You have been convicted of a heinous crime and thrown into Branderscar prison, on a small island just offshore from the mainland of Talingarde.
You were brought here in a closed carriage, chained and hooded. You know that a stone causeway connects the island to the mainland and that your cell is on an upper floor. Otherwise, you have seen nothing.
Each of you received the same greeting when you arrived: you were held down by rough hands and branded upon the arm with a runic F. The mark signifies ‘forsaken’ and the painful scar is indelible proof that each of you has betrayed the great and eternal love of Mitra and his chosen mortal vassals.
Condemned, you face at best a life of shackles and servitude in the nearby salt mines. Others might await the ministrations of the inquisitors so that co-conspirators may be revealed and confessions extracted. Perhaps some of you will be spared this ordeal. Perhaps instead you have come to Branderscar to face the final judgment. In three days, the executioner arrives and the axe falls or the pyre will be lit. Through fire or steel, your crimes will be answered.
You have all been chained together in the same communal cell dressed in nothing but filthy, tattered rags. Manhandled and mistreated, any finery you once possessed is either ruined or long lost. No special treatment has been given any prisoner – male or female, commoner or noble – all of the forsaken are bound and imprisoned together.
Your feet are secured by iron cuffs tethered by one long chain. Your arms are secured to the wall above by manacles. A guard is posted
right outside the cell day and night.
Little thought is given to long term accommodations. At Branderscar, justice comes swift and sure.
Female Human Oracle 1 (HP 11/11; AC 14 (13) T 14 (13) FF 10; CMD 12 (10); Fort +2; Ref +3 (+2); Will +2; Init +3 (+2); Perception +0)
1d10 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10
A short woman with a stooped posture shifts uneasily in her restraints. At first glance, she looks quite old, but her movements and manner suggest she is much younger than she looks. Her skin is cracked and discolored from disease or defect, not age. While she wears the simple prison rags, she was apparently allowed to retain a pair of faded, worn silk gloves. They are as discolored as her rough tunic. She regards her fellow prisoners with utter disinterest.
Male Human Human/Barbarian 1/HP 13/13 15/15 AC 11/9 T 11/9 FF 10 CMD 16 Fort 3/5 Ref 1 Will-2/-1 Init+1/Perception+2
Dru pulls on the chains once again to know avail. His unkempt dirty
black hair falls into his smoldering black eyes. He glares at the gaurd with contempt, and looks to where the chain meets the wall and starts to pull. Almost daring the gaurd to enter the cell. He looks at the the sorry lot he is chained to and shakes his head. Yea can pullz now rrr the hangmanzz nooze can be pullinz yea neckz soon anon. Putzz yea backz into yea scurvy dogz.
Drugoth I sent a brief email to the group, I used email because if I posted the examples here you would be able to see what I did. The 'dice' would roll and you would only see the results and now how I did it.
A short woman with a stooped posture shifts uneasily in her restraints.
It's ten days for Kallen who may have been here the longest!
First the bad news - Since you have been chained up against these walls for 10 full days you are at least partially fatigued, which I will rule is, you are -1 to STR and DEX, and can not run for more then one round at a time. Please adjust combat and skills accordingly UNLESS you can mitigate this through your abilities.
Some good news - your wounds inflicted from your capture and branding are healed by now. And you get to make the most Perception checks due to the amount of time you have been in the cell. There is very little else you can do in your cell but reflect on your crimes and watch the world pass you by.
Kallen please roll
One Perception +5 (to examine the cell, you have been her 10 days so you get a circumstance bonus)
Roll Perception twice more with no circumstance bonus (to learn what you can pick up regarding your captors and what is just outside your cell.
Roll Perception for today (to listen to the guards down the hall, or for other sounds outside your cell). Note that in order to do this, you must get your cellmates to agree to be quiet for a while.
A note on your gloves, for some reason no guard was willing to touch you and remove them, so your 'F' brand is scared into your right forearm. Surprisingly it does not seem half as repulsive as your withered skin.
He is 'lucky' (as far as those condemned to Branderscar can be called lucky) as his wounds from capture and The Branding have healed but exhaustion and fatigue have not yet set in fully on his massive frame.
Drugoth please make three rolls
your Perception +2 (to examine the cell, circumstance bonus for being here five days)
Roll another Perception no circumstance bonus (to learn what you can pick up regarding your captors and what is just outside your cell that you have gleamed from the last five days.
Roll Perception for today (to listen to the guards down the hall, or for other sounds outside your cell). Note that in order to do this, you must get your cellmates to agree to be quiet for a while.
