Discussion thread BEGIN
Here we discuss backstories and BONDS.
Grigor's family, The Umlichs, have been selling their services as a 400 strong unit of siege-breakers called Draxen's Dragoon's from one end of the Coast of the Burning Princes to the other since Grigor was 7 and just learning to squire. Last year, after a brutal penetration of the last redoubt of Weeping Lord Sabien, Grigor and 43 troops under his command discovered an entry to the crypt of a long forgotten cult leader, Merinol. Even though that leader was long dead, and his magics mostly faded, the Skaven using this facility as a staging area for an invasion of the Princedom were very much alive. Through two days and three nights of almost constant, grinding, room-to-room warfare, Grigor lead his squad to a crushing defeat of the enemy. After hooking back up with the rest of the Dragoons, the unit confronted and defeated Split-Whisker, the mad Skaven alchemist running the facility. Split-Whisker had been experimenting with foul potions that gave him and his bodyguards strength beyond death. Grigor still wears his two biggest incisors on a leather thong for luck. Unfortunately, half the total Dragoon force, including Grigor's sister, the hex-singer Elise, were lost to the conflict. Grigor's father wanted to award Grigor command of a platoon for having proved himself fighting the ratmen, but Grigor instead decided to strike out, making his own fortune and his own name.
Grigor, I like to weave backstories with other characters, are you cool with me splicing Dhice into the Dragoon's in some form? Not as a best buddy or anything, just something to link us?
Grigor, I like to weave backstories with other characters, are you cool with me splicing Dhice into the Dragoon's in some form? Not as a best buddy or anything, just something to link us?
No worries. Run with your idea.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
((I'll probably have multiple posts discussing different eras of my past))
Dhice: young adult up to 1 year ago:
For mercenaries on the Coast of the Burning Princes, the dead are honored according to both their rank and their achievements in battle. The highest ranks and the bravest souls are ceremoniously paraded through the battalion on stone biers (ornate carts on which the bodies are displayed). The Biersman is the honored craftsman employed by every merc captain to etch scenes of the hero's life into the Dragoons ceremonial biers. Dhice is the son of the Dragoons' Biersman (hence his last name).
The Biersman is usually a hulking stonecutter with powerful arms and hands, yet Dhice, despite his lifelong apprenticeship, is a gawky, awkward and rail-thin bean pole. Yet somehow he has become a master stonecarver, working the material effortlessly. Some would say supernaturally, even.
Things got interesting for Dhice a year ago when he followed his secret crush, Elise, on a mission with Grigor's platoon. He snuck along behind them as they descended into the crypt of the cultist Merinol. Things got bloody very quickly, and Dhice managed to stay one step ahead of the mayhem by manipulating the stone doors and passageways to keep himself hidden. To his great frustration he hasn't been able to replicate this stone-shaping feat since, but on the second day he stumbled upon a Skaven sorceror working up some foul-sounding ritual and before he even knew what he was doing he had blasted a hole through the foul creature's face with a stone projectile that came... out of nowhere? What he found in that sorceror's den was so terrifying that he can only recall glimpses of it in his memory today. And he buries those memories as quickly as they come to him, sometime at the worst possible times...
Thoroughly confused by that point, something snapped in Dhice after that battle when he learned that Elise had been killed. He was tasked with carving her honorarium into the Grand Bier, but instead he smashed it to bits. With his bare hands. In front of half of Grigor's squad! The shame of destroying such a vital artifact of the battalion, sullying their honor and their pride, was too much. Dhice fled, and has been eeking out a living as a wandering stonemason ever since.
Great backstories so far, guys. Question - did Dhice and Grigor strike out into the world together after they learned Elise was killed in battle? Or did they leave their separate ways, and only this current adventure brought them together again?
The way I read Dhice's background, we both left at the same time, but along different paths, and will meet back together at the beginning of the campaign.
Yeah I'm thinking separate ways too. Partly because I want to get mixed up with some other party members in that year, and partly because Dhice left the Dragoons in great shame. He'd have been terrified to show his face to Grigor after that incident. He greatly wronged the memory of Grigor's sister.
