Male Human Film producer 3 Film director 2 Real estate investor 1
The Eldritch Odessey Rules are as follows:
• Destiny Points - Succeed in one thing (DMs discretion). One per level. There may be unintended consequences.
• Bottle caps/Hero Points - Receive Inspiration when you spend a Bottle cap. Receive Bottle caps when you do cool stuff.
• Active Defense - Use Defense instead of AC. Roll defense values instead of applying 10+AC.
• Reactions - Characters who beat their attackers' attack roll with a Defense roll will roll on the Reaction table, gaining a free Reaction as they prevent the attack.
• AoO - Characters without Sneak Attack do Dirty Tricks instead. No regular automatic attacks. This is to create tactical situations, and make damage dealing more important, by making it less frequent.
• Hit Points/Vigor/Wound Points - Vigor is equal to HP, and replenishes HP at the rate of 1 per minute. WP is your negative HP and is the real damage. They heal normally and heal before any HP damage. Priority is WP/HP/Vigor.
• Progressive Feats - Feats that go up by +1 when you enter a new Tier; i.e. Weapon Focus, Spell Focus, Dodge, Weapon Specialization (+2/Tier), etc.
• Minions/Monsters/Standard enemies with classes/Lieutenants/Bosses -
Minions have 1 HP/HD plus bonuses. They don’t roll Defense, get Reactions, or AoO. They do minimum damage. Any monster 4 CR lower than the party's APL is a minion. They have no treasure.
Standard enemies with class levels get 1 Reaction per round.
Lieutenants gain an extra Feat and have 150% HP and two Reactions per round.
Bosses have two extra Feats, 250% HP and unlimited Reactions. They calculate treasure at CR +2.
• Unique magic - Miracles are different from spells, which are different from psionics, which are different from manipulating nature. Trying to affect another type is at a -5.
• Magic items - Scrolls, Potions, and Magic items act differently.
• Economic downturn - There are 5 levels of coinage: Platinum pieces, Gold pieces, Electrum pieces, Silver pieces, and Copper pieces. All magical items are priced normally. All mundane items are one level down from those listed. All treasure is one level down from listed. Identifying magic items takes 100 GP and 1 hour, or 10 GP, a skill check, and 24 hours.
• Appraise - Roll an Appraise Skill check. Prices are 10% of the listed value, and shop keeps are considered always to be taking 20. Then take the shop keeps score and the players score and minus them. For every point below 20, add 5% to the price the buyer will pay. For instance, they roll a 30, the party rolls a 7. 30-7 is 23; they offer 10% of the listed price or 10 GP on a 100 GP item. Next time, the party rolls a 17; 30-17 is 13. That's 7 points below 20 which is 35%; 35 GP on a 100 GP item.
Thalmor Silverhelm of House Kundarak, LN male dwarf from the Mror Holds Inquisitor (monster tactician, oathkeeper) 1
Tuk Nimbleguts, 273rd of his name, CG male halfling from the Talenta plains Swashbuckler (mouser) 1
The room lay in darkness. The cramped quarters were full of bunk beds, their occupants having arrived late last night. A small ever-burning lantern hung by the door, its hood allowing just a crack of light to pierce the darkness of the room.
Thalmor had not slept well. With every bump and sound reminding him - and his insides - that he had boarded the House Lyrandar airship ‘The Colossus of Stormhome’.
Departing Sharn late last night, he had pulled some strings to get him aboard and was now bound for the town of Sylbaran in the Eldeen Reaches. A bit of luck, it seemed, to be able to go straight to his destination rather than forcing him to take the lightning rail up to Passage in Aundair, and then charter a House Orien Coach down to Sylbaran. The whole journey would have cost upwards of 250 galifars and taken two more weeks of travel. This was strikingly easier. It also involved a very uneasy dwarf flying. That was strikingly more difficult.
A bell sounded for cooks to begin preparing breakfast in the main kitchen.
The halfling Tuk jerked up in his bunk, his eyes wide, his breath hard in his chest as if he'd actually been pressed into the ground and crushed. As the warforged Engineer #3 Mk. II rose from a nearby bunk and exited the cabin in the dark, Tuk was glad the dim light kept his shameful reaction hidden.
Taking a deep steadying breath, he shook his head, his damp locks splatting against his neck and cheeks.
Thalmor groaned quietly, kicking his legs out of the bed, while he rubbed the back of his neck. He pinched the tip of his beard, twisting it. With a heavy thump, his broad feet ‘plomped’ onto the ground, swaying uncomfortably as the airship hit a pocket of rough air. Blinking blearily, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes as his tummy growled. He frowned as he grabbed his stuff, eyeing the rest of the sleeping room in the flying airship they were on.
Thalmor grumbled audibly and exited the room to find whatever vittles these airship masters might have scrounged. His eyes adjusted to the darkness as he made his way with heavy footfalls through the storage compartment in the next room over, before climbing the steep stair out of the passenger section of the hold. The ship creaked sleepily around him. Ahead, he could make out quiet voices talking...likely the warforged that left the room a bit before him speaking in low tones with someone else.
The common area ran the width of the ship, almost forty feet wide at this point. A table and chairs lay just in front of Engineer #3 Mk. II with cabinets full of loaves of bread and other sandwich fixings against the left wall. Another steep stair directly to the left of the door led up to the main deck, chockablock with boxes and barrels strapped in behind the stair and hanging from the rafters over the cabinets.
Beyond the table, a counter jutted out from the left wall, full of other cooking utensils and some foodstuffs.
To the right of the door, a couple of bodies lay wrapped up in bedrolls on the floor in front of a padded wrap-around bench built into the walls. They snored softly, while above them a hammock lay empty.
Another counter jutted out from the right wall; it was kitty-corner, and offset just enough from the one on the left to allow passage between them. The deep blue of early morning from the portholes along the walls glinted off bottles and other drinking utensils.
In the dim area beyond the two counters, light from the lit stove of the kitchen could just be made out; a recognizable silhouette stood in front of it.
Roderik d'Deneith turned and smiled. "Good morning, Engineer. Sleep well?"Roderik chuckled at his own joke.
A groan emanated from one of the bedrolls on the floor, and the groggy voice of Kurst Grath, Roderik's younger brother, croaked out. "It is way too early for your Khyber-spawn puns brother." He rolled over towards the wall. "Three, please throttle him and his happiness so I can sleep."
"Good morning Roderick. Kurst.”Three said entering the room. “I am unable to strangle happiness, and it would serve no purpose to slay someone so obviously in distress. Perhaps a caffeinated beverage and some warm foodstuffs would improve your disposition Kurst? May I be of assistance in the galley?"
Scratching himself and muttering crossly, Thalmor stumbled into the room and maneuvered around the detritus towards the table and chairs. He pulled one out and settled into it, withdrew a ledger of sorts, and began to examine it, making notes at the margins. It seemed that he was waiting for something, and the furtive glances towards the kitchen, along with gurgling dwarven belly, made said thing apparent after a short while.
Roderik laughed jovially at Engineer #3 Mk. II and his brother. "Absolutely. Get over here, you can help fry up some tomatoes. We're on our own this morning, the lords and important folk are having breakfast up in the main galley."
Roderik pulled out a mug and a craft of beer from a storage locker. "Let me get you an ale, Master Thalmor," he said, greeting the dwarf. "I was told you would be joining us on our trip home.” Condensation dripped down the sides of the craft, wettening the table as Roderik plonked it down, a dark brew slopping over the sides. “Welcome."
Thalmor looked up and nodded, a nearly imperceptible movement at the corner of his mouth betraying his pleasure at morning ale, "Aye, lad, much obliged." He gripped the handle of the mug, taking a draught of the dark liquid. The foam caught here and there on his bushy beard, and he wiped it off with the back of his sleeve. He nodded, satisfied, "not bad for a morning brew, at least," he said in a gravelly voice. He rubbed his brow a moment and then returned back to his ledger.
Thuurvi wandered in, chewing on a bit of dried ginger. She yawned hugely, displaying distinct canines on top and larger tusklike ones on the lower jaw of a half-orc.
"Thuurvi, good morning,”Roderik smiled at Thuurvi as he headed back to help Three.
Tuk emerged after Thuurvi and nodding politely made his way to the stairs leading up to the deck of the ship. He carried a bandolier and a weapon belt and was rubbing his neck. His wild shock of red hair caught Thuurvi’s notice, her own hair in a long orange braided plait down the center of her head trailing down her back.
Watching the halfling exit above decks, Roderik flipped an egg. "Thuurvi, would you like some fried tomatoes and eggs with a couple of rashers of bacon?"
"That would be wonderful, Roderik.”Thuurvi nodded at Roderik's gaze following Tuk, ”...ah, I guess he's not going for breakfast just yet?” She chuckled, “I'll be the honorary halfling and eat his breakfast as well if he doesn't come back. My stomach is regular as a clock,” she yawned, “even if I didn't sleep well." She hovered for a moment near the cooking area, wanting to help out before taking a seat. "I would help, but spoons and knives tend to fly around me at times."
“Kurst!"Roderik exhorted, kicking at the lumps on the ground. "Rise and shine!"
A young female halfling entered the room. She glanced around as if looking for something as Kurst rolled over with a groan, “Sovereigns be damned. I'm getting up."
"Are they discussing the artifact up there in the lofty halls of the blessed gentry?"Thuurvi asked, running her black fingers through her bright flame-colored hair.
A man belched, "unlikely," he said entering the room. He smiled at the young halfling woman fondly, hugging her. "Jacynta! Good morning, my dear. So glad you could join me again."