Male Human Court Bard 1 (10/10; AC 13/Touch 13/Flat Footed 10; CMD 12 ; Fort +2; Ref +5; Will +1; Init +9; Perc. +3; Notches 2)
Sorry that it took so long to get caught up. This is Andrew. My character's name is Weylin Ward. Weylin was formerly a minor noble in (insert local city here) who had built up a reputation for going to extravagant lengths to frame his rivals for various misdeeds. Unfortunately, this caught up with him when he attempted to implicate a cleric of Mitra in the desecration of her own church.
The plan was a spectacular one. He would make it look like this cleric had desecrated her own church to frame him. He planted some obvious and weak evidence that implicated himself and some less obvious and more convincing evidence that implicated the cleric. What he did was no mere desecration, either. He burned the holy symbols. He painted rude slogans and unholy symbols on the wall in blood. He pasted pornography into the books in the nursery. He hacked up the pews and defecated on the altar. In the end, though, he was caught through clever use of divination spells.
Now, the Wagging Jaw of (insert city here) sits in jail for desecration. Already, he has put his gift of gab to good use, trying to make alliances with other inmates.
His associated sin is lust, and his deity is Calistria. He tends to see sex as a weapon, a tool and as entertainment.
Weylin's core belief is that power should be held by those who have the wherewithal to use it. He secretly scoffs at barbarians and fighters, knowing that the best warriors never have to fight a day in their life, be it through the clever use of diplomacy, intimidation or sending thugs to do his bidding.
Weylin's redeeming quality is that although he is quite chaotic, he rarely does evil for evil's sake. He does whatever he can to get ahead, certainly, but is not the type to burn down orphanages to get a kick out of it. He also is quite charming and has a rapier wit.
Players please have your mini stat block next to your avatar. This is in addition to your character sheet information.
Please read
Spoiler:
Place the following in order.
Class/Level (HP Full HP/Current HP; AC Total AC/Touch AC/Flat Footed AC; CMD ; Fort Save; Ref Save; Will Save; Initiative Modifier; Perception Modifier; Special Senses)
To do this just place the information on Class/Level section of your character sheet, type it all in, that same line. When you do this all of it will appear with your screen avatar.
It will look something like this
Wizard 5 (HP 44/44; AC 18/18/15; CMD 15; Fort +3; Ref +4; Will +6; Init +3; Perception +10; Darkvision 60 ft)
If you need help with this I can create it for you and you can paste it onto your PC.
I created Drugoth as an example, please see if this is correct, paste it on your Class/Levels lin and it will show on your avatar posts.
Human Barbarian 1 (HP 13/13; AC 11/9 T 11/FF 10; CMD 16; Fort +3/+5; Ref +1; Will -2/-1; Init +1; Perception +2)
Welcome Weylin! I like the character, but I need some information that you can put in the discussion thread, which you can find link here.
Why has Weylin built up a reputation of going to extravagant lengths to frame his rivals for various misdeeds. I ask the age old question, 'what's his motivation?'
Also, by coincidence, or maybe by dark design, there are seven characters, pick a one of the deadly sins to help define your character, Brody has picked Pride, and Gary took Greed.
Weylin Ward the Wagging Jaw of Westmoreland has been in the cell for five days as well.
Hence he too is 'lucky' (as far as those condemned to Branderscar can be called lucky) as his wounds from capture and The Branding have healed but exhaustion and fatigue have not yet set in fully on his massive frame.
Weylin please make three rolls
your Perception +2 (to examine the cell, circumstance bonus for being here five days)
Roll another Perception no circumstance bonus (to learn what you can pick up regarding your captors and what is just outside your cell that you have gleamed from the last five days.
Roll Perception for today (to listen to the guards down the hall, or for other sounds outside your cell). Note that in order to do this, you must get your cellmates to agree to be quiet for a while.
Drugoth, certain things happen which I will fill you in when most of the others make their posts.
For now I will rule the Nat 1 as follows -
The sight and odors from Kellen the Hag disturbs and violently repulses you.
How long has she been here you wonder.
This great aversion to the sight of the wasting hag causes you to look outward and focus all your attention outside the cell. You forcefully will your senses to escape the reality of your caged body.
You think, I need to get out of here. I need to free myself! I wound sooner die than turn into something like that!
