Tales from the Tabletop PbP

Game Master TheInfamousWes

Welcome, one and all! I’ll start off by showering you with thanks once again; without you, I wouldn’t get to run this campaign that I’ve been looking forward to for so long. You guys are awesome, and I was very pleased with your submissions, so I think we’ll have a solid party moving forward.

For now, please finalize your PF characters using the following rules.

• 20-point buy
• Max HP
• Core races (I’m open to arguments in favor of others, but they need to be good)
• Any Paizo class except Gunslinger
• Average gold

I’ll be deciding on a story hook for each of your characters that may influence gameplay on a minor (or major) scale. What you do with it is up to you!

Awesome. :)

First of all though, I wasn't sure if you wanted a combined profile with our player persona and our Pathfinder character, or if you just want a Pathfinder character with notes about the player as needed. ... Guessing not separate profiles.

I'm working on the PF character, but just wasn't sure about that part, or if there were actual stats we need for our players, or if that part was going to be anything more than pure roleplay.

(Will change the name of this profile as directed... this was just a stab at what I was thinking we might need.)

The Pathfinder character alias with notes on the player will likely be enough. Feel free to add those in a spoiler near the end of the profile, and have your stat block put together so I can reference it easily throughout the campaign.

The PF character is going to function in much the same way as a regular game would; your player persona is joining a campaign, so while the perspective of playing that character might be through their eyes, the mechanics won't change.

Also, the Arrowsong Minstrel archetype seems really cool! I'm excited to see it in action.

Yay! I haven't put my statblock together yet, but I've got the basic mechanics built here. It's my grandma's 90th birthday on Monday (and my much-lower-count birthday on Wednesday) so we're a bit busy with preparations and celebrations and all that, but I should be able to find time to get this done by tomorrow, if not tonight.

Congratulations to you both, then! I hope you enjoy the week of celebrations (and don't be afraid to celebrate the entire week for your birthday - I know plenty of people who do). Your character sheet looks good so far, and when you get around to fine-tuning it, I'm more than happy to answer any questions that may come up.

Got the picture and name got to craft the fluff and stats

Hawk here. I've been working a little on the fluff and crunch.

Awesome! Thank you all for your quick responses. I’ll leave you all to finalizing your characters, and you can expect the Gameplay thread to open by Monday morning - maybe earlier, provided I get some time to write.

Gameplay thread is officially open! Don’t feel obligated to post right away - just enjoy the rest of your weekends!

What Subdomains Does Cyanthia have?

Great question!

Air: Cloud, Wind
Chaos: Revelry, Riot, Whimsey
Charm: Captivation, Love, Lust
Destruction: Catastrophe, Rage
Water: Ice, Oceans, Rivers
Weather: Monsoon, Seasons, Storms

Hope that helps.

Was hoping for Lighting Okay I will look over the Subdomains after that I think I will be good to go

Out of curiosity, what are Temerious's subdomains?

Was hoping for Lighting Okay I will look over the Subdomains after that I think I will be good to go

Honestly, I don't know why I didn't include that for a goddess who deals with storms. Let's add Lightning to the list.

Out of curiosity, what are Temerious's subdomains?

Glad you asked!

Artifice: Industry, Toil
Earth: Metal, Petrification
Fire: Ash, Smoke
Nobility: Aristocracy, Hubris, Leadership
Strength: Competition, Ferocity, Resolve, Self-Realization
War: Blood, Duels, Tactics

There may be more revealed about the deities and their powers over the course of the story, so stay tuned...

Waiting for everyone to post that they're ready before proceeding with Gameplay.

Okay. Ready.

Another out-of-curiosity question: are the individual members of the Green Court more slanted towards a separate aspect of the group as a whole, or are they all mostly the same (or somewhere in between)? And are they mostly worshipped individually, in small sub-groups, or as a whole?

I'm ready to rock and roll.

