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The year is 1937 and a team of professional investigators has been assembled to track down and thwart a global cult! Under the patronage of wealthy heiress Janet Winston-Rogers, the medium Amadeus Ra, renowned physician Dr. Evelyn Malley and tough as nails P.I. Freddy Elliott have crossed the globe digging out the drug-running debauched followers of The Thing With A Thousand Mouths.

After losing companions to the rigors of travel, madness that destroys mortal minds and heroic self-sacrifice our heroes are in need of aid as they set out into the Yucatán jungles in search of answers! Do you have the grit to survive the trek? The brains to separate the truth from the lies?

Do you have the willingness to post regularly and adapt to a game system that isn't super well-known but I find to be a great system for Play By Post games?

Recruitment

Eternal Lies has been going for a little over two years now, but we've had a lot of player attrition- surprisingly not due to PC turnover but either because a Cthulhu game isn't up everyone's alley, people didn't like the rules system or plain old RL issues.

So I'm looking for one or two more players that can step into this campaign either with their own characters or some of the pre-generated characters that I have available. Previous experience with or interest in the Chulhu Mythos are a plus, as is experience playing Call of Cthulhu or Trail of Cthulhu- but they are not prerequisites. Being able to post a few times a week at least is a prerequisite, however.

What's Happened So Far (Briefly)

The team has started in the U.S., traveling from Savannah, Georgia to Los Angeles gathering information on the Cult and its Nectar drug trade. Following clues gathered from the LA cult mastermind's journal (after destroying a giant mouth belching forth the hedonistic Nectar drug), the team headed to the island of Malta and dispatched the European and North African Nectar distribution hub. They learned that the Cult's alien god has a body located under a "Devouring Mountain" on Earth that opens to reveal its form when the stars are right. Identifying the correct location of the Devouring Mountain has become the investigators' only hope of permanently destroying the cult. After time spent following leads in Mexico City, the team is currently in the city of Mérida in the Yucatán Peninsula preparing to follow the Mexico City cult leader's expedition to a place called Chichén Xoxul where the cultist had hoped to learn more about the The Thing With A Thousand Mouths than what the LA cult leader was telling him.

Who We Need

In narrative terms, an Archaeologist or Professor of Anthropology/Archaeology, an adventurous Dilettante out for a thrill in the jungle or a criminal tomb robber would fit most easily into the expedition to Chitchén Xoxul, but almost any PC could work. The only lacking skills that may be particularly useful down the line would be Oral History and Explosives; beyond those two skill gaps, almost any sort of character is welcome. Campaign clues point to a cult cell in Bangkok and one of the cult's founding members from 1924 disappeared into the deserts of Ethiopia long ago- connections to those locations whether through language knowledge or personal experience could also prove helpful.

Recruitment will stay open until we have at least one definite new player. Pre-generated investigators will be posted soon. Join us, we're all mad here!

At mid-afternoon you climbed the steep path to Creagfort's gates in the Bronze Hills. It was a long trip, made longer by how slowly you had to move through the hills with your human and demihuman "cargo" in tow. Fortunately, the environs around Fangsfall are more secure than they used to be and you didn't face too much trouble beyond scaring off opportunistic bandits.

Creagfort is hewn into the sloped side of a tall crag, basically a small keep with a stout curtain wall enclosing a copper mine, barracks for the miners and soldiers, a smithy, a smelter, stables and The Canary- a small inn and general store catering to merchants making the trek here for the copper trade. After a round of questioning from the soldiers on gate duty, your party and the refugees were allowed inside and greeted by Captain Zedaias Black of the Fangsfall Army and Gramdul Stoneheim, the foreman of the copper mine. While the dwarf, Gramdul, grumbled about adding non-Guild miners to his operation, the Captain reminded him that more help is always welcome and it was their moral obligation to take these people in. With that, your task was completed and the refugees gratefully payed your fee- 100 gp in various denominations scrounged together from the group and Captain Black put in a good word for you at the Canary.

You're all enjoying what ale, Fangsfall wine and modest fare are available at the Canary. The soldiers here take their duties seriously, given that the Lady of the keep is a cleric of Corean, so the tavern isn't nearly as rowdy as a Fangsfall establishment.

I'll give you all some time to get aliases up, dots down and we'll proceed when you're ready. You've got 100 gp in payment to divide as you see fit.

Discussion thread is open! Welcome to the game!

As stated in the recruitment thread, you've all come to Creagfort escorting a small group of refugees that decided to take their chances on the remote mining outpost rather than the increasingly overcrowded streets of Fangsfall.

You already know each other- how well is up to you. Are you longtime friends? Are you just coworkers? Feel free to figure that out here.

Hey everybody! After enjoying the Scarred Lands setting when it was published in the early 2000s and seeing the successful update of the line through Kickstarter I've got a hankering to run a game in the setting again and I think the Spiragos adventures will be a good way of going about it, since it's an adventure trilogy and not a whole Adventure Path.