Side note: I've changed Dhice's age from 27 to 21. As the story unfolded I realized that as a somewhat naive apprentice with a secret crush he shouldn't be that old.
Sounds like a recipe for some awkwardness when fate puts the two of you together again! Perhaps Dhice's fear of failure or repressed memories will crop up and cause some problems...
Grigor, do you blame yourself for Elise's death?
and now our song is left undone,
three-quarters remain of this yarn to be spun
and you, without me, are only someone
who hasn't an elf at her side
~note to spurned lover, Last Autumn
Crowds used to love the mummeries. But in recent years, wars and rumors of wars have taken their toll on attendance numbers. Some of Locrian's own troupemembers abandoned the craft entirely, or were conscripted, or worse yet, volunteered for these damnable military campaigns. Can no one see any and all of this through the lens of time and perspective?
Such a shame it is.
"Locrian Aemin, Historian to the People, Thrice-Drowned--though that ud'raan templar considered it a baptism--Poet to the Courts of the Downtrodden and Well-to-do alike...you've not heard of me? I'm surprised. I'm fairly certain I've, ahem, courted one or two of this fair town's lovely young ladies...Oh, those were your nieces? And your wife?! So you HAVE heard of me!"
---
"The oddest thing, this songbook. I can hardly read the script, some of it in high variants and peculiar rhyme-structure (though I think you'd be hard-pressed to deem any of this particularly poetic). But when the notes are performed, you can smell the first rain in Spring, feel that tug in your chest the time Lady Whomever deigned to waltz with you, witness the battles that turned good men into legend. Or maybe I'm just that good."
"At any rate, the notes are changing. Or my memory is faltering. I could almost swear it knows of things yet to occur. Sounds ludicrous, I know. But the intellectual in me has to pursue such oddities, or I might miss the greatest stories. So I'll ask again, and this time I'll cut just a little deeper, you'll bleed for certain: do you know where I can find a man called Dhice Bierson?"
Grigor, do you blame yourself for Elise's death?
No, I blame those rat-bastard Skaven! I think Dhice blames himself more than the Dragoons do. Everyone had a horrible few days during that campaign, and him coming into his power is understandable. However, we would have respected his decision to make something else of his life, if he so chose. We aren't those animals in The Black Company, after all.
Grigor messaged me, and I realize now it might be a tad unclear: the latter part of my post is Locrian talking to just some chump, trying to get information on Dhice and/or his whereabouts.
As some of you may know, this isn't my first campaign on these boards. One of the players from my previous RPGs, alias Choon, will be joining us. He's an excellent player so I just had him bypass the recruitment thread and hop right in to kill some Skaven.
One of the things I love about Dungeon World is the idea that we all (or most of us) have a shared history that we establish before the first session. So Locrian, why don't we push your search through to a successful end, and then have Dhice and yourself adventure together a bit.
I propose two options, feel free to riff on either one, or propose something new:
1. Locrian finds Dhice but through various experiences is underwhelmed and starts doubting his prophecies. I'd slot you in to this bond: "I will make _________ respect the power I wield." We could make up a few situations that caused this to happen. Maybe we're still together, or maybe we part ways. Could go either way.
or
2. Locrian finds Dhice and they have some great adventures together, but lose track of one another through some interesting event that we can make up. Then I'd put you here: "__________ and I have helped each other countless times"
thoughts?
Dhice has exactly the right idea. Establishing Bonds with each other's characters pre-gameplay really helps ramp up the roleplaying XP that you can earn, and makes things more fun overall, I feel. You needn't feel restricted by the Bonds suggestions listed on your character sheets either, if there's a better Bond you and your friend/ally can generate from shared backstories.
I think our frontliners are pretty well covered at this point, with our barbarian, Fighter, and Shifter applicants. An INT class might be handy...
I think our frontliners are pretty well covered at this point, with our barbarian, Fighter, and Shifter applicants. An INT class might be handy...
That or some kind of healer type would be cool. ;)
We do have a Bard, which offers a bit of healing punch. Healing magic in DW is a pretty dangerous proposition, in my experience. It doesn't seem to be as mandatory to have the walking hospital in this game as in others like D&D and the like.