He crossed to the table with Thuurvi and Thalmor seated at it, and tossed a leather journal on it, followed by a quill, a jar of ink, a handkerchief, several coins, a loose bit of paper, and a mouse - which promptly scurried off the table into the detritus around the edges of the room. "Oh dear, how'd that get in there?" he chuckled, walking over to pull out a mug from a shelf behind Kurst, who was still lying on the ground, his elbow over his eyes.
Thuurvi narrowed her eyes at the mouse as the man gestured to Jacynta to join him at the table.
"My name is Aemon Grahame if you please," he sighed, sitting down and pulling the craft of beer over to him. "I am the scholar who found the Xen’drik artifact in question.” He scoffed, “‘artifact’..." shaking his head he poured the beer from the larger pitcher into his cup, to find it had only a few drops left. "Odd that," he looked inside the craft as if there might be some alcohol still hidden in its depths, frowning. "It's a pillar. A stone..."Roderik handed him another craft of beer, "- thank you. A pillar of stone. A stone pillar. Apparently, it comes from the town of Sylbaran," he brandished his now full cup in salute to the room in general. His eyebrows raised as he spotted Thuurvi's twisted shadow on the wall behind her before dismissing it with a shrug. "So...reason to celebrate!”
Jacynta eyed the bacon and the offered seat but remained standing. Distracted, she peered back over her shoulder into the ship where she had just come from after not seeming to see what she was looking for in the common area.
Aemon took a long pull from the mug. His skin was a soft red-chocolaty hew, very warm, and had clearly seen the sun. His hair was a lovely dark shade with bits of grey, a large swoop of his forehead bald. He had a neatly trimmed goatee that had gone mostly gray. He had to be almost sixty and had a likability about him despite his gruffness, and a playfulness that belied his age.
"Aemon,”Thuurvi nodded at the dark-skinned man. “Thuurvi Muth-la-Zash, a Jhor'guuntaal of the Reaches, although my family was originally from the Marches,” she said sipping her water.
"Kurst."Roderik snapped. When nothing happened he barked, "Custennin Grath!"
Kurst lurched up, entangled in his bedroll, his white legs on display under his nightshirt. "I'm up, I'm up!" he groused.
"A jogun - I'm sorry...”Aemon leaned forward, stroking his goatee, "a jo...jogunt -"
"Jhorgun'taal,"Kurst grunted, pulling on his pants, his tongue trilling on the 'r' in Jhorgun'taal. He looked remarkably like his brother if his brother needed a haircut, hadn't slept all night and was two drinks in. "It means 'born of...” he stopped pulling his pants up and closed his eyes for a second, thinking, "...both bloods', or something like that."
Next to Kurst in the other bedroll on the floor, another man stretched and yawned, his mustache curling up at his cheeks. "'Two bloods'."
"Help yourselves."Roderik set down a couple of plates of bacon, fried tomatoes, toasted muffins, and bright butter. "Omast is right. It is 'two bloods'. Actually, correct me if I am wrong, my lady, it means 'child of two bloods', correct'?" He gestured welcomingly to Jacynta again to sit and join them.
Thalmor stopped writing for a moment, and took a swig of ale, watching the warforged cook.
Thuurvi turned back to Aemon, amused. "Yes, Roderik has it. 'Child of two bloods'. The Shadow Marcher orcs took in many humans long ago when none else would have them, and the admixture is a mark of pride in many parts of the Marches."Thuurvi spoke while availing herself of a plate. "Tak, Roderik. I get so hungry when I'm off my beauty sleep schedule," she mumbled, tucking into her food relentlessly.
Thuurvi leaned against the table, her curiosity piqued. “So how is it that a Xen'drik pillar winds up in the Reaches of all places?” Crumbs on the tabletop skittered away from her, wafted by unseen forces. “Were there Giant colonies established there in the past?"
"Um...colonies might be a strong word, but there's certainly evidence of Giantish construction, just up Blademark Hill.”Jacynta finally stepped a little farther into the room. “Well, Bloodmarch Hill, most people call it. Sorry, but did anyone see another halfling come through a minute ago? With red hair?"
"Yeah, he hopped on up to the deck," drawled Thuurvi. "Apologies for the term - I should be mindful that 'colonies' has all sorts of implications. Bloodmarch Hill, a colorful name. I'm sure I've walked it but don't recall that particular moniker."
Kurst and Omast rose and put away their bedrolls and the hammock. "On Bloodmarch hill the only real evidence of anything is the remains of the...foundation I guess...of a citadel that once stood there,”Roderik said, a bit subdued. “I don't think it was giant-made, however. I'm pretty sure it was made by man. Before it was destroyed."
After a time hanging back, Jacynta approached the table and climbed onto a chair next to Aemon, helping herself to a slice of his bacon. She otherwise seemed content to just listen to the morning conversation.
Thalmor’s face was stoic as he nursed his ale, listening to the half-orc woman chat with the others. His gaze seemed to be resting on a particularly interesting piece of wall detritus, lost in thought.
“Destroyed?”Aemon questioned, "what happ-"
The hatch burst open and the red-haired halfling returned, looking much more convivial than when he'd passed through earlier.
"Greetings all!"Tuk declared from the ladder. "My apologies if I was abrupt earlier, I seem to be averse to sleeping on an airship! Tuk Nimbleguts, 273rd of that name...at your service!" He delivered a sweeping bow with one hand, holding onto the ladder with the other.
Thalmor’s trance broke with a snort and a little bit of ale coming out his nose when the energetic halfling entered again. Wiping it away roughly, he shook his head and returned to his ledger.
Thuurvi chuckled at Tuk and Thalmor, but she was all about the bacon and tomatoes. "Mmph. Shpilled-yer-gutsh?"
"A stone pillar of giant-ish construction, originally from Sylbaran?”Three queried, efficiently cooking food for everyone in the galley, deftly using their large fingers in place of more traditional utensils. “Most curious.”
Tuk hopped down from the ladder, not at all discomfited that most ignored his greeting. He managed a wide smile when he spotted Jacynta. Taking a seat at the table, he grabbed whatever foodstuffs were within reach, stuffing a prodigious amount of food into his small frame.
"I do not recall any areas within the town where such a pillar might have resided,”Thuurvi mused, taking another couple of pieces of bacon.
"Is it magical or psionic in nature?”Three asked, cracking some eggs to fry. “Or does the stone hold only archeological significance?"
Aemon’s ears perked up and he grabbed a muffin and slathered on a thick helping of butter. "I don't think the pillar is psionic in nature. Or arcane, for that matter. Mind you, I'm no expert. I will say it holds power. Of what kind...I cannot say." He looked around the table, picked up the plate of bacon, and peered under it before setting it down again. He called out to Engineer #3 Mk. II in the kitchen, "I say, what are you called dear fellow? And do you have any preserves hidden back there? Fig perhaps?"
"My designation is Engineer #3, Mark II. For ease of reference and brevity, most I converse with end up addressing me simply as Three.”Three piped in from the kitchen, “And yes, Master Aemon, there is a basket holding assorted preserves and jams. Would you prefer a single selection or a variety?"
"Well let's have the whole basket then,”Aemon laughed.
Omast disappeared back into the ship through the door everyone came out of, and Kurst stepped into the kitchen with Roderik where they conversed quietly with one another, laughing occasionally as the energy in the room picked up with everyone enjoying their breakfast.
Tuk listened to the discussion of the nature of the pillar being delivered to Sylbaran. He spoke up around a mouthful of food, "Giantsh like the ol' shtuff made by th' ol' giantsh." He chewed a bit and swallowed, clearing his throat, "sorry...I've heard that the giants of Droaam revere the old Xen'drik giant sites. Might be a mistake putting something like that up with a town so close..." he finished, letting the statement hang in the air.
"Mmm, I suppose that's a fair estimation Tuk,"Thuurvi nodded at him, for both his statement and his ability to eat. "But giants are not monolithic, no pun intended. The giants I knew in Droaam tended to be reverent, but there's a spectrum. Not all are - some resent their past. Some are back-to-Xen'drik nationalist or speciesist types, and those are scary indeed."
Thuurvi tapped her plate with her knife, thinking. "I suppose you'd put me on the 'cautiously reverent' part of the scale. I'm not one for enslaving elves, for instance." She made a face, shuddering, "even if they do odd things with their dead. And as for humans putting a town close to somewhere? That's what humans do. Expansionist empires or scurrying refugees, that's how my dear pinkish ancestors like to get into lands they probably shouldn't be occupying."
As the group ate, a middle-aged half-elf with a shaved head and crow's feet on his eyes stepped through the doorway from the bow of the ship that Omast just went through, followed by a younger female half-elf, her dark brown hair offset by pale green eyes. "We should arrive about an hour before the midnight bell," he instructed, speaking to her and paying everyone no mind as they headed up the ladder onto the deck. "I want us ready to turnaround by midnight so we can arrive early in Fairhaven."
"So tell me,"Aemon asked, wiping his mouth with a cloth and looking over everyone gathered, "I know dear Jacynta here, I've worked with her before. Are you all from Sylbaran?"
"Yes. From Sylbaran as much as from anywhere.”Engineer #3 Mk. II replied. “I work with the smith and magewright, and assist with the town's defense as needed."
"My apologies,”Thuurvi stated, “I think I've seen you around Three, but I'm usually running off to the woods."
"No apologies are necessary. My work typically keeps me close to Clamor, unless called on for patrol or defense work,”Three responded. “I am very rarely to be found outside the walls or in the forests."
"And a good help he is at that,"Roderik beamed at the warforged.
"Oh, of course. I've met Sara Morninghawk. Three, a pleasure.”Thuurvi smiled placidly at the 'forged. "I'm sure you do fine work,”
Everyone sat quietly for a moment, the sounds of clinking silverware and shifting chairs filling the space, as they waited for the others to respond.
