire Courage, Rallying Cry, and spells in conjunction with some flexible combat play. I'm aiming to get just enough ranged feats to be able to put a bow and whip to good use, and fill in combat gaps when they arise.
My skill selections are only tentative, though this is the direction I'm obviously leaning. The Knowledge: Arcana can be shifted to any other knowledge skill (depending on what we need), thoug I"m going to try my best to make it something that would make sense for the son of the local trader.
Can't wait to hear other people's ideas. :)
Thanks for checking in!
Mylhaven is pretty homogeneous - nearly everyone is human and uses Common. Mylhaven doesn't have a separate 'country language'. The other race languages you might encounter (towards Artuum or in the mountains where the mining and manufacturing happen) would be Dwarven or Gnomish. There is also a polyglot language used by merchants across the continent, called Trade Speak. That would be a very reasonable second language for you to take. In terms of other country languages you might have picked up from your father - Virazian would be the most likely as your nearest trading neighbor.
howdy! super excited!
Another check in - sweet!
I'm glad you waded through the problems with Paizo to get here. :(
Good to see you Xz! I know you are having computer problems so no worries if those get in the way of your posting.
Hey folks,
At last the ooc thread is open! Sorry I missed its grand opening, but I am glad to see you all here at last. What is our expected starting date for the campaign? Are we still all on board ready to role!
Stormy, in your acceptable builds it says Cleric (possibly). However, in an earlier message you told me that you prefer for your players to not have a cleric. I think the game would still be very suspenseful even with a healer, but I will obviously trust to your decision. Are you still feeling that you do not want a cleric, or do you think Lyrica could go that route?
Yours, DMHW
Hey! The gang's all here!
Hey HW,
I had a 'maybe' on clerics just in case I had a change of heart or a player that simply couldn't live without one. I still prefer the campaign to be cleric-less to keep it visceral and avoid the easy safety net.
Our start date is flexible and largely based on when you guys have your characters fully baked, your families sketched out, and any interesting synergies between your characters worked through. I have the opening and about 4 adventures completed and queued up. :)
The only other possible 'snag' on the timing is that my wife and I will be moving to the East Coast in mid-November so I may be unavailable or slow in posting while we're doing that.
Hey Ben,
I have your Ability Point total at 41. Am I missing something?
I don't think you are missing anything. In fact it sounds like you have one too many.
Stormy, she will make a great paladin. Let's go with that!
Hi Folks, I thought I would share with you my skills so we could compare. I am very strong with Diplomacy, Healing, Sense Motive, and Farming. In time I will develop a greater understanding of Religion and Nobility, but I will need some time to study those subjects. For languages I speak Common, Celestial, Draconic, and Abyssal which I learned from my father. How are you folks doing for skills and languages?
+1* Acrobatics (Dex +1)
+2 Appraise (Int +2),
+4 Bluff (Cha +4)
+3* Climb (Str +3)
+10 Diplomacy (Cha +4, Ranks 1, Class +3, Trait +2)
+4 Disguise (Cha +4)
+4 Handle Animal (Cha +4)
+7 Heal (Wis +3, Ranks 1, Class Skill +3)
+4 Intimidate (Cha +4)
+2 Knowledge, Nobility (Int +2, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+2 Knowledge, Religion (Int +2, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+3 Linguistics (Int +2, Ranks 1)
+3 Perception (Wis +3, Ranks 0)
+5 Perform (Dancing) (Cha +4, Ranks 1)
+7 Profession, Farming (Wis +3, Ranks 1, Class Skill +3)
+1* Ride (Dex +1, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+7 Sense Motive (Wis +3, Ranks 1, Class Skill +3)
+2 Spellcraft (Int +2, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+1* Stealth (Dex +1)
+3 Survival (Wis +3)
+3* Swim (Str +3)
* indicates Armor Class Penalty - 5(Scale Mail -4, Shield -1)
Skill Points/Level = 4+Int(2) = 6 points
Hmm... I keep coming up with 40. Are you applying the human racial bonus to Chatisma?
Ok, this might be a dumb question given the name of the campaign, but do the Mylhavians have gods that they pray to? I read the Miir and Mylhaven info, which was helpful (I think the idea of an absent yet omnipotent emperor is very cool), but I'm still unclear about the existing pantheon. Do you use the Golarian diety names? My assumption is that even if they believe in the existence of gods, many people from Mylhaven would probably try to rely on themselves and/or their neighbors before seeking divine assistance.