Each of you would have recalled arriving by way of a iron reinforced carriage. Upon your arrival to Prison Branderscar you heard the sound of a gate being opened, and what looked like some sort of courtyard. The door to the prison carriage opened and as your eyes started to adjust to the bright light, a black bag was thrown over your head and cinched tight. When it was removed you were in a dark room that was lit by torches and glowing coals where you were viciously branded and then unceremoniously thrown down and roughly chained into the cell you now occupy.
Female Human Oracle 1 (HP 11/11; AC 14 (13) T 14 (13) FF 10; CMD 12 (10); Fort +2; Ref +3 (+2); Will +2; Init +3 (+2); Perception +0)
Perception number 1:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 Perception number 2:1d20 ⇒ 17 Perception number 3:1d20 ⇒ 14
"No one ever leaves here, except to be put to death," the strange woman says fatalistically to Aletheia. "My only regret is that they have left me here for so long."
Male Human Barbarian 1 /HP 16/18 (20/20) AC 12 Flat AC 10 Touch 12 CMD 16 (18) Fort 4/6 (+2 vs drugs or poison) Ref 2 Will 0 Init+4/Perception+3
Kallen Marvaine wrote:
"No one ever leaves here, except to be put to death," the strange woman says fatalistically to Aletheia. "My only regret is that they have left me here for so long."
You have been here for a while then. There is power in that. Think. What do you know, have seen? Information is power that we can use to put to death the ignorant butchers who run this place. What insight can you share, sister?
Male Half Elf Monk of The Empty Hand 1(HP 10/10, AC 15 [Flat Footed 13 Touch 15], CMB 1, CMD 16(18 to resist grapple), Fort 3, Ref 4, Will 5, Init +4, Sense Motive 7, Perception 9, 2 notches )
A half-elf sits in a corner of the cell, his legs coiled beneath him almost as if he were some type of serpent waiting to strike. His hair is the color of rancid honey, and the stubble across his cheeks went from rakish to unkempt a few days ago, but his dishwater-colored eyes are clear and never seem to blink. His prison attire looks strangely neat and cared for, as if he had been experimenting with fashion styles and has recently come across one that he is comfortable with- what sleeves he has are folded up almost crisply, and his leggings are likewise pushed back; all revealing a grotesque series of tattoos reminiscent of infernal iconography that ends at the wrists and ankles and covers every part of skin in between, leaving only his face, much of his neck, and his hands and feet bare. Occasionally a sneer of emotion ripples across his face when he notices the F branded onto his forearm- it seems to have obscured one of his many tattoos.
Male Half Elf Monk of The Empty Hand 1(HP 10/10, AC 15 [Flat Footed 13 Touch 15], CMB 1, CMD 16(18 to resist grapple), Fort 3, Ref 4, Will 5, Init +4, Sense Motive 7, Perception 9, 2 notches )
Male Tiefling Alchemist 1 HP 11 / AC 12 T 12 FF 10 CMD 16 Fort 5 Ref 4 Will 1 Init+2/Perception+4
A wretched fiend is bound to the wall by his wrists, his wing shredded and lying limply by his sides. Short tusks jut from his mouth as he breathes heavily. He rattles his chains and his shoulder muscles coil like snakes under his skin.
Bah, fighting back will be the death of you. If given half a chance, I would rather escape today and earn my vengeance tomorrow.
He braces his legs against the wall and pulls again, this time inspecting the wall for even the faintest crack.
The smallest bit of metal and I could dislodge the bolt; dislodge the bolt and slip the cuff, slip the cuff then out the back door; out the back door and then catch the jailer, catch the jailer, then eat the jailer. But where to start, he looks chewy on top and gristly on bottom... The fiendling mutters to himself.
Now - here at the start of things, you'll want to examine your surroundings, gather information, and -- above all -- interact with each other. As I've said before, PvsP is not encouraged. On the other hand, it won't be surprising if you have a range of interactions; Character A may like Character B, be neutral towards C, and find D disgusting and despicable. That's fine. Role play it out.
Right now Drugoth rolled a nat 1 in the cell, so I am ruling that the sight and odors from Kellen the Hag disturbs and violently repulses him so much that this great aversion to the sight of the wasting hag causes him to look outward and focus all your attention outside the cell (he rolled a 20 right after).
You are all mostly helpless at the moment. Don't be too upset if you try things and they don't work at first. An opportunity may present itself.
"No one ever leaves here, except to be put to death," the strange woman says fatalistically to Aletheia.
Mostly true, but there is also life of hard grueling labor in the salt mines for those who have 'lesser' crimes. That means you get to live for an agonizing three months, then you die. Unless your unlucky and toil for a brutal four months.