Thalmor seemed to wait until the others bored holes into his skull before sighing. He leaned back, putting down the half-empty mug, raising his eyebrows at the question. "Eh? Nay. I’m a banker. Only been to Sylbaran a few times.” He watched the others’ expressions carefully. “An oath was made and broken,” he explained as if that were extensive enough.
"All right, Thalmor, I'll chew. What sort of oaths are we talking about?”Thuurvi soaked up some egg yolks with her muffin.
Thalmor shrugged, "It’s my business, that’s all. Don’t know why I thought anyone in this lot would be in league with my quarry.”
"Fair," chuckled Thuurvi. "I like to shout at ducks when I'm hunting them as well.”
"A banker! Ha. And a magewright, always a good thing to have. What brings, or -"Aemon nodded at Engineer #3 Mk. II,"- brought you to Sylbaran?"
"Only been in Sylbaran for a bit. I mainly grew up in Droaam and the Byeshk Mountains."Thuurvi wiped her plate clean with some bread, giving Thalmor a little 'cheers' with her table knife and a closed-mouth smile.
Aemon turned, looking at Tuk. "And where are you from, Master 273rd? What brings you to Sylbaran?"
Tuk took a drink, eying Aemon before answering.
"Well, I be from HalfHome, where all us Tuk's were born and bred,"Tuk said proudly, biting off a piece of buttered bread. "But, that's all gone now.”Tuk grabbed a slice of cheese and folded it with a piece of bacon into his bread. “Seems someone's got it out for us Tuks. Going ta ground, as they say, in Sylbaran. Hopin' to make meself useful..." Taking a bite, he leaned back and looked at Aemon and the rest, gauging everyone there.
"HalfHome?"Thuurvi knitted her brows. "Can't say I recall it...something happened to it?"
Kurst sighed and sat back in his chair. "Not good things, that's for sure."
Roderik nodded. "The village was hit by a landslide. Freak accident. There were a lot of good people there. Decimated it, unfortunately. My condolences, Tuk."
Thuurvi smacked her brow. "Ah, 'Steeth. I recall the name now. Only heard rumors about it and nothing about its destruction. I'm truly sorry, Tuk. The Byeshk Mountains are beautiful, but damned if they don't eat up a number of lives each year."Thuurvi sighed, pondering. "Who's really from where they were from originally, though?"
"Eberron is a fascinating place. The world is alive...it lives, it breathes, we move about and migrate, things are connected in ways that we would never guess, and may never understand."Aemon burped quietly, "excuse me," he murmured, reaching across the table. He took Thalmor's mug of beer and placed it a few inches from where he picked it up. "What connects things?" He grabbed Thuurvi's cup, and then Tuk's cup as well, moving them on the table to different spots. "Are the Eldeen Reaches forested with deep ancient woods because the Wardens and that ancient talking tree are there? Or did the tree start telling stories because the woods are so thick and old, and that brought the Wardens of the Wood to that place?" He leaned back in his chair, interlinking his fingers over his belly.
"Dragonmarks, Manifest zones, the prophecy, even the Day of Mourning...if you find an ancient pillar in a far-off land and return it to its home, what else might happen? How will Eberron change, and respond, and...adapt to such actions?" He chuckled whimsically, and gestured along the line of the beer mugs...on one end was Jacynta, on the other Engineer #3 Mk. II stood in the kitchen area, with everyone's mug in the middle in a line. "How will Siberys respond? Or Khyber? What connects disparate people together in our world?"
Thalmor gaped as his ale was moved, opening his mouth then closing it after a short moment. He grabbed the ale and held it close, as another pocket of air moved the ship in an unnerving way. “Lad, some things ain’t for moving. Better to have left them be.” He took a swig and gestured to the airship and surroundings, "damn thing shouldn’t exist for one...”
Thuurvi frowned at the mention of the Wardens. "What connects people and things? Strife and confusion, or so it seems. The whole thing is gone pear-shaped. A creation myth involving two males and one female is surely suspect to be either horribly wrong or horribly correct and absurd besides. As if menfolk of any species could create anything except spurts of..." she tipped her cup over to spill a bit of drink on the table, "...blood."
Reaching across the table to fetch his cup, Tuk observed Thuurvi drily, "The womenfolk ain't been shy of spilling the blood either, I reckon’."
"Only fair to deliver what's been given, Tuk.” replied Thuurvi. “Chivalry is dead and buried."
"Sylbaran has definitely had its share of blood spilled during the war."Roderik sighed.
“Roderik, I heard a bit about that,”Thuurvi commiserated, “but I was safe in Droaam during the War."
Thalmor leaned forward, frowning as the ship creaked loudly. “As for Eberron -” he paused looking at Aemon, “I know her well. She doesn’t like people poking where their noses don’t belong, does she?” He leaned back again and took another swig from his mug, this time holding onto the thing with an almost iron-like grip.
"Connections exist without our awareness many times.”Three leaned on the shelf in between the kitchen and the table. “A seemingly random occurrence in one city may result in a tragedy across the continent. Most people are blind to these happenings, and will never know what transpires around them. Some are more 'lucky' and will come to understand those connections. I do not yet know which is the greater mercy; awareness or ignorance."
A somber pause hung over the room.
Aemon chuckled, a huge smile on his face. "Well said," he lifted his mug of beer towards Engineer #3 Mk. II and toasted. "To awareness..." he downed the mug in one long gulp, smacking his lips, “...and to ignorance.”
“We have the afternoon to ourselves.”Aemon plunked his mug down, “I think we arrive later tonight -"
Roderik interjected. “The quartermaster said something about arriving at the eleventh bell tonight.”
"Did he?"Kurst muttered, looking at his brother while chewing on his breakfast. "I must have missed that."
"...yes, we arrive at the eleventh bell."Aemon nodded at Roderik, standing. "Right. I will be doing a presentation on the pillar around sunset. I imagine some politicians aboard will likely try to take credit. Until then -" he clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "- the day is yours to do what you will. Does anyone have anything they need to do? I know I could start with a...ah..."Aemon pointed at his empty mug and the empty craft of beer meaningfully, "...a bit of a starter. Anyone else have any plans?"
Thalmor exhaled, sighing and relaxing. "It’s as good as any meal, Aemon,” he raised his mug in salute.
"I have no pressing tasks. Most likely, I will assist with maintenance and cleaning on the vessel.”Three said, washing the dishes up.
Tuk pondered Aemon's query, "I'll likely snag a bit o' a nap, as I says, sleep wasn't comin' last night. Or I'll haunt the deck. Interesting view...more interesting conversations..." he said, trailing off mysteriously.
"Usually barley-water and tea for me, thank you. And I must go meditate to the gods in order to receive my sacred blessings of divine mercy for the day."Thuurvi said with an almost-pious expression on her face. Her lips pursed to hide her tusks, and she made her eyes puppy dog-wide for a split second, then burst out laughing. "Sorry. I can't lie to save my life. Nap, a round of song and cloud-watching on deck, and anything I can do to help without bothering the crew, that's what I have on the docket. Say, do warforged sing?"
Jacynta took a deep breath and let it out slowly, muttering, "I suppose now is as good a time as any." She continued in a more conversational tone, looking at Tuk. "Before you go, Master Nimbleguts, there's a matter we should discuss. With some privacy, if we can get any."
Thuurvi raised an eyebrow at the halflings.
Tuk sipped his drink, nodding at Jacynta, "Sure, if ya like. But, I'm no Master…”Tuk smiled, “not yet at least."
Jacynta led Tuk into a corner of the room to speak with him in hushed tones.
"I'm not much good at this kind of thing, and I don't really know how to couch the news, so I'm sorry, and maybe you've heard already, I don't know, but -"
She paused to take a breath and break her rambling. "I knew one of your - I don't know, a cousin, maybe - in Xen'drik, and...he's dead."
Tuk rubbed his face with one hand at the news, shaking his head, "Ah, 'tis sad news Jacynta, but thank you. Xen'drik you say? Hmm, could have been Tuk The Seeker...or perhaps Tuk The Lost. Hard to say, we went all over."
Tuk considered Jacynta for a moment, "I'll let you in on a secret,” he whispered, leaning closer. “Seems one of my cousins pissed off someone or something, and Tuks have been dying ever since. That landslide that took out my home? Deliberate." He spoke the last word really slowly to let its meaning sink in.
Three looked out over the group. “Do any of you require metalwork or maintenance on your equipment?"
Thalmor shook his head, grumbling, “nay, this contraption is not to my liking. I’d stay below lest anyone have use of me.” He stretched, looking a little unsettled, "an unlikely event, I expect, given that there wouldn’t be much use for a banker on an erm, airboat. But -" he raised a manicured finger, seemingly considering for a moment. “Should anyone wish to lose money in a game of cards or summat, I am certainly available to win it.” He grinned for the first time, though it was hard exactly to tell, given the length and thickness of his black, wiry facial hair. His eyes glittered mischievously.
"If it's a game of chance yer after, I'm up for it!"Tuk beamed from the corner with Jacynta.
“No, I'd just as soon toss galifars right down the latrine. I can't fool people to save my life,"Thuurvi exhaled.
"If the cards or dice are fair and balanced, I would be amenable to a game.”Three approached the table. “I admit, most humanoids are unlikely to ascertain my mental States. Perhaps dice might be the most equitable chance for each to win,”Three mused.
Aemon got a refill on his mug from Roderik and took another large swig.
Thuurvi wiped her eyes as a torrent of laughter escaped her. She picked up a leftover fork, eyes on the 'forged. "Three. Say this is a die," she dropped it casually on the table, still watching them as it whisked off to hit the wall behind Aemon, and clatter on the planks. "No dice games for me. But do enjoy."
Looking at the fork, then into his cup, Aemon glowed, “Roderik my boy, you brought me the good batch!”