One reason I ask is because I was going to name Marcus' son Eras as an homage to Erastil--I still might keep the name, but I thought I'd ask anyway about the pantheon.
I got 40 points for Jakwin.
10 Str, 10 Dex, 5 Con, 5 Int, 3 Wis, 7 Cha (starts with a 15, plus two for Human bonus) = 40
Harpwizard, are you short a few skill ranks? Are you factoring in the human bonus skill or the two free ranks per level we in this campaign?
I'm only slightly sad to have a lower Charisma than Lyrica... but I'll get over it. :)
If we can get past the ideological differences, Lyrica and Jak should make a mean team in the social skill department.
You're good, Ben. It looks like I must have assigned the +2 to some other Ability in Hero Lab.
Eben, thanks! I forgot the extra skill point for being human. So now I am also quite knowledgable about religion. I used my first favored class point to give myself +1 hp. In this campaign it sounds like every hp counts. What are people's thoughts? Do you think hp or skill point is better?
Ok, this might be a dumb question given the name of the campaign, but do the Mylhavians have gods that they pray to? I read the Miir and Mylhaven info, which was helpful (I think the idea of an absent yet omnipotent emperor is very cool), but I'm still unclear about the existing pantheon. Do you use the Golarian diety names? My assumption is that even if they believe in the existence of gods, many people from Mylhaven would probably try to rely on themselves and/or their neighbors before seeking divine assistance.
One reason I ask is because I was going to name Marcus' son Eras as an homage to Erastil--I still might keep the name, but I thought I'd ask anyway about the pantheon.
I withdraw my question--just saw the thing that says Golarion deities. :-)
Eben, thanks! I forgot the extra skill point for being human. So now I am also quite knowledgable about religion. I used my first favored class point to give myself +1 hp. In this campaign it sounds like every hp counts. What are people's thoughts? Do you think hp or skill point is better?
Cool, though I believe you still have 2 additional ranks you can spend. In his creation section, I believe SR mentioned us all getting two extra ranks per level.
Regarding favored class bonuses, I think it's a matter of the character. If you're happy. With the skill ranks per level -- and especially as you look to be building a front-line combatant, additional HP could be the way to go.
I'm going for skill ranks for a few levels, then for additional spells known once Jak's high enough level to pick up more 1st level spells.:)
Eben, I know we get two extra skill points from the DM, but paladins are 2+ Intelligence, so the additional 2 ranks gives me 4+ Intelligence. So with the additional point for human I am counting 2(Base) + 2 (Intelligence) + 2 (DM's option) + 1 (Human) = 7 ranks. Does that sound right or am I missing something?
Looking at your Lyrica sheet... It looks to me like you've applied all seven ranks. Looks fine to me.
Here's the rough draft of Marcus. He has a daughter named Heather and a son named Eras. His sister-in-law Sara is a mother-figure to his kids when he's away. Can't type more now, but here's the crunch.
Marcus Braun
Male Human Ranger (Wild Stalker/Trapper) 1
CNG Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +8
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 17 , touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+3 armor, +2 shield, + 2 Dex)
hp 14 (1d10+3+1)
Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +5
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Lumberjack’s Axe +5 (1d10+4/x3/B or S)
Dagger +5 (1d4+4/19-20/x2) and
Ranged
Throwing Axe +3 (1d6+4/x2)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Iron Will, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Long-Handled Lumberjack’s Axe)
Traits Resilient, Eyes of the Wild
Skills Climb +8 (1 rank), Disable Device +7 (1 rank), Knowledge (Geography) +6 (1 rank), Knowledge (Nature) +6 (1 rank), Perception +8 (1 rank), Profession (Lumberjack) +7 (1 rank), Ride +6 (1 rank), Stealth +6 (1 rank), Survival +7 (1 rank), Swim +8 (1 rank) (+1 perception to find traps, +2 trait to perception in natural settings, +1 survival to ID or find tracks)
Languages Common, Dwarven, Trade Speak
Combat Gear Heavy Wooden Shield, Wooden Armor, Dagger, Throwing Axe (3), Lumberjack’s Axe Other Gear Backpack, Bedroll, Winter Blanket, Small Tent, Bear Trap, Flint and steel, Whetstone, Compass, Waterproof Hooded Lantern, Lamp Oil (3 pints), Thief’s Tools, Torches (3), Waterskin, Belt pouch (5 cp), Traveler’s Outfit, Cold-Weather Outfit
100 gp budget—I paid for everything except the throwing axes and the Lumberjack’s axe (as it said some weapons’ costs may be waived). I can adjust if needed.