Another out-of-curiosity question: are the individual members of the Green Court more slanted towards a separate aspect of the group as a whole, or are they all mostly the same (or somewhere in between)? And are they mostly worshipped individually, in small sub-groups, or as a whole?

The former, their embodiment of various aspects of a cohesive whole, is correct. They tend to be worshiped as a group, but each of the faithful usually venerates one slightly above the others - whichever one they most identify with is suitably deserving of more respect, though they still honor the rest of the Court (even if it's only lip service).

Posting rate may be a bit slow over the weekend as I travel, but I’ll have reliable internet and will do my best to keep things moving along.

I have had a hectic work week, but I think I got all my bare bones part of my character done Finally. I will flesh it out more later

Erthriel wrote:

Another out-of-curiosity question: are the individual members of the Green Court more slanted towards a separate aspect of the group as a whole, or are they all mostly the same (or somewhere in between)? And are they mostly worshipped individually, in small sub-groups, or as a whole?

The former, their embodiment of various aspects of a cohesive whole, is correct. They tend to be worshiped as a group, but each of the faithful usually venerates one slightly above the others - whichever one they most identify with is suitably deserving of more respect, though they still honor the rest of the Court (even if it's only lip service).

Thanks! Natural follow-up question would be: of the five you mentioned, which aspect(s) are they more associated with?

Thanks! Natural follow-up question would be: of the five you mentioned, which aspect(s) are they more associated with?

Let’s go down the list.

Cùfuil, also known as the Savage, is depicted as a ravenous beast. Insatiable, violent, and nigh-incapable of reason, he is more of a force of nature than an actual deity. He serves as the subject of many cautionary tales about dealing with the Fey.

Gheimhridh, also known as the Silent, is an avatar for the impassive specter of death that looms over all living things. They are of indeterminate gender and keep their agenda, if they even have one, a tightly-kept secret.

Lachlanan, also known as the Clever, is a diminutive trickster who is attributed to be the progenitor of the gnomes. His wits and adaptability are the hallmarks of his tales, many of which are concerned with his escaping the jaws of Cùfuil or duping his fellow courtiers.

Naola Dragan, also known as the Revered, is the noble, proud queen of the Fey. Her shrewdness and wisdom served the realm of Fionnach well in its time, and many become her supplicants out of a desire to emulate her strengths.

Spéir Banríon, also known as the Brave, is a bit more ambiguous than his fellow courtiers. Many stories paint him as a gallant knight without peer, but others depict him as little more than a mindless machine of war, and no one can seem to reconcile the two sides.

Cool stuff, thanks! I'll have to think about which one Erthriel would be most likely to follow...

Some notes on Grant's GM style that reflect my approach to this PbP:

• It's assumed that Grant makes all his rolls in the open. If he has need for a secret roll, that will take place in a PM.
• By the same token, most of Grant's descriptions and information are available to everyone. If he needs to take someone aside to pass along information privy to only their character, that'll be through a PM as well.
• I've never employed Theatre of the Mind before, but I think that would work better with this style of campaign and will keep us focused on the written element. If positioning is ever unclear, just ask and Grant will clarify - things like flanking or being adjacent should be easy to figure out.

We're only one post into Mirgaard, and I'm already liking what I'm seeing from you guys. Keep up the good work!

Cool I love Threatre of the Mind.

Also I wish I could use Diplomacy on PCs...sigh Thier goes an awful Bluff roll

Sounds good to me! It will be nice to not have to fiddle with maps.

You're telling me! I fail the damn kids roll, and pass yours. The universe is laughing at me.

pops her hip

Maybe I've been following sports a bit too much recently...when I read this I assumed it meant that she dislocated her hip or something, and then I thought, "wait, that's not right, how would that happen..." :D

Anyways, theater of the mind sounds good to me too. I just started GMing my first game on another forum and not having to deal with maps is amazing. Though the module I'm using goes into a trap-filled dungeon later, so unfortunately I'll have to make one then.