Engineer #3 Mk. II watched the fork bounce away, then turned his eye-lenses back to the half-orc. "That seems like it would make things difficult, Thuurvi. Is there something that can be done to alleviate this problem? Will that pose concerns for adventuring or working with you in the future?"
"Nothing need be done Three; thank you for your concern. I just try not to drop things. Fortunately, I don't live in Sharn."Thuurvi grinned at the 'forged. "One learns to find value in one's flaws."
Male Human Film producer 3 Film director 2 Real estate investor 1
Welcome to the discussion thread.
I prefer all out of game conversations posted here, if at all possible. I’ll set up the gameplay thread in a few days.
Congratulations, and thank you. I’m nervous and excited about this story.
Let’s go about creating the characters.
Goals:
- Create everyone’s characters.
- Figure out why everyone is here, and forge any pre-existing connections with the party.
- We’ll open the story on an airship heading from Sharn to Sylbaran. This is not a normal flight, but a specifically chartered flight, carrying an artifact from Xen’drik. The College of Morgrave found the item, and it is being presented to the Eldeen Reaches, and Sylbaran in particular, as it was originally from Sylbaran (it’s being returned).
- I’d like to find some connections between most of the party, I’d like to find motivations for “going on this journey”, reasons for being on this ship, etc.
- Once we sort character design, I’ll be posting a “format” to put on your pages so I can navigate them easily.
I will be starting a PBP campaign hosted here on the Paizo boards.
I've been feeling it for a while and I think the time has come. So here we go:
I do NOT need you to stat your characters out, or create profiles.
I consider it rude to require you to do a lot of work and create a profile here on Paizo for a “chance”. If you are selected, then we will go through the process. If you HAVE a character already, that is great. What I want is a description of your character, and a memory or two that they have that defines them or motivates them. I don't need more than a paragraph on their background, especially if the memory is good.
If you guys want to role-play with each other, that is fine, I've seen it happen in some threads before. I would find a scene that gets you to Sylbaran in the Eldeen Reaches, to the west of Silver Lake, where we will be beginning the story. Several of you could roleplay out scenes of that nature where your stories overlap. However, you are in no way required to do that.
About the game
• Starting at 1st level
• Setting Eberron 998 YK
• System Pathfinder 1e w/ house rules
• Campaign Giantslayer
• Starting location The town of Sylbaran in the Eldeen Reaches. It lies just north of the border to Droaam, and just west of Silver Lake. This replaces 'Trunau' in my story.
• Submission deadline Today is January 20th. I will close submissions on January 30th, unless there is an abundance of need.
• I tend to run games that are more railroad than sandbox but have no problem with characters looking in the dark corners to see what is there.
• You will need to flee sometimes. I will usually hint at it pretty bluntly.
• I like political intrigue, which works well in Eberron but will likely feature much less in Giantslayer.
• I run an adult-themed game. There will be dark motifs, murder, racism, rape, torture, etc. I try to do it tastefully, and only when necessary for the story. If selected, I will ask every player what their lines in the sand are that they would prefer me not to cross.
About your character
• Acceptable Races Any core PF, as well as a warforged, shifter, Kalashtar, changeling, catfolk (I will likely khajit at you, sorry), orc, hobgoblin, goblin, tiefling, or aasimar. I would consider something else, but be aware I would have to really be sold. I am less of a fan of crazy races...like catfolk, ratfolk, tengu, etc. they don’t spark me as PCs as much, but I will still consider a submission from those races on the merits.:)
• Acceptable classes Anything Pathfinder including Occult and Unchained. The Artificer found here. I will also accept Dream-scarred Psionics and might consider Path of War, although I actually prefer Book of Nine Swords still.
• Acceptable books Any core PF 1e including Unchained and Occult, any Eberron 3.5e, as well as Dream-scarred. There is stuff in the Complete series from 3.5 I still like a lot, as well as the MIC and I'll consider anything 3.5, but reserve the right to reject it.
• I will also consider 3.5 prestige classes when we get there if I feel I can reasonably adapt the one you want to Pathfinder and Eberron.
• Eberron extras from Dragon magazine sources are totally fine.
• 25-point buy
• Dragonmarks are totally fine, as are aberrant marks.
• I’d prefer everyone to format their characters with a template I have. This makes it way easier for me to find what I need when looking something up, rather than having to find WHERE you put something.
• Zero problems with your character being LGTBQ+ in any capacity. I also have zero problems with your character being completely not okay with those things. All players are expected to be respectful of everyone else, however.
• I like a couple of character memories more than I like a backstory. In other words, don’t tell me your parents were killed...write a one or two-paragraph memory of them before they died. I can use that SO much more in-game.
As an example:
Renny was born over 100 years ago in the southern regions of the blade deserts, in what is today Valenar. Their oasis was along a trade route and as a child, she found it fascinating to learn about the different peoples and cultures that passed through. For many years she stayed at her oasis and helped out with mundane everyday tasks such as sewing, construction and repair, and welcoming visitors. However, she grew increasingly restless and one day she joined with one of the caravans passing through the area, eager to see more of the world around her.
This is well written and fun.
However, an example of one of Renny's memory might be:
“As a child, I loved the deserts of Cyre. My home. It was warm and beautiful, my parents were loving, we had everything we needed. I just...I was fascinated when caravans came through, carrying so much exotic stuff...and even more exotic people."
"There was this woman...she was old. Probably only 55 in human years, so only a few years younger than me at the time, which fascinated me to no end...but I just remember her skin. It was so bronze, so sun-kissed. She shared a pomegranate with me. The first one I’d ever had. She must have been...Thranish? Brelish? Probably Thranish, she had this tone while speaking, like she knew what good was out there, and wanted to share her certainty with everyone who hadn’t asked. Ha. As a child, I thought that was so magical, like a fairy tale. She was so nice. Now it comes off as arrogant. Well-meaning, but...but I still think about her, and that pomegranate. And home."
"I jumped on a caravan the next summer. I was way too young to leave but I had to go find more hidden treasures like that woman and her magical fruit for myself. I had to go discover something. The deserts will always be my home, but this...apparently chasing down a rabid cult of the dragon below bent on making undead were-creatures...this is my old woman with her magical fruit. This is an adventure. I don’t think I could go back. Valenar may be a kingdom of my people, but Cyre was my home. Is my home.”
The memory gives me emotion. Opinions, inferences. It connects you to a moment of your characters' past that gives them personality. You see motivations in it, and when well-written, they can be quite deep. As a DM, I can look to write characters like the woman, or add pomegranates, or other treasures like that that are NOT a longsword +1 that your character might respond to much stronger now than had they written the first backstory. And they become moments you can role-play out with your party.
The way the game will play
• I will do grouped Initiatives: Enemies, then players, so everyone can go once I post.
• I will roll your Initiatives, and most Knowledge and Perception checks. When you could know something about something, you will. When you could see something, I’ll tell you. If your character is being vigilant and checking “if they’re being followed” that is fine. That is your intention: to be vigilant and look. I’ll roll to tell you. This limits roll-fishing, and also speeds up some things; i.e. you won’t have to ASK what you know about the creature in front of you, I’ll tell anyone who made the rolls what they know as soon as you see it. I do this because PBP's are SLOW, and if we can just “step” into combat, rather than announce it, and a week later hit the surprise round, I think it will speed things up. I don’t want to take away control, but rather improve your experience.
• I will actually be building your characters in Herolab, and tracking everything at home as we play. Helps me to keep all of the conditions, etc. in line.
• All of this is intended to speed up the PBP, as slow posting can bog down a game.
• I also am not fond of huge multi-paragraph posts. I prefer smaller posts, more often, rather than a post responding to the last 15 posts. When I see a post addressing a character, and then addressing a separate character that already posted, it drags me out of the story and feels false. I recognize this won’t stop people, but I’d prefer you to come in with an understanding of my preferences.
• I use a slightly different Eberron map.
• Eberron is a civilized setting (in most places). There are laws, and you can get on the wrong side of those laws. This does NOT mean you cannot be evil or a thief. It does mean that assaulting a citizen or casting a spell in public that is prohibited can get you in trouble.
• Being evil does not mean mustache-twirling or killing innocents, robbing the party, and not being a "hero". Jaime Lannister was evil because he was willing to sacrifice others before he'd sacrifice himself. He was willing to break the law if he benefited. Once he started acting on behalf of others, even if it wouldn't benefit him was when he started an alignment shift. Selfishness runs on the evil spectrum...but a selfish hero is still a hero, for different motivations. (fame, fortune, power, etc. Or maybe they just like to kill, and "bad guys" is a target they don't go to prison for.)
• Laws of Sharn (Nothing on this website is mine. I just utilize the laws, but ignore everything else.)
• I will level you at certain story points.
• I have in the past asked questions regularly to help continually define your character. I will likely do so again, although less frequently. In the past, I gave bonus XP for this, as well as for posting, but since I am leveling at story points, that doesn't work as well. I have considered giving bonus XP that allows you to unlock your bonus Feats and Traits from Flaws and Drawbacks...sort of a lateral growth from leveling up. I'll let the group decide.
House rules:
House rules
• Active Defense. I combine this with a custom set of rules I’ve made called Reactions. When you attack a goblin, that goblin rolls Active Defense rather than AC...so an attack of 14 isn’t against an AC of 16, it's against a 1d20+6. If you succeed, you hit. If you do not succeed, the goblin gets a reaction, which creates tactical problems and advantages.
• Conversely, if I attack you, you get a Defense roll. Unless everyone objects, I’ll actually roll these. Normally, I’d roll a goblins attack, compare it to your AC and tell you if I hit or not. In this case, I will roll the attack and your Defense, and tell you if I hit or not. If I did not, I will let you know what tactical advantage you’ve gained, and then you can describe it if you'd like.