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Heart of the Wilderness Humans raised in the wild learn the hard way that only the strong survive. They gain a racial bonus equal to half their character level on Survival checks. They also gain a +5 racial bonus on Constitution checks to stabilize when dying and add half their character level to their Constitution score when determining the negative hit point total necessary to kill them. This racial trait replaces skilled.
Wild Empathy (Ex) A ranger can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person (see Using Skills). The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his ranger level and his Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the ranger and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.
Track (Ex) A ranger adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow or identify tracks.
Strong Senses (Ex) At 1st level, a wild stalker’s life among the wild has sharpened his senses. He gains low-light vision (delayed) and a +1 bonus on Perception checks. If he already has low-light vision, he gains a +2 bonus on Perception checks instead. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels after 1st (to a maximum of +6 at 20th level, or +7 if the character did not gain low-light vision from this ability).
Trapfinding A trapper adds 1/2 his ranger level on Perception skill checks made to locate traps and on Disable Device skill checks (minimum +1). A trapper can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.
Resilient +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saves
Eyes of the Wild Benefit: +2 trait bonus on Perception checks in natural settings
Iron Will +2 Will Saves
Exotic Weapon Proficency May wield Lumberjack’s Axe in one hand
I totally thought Paladins had 4/level. My bad.
Couple of questions, Matt:
Is your brother still alive?
Do he and Sara have any kids?
Sorry, I meant sister-in-law by marriage--my deceased wife's sister. She is married with 4 kids
howdy guys! i pretty much have my stats worked out, but just need to take the time to get them online. my character will have his parents back in town, but no spouse. can't decide yet if i want him to have two siblings (one dead and one alive), or just one dead one...
Matt - Do you particularly care about naming Sara's husband and kids or shall I?
Dan - I look forward to seeing your build. Thanks for providing the family details. When you have a solid character/family name in mind, fire them at me.
Ben - Got a name for your dad, mom, and sisters?
HW - In answer to your previous question (from a DM not player perspective) HP and Skills will both come in handy and I can see good reasons for you to go either way at 1st level. I think the only skill you shouldn't waste a point on is Know: Nobility. That one is likely to see very little use.
Here's the rough draft of Marcus. He has a daughter named Heather and a son named Eras. His sister-in-law Sara is a mother-figure to his kids when he's away. Can't type more now, but here's the crunch.
Matt - Do you particularly care about naming Sara's husband and kids or shall I?
Ben - Got a name for your dad, mom, and sisters?
Just spit-balling, here, but what if Sara -- the lady that practically raises Marcus's kids when he's away -- is Jak's oldest sister. Jak's a winter over twenty, so his sister could be as old as twenty-seven without things getting weird. That could make a good tie between Jak and Marcus. Jak would definitely have spent at least some time around Marcus's kids that way, at least when he's in town. :)
For Jak's parents and sibling names, I'm thinking Mattin for his dad. I'll leave his mom's name up to you, and keep in mind she's supposed to be some exotic 'foreigner' he met and woo'd on his travels. (just how 'foreign' she actually is can be up to you.) And other than Sara (if we go with the family connection with Marcus's kids) and Mattin, I say that Jak's mom chose the rest of the girls names (of which there are three… birth order being Sara, 2nd sister, Jak, 3rd sister & 4th sister).. and all these names should reflect the same cultural sounds that the mom's name is from.
Considering all this (and the general lifestyles of small villages like this and the demands of being the town's trader/merchant), Mattin (Jak's dad) could be around 50, but has the energy and build of a man ten years his junior. And he has no idea where Jak gets his trouble-making (either conveniently forgetting or somehow completely unaware that Mattin had the same reputation as a youngster… the joke was that he had to get a foreigner for a wife because all the local girls had gotten wise to his wiles).
Let me know if you'd prefer me make the mom/sisters' names up; I just don't knwo what are culturally-appropriately names for the mom and sisters given the mom's story.