Personally, I like maps in battle, just so you know what is happening. Google slides make them easy and all in once place... but of course, Whitney would never demand it.

By the way, don't feel the need to actually explain rules and such IC; just stating that you explain it to the newbie should be enough. If I have any actual rules questions, they'll be here.

Alright! I’m probably over-explaining from the nerves/excitement, so I’ll try to tone it down. You guys are more than welcome to offer suggestions for gameplay as we go - I can always use the feedback.

Out of curiosity, is Augrer built right to even function as a frontliner? I keep noticing I have one of the lowest attack bonuses. I'm not familiar with inquisitors to be entirely honest. Anyone more adroit at optimization mind tossing their hat in the ring?

I'm not good at optimization, but...

Only Erthriel has a higher attack than you, and that is because she is a ranger.. they get full BAB.

Most meatshields (if that is what you aspire to be) would have a high strength, which gives a bonus to melee weapons and to melee damage. You put your big numbers in Wisdom instead, which means that you will have spell bonuses instead. Not a bad choice at all, but not a meatshield choice. :)

You have good armor (or at least your AC is second highest after Aeshelia), you can fight melee, and you have more hit points than Aeshelia and I do, so you are the best frontliner we have if Erthriel is ranged, and still good to hide behind, even if she isn't. I think you are doing fine.

Agreed. Inquisitor functions quite well on the front line (particularly with a two-handed weapon), and you have a slew of strong defensive buffs/spells that will make you plenty threatening up-front. Throw in the beautiful mess that is Judgment, and you've got a nice little beatdown kit.

[EDIT] I'm fine with minor rebuilds during downtime (e.g. not in the middle of a fight, dungeon crawl, or other encounter) if you guys are ever unhappy with how your characters have turned out. Since we haven't hit our first combat yet, if you feel like rearranging some of your character's ability scores or features, I'll allow it for the next little while.

Added the Recommended Listening doc to the Campaign Info tab. It's still a work in progress, and I'm looking for suggestions on fleshing out the songs used. Hope you enjoy!

By the way, I've decided that Naola Dragan would be the most obvious primary greencourtsdeity for Erthriel. Just a note.

Perfect! Erthriel may or may not be in the Fey queen's sights already...

Is it illegal to be an arcane caster, or just cast, or is it technically legal but only in service to the Regency, or what? Is it also illegal to trade in magic items? I'm not sure where the lines are with that.

Sorry, forgot to address that question earlier.

The Regency outlaws arcane casting entirely, so anyone who displays the power to cast arcane spells or use spell-like abilities is breaking their laws. Magic items are strictly regulated in that only those of divine origin (crafted using divine magic, that is) are allowed; anything originating from arcane magic is banned and subject to confiscation. Similarly, the trade of such items is highly illegal, making the black market for magic items quite lucrative in areas they have trouble controlling.

The Meritor Merchant Caravan doesn't officially sanction the trade of magical goods, but it can't do much to control that; since far fewer people with arcane talents are among the general populace and they rarely subject themselves to Temerian inspection, they can't go around enlisting people to detect magic on their vendors' wares.

I'm fine with moving on, I guess.

Eat the food on sticks first. It's THAT good. ;)

I'm okay with moving on... definitely not trying to bog down the game. Was just trying to scout around for clues, but if there are none to be had, by all means, move us along. Is the auction where we join up as a party?

I am cool with moving on and the food on a stick...Fried lizard on a stick

Thorn looks interesting. Reminds me of Feronia, a very minor TN demigoddess from the Golarion pantheon. Fertility, wildfire, and sacred fires.

Just looked her up; I had never heard of her. I agree... similar vibe, but fire seems more chaotic than neutral to me, and Thorn was made for more of an overall good idea than neutral. Like rebreaking a bone to set it rather than letting it heal wrong, if that makes sense. still painful, but all towards improvement and wholeness rather than just arbitrary destruction.