A question to you: When you got branded on the hand or forearm, how did you take it? Struggle? Stoic disregard? Sneer and spit in their eye? Cry like a baby?
For Varrel
The brand on your hand has healed to a nasty scar. Your tiefling Fire Resistance made the branding difficult. After much discussion, they brought in the Warden, who seems to be some sort of spellcaster. He looked you over with vile contempt and utter disdain. Then used a spell to create acid, which did the job sufficiently -- the "F" is ragged, but recognizable.
Since you have been chained up against these walls for 10 full days you are at least partially fatigued, which I will rule is, you are -1 to STR and DEX, and can not run for more then one round at a time. Please adjust combat and skills accordingly UNLESS you can mitigate this through your abilities.
Varrel has been in the cell for 6 days now.
Drugoth, Weylin, Tokae have been in the cell for 5 days. You probably shared the same caged wagon to the prison and were herded like a foul litter of diseased street dogs.
For the four of you, the wounds from the Branding have healed and fatigue has not fully set in. Yet.
Aletheia, is the newcomer and has been brought into the cell today, barely four hours ago. He has yet to soil himself like the lot of you.
Aletheia take 1d2 ⇒ 2 fire damage from the branding
You are in is approximately 30' long by by 15' wide. The north and west wall is made of solid stone while the south and east walls open up into part of a much larger stone bunker. Each of the cells is separated from each other by massive three inch thick steel bars that are spaced too narrow for even a halfling to slide through. Through the southern bars that separate your cell from the rest of the stone bunker you can make out four other currently unoccupied prison cells as well as one stone reinforced cell that is next to you. There is a single cell door on the southern end of your cell that opened up into a wide hallway that connects all of the other prison cells as well as a door on the south end of the stone bunker.
Each of your hands are chained to a set of manacles set into the wall, while a single chain runs the length of the 30' prison cell that connects to each set of the manacles that have been placed on your feet. The feet manacles allow you to slowly shift about, and if everyone worked together you could all stand. This would allow you limited use of your hands. Enough for eating, and perhaps passing an object like a food bowl from hand to hand.
You are chained in a rough semi circle or '[' in this order, clockwise from the bottom going back up.
Tokae by the south corner of the room, right by the door, then Drugoth, Weylin in the center with Kellen, followed by Varrel, then finally Aletheia on the north corner of the cell next to the door again.
Female Human Oracle 1 (HP 11/11; AC 14 (13) T 14 (13) FF 10; CMD 12 (10); Fort +2; Ref +3 (+2); Will +2; Init +3 (+2); Perception +0)
I take it my Perception checks did not pick up anything?
Also, after 10 days, have I noticed any patterns among the guards? Or... I should back up... Are there guards at all? What do we eat, if anything? Is there water?
Male Half Elf Monk of The Empty Hand 1(HP 10/10, AC 15 [Flat Footed 13 Touch 15], CMB 1, CMD 16(18 to resist grapple), Fort 3, Ref 4, Will 5, Init +4, Sense Motive 7, Perception 9, 2 notches )
Old School Dungeon Master wrote:
A question to you: When you got branded on the hand or forearm, how did you take it? Struggle? Stoic disregard? Sneer and spit in their eye? Cry like a baby?
tokae would have ridden out the pain as is his wont, he has a full body suit tattoo after all.
Male Half Elf Monk of The Empty Hand 1(HP 10/10, AC 15 [Flat Footed 13 Touch 15], CMB 1, CMD 16(18 to resist grapple), Fort 3, Ref 4, Will 5, Init +4, Sense Motive 7, Perception 9, 2 notches )
Hm. The tiefling isn't all that wrong-I don't think the wall can withstand us all pulling at once.
One Perception +3 (to examine the cell, you have been her 6 days so you get a circumstance bonus)
Roll Perception one more with no circumstance bonus (to learn what you can pick up regarding your captors and what is just outside your cell).
Roll Perception for today (to listen to the guards down the hall, or for other sounds outside your cell). Note that in order to do this, you must get your cellmates to agree to be quiet for a while.
--
Weylin and Tokae please roll these
One Perception +2 (to examine the cell, you have been her 5 days so you get a circumstance bonus)
Roll Perception one more with no circumstance bonus (to learn what you can pick up regarding your captors and what is just outside your cell).
Roll Perception for today (to listen to the guards down the hall, or for other sounds outside your cell). Note that in order to do this, you must get your cellmates to agree to be quiet for a while.
--
Aletheia, you are the newcomer to this wretched band, and have been brought into the cell today, barely four hours ago. You are still hurting from the Branding and taken 2 damage.