The Setting: The Scarred Lands is a semi post-apocalyptic campaign setting set 150 years after the Gods overthrew their parents the capricious and primordial Titans in a catastrophic war known as the Divine War. While the Gods and their followers (the Divine races) were victorious over the Titans and their Titanspawn, the land itself was poisoned and ruined in many places where the battles raged and the Titans' blood rained onto the land. Furthermore, since the Titans are so tightly woven into the fabric of the world, they could not be destroyed outright- only imprisoned or banished. In the years after victory, the Gods announced a Divine Truce to prevent any further destruction on such a grand scale, leaving mortals to mostly sort out their own disagreements. Now the Divine races have returned to rebuilding their nations and renewing their disputes against one another, all while the Titanspawn driven into the wild and remote corners of the world seek methods of freeing their masters or enacting revenge on their persecutors.

This thread is to see if there's enough interest in the setting and the 5th edition rules to run a game here on the boards. I'm choosing 5E because it's the system I'm most comfortable with at this time and because I think that it will provide an easier pbp experience for me to run. I would want 4-5 players, 6 maximum, that are at least familiar with the 5th edition rules. You don't have to own the Scarred Lands player's handbook, just be willing to read up on the basics of the world a little bit.

About me- I've been on the boards for a while, though I mostly stick to online campaigns these days. I'm currently running a Trail of Cthulhu campaign that's going on 2 years next month (so risk of me disappearing is low). As a DM, I try to post at least once a day and err on the side of keeping things moving. If there's enough interest, I'd like to start recruiting at the end of the month or beginning of September should there prove to be enough interested players.

Hello Paizo posters! I've placed this post in an existing recruitment thread, but maybe it will be more visible in its own request.

I'd like to see if there are any more people interested in jumping into our Trail of Cthulhu campaign. Things have slowed a bit and I'm hoping a few new, active posters can perhaps dive in and help push things forward.

Where things stand:
The campaign is called Eternal LIes- after a showdown between investigators in 1924 and a debased cult in Los Angeles that traded in a drug called Nectar, the heiress Janet Winston-Rogers has enlisted our heroes in the year 1937 to follow her father's footsteps and see what's been left undone and what haunted him in his final days.

After visiting the last survivor of the original group, Douglas Henslowe, and one of the cultists that survived the summoning ritual, Edgar Job, the investigators dug up Mr. Henslowe's materials from his days thwarting the supernatural and traveled to Los Angeles to collect further evidence against the cult of the Thing With A Thousand Mouths. From there, the investigators have looked into what happened to the remaining inner circle of the cult and are closing in on the former real estate developer Samson Trammel as possibly reviving the cult's work in LA after the 1924 death of its prophet, Ramon Echavarria.

Eternal Lies is built as a globe-trotting campaign in the spirit of Masks of Nyarlathotep; currently we are closing in on the end of the first Act of the campaign and it will soon take off more into the wider world.

What's Trail of Cthulhu?
Trail is a game put out by Pelgrane Press using its Gumshoe system designed for mystery games. Investigators have two sets of skills- Investigative skills used to find clues and General skills used to fight, sneak, apply first aid and do other dynamic actions. The principal difference between Trail and Call of Cthulhu is that investigative skills are never rolled for. If a clue is available in a scene and a character has a relevant ability, they simply get the clue and the plot moves forward. Extra points can be spent for further information or to make your character look cool, but they are never necessary for finding a clue. General abilities are rolled on a d6 with points spent for a bonus- these are for actions where failure won't derail the game and random chance will provide excitement. Your character's mental condition is measured in Stability- how calm you are now and Sanity- how close you are to realizing the truth about the universe and humanity's fragile, insignificant place within it.

What am I looking for?
I'm looking for ideally two more players that can compliment the core group remaining from the start of the campaign. Posting frequency, role playing and decisive planning are more important to me than rules familiarity, though that certainly helps. If you're willing to read through the campaign or at least the synopsis we have thus far in the campaign info tab, that would also be very appreciated. It's a long term mystery/horror game, so keeping the trail of clues fresh in your mind is important to keeping things moving.

We currently have- Anatoly Dudko, an archaeologist from Brown University
Freddy Elliot, a private detective picked up from Savannah, Georgia
Amadeus Ra, the occult expert and medium/con man
Ralph "Bottles" Capone, brother of Al Capone recently released from prison in Chicago and added to Janet's payroll as a fixer for the team.

Ideally, a new player would compliment the existing characters well. We lost our Alienist and Doctor over the course of the game, so those skills are in demand. But your occupation is up to you and all possibilities will be entertained; I also have pre-generated investigators to choose from as well.

I'm going to leave recruitment open until we have at least one definite player, ideally two.

Here is the discussion thread for Eternal Lies, where you may ask questions, discuss leads or inform me of any rules mistakes I've made in the gameplay thread!

August 6th, 1937- Outside of Providence, Rhode Island

The starry sky above the rural road is like a threadbare cloth. The glow of galaxies beyond lends the night a pallor broken only where the road ends, at a private airplane hangar. It's bright there, flooded with artificial light, hounded by fat moths. The limousine's headlights are dim in comparison, but they glint off another limousine, parked ahead, and what looks like a posh sitting room set up on the hangar floor before a twin-engine passenger plane. It's an odd instance of civilization- of unfolded trunk shelves and lit reading lamps- amid the functional metal housing of the hangar, amid the rough weeds and woods at the verge of the airfield.