I agree with Moosh's idea of looking at a broad coverage of the key stats, but would point out that the Bard is high INT. I think we need a WIS class, to help us Discern the key Realities! Perhaps a roguish sort?
Yes, Choon, perhaps a roguish sort? Would you have any experience with that sort of thing? :P
Question for all: what kind of tone are we going for here? Heroic vs Gritty? Are the primary conflicts group vs world, or do we want conflicting individual motivations and personalities?
Moosh already made it clear that PvP is out, but where do people sit in terms of making the characters a cohesive team?
I confess that I'm partly asking because Bloodred's Void Touched appears like it might be a bit prickly. Still waiting to see more in terms of backstory and personality of course.
I'd vote for cohesive team with some friction for RP opportunities, but nothing that overshadows the bigger picture.
I can go from full grit to full heroic, it's all good.
A big question for me is what our fair DM thinks of the elven background this character has. Will they be representative of all elves in general, or should I rewrite them as simply a large nation of xenophobes?
Gil is basically a mercenary, going from one job to the next, always looking for an easy score. At the same time however, he thrives on conflict and battle, and despite his insistence to the contrary, is drawn to the role of "the hero". Basically his instinct is to play it safe, but he longs to show off and prove himself superior. Drawing from anime, hes kindof a Tsundere character, except when he say "Yeah, ok, I saved you, its not like I like you or anything." he wholeheartedly means it.
Oh, and hello everyone.
I'm not terribly interested in party in-fighting. This ain't no Bloodsucker: the Angstening. However, I will happily view everyone else's bickering from the sidelines.
One important fact about Gaia that I want to establish is that races are not all one archetype of personality. Governments of racially unified nations may hold certain opinions toward other nations or peoples, but not all elves are the same by any means. Some elves are incredibly hostile and xenophobic to the point where no contact has been made with them in centuries, and many disbelieve they still exist. Some elves are more than happy to do business and interbreed with other races. So really, it depends more on the culture you grew up in more than your race.
Your race just happens to very often influence the culture you grow up in.
Also worth remembering that Dwarves are the most populous/influential race at the moment. Unlike some fictions that reduce Dwarf birthrates to near-Elven levels, Dwarves in my world can breed just as often as humans can.
There's some history to that current state of affairs in the balance of politics, that will likely become revealed over the course of the game.
Could someone tell me how to "join" the campaign so that is listed on my alias and all that? Also, I am technically still in a campaign that ended a year ago. Telling me how to "quit" that would also be appreciated.
Quitting a campaign is hard. It had to be done by the GM of that game.
To join, however, is easy. Just post something in gameplay. Even if you delete that post you will still have that campaign added to your list.
You have an old man's thanks.
You can Hide a campaign by finding it on the Play by Post forum game list and clicking the little button on the right, as well. Functions much like quitting a campaign.
Theme? Heroic base with a dash of grit is my preference
Agreed, though I like there to be room for dashes of silly as well.
I'm aware of:
Human channeler - backstory available
Human fighter - backstory available
Human bard - backstory available
Elven mercenary - basic intro posted
? Shapeshifter
? Void touched
Plus a couple others that I haven't seen specifics on yet.
Dhice, I like where your head's at. Although, I am an elf, good sir. Don't you forget it!
Here are my initial thoughts:
I think, after roughing up some scoundrels (or more likely putting coin in the palms of knowing individuals...maybe Giltharon?), Locrian caught wind of the Dragoon's exploits, pursuing that avenue of inquiry. Having learned that both Grigor and Dhice left the company around the same time, Lo sought out one or both of the former campaigners.
Perhaps Locrian had a run-in with Grigor, and the two didn't exactly see eye to eye. Most likely just a misunderstanding, as Grigor could be leery of anyone seeking information on a comrade. This could be the source of the following bond: Grigor does not trust me, perhaps for good reason.
Nevertheless, having finally tracked down and connected with Dhice, Locrian had a difficult time convincing him of the songbook's interesting properties. So to prove (mostly to himself) that there is something to this odd tale, Locrian sidled up and cast his lot with Dhice.
insert some sort of adventure here, possibly with one of the other characters
Lastly, a couple months back, there was a falling out of sorts between the two: Locrian's songs were hitting too close to home, and his singular mind for the craft of it all nearly cost him a dear friend. Rather than push Dhice away, the bard slipped away in the night, convinced he had enough material to begin composing "The Lay of the Bier's Lament."