To All Players: in the interest of fostering conversation (and satisfying my endless curiosity), what have been some of the biggest influences on your writing/roleplaying styles? What are some of your favorite stories, whether literature or otherwise?

[EDIT] I realized I should have led off with some examples of my own, so here goes.

As an English major (yes, I appreciated the joke earlier), I decided to study the literary works I'd admired ever since I was old enough to read. Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels are chief among them, and he's still my biggest influence and greatest role model as a writer, though I'm quite familiar with the traditional "literary canon" - it comes with the territory.

Poetry, music, games, and anime are my other favorite varieties of art; I approach them with a vested interest in discovering the stories they tell, and I've always been fond of the Beat Poets, jazz, fantasy RPGs, and shows like Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo (Shinichiro Watanabe is a stylistic genius).

I was an English Major too, long ago. :)

Spoilered the rest of my answer because I realized that I started babbling and it was getting long.

Hmm, Orson Scott Card is a favorite, as is Wereworld, and the Rangers apprentice. The Inheritance books, as the pit dragon series are enjoyable. Tamora Pierce is another preferred author.

I'm fond of anime and poetry, poetry as music fascinates me.

I'm one of the many people who put way too much into Skyrim, and just love fantasy games in general. It was actually Skyrim that led to a friend purchasing the pathfinder beginners box.

I'm also a real world martial artist/outdoors man/history nerd, so I tend to write more physical characters since I'm familiar with them and how to make them sound engaging.

A bit of background first: I was an engineering major, computer science/game design to be specific. Still haven't found a job yet, since (among other factors) I'm really a pretty crap programmer, but that's neither here nor there. That background informs the way I perceive games - probably quite differently than you English majors.

I'm much more into worldbuilding and collective stories than individual stories: history and geography and society and how that all fits together (real life or not) and how that can shape individuals as opposed to the other way around. I prefer strategy computer games to cRPGs. I read history and nonfiction voraciously, but shy away from fiction - real life, mine or others', is certainly the biggest influence on me. To apply all that to tabletop gaming: the part I most enjoy is creating compelling characters and backstories that fit the world. Unfortunately, sometimes I get selected for games and have to play the characters... :D (joking of course, it's nice to see a character actually interacting with the world sometimes too.)

As far as my writing style specifically...I really have no idea. Best guess is that it's similar to how I'd speak if I could proofread everything before it came out of my mouth. *shrugs*

Well I am no master of the English tongue, even though I am a native speaker. In fact I am incredibly bad at grammar and spelling in my everyday writing.

Influences are various as I look at a variety of things I have read over the years. I have Read a few Burroughs,Howard, George RR Martin, Tolkien, Brooks and Robert Jordan. I have also read a variety of Forgotten Realms books as it was my major book love affair while in High School. Most of my reads are Comic Books, with Marvel my favorite publisher.

Other hobbies of mine have you guessed it Comic Books, History, Musicals, Plays and currently trying to craft my own comic.

I am a classically trained musician and dancer. I am also a bit of a thespian. In the end my writing style is more stream of consciousness.

Thanks for sharing, everyone! I appreciate getting a bit of a look inside the heads of my players now and again, and I swear I'm not collecting information to traumatize you over the course of the campaign...

I glossed over my take on the question a bit, but I think the message came across reasonably well, and being the egotistical maniac I am, I enjoy the chance to share the full extent of my nerdy interests. I'm actually a relatively new GM, having gotten most of my experience from home games over the past 3 years and stepping in to run the occasional PFS scenario, so I hope that explains my overall level of caution and the occasional bout of second-guessing myself that's popped up so far.

I'm happy to take my time with this campaign and keep it running for a good while, though I know it may seem like we're getting a slow start; that's my attempt at giving you plenty of time to explore your characters and the world I'm building here, as well as a rudimentary method of getting you all invested in the stories we're creating as a group. Whether I succeed or not remains to be seen...

Keep up the good work!