Your limousine stops, and gloved men come to open the doors. Behind them is the woman you've come to meet: Janet Winston-Rogers. Forty and vibrant, she's a splash of red against the concrete and steel, her cigarette smoke snaking around her in the air.

"Thank you for coming,"she says. "I apologize for the mysteriousness of this meeting."

How do you introduce yourself? How are you dressed for this meeting?

My group recently decided to try out 5e after years of Pathfinder and though we're enjoying the change of pace so far, this week we had a question that I couldn't really answer.

What are PCs supposed to spend all their treasure on?

It doesn't seem like masterwork weapons and armor have made it into 5e and permanent magic items aren't for sale by the default assumption. So after they purchase the best armor they can use and whatever potions or scrolls might be for sale and assuming no one has a magical condition that needs curing, what are they supposed to use this money for?

After a quick check for interest, I can see that I have enough people interested in the game to start finding players for the Eternal Lies campaign. I'm ideally looking for 4-5 players that can get into the spirit of the game and that are willing to keep the threads of the investigation in mind over the course of what could be a long campaign. During play, I will do my best to note found clues in the Campaign Info section along with an expanding summary of the investigation so far. However, taking notes of your own will be encouraged- there will be a lot of information to sift through over the course of the game, in between throw-downs with cultists and brushes with cosmic horror.

Eternal Lies begins in Providence, RI in 1937. The heiress Janet Winston-Rogers has called your investigator to look into an incident in 1924 involving her late father the entrepreneur and armchair occultist Walter Winston.

Character Creation- Each investigator will have 16 investigative ability points and 65 general ability points, with the standard 4 sanity and 1 each in health and stability for free along with the lower value for Credit Rating according to their profession. We will be using the Sources of Stability rules.

Eternal Lies also has 10 pre-generated characters for players that are either new to the system or are hard up for time to generate their own investigator. They are: an alienist or a doctor, a police detective or a private eye, an antiquarian or a professor, a criminal and a dilettante and an author and a priest. Presented in pairs, they are designed to fill a role in an investigative party- hence, if one person wants to play the alienist, someone else should not choose the doctor. Upon request, I can type some of them up for your perusal (or find a downloadable character sheet for you).

As far as occupations that are inappropriate for the campaign, I would only advise against the Hobo and Pilot professions. This is a globe-trotting campaign in the Masks of Nyarlathotep tradition, so certain professional benefits tied to a university residency, precinct or antique shop will require either interpersonal ability use in the field, postage time, or use in between locations during recovery periods in Providence. I would encourage the party to cover as many investigative ability bases as possible- even 1 point in an ability is valuable. This being at least a somewhat pulpy campaign, points in Explosives, Fleeing, Scuffling, Firearms, Weapons and Athletics will be valuable though every general ability will come in handy at some point.

Your character background/biography should be a paragraph or two long with a few descriptive sentences about your sources of stability and an idea of how you may have impressed Ms. Winston-Rogers enough that she wants to hire you for a personal matter.

Whether your characters have all met before or if you're working together for the first time, or if you belong to a secret society of inquisitive sorts we can determine together, based on what best serves the narrative.

I look forward to seeing your applications and thank you for your interest!

I've been a great admirer of the Trail of Cthulhu rules from Pelgrane Press and particularly the Eternal Lies campaign and I've realized that I may not be able to run it unless I try my hand at PBPing it. I haven't run a game online in a long time, but I thought that perhaps I could try my hand at it again for a campaign that I personally find very compelling.

Eternal Lies is a globe-trotting campaign in the Masks of Nyarlathotep mold which begins with an investigation into a thwarted cult ritual ten years before the game begins, tracing the successes and failures of a previous group of investigators. It's a long campaign but I feel that it could be a very rewarding experience if we can see it through.

So my question is: are there enough potential players out there that would be willing to sign on for a Trail of Cthulhu game that, best case scenario, would go for several years of sifting through clues, routing cultists and being driven mad?

I've had some interest in Shadowrun and even picked up the 20th anniversary rule book, but I've never played the game on the table top. I'm interested in possibly introducing my players to the game, but I'm wondering if the 5th edition is more friendly to new players/is more streamlined or if I'm better off saving $20 on the PDF and sticking with what I have. Can anyone with an opinion give me some advice?

Sunrise

You remember the dragon attacking. The moon behind its outstretched, gossamer wings. The impact of its landing. The horrifying revelation that the black sand wafting across its wasted frame was in fact millions of spiders skittering beneath its translucent scales. You remember its spider eyes locking with yours, and then its jaw unhinging and the black motes of its breath billowing over you, and then burrowing, tunneling and cavorting under your skin. The blinding pain as the motes erupted from your pores as a spider swarm, and skittered back to the dragon with your life energy. You remember fear, falling, and screams muted by your own heartbeat. Then blackness.

You awoke days ago, paralyzed atop the dragon's stockpile of tangled bodies, where you still lie with humans, goblins and reptilian beasts in a tangled mass of limbs and wide-eyed faces. Most are conscious. All are paralyzed. Each horror-stricken face breathes with a slow asthmatic gasp, sucking air past spiders crawling from its throat. Each day, the dragon's slave, a gnome with fiery orange hair, force feeds you water and a slurry of horse flesh and dragon bile. Each day, spiders crawl in and out of your open mouth, delivering your lifeblood to the dragon, as you stare helpless.