Also, I figure Jak has his dad's personality and general build and looks, with hints of his mom in his eyes and face, his hair color, and his special abilities.
I'm fine with all that, Ben. I forgot about the 'exotic' mom angle but that presents no problems. I have to double-check my world map to ensure her ideal homeland makes sense but that's not a biggie. If things work out, you'll have an option to spend a language slot picking up the native tongue of her homeland.
Just so you know, to tie that all together with Marcus' story, it means one of your sisters is dead. Depending on Marcus' age - probably your second sister so...
Mattin & X Howell (parents)
Sister 1: Sargiva 'Sara' Howell-Balatin (her husband's last name)
Sister 2: X Howell-Braun (Marcus' wife - deceased)
Jakwin
Sister 3
Sister 4
All that sounds good to me. Let me know about the mom/sisters' names as well as the nation/language of the mom's origin, and i'll work it into his character sheet.
Knowing what she would have looked like would be nice, too (any distinctive racial colorings, features, or whatever).
This will work out fine. Your mother was from Nil'oc (nil-ock) and spoke Nilocese (Demense language). The body of water above you (on the Map) is the Sea of Sorrows which is a massive open-mouthed bay. Nil'oc holds a chunk of the northern shoreline - NW of the furthest western tip of Mylhaven.
Your mother (and sisters for that matter) really show their heritage. They are/were relatively slender, reasonably tall, with well-defined facial features and extremely bright eyes - regardless of eye color. In fact, their eye colors are all over the map - blues, greens, or greys.
Based on all that and relative charismas... it is a sure bet that the most popular and 'eligible' women in Dies Drear have been the Strom and Howell girls. The Stroms are flat-out pretty and the Howells are slightly exotic and just have, as the locals would describe it, "a way about them".
Any other info about what you know about Nil'oc and what your mother told you will have to be done privately or in spoilers. Every Demense and community has its secrets. ;)
Matt, are you OK with the crossing family lines Ben is proposing?
Matt, are you OK with the crossing family lines Ben is proposing?
Yep, I like the weaving of the backstories in this way. Sounds good.
I'll try to make an avatar soon, possibly tonight if I can. Got a pretty busy week with work and Halloween, though.
Cool. Do you want me to make up a name for your deceased wife?
Boy, that's a strange question to ask.
Haha, yeah that's weird. Sure, that would be fine.
Having run a moderate level PbP campaign, I've learned a few things. Most notably, organization and the ease with which I can quickly find character information is critical as the game progresses. I can lose a lot of time trying to hunt down the info I need to forward a battle.
To that end, I'm going to ask you guys to tweak your character sheets to mirror a template I find easy to read:
You don't have to match it exactly but close would be great. The key idea is to not hide the important information in spoilers, use consistent header names so I know where to look, make the important numbers distinct from the 'caculation data', and provide links to relevant data - like spell entries. If you want to mirror my sheet exactly, let me know and I will happily email you a plain text version so you can use it as a template.
I'd love it if the following headers and data appear in the open: Stats, Defense, Offense, Saves, Spells (including the DCs), and Skills (please include all the common ones, not just the ones in which you've got ranks). You can post 'tracking data' on your character sheet if you are reliable about updating it. If not, or if you don't like the look of having that data on your sheet, please post it with your combat entries, in some flavor, like so:
Stormy,
I have updated the format of my character sheet. How does this look for you? I think I want to keep my current hitpoints under my name and tracking my uses of special abilities such as smite evil under tracking on my character sheet. Could you tell me what needs developing next?
Hey Lyrica, your character sheet looks good! I can read it without a problem. Dev-wise, you are good I think.
So, is anyone aware of a price for dice, loaded dice, and a regular deck of cards in any of the Paizo books? Can't seem to find them.
Also, I'm working on Jak's char sheet today.
Also, Lyrica is one seriously wise chica! (You might have a typo in your Wisdom score.) :P
Everyone, meet Jak! (Still looking for an avatar)
Lyrica is just that wise. :) Call it a special DM bonus to irritate smartass bards. :p
Best Jak avatar I could find on short notice... not entirely happy with it. Maybe it'll grow on me.
We've got a few more players to hear from so you've got some time to find a better Jak pic.
Cool. Let me know if you have any requested changes to my character sheet layout.
Looks good, Jak. Thanks!
Jak, thanks for catching my typo. Fixed now! The error came when I reformatted her character sheet.