Bond idea: I have hurt Dhice by my negligence, but I hope to win his friendship back.
-----
Guys, sorry I'm seemingly missing for hours at a time. I bartend, so my schedule is rather wonky. Looking forward to this campaign, though!
Gil did you ever fight with the Dragoons? You could know both me and Grigor that way.
Locrian that sounds great. I'll make a bond with you like "I've driven away a potential friend, I must find out what I did to Locrian"
Gil did you ever fight with the Dragoons? You could know both me and Grigor that way.
ill admit I havnt looked at everyone backgrounds yet, since im wrestling with whether to stick with Gil or try something else for this game. Is it in your character bio that I will find these Dragoons?
Im actually contemplating playing a dwarf. I dont usually like them in Pathfinder for optimization reasons. That sounded a bit munchkinny, but really, they just dont fit alot of classes due to racial stats.
Anyway, I thought id prefer to still play a pirate, but was wondering if he has to be identified as such? Alot of the class could just as easily be seen as simply a dare devil with a flair for theatrics. Kinda like a Star Lord with a flintlock.
This got me thinking about characters like that Dwarf companions from Dragon Age, and the champion Graves from League of Legends, and how id like to play something along that archetype.
Might I be able to play a pirate who wields a musket instead of a pistol and cutlass?
Gil you should check out the dashing hero playbook for that concept. It's super fun.
Ah, guess I should have checked here first. Here's my character. I took some liberties with the fluff. Much like Choon, I prefer heroics with a little grit, and a healthy dose of humor. Cook low over a medium flame and then flambe.
Name: Bathilda
Class: Barbarian
Look: Wild eyes look out from a boyish face. A heavy overcoat covers most of her long, lanky frame, while a pair of sturdy breeches and a pair of sturdy boots cover the rest.
Race: Outsider (Human)
HP: 23
Base Damage: d10
Alignment: Neutral
STR: 16 +2
DEX: 13 +1
CON: 15 +1
INT: 8 -1
WIS: 12 0
CHA: 9 0
_______________ is puny and foolish, but amusing to me.
_______________ ’s ways are strange and confusing.
_______________ is always getting into trouble—I must protect them from themselves.
_______________ shares my hunger for glory; the earth will tremble at our passing!
Load: 24
Gear: 5
Two-handed Sword (Close, [Messy, Forceful], +1 Damage, 2 weight)
Dagger (Close, [Messy, Forceful], 1 weight)
Chainmail (1 armor, 1 weight)
A coin with a crossed sword and halberd on the face and the coat of arms of the 3rd Landschneckt Brigade on the reverse.
Dungeon Rations (5 uses, 1 weight)
Herculean Appetites
Others may content themselves with just a taste of wine, or dominion over a servant or two, but you want more. Choose two appetites. While pursuing one of your appetites if you would roll for a move, instead of rolling 2d6 you roll 1d6+1d8. If the d6 is the higher die of the pair, the GM will also introduce a complication or danger that comes about due to your heedless pursuits.
Appetites: Mortal pleasures, Fame and glory
The Upper Hand
You take +1 ongoing to last breath rolls. When you take your last breath, on a 7–9 you make an offer to Death in return for your life. If Death accepts he will return you to life. If not, you die.
Musclebound
While you wield a weapon it gains the forceful and messy tags.
What Are You Waiting For?
When you cry out a challenge to your enemies, roll+Con.
- On a 10+ they treat you as the most obvious threat to be dealt with and ignore your companions, take +2 damage ongoing against them.
- On a 7–9 only a few (the weakest or most foolhardy among them) fall prey to your taunting.
Full Plate and Packing Steel
You ignore the clumsy tag on armor you wear.
Bathilda joined up with a band of mercenaries, The Steel Talons, at the tender age of ten. She has since grown into a woman of large appetites, specifically those of booze, men, fame, and glory. She left the Steel Talons after an altercation with her commander and joines the Landschneckts. After a few years in the 3rd brigade, she found herself out on her own when the 3rd Brigade was disbanded. She has since been adventuring with her current party.