• Hit points are a little different. You’ll have more. I use wound points as well.
• Hero points. These work like advantage.
• I do use Minions, Elites, and Bosses. Be aware, a boss can solo a party if you're not careful. Bigger creatures have more hp (note: we will be fighting giants.)
• You will sometimes need to retreat. I will usually give you an idea of the expectation. (Guys, this is a fight you will lose. You should get the gem, and run. Now.)
• I may use Active Spell-casting, Overclocked spells, Wild magic, Limited spell-casting if you lack your implement, Spell critical strikes and Spell fumbles. I will only worry about those when they come up if we have classes that utilize them.
• I use some Unchained rules, for poisons, background skills, and also I use Stamina rules for Fighters and Fighters alone.
• Max gold starting for your class. Dragons (PP), Sovereigns (GP), Shillings (SP), Coppers (CP).
• Elephant in the room feat taxes.
• Flaws, Traits, and Drawbacks will be used if wanted, but not required. One Trait must be a Campaign Trait. I have listed in the Player's Guide Campaign Traits that work well, but I will consider any. Up to two Flaws and two Drawbacks, approved by me.
• I might know a guy (You create a few NPCs to introduce to the campaign).
• Wizard-types are good at Meta-magic and item creation. Sorcerer-types are good at Counter-spelling and changing magical energy to suit their needs. Clerics cause miracles to happen, they don’t “cast spells” (mechanically it is the same, however). I do not think of them as casting magic. Psionics, magic, and miracles are all different and are less effective against the other types.
• Combat maneuvers, teamwork feats, and Metamagic are different and will be explained when they come up.
I mention these mostly without details because I do not want to debate the rules in the recruitment. That is not what this forum is for. There will be House Rules, I’ll make sure you know when and where as much as I can.:)
-What I’m looking for in your submissions-
1. Did you make me smile?
I love a truly visceral response. I want to see how reading your description makes me respond.
2. Did you compel me?
At the end of the description do I immediately want to know more?
3. Was I reading about Luke the farm-boy or was I reading about Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master in hiding?
Am I reading about someone who is a hero already, or a person ready to have their life interrupted, and get caught up in extraordinary circumstances?
I want the characters in this story to feel like Peter Parker before the spider, like Frodo before Bilbo's birthday, like Tony Stark before captivity. They are high school students, and hobbits, and yes billionaires...but not heroes. Vulnerable. But once destiny grabs them by the scruffs of their necks and shakes them like a chew toy, they become something more.
4. The quality of the writing
I want someone who can use their words in a compelling fashion, who knows how to use a comma, and is not afraid of doing it. Someone who can craft a beautiful description, but can also allow brevity to carry a moment. Someone who compliments their companions.
5. Did you give me a monster to slay?
This will take a little explaining. I am looking for stories that are compelling, but that also gave me...hints. Moments that I can play with, tug, and scratch at. Something that I could draw a vivid, colorful tattoo on their lives, and have it fit both their character concept and my story. Something I could use to push their character into places they fear, or scenarios they might be uncomfortable confronting. Driving emotions of guilt, greed, desire, anger. Secrets, misunderstandings, and prejudices. I want the greatest monster that you fight in the game to be yourself and your past.
6. Was your character breathing?
Does your character feel alive? Real. Vulnerable? Could I sense memories hanging untold on the page from your character, ready to fill out the corners of their life? This is a hard one to explain, but if you've ever read a story with a lead character you just can't identify with, who is forgettable, it's likely because they weren't breathing, living. They were archetypes, with names and looks and explosions...but not great characters.
7. Did I feel you would work well, and fight well, with others? And will you fit in the campaign?
I want to know that you can work well with others, both as a player and as a character, and that your character is the right fit for Giantslayer and for Eberron both.
8. What did your character need?
I need a need. Something that your character must have, will go out of their way to get, or achieve, or stop, and that has a clock on it. It does not have to be huge...and preferably it can run tangentially to the main story. (A Thasillonian scholar hell-bent on getting inside the plume in Sandpoint to prove that his father wasn’t insane. Or a thief who needs to earn 500 Sovereigns to pay off a certain corrupt judge in Magnimar before they arrest his little sister and impound their house.)
If you would like to see an example of my DMing style, I have a Rise of the Runelords AE campaign in Eberron I ran for a bit before I had to stop because of films I was working on that year. It got super busy, unfortunately (fortunately, really, but...). It can be found here.
Welcome to my telling of the Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition, set in Keith Baker'sEberron. This is a highly cinematic, character-driven, pulpy post-war story in an Eldritch-powered world with complex motivations and morals.
I am using the Iconics from Paizo and many of my own House Rules. Eventually, the characters will gain access to Flaws, Traits, and Drawbacks.
Currently, there will be six characters: Valeros, Merisiel, Seoni, Ezren, Sajan and Amiri. I may bring in others.
This has been played at the table, mostly, and then I am "transferring" the action to the blog.
I had begun to post this on a different page but it was actually set up for something different, so I decided to do it all here instead, abandoning the other.
We’ve decided to try something quite different at home. My daughter, 13, who’s only played once or twice, and my girlfriend who has never played both decided they’d like to try a campaign. As we were looking about, talking about options, we had a silly brainstorm one night and decided to run Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition as Disney princesses. My best mate joined in, and I thought I’d record the proceedings here for posterity and chuckles.
The goal: choose 4 Disney princesses and convert them to Pathfinder, using their (loose) stories and personalities as guideposts, and run through RotRL AE. The builds are our own interpretations, so ymmv on how “accurate” you think they are. The goal is NOT automatically to try to tell their “traditional” stories. For instance, I don’t know if I’ll have traditional villains like Mother Gothel, or Jafar or whomever, but if I CAN find fun ways to wink at their traditional stories, or Disney stories, or even OTHER Disney stories, I’d love to.
The house rules: Not many, which is highly unusual, as we were wanting to give them RAW for their first run-through. I’ve slightly adjusted their hp and how they function (closer to Starfinder), were using critical hit and fumble decks, hero points (for advantage), Feats, Flaws, Traits and Drawbacks, and some feat to combat options changes (Power attack, Weapon Finesse, etc). Also a rule for wands that expands their potential.
The tools: I’ve about four grand in minis, so we’ll be running it on the table, with fantasy grounds on my computer to access the campaign info super easy, and Herolab to track all combat. Got everyone new dice, and we’ve ordered some HeroForge minis where we needed them.
The princesses:
- We wanted four princesses, so I’ll be running a DMPC. I chose a class build I’ve always loved that runs with a really high AC, but is not a complex spellcaster, so I went with Mulan, an Unchained Master of many styles & Hungry ghost monk who will multi-class into a Bladebound Magus Kensai. She focuses on Crane style, Panther style, and her family katana that will awaken at some point is called Mushu. She is Tian.
- My daughter chose Rapunzel, and made her a White-haired Witch with a chameleon familiar. She currently is thinking she may have been a slave in Cheliax, but hails from the Mwangi expanse...making her possibly a black Rapunzel. I am fascinated by this, so we’ll see if she continues to develop her that way.
- My girlfriend chose Jasmine, and we made her a Qadiran royal. She is on a “Qadiran” (Roman) holiday, and is a Slayer Vanguard & Warhound, with a genie-touched (DM fiat) tiger animal companion named Rajah who she’ll eventually mount and ride.
- My best mate chose Belle (she goes by Beauty), and went with the more historical telling. She is from Galt and her father, an engineer for the Galt military who imported and built foreign weapons from Qadira (and Jasmines deceased father), fell afoul of a cruel Prince in Varisia. She has come to find this Prince and finalize her fathers’ debt. She is a Gun chemist Alchemist Chirurgeon with VMC in Soul bound Unchained Summoner.
We start this next weekend, after having session zero last weekend. We plan on playing at least one weekend a month.
I welcome any comments or even ideas. I’ll gladly lift something if it is a neat way to adapt the story.
Your boots squash with fetid water as you plod through the Puddles. A thick fog hangs in the air, seeming almost to caress the flesh with an unnatural chill. As you stand outside the Soggy Piper in a foot and a half of brackish brine, you try to recall what was so damned important to demand your presence in the half-flooded slum during Absalom’s rainy season. You remember your meeting at the Lodge just a few hours earlier with your Venture-Captain, Adril Hestram.
A bear of a man with only a few teeth remaining in his head, he motioned you into the meeting hall with a casual wave of his grizzled hand. The human captain outweighed most of Absalom’s half-orcs, and though a layer of beefy blubber coats his frame, those of you who have tangled with him in the Lodge sparring ring know that beneath this thin veneer of fat lies nothing but solid, steely sinew. Adril’s wild beard wagged to the ponderous shake of his massive head as he examined a scrap of ancient parchment on the table before raising his eyes to greet your gaze.
“Come in then, Aliyah. Thank you for answering my summons so swiftly. The society is in need. An old and quite penniless historian, a bespectacled wag-beard by the name of Yargos Gill has recently made a discovery in an old archive that we have a great interest in obtaining: an ancient codebook left behind in the wake of one of Taldor’s many failed attempts at invasion. This several-hundred-year-old text would prove an excellent addition to our collection and must be preserved."
“Yargos makes his home in ‘The Puddles,’ Absalom’s poorest district, suffering from a well-known reputation as a haven for lowlifes. Following an earthquake ten years ago, parts of the Puddles now rest below sea level, resulting in frequent and untimely flooding. Those who can afford not to live there—don’t."