One Perception roll (to examine the cell)
Roll Perception for today (to listen to the guards down the hall, or for other sounds outside your cell). Note that in order to do this, you must get your cellmates to agree to be quiet for a while.
The brand on your hand has healed to a nasty scar. Your tiefling Fire Resistance made the branding difficult. After much discussion, they brought in the Warden, who seems to be some sort of spellcaster. He looked you over with vile contempt and utter disdain. Then used a spell to create acid, which did the job sufficiently -- the "F" is ragged, but recognizable.
Varrel you saw the Warden, I would have you roll Knowledge Nobility or Knowledge Local, but I don't think you have those skills. Pity.
Kallen Marvaine wrote:
I take it my Perception checks did not pick up anything?
Also, after 10 days, have I noticed any patterns among the guards? Or... I should back up... Are there guards at all? What do we eat, if anything? Is there water?
Kallen, you and Drugoth have picked up several things, I just wanted the others to complete their character sheets before posting more. Also I did not want to keep posting the same posts, once everyone has posted their Perception and written out their character sheets I will give more info.
Over the last few days, the guards have been quite consistent in their patterns. Shifts start at 8 am, 4 pm, and midnight.
At the beginning and middle of each shift -- i.e., every four hours -- a guard opens the cell and checks your status, while a second guard stands watch a pace or two behind him. The guards also make occasional random checks; on average, you seem to get one or two of these per shift.
Food is brought about an hour after the beginning of the morning and afternoon shifts -- so around 9 and 5. A guard passes in basket of hard rolls and a jug of water in; you prisoners pass it around.
Before the cell door is opened, the prisoners are told not move until the cell door is closed again.
The guard only comes within arms reach of one prisoner, the one closest to the door who is handed the basket and jug. There are always three guards standing in the hall with weapons ready. One of them holds an alarm horn as well, ready to blow. Whenever the guards interact with a prisoner in any way, they are always wary and alert. They show no obvious signs of weakness.
The rest of the time, the guards leave you alone and stay in a watch room down the hall. The door to the watch room is open, so they can hear any unusual sounds; at the same time, you can perhaps hear them talking, if you are quiet and listen carefully.
The cell is a small room -- rather crowded now, with six of you in here.
Drugoth only, because you rolled a Nat 20
Spoiler:
Three things. First, there is another occupied room, with another prisoner or prisoners, down the hall; the guards go down there to feed him/her/them after feeding you.
Second, there is something that you can just barely sense, and cannot easily be describe. It's a very faint humming or whining sound... though it's not heard so much as sensed inside your bones and skull. You have to concentrate hard to pick it up, but it's strangely pervasive and tingly unpleasant.
Third, you get to ask the DM a question about the immediate area outside the cell.
Weylin sighs. "Breaking the food bowl? That's your grand plan?, he says sarcastically. "I'll talk to the guard. See what I can find. Just have to know the right angles to work..."
Your chains are strong. The walls are solid. Your fellow prisoners smell BAD.
The routine
You much better rolls! And a Nat 20!
Over the last few days, the guards have been quite consistent in their patterns. Shifts start at 8 am, 4 pm, and midnight.
At the beginning and middle of each shift -- i.e., every four hours -- a guard opens the cell and checks your status, while a second guard stands watch a pace or two behind him. The guards also make occasional random checks; on average, you seem to get one or two of these per shift.
Food is brought about an hour after the beginning of the morning and afternoon shifts -- so around 9 and 5. A guard passes in basket of hard rolls and a jug of water in; you prisoners pass it around.
Before the cell door is opened, the prisoners are told not move until the cell door is closed again.
The guard only comes within arms reach of one prisoner, the one closest to the door who is handed the basket and jug. There are always three guards standing in the hall with weapons ready. One of them holds an alarm horn as well, ready to blow. Whenever the guards interact with a prisoner in any way, they are always wary and alert. They show no obvious signs of weakness.
The rest of the time, the guards leave you alone and stay in a watch room down the hall. The door to the watch room is open, so they can hear any unusual sounds; at the same time, you can perhaps hear them talking, if you are quiet and listen carefully.
The cell is a small room -- rather crowded now, with six of you in here.
Weylin only, because you rolled a Nat 20
Spoiler:
Two things. First, there is another occupied room, somewhere further down the hall with another prisoner or prisoners; the guards go down there to feed him/her/them after feeding you.
Second, you get to ask the DM a question about the immediate area outside the cell.