But something has changed. The dragon has been absent for over a day, and as the sun rose, the spiders climbed out and soon turned to dust. You've since shaken off your paralysis. Looking around, you see a great vulture nudging a paralyzed goblin and ripping flesh from other victims. Wind whistles through the large single opening of this massive wooden shack. Sand covers a hard, pink, mucous floor, and two large columns of the same material provide support.

Seeing you move, the gnome slave fumbles for a horn you've heard summon the dragon before.

You each have full hit points, armor and the items fastened to your bodies (backpacks, quivers, belt pouches, jewelry, etc.). Any held items- unsheathed/unholstered weapons and shield for example- fell away at the abduction site... unless you spend a hero point which allows you to keep a white-knuckled grip on your weapon and/or shield. You remember the gnome going through your packs, but only taking the ropes- which he flung out the large opening in the shack. Ecko: your pisol is not where it usually is, though you can't remember if you dropped it or not.

Welcome players! This will be our OOC thread for our adventures together. If you have any further questions or character adjustments you'd like to make, please do so here.

Hi! As I've discussed in my interest check thread, I'm going to be GMing a pbp set in Midgard's Wasted West region. I'm looking for five or six good players. I'm not the quickest poster, but my goal is one update per week day, catching up on the weekend when necessary.

Character Generation:
20 pt. point-buy
Core races plus Midgard races, pending approval.
Classes the same- Core classes, APG/PRD/Midgard classes pending approval (I'm likely to say yes, so go for it).
2 traits
Roll for equipment or take the average.
Each PC will start with 2 hero points and we will be using the Status optional rules from the Midgard setting.

While prior knowledge of the setting (particularly from the Wasted West Player's Guide) is a plus, it isn't a prerequisite to join.

For selection, I want a mostly balanced group with a lot of flavor and good roleplaying potential. A brief backstory will also be helpful.

I'm thinking of trying my hand at another play by post game after a number of attempts. This time, I'm looking to see if there is enough interest in a game set in Kobold Press' Midgard setting in the Wasted West. The West was devastated by warring magocracies many years ago, leaving much of the land ruined. Cthonic titans, summoned by the fallen city states in their arcane arms race, stand frozen in near-stasis across the wastes where their presence warps the magical leylines and issues mind-shattering horrors. Dust goblin tribes worship them or scavenge for strange ancient technology in the waste's many ruins. Human civilizations still survive on the borders of the wastes and there is always a need for those brave or foolhardy enough to venture into and across the desolation or into the strange Western Ocean to the edge of the world.

If I see a good amount of enthusiasm, I may start recruitment as early as next week once I lay out digital maps and complete some preparations.

Kaer Maga
After parting ways at the Ossuary several months ago, the adventurers Chen Yangzhun, Auron Ruriski, Kua and Sister Mara had settled in as much as the City of Strangers would allow. Questioning throughout the city has yielded no new information on the location of Esme Varisi, Tripe's one successful creation, though plenty of hustlers and dubious touts have promised leads in exchange for inflated fees. Occasionally you think you see her in a crowded lantern-lit street or smell the cloying perfume that camouflages the scent of rot only to find that you were mistaken or too late. For better or worse, you have settled back into your normal routine a few coins richer.
I'll leave it to you four to determine how much or how little you've stayed in touch.

Many are those that seek their fate, be it by steel and spell or by more humble means. Some few, however, find that their fate has sought them out.

In two very different cities across Varisia, two messengers seek out six different recipients for a fateful letter. At your homes, regular haunts or place of business, each of you finds a letter addressed to you personally in a flowing script.

Greetings, fellow seeker of adventure!

-Sheila Heidmarch

It looks like you have some time to settle your current business if you wish to attend this meeting- although not too much time for those traveling from the Storval Rise.

Most original title ever!

Here's where any new characters can be introduced and you guys from the Godsmouth game can re-spec your characters and we can discuss any rules for the campaign. In addition to tuning your PCs as you see fit, you may also discuss how you're spending the coin from the previous adventure and which two traits you plan on taking. I have some recommendations from the Shattered Star guide, but I also don't want to step on any toes. Also, I don't feel like the traits necessarily indicate a strong connection to the campaign as much as they indicate a connection to Magnimar- so you can opt out of the campaign traits if you so choose.

In my home campaign (that's totally not ripped off from James Jacob's "Shadows Under Sandpoint" game that's up on the messageboards) the PCs have started laying plans to hit Hollow Mountain in a search for starmetal weapons effective against intellect devourers. I've got some time before they head over there and I thought it would be a really cool idea to put together a cinematic setpiece encounter that would utilize enemies way more powerful than what the PCs can handle: they're going to be in the 4th-5th level range by the time they get there.

The concept is that I want the black dragon Scarhorn (who searches the ruins on the islands for treasure to bring to her hoard) to swoop in on the PCs, driving them toward Hollow Mountain. The Taiga giants above see the dragon in their territory and start throwing rocks and spears to drive it off- catching the players in the crossfire. Dodging boulders, giant spears and gouts of acid, the adventurers have to make a run for the closest rift in the mountain.