“The district is the stomping ground of pimps, harlots, addicts, knifers, and hoards of unseemly derelicts. It’s never been a kind place, but recent reports reveal some new nameless terror on her waterlogged streets. Several persons claim to have seen cloaked, skeletal-like figures marching through an unnatural fog. Ill tidings indeed. Tracking down Yargos is now a priority - lest some yellow-toothed thug cut him down, or one of these strange wraiths carry him beyond the pale. Find him, Pathfinder, and find the codebook. Your exploits will be recorded in the Chronicles if you succeed.”
The memory fades as a fresh deluge of cold seawater rounds a bend in the lane and assaults your knees. After searching for Yargos at his favorite eatery, the Soggy Piper, you learned you just missed him. According to the Piper’s staff, a gang of dangerous young tattooed toughs arrived ahead of you. They grabbed Yargos and several of his friends from their dinner table and dragged them to a nearby cliff at the edge of the Puddle District. The watch was called, but they will arrive too late, as they often do in the Puddles, when they bother to venture there at all.
It is early evening, the first Wealday of the month of Desnus, an old man is about to face some awful fate at the sea cliff known as Torsen’s Maw, and you are no closer to finding the codebook Adril sent you for.
This is a solo play I am running. All are welcome to visit, but if you'd like to comment, please do so in the discussion thread, not in the game-play thread. We'd love to hear from you!
This is a heavily adapted rendition of Curse of the Crimson Throne set in Keith Baker's Eberron, utilizing my own House Rules.
Curtains of water fall from the sky as you traverse the labyrinthine walkways of Sharn. The stone and wooden paths wind around and between the towers and spires high above the ground, forming a complex latticework that can be very confusing on evenings such as this. The rain falls hard, running off higher walkways and balconies in drenching waves, making it difficult to see much more than a few feet ahead of you. The distant glow of everbright lanterns, barely visible in the soaking gloom, does little to light the paths on this warm, wet evening.
ooc:
Perception:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12vs. DC 18. Demon does not see anything.
I’ve been considering doing a small group (three people max, likely - more like two) custom pathfinder rules pbp set in Skyrim. Obviously this would need some massaging to get the systems to work together, but I think it could be intruiging and fun. I have most of the setting specs worked out, and most of the house rules. This would be similar to Pathfinder, but would be different enough that there are a few rules you’d need to learn, and be willing to learn.
So, to motivate me, I’m curious to see what kinds of characters might be out there. And what interest might be. I haven’t decided for sure, so i figure this might get me over that hump.
I’d be interested in general build, nothing specific. In concept, and even background.
As an example: “Dana was the daughter of a poor farmer in Whiterun hold. The war had burned her farm to the ground, and her family had been killed (separated, actually) by bandits after the battle between the Imperials and the Stormcloaks burned her families fields. She wanted vengeance. Her obsession with the Daedra had been growing ever since. I mean, if they can’t get her vengeance...”
Dana is a female human witch, and has made a deal with an unknown Daedra.
This is a round by round to show the difference between RAW and my Reaction system.
The characters I will be using are Valeros, Sajan, Merisiel and Seoni. They will all be 7th level.
The fight is in a 40 ft. by 70 ft. room.
They will be fighting Kimandatsu, an Ogre-mage Fighter 1 from Night of Frozen Shadows, and 4 Frozen Shadow Ninjas (12 in my rules.)
I make a few Feats free (Power attack). If they come up I will mention it, and what I replaced them with.
The House Rules I will be using are:
- My HP system (Base class+10+Con score at level 1) & Reserve HP.
- My Bigger, badder, more rules. This utilizes more minions, and Lieutenants and bosses are more powerful with more HP, and Larger sizes have more HP.
- Active defense.
- Armor as DR.
- Removing iterative attacks.
- My reaction rules. This is basically rolling a CMD instead of a Defense check, and reacting with whatever Maneuver you chose if you beat the attackers roll. This will become more apparent as the demonstration goes on.
Please keep all dialogue and description separate from ooc. I would prefer all ooc comments or dice rolls to be hidden by a spoiler, so that the story reads uninterrupted, if possible.
Also, if any viewers feel the need to comment, please, I welcome that...but keep it in the discussion thread, so as not to interrupt the story. Thank you!
"Through me you go to the grief wracked city; through me you go to everlasting pain; this miserable measure the wretched souls maintain of those who lived without infamy and without praise. Without fame, he who spends his time on earth leaves only such a mark upon the world as smoke does on air or foam on water."
-Anonymous letter penned to the last Queen of Cyre, dated 980 YK -
About the campaign
For a long while, I have wanted to either play, or be the storyteller in an epic Rise of the Runelords campaign. As you can see, I finally just decided to tell my own version of the events. :)
I will be running this campaign in the Eberron setting (thanks GM Aest for the primer), set in the country of Breland using the Pathfinder rule-set. This is the Anniversary Edition.
I will decide on players and characters for the party by...what do you think? January 1st, 2016? Or in the days after, to allow for sobering up. ;)
I will be selecting 3-6 players. I expect to post multiple times per day (my career is flexible in that regard.) My expectation for player posts is at least 10 posts per week (about 3 posts per 2 days).
Any House Rules I have I will explain when they come up, if they come up.
To give an idea of the kinds of stories and characters I am most likely to choose, these are some sources I tend to draw from:
Sons of Anarchy, the Uncharted series, Game of Thrones, Damages, Band of brothers, the Shield, Newsroom, True detective, Downton abbey, the Baldur’s gate series, Knights of the Old Republic, the Talented Mr. Ripley, Duplicity, the Bourne series, Sushi girl, Marvel studios, etc.
I like gritty, grey, conflicted, character driven action. I hope you do too. In my stories, weapons, armor and other possessions will probably break. I will maintain balance behind the screen and present magical or otherwise special equipment when it is best for the story and the characters.
This adventure will begin at level 1. As such, it’s good to remember that while these characters may be survivors, hopeful aspirants, or fledgling warriors, they aren’t yet heroes or adventurers. They are people who find themselves in an extraordinary situation.
Thank you for your interest. If you think anyone else might be interested in a campaign like this, feel free to spread the word so that they might submit a character as well.
Character Creation:
During the application process, I will not require a detailed character sheet. Your time is valuable, and I am more interested in story and writing than I am in whether you can stat out a character.
All Pathfinder products are allowed (though I’m not a fan of the Advanced Class Guide classes), as well as most WotC and Eberron material. Ultimate Psionics and Path of War from Dreamscarred are also allowed. Ask if you have any questions.
I prefer core races. You may ask about others, but I find the stories of humanoids to be more plausible; unless it is an incredibly interesting character, I am unlikely to choose characters outside of humans and demi-humans.
In terms of classes, don’t be concerned with expected party roles. Build the character that you think showcases your storytelling best, not the race/class combo that you think the party needs.
I tend to run grey characters, and I do not run hard and fast alignments. I am more interested in how your character responds to a situation based on their background and personality, not on their alignment.
A note on posting etiquette:
Please keep posts short—generally not more than three or four lines of text. Try to avoid internal monologue (explanations of what your character is feeling or thinking), but if you truly feel the need to post it then please post it inside of a spoiler. Please put names and dialogue in bold, and put all out-of-character information (including dice rolls, ability activation, and questions/comments to the DM) inside spoilers.
A note if you found this post after recruitment has closed:
If you found this thread, but recruitment is closed, and you are like "I really wish this was still open!" then come on over to the gamelplay thread. Read along. Comment (only on the discussion forum, please). And if, after reading the story, you feel that your excoriate from House Jorasco with the burned crispy arm, and a penchant for mixing chemicals dangerously (alchemist) would be the perfect person for the party to meet in their current quest, then PM me. If I like your idea, screw it...your in! We'll see if this works.
I originally posted this on the RotRL AP thread, but I'm curious about this one as well.
I am curious: for all those who have played this adventure path, at a table or on a pbp, as a player or as a DM, WHAT WERE THE BEST CHANGES FROM THE ADVENTURE AS WRITTEN?
(Please spoiler anything beyond the first adventure, in case anyone is currently playing.)
I have a couple of types of improvements, and an example for each.
- What were the best new encounters? (The Sandpoint Devil in the field of scarecrows in 2.)
- What were the best new plot twists? (Justice Ironbriar bailing the players out of jail during the Swallowtail Festival, before you "meet" him in 2.)
- What were the best plot changes? (Making Nualia continue after the first adventure, and how was it done.)
- What were the best improvements on a scene as written? (The death of the ghoul/lich house in 2 going up in flames seen for miles.)
- What were the best changes to maps? (Making Thistletops lower levels bigger, so you could actually fight.)
- Best unique, properly balanced, weapon or magic item or spell. (Horsechopper of bane vs. animals. Called NeighNeigh in the goblin tongue.)
- Best bit of dialogue that just felt so right. (Yeah, I don't have a simple example, lol.)
- What were the best moments with NPC's, that made them even better than written? (Tying the Black arrows into Shalelu.)
- What was the best meaningful death? (The barbarian tackling a giant, and they both fall off a cliff in 6, to save a character at deaths door, about to be smashed to jam by the giant.)
- The single npc group switch that was awesome? (Switching out all half-ogres for half-Giants, and all goblins for feral halflings.)
- What were the best tie-ins to other AP's? (Seeing the comet fall over Riddleport during the siege of Sandpoint by the Giants.)
- What were the best guest appearances by iconics? (Meeting Merisiel in the jail cell next to you in Magnimar.)
- What were the best battles made more...cinematic? (The goblin invasion in Burnt Offernings ending in a runaway burning cart chase that lights a building by the docks on fire, before ending in the bay.)
- What were the best times you were forced to separate your party? (We have to stop the giant invasion! Well, if we don't get this magic wand to Magnimar, 10,000 undead Giants will roll over Varisia. Crap. We have to separate to do both.)
- What was the best stat change? (Making Nualia a magus.)