I think I did everything right, but I may have missed something. I'll fill in the bonds once I've gotten a green light on her background.
As for dwarves. I'm actually working on a setting guide for a campaign I want to do. One of the things I want to do is have dwarves and elves have different variants that would allow for more variety in class options.
Anyway, sorry to derail the thread. Now to go back and read over everyone's character so I can be thinking on that.
|
Bonds
_______________ is altogether sane. How?
_______________ is on the breaking point of madness.
_______________ once fought the agents of my patron.
_______________ believes me to be a rambling fool! They will know the truth soon enough.
Anyone want to come across me talking to (my patron)thin air and seemingly getting responses to my questions? that might fit for the rambling fool bit.
Also i think Grigor might be able to fit into "fighting agents of my patron" Just spin it a little so that instead of fighting he broke into a crypt of a follower of my patron or something like that, same with Dhice.
And Dhice while yes Vtouched is a tad on the obtuse side what with the whole evil patron thing. I would feel like the patron would be more worried about the skaven then who i am adventuring with. Rikard will be interested in converting people/skaven and will be ultimately interested in defeating the skaven menace and to help the party he will use his cultist contacts to get stuff done. Rikard would be able to see that the skaven menace needs to be dealt with first and foremost, that without followers his patrons power might wane.
Orphaned.
Physically revolting.
Changed when he started worshiping
has since brought members to the cult of stars
When Rikard was born he was a bit of a runt, and not the cutest of babies in fact his parents where so disgusted by his malformed nose, and misshapen ears that they immediately cut their losses thinking that in no way shape or form could this baby fit into the world. Oh how wrong they where. An elderly man, by the name of tom, who always seemed a bit off managed to find this misshapen child left for dead and nursed it into a boy that was ridiculed and picked on by all the villagers. Beseeching his adopted father for help, Rikard found out that Tom followed an unholy God by the name of "The Lord of Stars", after learning that LoS (Lord of Stars) was a fair God that punished his followers that didnt listen and rewarded the most devout, Rikard did anything he could to curry his patrons favor. Well into his teenage life, after converting many outcasts to his patrons will, Rikard was set a task that would be the ultimate test. Rikard had to remove Tom from the head of the local cultists, LoS wanted Rikards loyalty above all else before bestowing on him a gift. Rikard fought with the decision but in the end brought Tom low, and was rewarded LoS touched Rikards spirit and low and behold, Rikard was made anew as LoS's power washed through him. All the birth defects where washed away and since that day Rikard has been beautiful, unlike anything most have seen. Since then Rikard would follow LoS into the void itself, so what is a little skaven menace.
My ways are strange and confusing
Okay, I don't think we have any other major applicants coming down the pipe, so I'm going to start the campaign with the players we have now. They are:
The Frontline
Grigor Umlich, Human Fighter
Mathilda, Human Barbarian
"Yorick's Requiem," Human? Shifter
The Sorcerous
Rikard Darke, "the Pious," Human Voidtouched
Dhice Bierson, Human Channeler
The Face/The Brains
Locrian the Drowned, Elven Bard
The Spec Ops
"Choon", ??? Ranger
"Giltharon Doran", Dwarf Gunnery Pirate
I'll be writing up the first gameplay post later tonight or tomorrow, so establish your Bonds with each other while you can. You should know that Bonds can be homewritten instead of relying on what's written on your character sheet.
Also you should be aware - I'm going to dump you into a life and death situation out the gate. All of you will have different starting circumstances within the same situation and how it plays out will shape how the rest of the game plays out. Be prepared...
Mooshy, I actually asked on the recruitment thread if it was cool if my brother-in-law played.
Oh yes, I forgot to add him. He's welcome, of course! Any idea what he wants to play?
Oh yes, I forgot to add him. He's welcome, of course! Any idea what he wants to play?
He's down with anything, but likes support classes like clerics. I think you said that there is an alternate healer class that is superior?
Damn add a cleric to that list and that's one well rounded party! Bring it on!
Here is Choon's alias. Almost done.