My initial thought was to make it a series of hazards playing out across a "no-man's land" between the ruins on the slopes and the mountain, but the chase mechanics seem equally appropriate. Maybe a chase/combat encounter? I expect my players to spend time either trying to fight the dragon before realizing they're overmatched or to just try to hide until it's over (which makes sense, sure, but it's not fun). Any thoughts or suggestions on the best way to make this work?

Friday, February 17th 2012

”Cantor”- 7:30 pm

In an earthen basement beneath a crumbling church in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, you stir from your slumber in the earth. In the pitch-dark you stretch, the call of the Beast and its desire to feed distant in your mind, your mostly satiated hunger not giving it much room to sink its claws into you. The insistent sound of your cell phone's message alert is the only thing to disturb the breathless calm. You flick on the standing lamp close to hand to reveal your weathered desk and stacks of books, wooden chair salvaged from the priest's office upstairs, jacket draped across the back and your backpack nearby.

Your chair creaks under your weight as you sit and disconnect the phone from its charger. 1 new message- looks like it's from the Sheriff's secretary.
”Hello, Mr. Cantor. This is Erika Neil calling for Mr. Al-Asmai. Just letting you know that Mr. Al-Asmai will be joining you for drinks tonight at The Firefly in SoHo; I've arranged a private booth for you at the club for 11:00 pm. If you need to reschedule before then, please call him personally. Thank you!”

Julian Preston- 8:20 pm

From your comfortable nest in your walk-in closet, you emerge into the night. Hunger twists in your stomach, your mouth dry and ready for some sweet vitae. For now, however, you push it aside. Much like Louis XIV, you have a formal bedroom to go with your informal sleeping bedroom and it's here you head first. Clothing will have to be chosen for the evening. Messages will have to be answered, since the world didn't stop while you slept. You cycle through your messages disinterestedly- your lawyer, representatives for New York Fashion Week seeking to book an event at The Firefly, various hangers-on thanking you for waiving the tab and ensuring a fine evening... and one from Jenni.

”Hey boss.,” she purrs,”Erika called today to book your private room for a meeting with Qadir at 11. I told her it would be fine. Lemme know if you need anything prepared.... or anything else.” Her voice is husky in your ear and you feel her eagerness and her desperation over the phone; an addict hoping for a fix. Tonight you'll have other matters to attend to, it seems.

Bradly Maurer- 9:00 pm

You feel lethargic, laying in your dark closet. Your mouth is dry, your veins sluggish and your stomach empty. The instinct to pound down your apartment building's hallways and just find blood, any blood, courses through you in the absence of vitae. The part of you that Maximilian called The Beast prods you but you tamp it down. Not yet. Not yet. You've got 3 blood points and are hungry.

You step from your closet and into your apartment, flicking on the light switch. On the floor, slipped under you door, is a notice of a Tenant's Association meeting in the building. Older tenants are pooling resources for legal representation to avoid being pushed out by the developers in favor of younger and more well-off tenants like yourself. Seems like your apartment should have been left off the flyer delivery schedule, but whatever.

The view from your back window encompasses the lake in Central Park and a large section of the Upper West Side and east into Queens. You can see the running lights of airplanes arriving and departing from La Guardia overhead. The view would take your breath away if you still had any.

Though your hands shake a bit with your hunger, you take a quick glance at your email on your iPad. Kelsey's got some updates on her job, Uncle Brian and the end of Wolfgang's deployment. Though she knows you're very busy, your sister would definitely like to see you soon. An email from Erika Neil, Qadir's secretary, catches your eye.

”Hello Brad,
Mr. Al-Asmai asked me to confirm your appointment with him tonight at The Firefly in SoHo. I've arranged a private room for you and the rest of your associates. Please call Mr. Al-Asmai's cell number if you need to change your plans.
Best,
Erika Neil”

Damien Talbot- 9:00 pm

Damien dreams:

You wake in your haven to the smell of Cynthia's joint from the living room. Your mouth is dry and your limbs feel leaden, veins and stomach bereft of nourishing vitae. It takes what seems like a colossal effort just to rise as your herd's music penetrates the more insistent beat of the Beast's rage in your temples, demanding to be fed- to hunt and to take sustenance. You have 4 blood points and are hungry.

Stepping over the discarded bottles and other detritus of your “sacraments” you spy a note that Cynthia's left for you on the door to your shared bedroom.

The Firefly, Al-Asmai, SoHo, 11. followed by the Sheriffs cell phone number. Seems Qadir needs his Hounds tonight, but that will have to wait until you've had a chance to feed.

Here's our discussion/character and chronicle creation thread for the game. Since Vampire is driven by character as much as by plot, I'd like to work together with you guys to put together the chronicle. The central theme is that you are Camarilla kindred (Anarchs included) carving out places for yourselves in New York City and the boroughs. A fragile peace has fallen over the city and the dominant mood is one of guarded optimism- even the youngest kindred can make a place for themselves if they're canny and careful. More of the political and social landscape will fall into place as we talk about characters (and how involved you are in both). Rather sandboxy with that basic premise, but once your coterie's goals and relationships develop we'll get a clearer idea of where we're going to go.