- What was the crazy thing the players forced a DM into, that she rolled with, and it ended up being awesome? (Making the thing at the bottom of Thistletop your pet, and feeding it refularly. And naming it. I'm looking at you, Nobody'sHome.)
- The single House Rule you felt improved the adventure? (Hero points, etc.)
- The best setting adaptation? (Takhisis coming back, and you're from Abanasia; a dead hero of Rhajaat, an undead Sorcerer-King, is leading the Giants out of the obsidian dessert south of Raam; growing up human in Darguun was hard. Leaving it to travel to Argonessen to fight a greedy Rhakshasa? That was harder.)
- Best class combinations that just felt unique and cool? (Not half-vampire kobold 3pp classes crap.) (Tian orphan raised by the Shoanti who became a Barbarian ninja. The invisible rage.)
- Any hero moments created by the DM? (Tends to focus on one character.) (The Dragonborn escaping Helgen, Nathan Drake getting off the sinking ship, the building collapsing in Battlefield 4, Cloud and Sephiroth.)
- Greatest escapes? (Leaping from the top floor of the lich house to the ocean, as the house explodes with necromantic energy.)
- Anything else not from the adventures, but CHANGED from them that stood out to you.
I posted this originally in the RotRL thread, but I'm curious about it for this AP as well.
I am curious: for all those who have played this adventure path, at a table or on a pbp, as a player or as a DM, WHAT WERE THE BEST CHANGES FROM THE ADVENTURE AS WRITTEN?
(Please spoiler anything beyond the first adventure, in case anyone is currently playing.)
I have a couple of types of improvements, and an example for each.
- What were the best new encounters? (The Sandpoint Devil in the field of scarecrows in 2.)
- What were the best new plot twists? (Justice Ironbriar bailing the players out of jail during the Swallowtail Festival, before you "meet" him in 2.)
- What were the best plot changes? (Making Nualia continue after the first adventure, and how was it done.)
- What were the best improvements on a scene as written? (The death of the ghoul/lich house in 2 going up in flames seen for miles.)
- What were the best changes to maps? (Making Thistletops lower levels bigger, so you could actually fight.)
- Best unique, properly balanced, weapon or magic item or spell. (Horsechopper of bane vs. animals. Called NeighNeigh in the goblin tongue.)
- Best bit of dialogue that just felt so right. (Yeah, I don't have a simple example, lol.)
- What were the best moments with NPC's, that made them even better than written? (Tying the Black arrows into Shalelu.)
- What was the best meaningful death? (The barbarian tackling a giant, and they both fall off a cliff in 6, to save a character at deaths door, about to be smashed to jam by the giant.)
- The single npc group switch that was awesome? (Switching out all half-ogres for half-Giants, and all goblins for feral halflings.)
- What were the best tie-ins to other AP's? (Seeing the comet fall over Riddleport during the siege of Sandpoint by the Giants.)
- What were the best guest appearances by iconics? (Meeting Merisiel in the jail cell next to you in Magnimar.)
- What were the best battles made more...cinematic? (The goblin invasion in Burnt Offernings ending in a runaway burning cart chase that lights a building by the docks on fire, before ending in the bay.)
- What were the best times you were forced to separate your party? (We have to stop the giant invasion! Well, if we don't get this magic wand to Magnimar, 10,000 undead Giants will roll over Varisia. Crap. We have to separate to do both.)
- What was the best stat change? (Making Nualia a magus.)
- What was the crazy thing the players forced a DM into, that she rolled with, and it ended up being awesome? (Making the thing at the bottom of Thistletop your pet, and feeding it refularly. And naming it. I'm looking at you, Nobody'sHome.)
- The single House Rule you felt improved the adventure? (Hero points, etc.)
- The best setting adaptation? (Takhisis coming back, and you're from Abanasia; a dead hero of Rhajaat, an undead Sorcerer-King, is leading the Giants out of the obsidian dessert south of Raam; growing up human in Darguun was hard. Leaving it to travel to Argonessen to fight a greedy Rhakshasa? That was harder.)
- Best class combinations that just felt unique and cool? (Not half-vampire kobold 3pp classes crap.) (Tian orphan raised by the Shoanti who became a Barbarian ninja. The invisible rage.)
- Any hero moments created by the DM? (Tends to focus on one character.) (The Dragonborn escaping Helgen, Nathan Drake getting off the sinking ship, the building collapsing in Battlefield 4, Cloud and Sephiroth.)
- Greatest escapes? (Leaping from the top floor of the lich house to the ocean, as the house explodes with necromantic energy.)
- Anything else not from the adventures, but CHANGED from them that stood out to you.
I am curious: for all those who have played this adventure path, at a table or on a pbp, as a player or as a DM, WHAT WERE THE BEST CHANGES FROM THE ADVENTURE AS WRITTEN?
(Please spoiler anything beyond the first adventure, in case anyone is currently playing.)
I have a couple of types of improvements, and an example for each.
- What were the best new encounters? (The Sandpoint Devil in the field of scarecrows in 2.)
- What were the best new plot twists? (Justice Ironbriar bailing the players out of jail during the Swallowtail Festival, before you "meet" him in 2.)
- What were the best plot changes? (Making Nualia continue after the first adventure, and how was it done.)
- What were the best improvements on a scene as written? (The death of the ghoul/lich house in 2 going up in flames seen for miles.)
- What were the best changes to maps? (Making Thistletops lower levels bigger, so you could actually fight.)
- Best unique, properly balanced, weapon or magic item or spell. (Horsechopper of bane vs. animals. Called NeighNeigh in the goblin tongue.)
- Best bit of dialogue that just felt so right. (Yeah, I don't have a simple example, lol.)
- What were the best moments with NPC's, that made them even better than written? (Tying the Black arrows into Shalelu.)
- What was the best meaningful death? (The barbarian tackling a giant, and they both fall off a cliff in 6, to save a character at deaths door, about to be smashed to jam by the giant.)
- The single npc group switch that was awesome? (Switching out all half-ogres for half-Giants, and all goblins for feral halflings.)
- What were the best tie-ins to other AP's? (Seeing the comet fall over Riddleport during the siege of Sandpoint by the Giants.)
- What were the best guest appearances by iconics? (Meeting Merisiel in the jail cell next to you in Magnimar.)
- What were the best battles made more...cinematic? (The goblin invasion in Burnt Offernings ending in a runaway burning cart chase that lights a building by the docks on fire, before ending in the bay.)
- What were the best times you were forced to separate your party? (We have to stop the giant invasion! Well, if we don't get this magic wand to Magnimar, 10,000 undead Giants will roll over Varisia. Crap. We have to separate to do both.)
- What was the best stat change? (Making Nualia a magus.)
- What was the crazy thing the players forced a DM into, that she rolled with, and it ended up being awesome? (Making the thing at the bottom of Thistletop your pet, and feeding it refularly. And naming it. I'm looking at you, Nobody'sHome.)
- The single House Rule you felt improved the adventure? (Hero points, etc.)
- The best setting adaptation? (Takhisis coming back, and you're from Abanasia; a dead hero of Rhajaat, an undead Sorcerer-King, is leading the Giants out of the obsidian dessert south of Raam; growing up human in Darguun was hard. Leaving it to travel to Argonessen to fight a greedy Rhakshasa? That was harder.)
- Best class combinations that just felt unique and cool? (Not half-vampire kobold 3pp classes crap.) (Tian orphan raised by the Shoanti who became a Barbarian ninja. The invisible rage.)
- Any hero moments created by the DM? (Tends to focus on one character.) (The Dragonborn escaping Helgen, Nathan Drake getting off the sinking ship, the building collapsing in Battlefield 4, Cloud and Sephiroth.)
- Greatest escapes? (Leaping from the top floor of the lich house to the ocean, as the house explodes with necromantic energy.)
- Anything else not from the adventures, but CHANGED from them that stood out to you.
I am considering running a campaign set in Skyrim. It would be using Pathfinder rules, with a couple of potential House Rules tweaks of my own, but using the Skyrim setting.
I'm curious to see if anyone would be interested, and get peoples opinions on a few things. If you have any ideas or suggestions, this is the place for it.
First: Dragons. I am thinking the easiest thing would be to just substitute PF dragons of various colors and ages for the Skyrim Dragons. Thoughts?
Second: Magic. Again, just substituting the spells and mana of Skyrim for spellcasting classes and options in PF rules.
Third: Armor and weapons. This is slightly more complex, with the various types of Skyrim armor (Daedric, Iron, Dwemer, Nordic, etc). These are all different "power levels" in Skyrim. My thought was to just define each as a material type (Stone for Forsworn, Bone for Falmer, Bronze for Iron, Cold Iron for Ebony, Mithral for Elven, etc).
It'll be less tiered like Skyrim, but it could work. And I'd likely remove magical bonuses (no more Longsword +5's) and make the bonuses part of the Skyrim weapons upgrade system. Fine, Superior, Exquisite, Flawless, Epic, Legendary. So a Steel Longsword that you smith up to Exquisite will have a +3 attack and damage bonus, but is not necessarily magical. Magic weapon (like a +1 Longsword in Pathfinder) would now gain a +1 special ability, like flaming, etc.
So you could find a Superior Defending Forsworn Longsword. It would be made of bone, have a +2 to attacks and damage, and be a "+1 weapon" for all DR overrides and such, because of it's defending quality.
Fourth: Races. They would likely be all human, orc and elven. I'm not terribly interested in trying to come up with a balanced Khajit or Argonian, so unless they already exist and I like them...I suppose I would just say "your a Khajit. It's stats are just like a human for now. Go." I'm aware that sucks, lol.
Fifth: Skyrim's classless system. Yeah. Can't do that in PF. So, no. PF classes are the way I'd go.
Yeah...thats it for now. I would consider having a place to post pictures online, so that I can throw up a picture of the weapons or armor you just looted, or the city you just walked into, just for a little flavor. Undecided on that.