Another option is that you are all Hounds for the Sheriff- this is a more procedural structure where he sends you out on the tail of those that have flaunted the Traditions, to arbitrate disputes or to investigate other matters besetting the city. Not the most glamorous job and it carries certain risks to your continued health and humanity, but it's a concrete position where you can show your capability to the kindred community as well as to the existing Camarilla power structure.

I prefer characters that fit into the major Camarilla clans- Brujah, Gangrel (though what standing they had as a clan is reduced), Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere and Ventrue. But if there's another clan or bloodline that fits and you're dying to try it, I'll hear you out of course.

Given that the 20th anniversary of the V:tM books are out and rekindling interest in the previous version of the game, I'm looking to see if there are a few people interested in making characters and playing a pbp. Full disclosure: I've never run Vampire before in real life or online. I've had the revised edition from 1998 and the previous edition in high school and read through them a few times, but never gotten together a group with me as Storyteller. I am currently running two Play by Post games on the boards- one Pathfinder, one Call of Cthulhu, so I am familiar with online games at least. Both have been running for about a year, though not without the odd bit of downtime. All I'm saying is that it may be a bumpy ride if we end up rolling along with the idea- not to discourage anyone, but to make sure we know there will of course be some hiccups here and there.

Okay, now, sink your fangs into the juicy bit:
Concept- New York City is new territory for Camarilla kindred. While there's always been a presence in the city, the sect has only recently gained supremacy and this presents a unique opportunity for young kindred. Through modern technology, the elders can tap New York's resources without having to claim territory in the city itself- the Big Apple remains open and largely free of the stifling control the higher echelons of the sect exert on those beneath them and what elders are making homes in the city aren't as entrenched as they are elsewhere. Your coterie of neonate Licks seek to take advantage of the freedom New York offers: carving out hunting grounds and alliances, fending off rivals and solidifying positions of power and influence- or shoving other kindred (that owe you favors) into them so you can be left to your own devices.

Politics will be important, but I am hoping to appeal to a good range of character types and events of interest- combat, social and investigation. I don't have a start date in mind yet, right now I want to see if there's enough interest for me to start putting a chronicle together. 3-5 is the ideal number of players willing to make the commitment. Thanks!

I'll think of a better title for the campaign when we're ready to get started.
Character Creation rules

• Races should be pulled from the Core rulebook.
• I am advising against the Cavalier or a mount-focused character build as this is mostly an urban/dungeon pbp; similarly, the Ninja, Samurai and Gunslinger don't fit for flavor reasons.
• 20 point buy, max hp at level one, two traits.
• Rolling hit points: at 2nd level and above you may choose between taking average hp for your class or rolling the dice.

Life in Carrion Hill
Known to some as the Boil, or more basely the Wart, Carrion Hill rises over the otherwise swampy southern banks of Kingfisher river, the only solid ground of reasonable scope for a distance of 20 miles east to west in the swamps known as the Wrythe. When the river fog rolls in every morning and evening, those who dwell on the hill's Crown district can look out on a world of white vastness, while those below take solace in the simple fact that the ground beneath their feet is solid and unlikely to wash away after one of the area's frequent rainstorms or seasonal floods.

Carrion Hill is separated into three districts. Atop the hill the Crown serves as the home of the city's nobility, government and most of its public works. The hill's slopes are a thick tangle of buildings and maze-like alleyways: the Tangle, where the bulk of the shops and residences can be found. The lowest part of the city, both geographically and spiritually, is the Filth: a series of islands both natural and artificial, connected by old boardwalks and stone bridges. This is where the poorest citizens live as well as where the more odious trades are practiced (tanners, fisheries, street cleaners, alchemists and the looming middenstone vats). The Filth is also the gateway to Carrion Hill, however, so most visitors first impression of the city rises from the odious docks and canals clogged with flotsam.

Known as the isle of 10, 000 temples (an exaggeration, naturally, only about 180 shrines fill the city), places of worship seem to spring from the ground- from the Ossurary Church of Pharasma in the Crown down to cupboard sized shrines, tiered balconies and trellises piled over elaborate altars and other tiny, crowded places of worship.

Commonly, houses are in some capacity built from Middenstone- a purplish concrete like material unique to Carrion Hill. While it's cheap and easy to produce, middenstone tends to weather poorly; ensuring constant demand. The curiously purple tone comes from the pulped carapaces of the maroon colored native cockroaches which infest homes in more frequency the further down the hill one descends.

The seat of government is Crown Manor, a castle-like estate in the Crown district where Mayor Vanton Heggry presides over the city. It is often called Rag Manor out of his earshot for the colorful tapestries and flags hanging from its parapets (which never seem to be replaced until the wind has frayed and torn them to shreds). Law is enforced by the Crows, Carrion Hill's constabulary and military- appropriately named, for crows are a very common sight in the upper reaches of the city.

Despite it's seeming unpleasantness, some 9,000+ citizens call Carrion Hill home. Its defensible location and proximity to arable land ensure a relatively stable existence against outside threats.

Why am I in Carrion Hill?
Since the days of the Kellid tribes that once called Ustalav home, Carrion Hill has been occupied. At first because of its defensive location, farmland and proximity to the Kingfisher others whisper that the city has always held a sort of power. The Hill itself has changed hands many times over the centuries of its habitation- each new resident building upon what was left before. For an adventurer or tomb robber, accessing the ruins that lie like bones beneath Carrion Hill is a strong draw. For historians, Carrion Hill holds a unique picture of Ustalav's ever-changing identity and remnants of the past that may not have been completely expunged. Besides scholarship, curiosity and greed, many of those living in Carrion Hill have taken a sort of pride in living in what many visitors would consider a repellant place- you've got to have a strong stomach and a straight spine to live here, they would retort, and we've got both. The city's history may also call to a person of Kellid descent; searching for remnants of their ancestors so slandered by the Varisian invaders and their Ustalavic descendants.

Recent Events
A killer has stalked the streets of Carrion Hill for the last three months- Crimson. For a time, terror haunted every citizen's doorstep from lowly paupers to the halls of power. Even the Crows' finest were either stymied by the elusive killer or joined his victims. With an almost rioting populace on his hands, mad with fear, Mayor Heggry turned to the adventurers of the Company of the Axe to track down the murderer. After a lengthy search and a deadly confrontation, the Company emerged triumphant. To put the people at ease, the Mayor has arranged for a procession of the criminal's body followed by his public cremation by Pharasma's faithful. It is during this procession that our adventure will begin.

It's around 8:30 pm when you get the call from Agent Joseph Fort, your Bureau handler.
"There's been a kidnapping. Get to the Commissioner's office- immediately.", he says.

Part of you is almost relieved- since joining Hoover's "specialists" casework's been thin on the ground. It almost seemed like you would be writing tickets before long.

With few details beyond that, you hoof it to the City Hall precinct- a fortress like structure facing Brooklyn across the East River. Police officers and plan-clothes detectives run back and forth; another busy night in the Big Apple.

On the second floor, the activity thins out to a low buzz in the background, your footfalls echoing from the marble tile. Since Commissioner Valentine's secretary has gone home, you show yourselves in.

The warm glow of electric bulbs illuminate the Commissioner's stately office. Valentine sits at his neatly organized desk; middle-aged, clean shaven and severe. Commissioner Valentine is a recent appointment by Mayor LaGuardia- from what you know, he's cold, efficient and most importantly, clean. He puffs on a cigarette while Agent Fort looks out the window. Fort is a fit man in his late 40s- a Bureau veteran, his suits and his moustache are never less than immaculate. His scalp is balding and the creases in his face speak clearly of years of experience. A gold crucifix pin is on his lapel.

"The Just sleep, while the Wicked run amok.", Fort says as you enter,"We must be vigilant, especially in times like these."

Valentine snubs out his cigarette and gets down to business, not remarking on Fort's comments.
"I received a call from Colonel Ellis, an acquaintance, that a baby's been stolen from a mansion in Westchester. I know Fort and Hoover have you set aside for..."
The Commissioner frowns with distaste.
" "Supernatural" cases, but we both agreed that this is far too important to trust with anyone but our best investigators. There hasn't been a ransom note yet, but I want you up there before the Press gets their hands on this. No one needs another Lindbergh Baby."

Agent Fort hands you a piece of paper with an address.
"Here is the address of the Cornelisz Family. Do everything in your power to end this quickly, gentlemen. An innocent life hangs in the balance."

Premise
Dateline- 1934. Following an incident in Red Hook and a government raid on the depressed coastal Massachusetts port of Innsmouth, the various municipal police agencies and Federal Bureau of Investigation have become aware that certain cases are... unusual. Having proven yourselves capable of handling such strange cases, J. Edgar Hoover himself has appointed you (through various means of coercion at his availability) as a special task force related to matters of the occult. Unlike dabblers and hapless amateurs, you have the full force of the U.S government behind you in your investigations- with all of the limitations it comes with. You can flash a badge or P.I license and demand access to records, expect access to state of the art forensics laboratories and the cooperation of local officials. Should the situation be dire enough, you can call in backup. At the same time, you must decide how much to reveal to your superiors of the truths you uncover. Acting oddly or "abusing" your privileges as an agent will draw disciplinary action.

Setting
Lovecraft country- New York, New England, Providence. Most stories at least begin with the great metropolis or seedy underworld of New York. It is the setting of a noir detective novel or movie, not the real world. The shadows are deeper, the colors more lush. Swarthy strangers lurk in alleyways, beautiful women hide terrible secrets, the rich are corrupt and the poor are desperate.

Investigators
Mostly police detectives and federal agents, though civilian consultants (Professors, Antiquarians, Scientists, Alienists- or bored Dilettantes that can pull some strings with the Bureau) are not out of the question. You should have a connection to New York, the occult or both. You should be competent and sane enough to handle important cases, but also flexible enough to cope with occult investigations.

Rules, character generation info
Each character gains one point in Cop Talk and Evidence Collection- even a tweedy professor has been taught how to look over a crime scene, and Hoover's backing opens doors in the department. Credit Rating should be in the middle class (3-4 point) range, at minimum. You should at least appear respectable to work in the Bureau.

Drives- Thirst For Knowledge and Revenge will require some finessing on the Keeper's part and so are discouraged unless there's a great reason.

Investigative build points depend on how many people commit to playing; with 4 or more, you'll have 16 each, with 3 there will be 18 each, with just 2 players, 24 each. Strive to cover most of the investigative abilities between all of you.