I would likely go for two or three players. Not more, as this is already a little daunting at having to adjust everything on the fly.
I would choose who, if anyone, might become Dragonborn in the party, so that would not be part of a character's history or goals. Everything else in the world, that a player would conceivably know about, I'd consider. (note: that means no on the assassin's guild. You'd be a citizen. It's a myth. They approach you, you don't seek them).
Any thoughts? Keep in mind, this is not a call for characters...yet. I'm just gauging whether I think it's worth it.
I know a lot of us are always looking for new fantasy movies that fly under the radar. I'm wondering what everyone's are?
I bring this up because some good friends of mine just released a film called Mythica on ConTV (a free Netflix-for-nerds site) that is pretty awesome. At a minimum its better than the D&D movies, and at fraction of the cost.
I loved growing up with films like LadyHawke, and Willow, and even Goonies. What about you guys?
My name is Ceilidh. I am a Nord of Skyrim, in Tamriel. My family comes from Dawnstar, in The Pale, and that's where I live. They moved to Helgen last year, in Falkreath hold, because of some new mine. I stayed in Dawnstar.
I hate it here. I just want to get married, make a home. But who wants a scrawny bride? My Uncle Marwyn owned a nice home on Klinalth lake years ago. I loved visiting there.
You all arrive at your friend Lavinia Vanderboren's towering Gothic three-story estate in the eastern section of the merchant district for your regular evening of dinner, games and drinks. The sky is turning from a lighter blue to a darker azure as the sun moves toward the horizon.
Kora Whistlegap, the wizened halfling housekeeper, greets you as you enter. "Good evening. Her Ladyship will see you in the dining hall."
Valeros stops. "The dining hall? You mean the great hall?"
Kora dips her head, gesturing with her hand towards the great hall. "That is correct."
Kyra frowns. "Why aren't we in the atrium, like normal?"
"Her Ladyship will inform you. In the great hall." Kora smiles, the tiniest hint of impertinence in her voice.
You enter the great hall. You've only ever been in this room on formal parties thrown by Lord Verik Vanderboren and his wife Lady Larissa, and then only twice.
Three chandeliers light the room from overhead. A long mahogany table fills the room. A window overlooks the manor's central courtyard and the carpet is thick and soft. Portraits of the family, both living and dead, line the rich colored walls.
Several people stand before the fire at the end of the room. A jaunty half-elf man dressed in light-colored leather armor laughs at something the dark-skinned dwarf standing next to him must have just said. The dwarf wears green and brown robes, and turns to gaze at you as you enter, his expression souring.
A footman with red hair is holding a tray with several glasses on it, serving a handsome man who wears a polished breastplate, and is seated on one end of a couch against the wall. On the other end is a haughty-looking woman dressed in dark-purple robes. She sniffs loudly upon seeing you, while the man takes a stemmed flute of white wine and throws it back in one.
Merisiel sighs under her breath and whispers, "Wonderful. Who are these idiots?"
You stand in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, broken only by the hiss of whispered conversations, and a tittered laugh from the half-elf by the fire. The red-headed footman leaves and returns with another footman, this one with dark hair. They offer you all drinks.
Valeros tastes the wine. "Cayden's mother, that's sweet," he cringes.
"So..." Seoni asks the man in the breastplate bluntly, "who are you guys?"
Lavinia Vanderboren strides purposefully into the room, a large smile on her face.
"Kyra! Seoni!" she smiles, hugging each woman in turn. She gestures at the table, "come in, sit down." She hugs Merisiel. "How are you dear?"
"I'm alright," Merisiel smiles. "You?"
Lavinia smiles without answering, and seats herself at the head of the table. "Have you all been introduced?"
"We have not," Merisiel says, taking the seat next to Lavinia.
Valeros seats himself. "Some mercenaries, by my guess."
"Not some mercenaries, boy," the man in the armor smiles too-sweetly, sitting opposite Valeros. "The Jade Ravens. We're the mercenaries everyone else wants to be."
As everyone finds seats, Lavinia gestures to the butler, a slightly portly man in his fifties. "Bring in the dinner, Carson." The servants bustle about, bringing a meal in. "The Jade Ravens work for my family. I have a favor to ask all of you today, so I invited them to dine with us as well."
Valeros looks a little dejected as he stares at his flute of wine. "No games tonight?"
Lavinia beckons the brown-haired footman over. "Get him some mead, would you Thomas?"
"Of course, milady," Thomas says, bowing his head and departing.
"Don't worry, Valeros. We'll have time for that later. But right now, I could use your assistance."
"Beg your pardon, milady," the haughty-faced woman says, "but these...children...how can they help you? Let the Jade Ravens handle it."
"Children? Really?" Kyra scoffs.
"What I need you guys to do is totally safe, I assure you," Lavinia says, glowering at the woman. Thomas returns with a pewter mug of mead for Valeros.
"This is Liamae Teslikaria," she says, gesturing to the woman, "Zan Oldivan, Kaskus Kiel," she continues, nodding to the half-elf and dwarf, "and Tolin Kientai."
"Your Jade Ravens," Tolin says, smiling at her.
"Yes," Lavinia says, clearing her throat, "and I need...my...Jade Ravens to go into the bay and board our ship the Southern wind and escort my parents home. We received a threat on their lives, and I want them home at all costs."
"And what cost would that be?" Kaskus says, his voice surprisingly smooth for a dwarf.
"I will pay you your normal retainer," she replies coolly. "As for the rest of you," she turns and addresses the rest of the room, "I have been remiss in paying one of the bills while my parents were away. I am behind on the berthing payments for the Blue Nixie. The harbor-master, Lord Islaran, has had it pulled off dock, into the bay. I would like you to deliver the past due rent to the man in charge of the ship, and have it brought back into dock."
Seoni leans forward. "How much is owed?"
"One-hundred platinum," Lavinia says, producing a large sack of coins. "I'll give you each one percent of that for taking care of this for me."
Zan scoffs, laughing. Lavinia scowls at him.
Valeros stands. "We can do that, no problem. Anything else?"
Alright, some of you on here know me. Long and short, I'm a producer/ director in the film industry.
I have some colleagues and friends who just finished a feature, and are pitching it as a TV series. WIRED magazine just covered them.
If you'd like to see this or more shows like this, support them. :) Like their FB page, support their kickstarter...the success of this brings about more shows like it!
Alright, some of you on here know me. Long and short, I'm a producer/ director in the film industry.
I have some colleagues and friends who just finished a feature, and are pitching it as a TV series. WIRED magazine just covered them.
If you'd like to see this or more shows like this support them. :) Like their FB page, support their kickstarter...the success of this brings about more like it!
Please keep all dialogue and description seperate from ooc. I would prefer all ooc comments or dice rolls to be hidden by a spoiler, so that the story reads uninterrupted, if possible. Also, if any viewers feel the need to comment, please I welcome that...but keep it in the discussion thread, so as not to interrupt the story. Thank you!
Cyre is dead. The war has ended...at least for a time. While hostilities have stopped, at least on the surface, covert operations, intruige and mistrust run high. Tension and pressure abound in all the nations of Khorvaire, both new and old.
Sandpoint - located on the east side of Manta Bay in Breland, directly to the west of Skyraker Forest on the coast. Even here, where the war never tore at the dirt of the people, the sting was still felt. The 'illusion' of peace feals like a too-thinly spread coat of paint. But all is not dispare and false smiles.
It is mid-autumn; the air is cooling, especially here on the coast; the leaves are starting to loose their green; the smell of wood smoke seems to cling to the night a little more.
The small town prepares for the Swallowtail Festival, less than a fortnight away. But tonight they celebrate early. Streamers drape across the Market Square, light greens and blues, and deep purples. Lamps with matching paper shades dot the square, placed in a half-hazard artistic way that obviously benefitted from a woman's hand. Beautiful flowers, sky blue, are bound in rings and boquets, and their petals are scattered throughout the crowd of people gathered solemly.
Sherriff Casp Avertin and Mayor Fenchus Deverin's younger sister, Kendra, are celebrating their union in marriage tonight. The whole town seems to have come out, as hundreds of people are pressed around the periphery, seated in the seats of honor in the center, or hanging out second and third-story windows of Turnadarok Academy up the hill from the square. The Meat Market, Valdemar Fish Market, Mercantile League and grocer's hall have all been cleared of their normal stalls and tables, making way for the throng's now pressed in them.
Father Ezakien Tobyn stands at the front on a small wooden stage, resplendant in simple yet beautiful robes of deep blue. It is evening, and the sun is setting on the
I am interested in running a pbp of RotRL Anniversary.
I have some houserules I run with. They work magnificently well on table, so I'd like to try them in pbp. If you don't want to deal with house rules, please vamoose.
Also, I don't go for gamers who soliloquy. Please don't do speaches on every post, and never tell us what you are thinking. :)
Guidelines:
- 25 point buy.
- Anything Paizo, minus the ARG. If you really want to play a race, go ahead and submit...if I love it, you're in. But I tend to not like parties made up of half-birds, insect and cat people. The MIC and ToB. Anything else I'll do on a case by case basis.
- Max starting gold.
- First level.
- Two traits, and one campaign trait.
- Up to two flaws.
My house rules use Wound points and vigor, armor as DR, hero points, action points and more, advanced fumble systems and crit systems, and seperate magic systems. (Please don't "cast" your prayers at me. It's offensive). I'm considering using maptools, ttoprpg, or some other, to draw maps and move characters with lighting effects if needs be, with screenshots posted into google docs, so everyone can see maps. I'll take oppinions on that.
Anyway, I'll start with keeping this open until Sunday at midnight, MST. If it needs a longer soak, we'll see.