Health and Stability pools will be capped at 12 to maintain a degree of danger and suspense.

Once all the characters are put together, I'll put up a game thread!

It's insane that I'm even considering putting another game together when I already run three, but I figured I would at least check for interest before completely ruling it out.

Is anyone interested in doing a Trail of Cthulhu game on the boards? I'm considering Arkham Detective Tales (which mostly takes place in New York- misleading title) which basically sets up an X-Files like campaign except during the Great Depression. It's a little more hopeful than a pure Lovecraftian campaign in that you can thwart Mythos activity- at least temporarily and at great personal risk.

Seeing J Edgar Hoover in a dress will likely carry a hefty stability loss, by the way.

20th Arodus, 4711

Your long journey to the town of Ravengro is finally at an end, begun those many days ago when a messenger brought you a summons stating that your old friend Professor Petros Lorrimer is dead and had named you as a principal in his will. Though each of you has your own fond memories of the professor, you never expected to be named in his will. However, the news of his passing has affected you enough that each of you made arrangements to leave the task at hand, buckled on your boots, and set forth through the waning days of summer toward the small town of Ravengro.

Ravengro sits near Lake Lias in western Ustalav, in the county of Canterwall- breadbasket of the confederacy. Passing through the fields, moors and groves of this fertile land, you saw many a farmer, tradesman or merchant on your path. Few, however, had anything to say to even the warmest greeting. Even after arriving in town it took a bit of asking around to get proper directions to the Restlands- the moorland to the north set aside for the dead in Ravengro, where Professor Lorrimer will be layed to his final rest. On the road to the cemetery, you can't help but notice the looming keep or manor house standing silently south of the town. The seemingly decrepit structure squats silently atop a hill, a baleful sentinel over the small town.

The Restlands are fenced in with high stone walls with multiple paths winding through its many openings. Clustered around the large main entrance is a small group of people: an overweight older man with a thin mustache stands with a slimmer man with aquiline features and grey in his temples. Both are dressed in dark and well-tailored clothing, fanning themselves solemnly with the broad-brimmed hats favored in this region. A stocky man with a wide, friendly face and a thick mustache stands with a hand on the shoulder of a lad of about thirteen with a clear resemblance to the older man while a woman in her thirties stands near the stone wall, her arms crossed over her conservative dark dress.

Laying on several short logs is the Professor's casket- a dark polished oak box to transmit his earthly remains. Standing closest to that is a young woman dressed in dark clothing. She is trim and attractive despite the redness and puffiness around her eyes. She dabs her cheek with a handkerchief and looks to the sky with moist eyes. This must be the Professor's daughter you had heard about.

The other mourners in the party nod warily as you approach, covered with the dust of the road and with your weapons and packs still close at hand. They offer no other greeting. The young lady by the casket snaps from her reverie to watch your approach, her eyebrows rising hopefully.

Okay, feel free to introduce yourselves as you like.

Here's the ooc/character tuning (if necessary) thread. I'm currently in the process of moving and finishing some freelance work, so it may be about a week or so before we get rolling. I will be available to answer questions and discuss things in the meantime, though.

I'm interested in running The Haunting of Harrowstone for a solid group of 4 (maybe 5) characters- possibly the rest of the AP if things go well. I'm currently DMing The Godsmouth Heresy and Tatters of the King (Call of Cthulhu) as play by post games if anyone would like to have a look at my style. I'm not always the fastest DM- I'm an illustrator as well as holding down a day job, so sometimes I may (after announcing it first, of course) take a short break to handle a pressing project. I'm happy to extend the same understanding to my players as well, of course.

I'd like to start this game in 2-3 weeks to allow character creation and for me to handle some preparation and other business.

What I'm looking for are characters made with the Carrion Crown player's guide in mind that will fit nicely with the theme and mood of the game. I'm a bit hesitant of non-core races and classes (meaning outside of both the Core and APG) but I'm willing to consider them if they come with a strong hook.

Creation: 1st level, 1 campaign trait and 1 trait from the core rules web enhancement (or a supplement on a case by case basis), 20 point buy, random starting gold.

As far as player selection goes, I feel bad rejecting people as in the submission model but I'm also not sure how well I like first come/first serve. So I suppose I'll try selecting a complimentary group from interested players. Even if we fill up quick, I know there are bound to be more of these starting any day.

But do the mints TASTE like zombies, Cthulhu and bigfoot?

The Godsmouth Cathedral- Bottoms District, Kaer Maga
It is fast approaching midnight, the appointed hour of your meeting with Cryptsmistress Valanthe Nerissia. You approach the Cathedral, a gothic structure perched on the cliff's edge above one of the gigantic faces carved into the Storval Rise. A gravel path leads into the nave from the north and south. At the north entrance, a bed of thornless black roses have been planted in the center of the path while the south is flanked by rowan trees. From within the branches you can hear the call of the whippoorwhills, waiting to guide the departed to the Boneyard.

Each of you have been contacted by the Cyptsmistress to carry out a discrete duty-
Detressa:

Kua:

Yang:

Badang:

Uwais:

Sister Mara:

You enter beneath one of the large iron candelabras lighting the nave. Running east to west is a plush purple carpet layed between row after row of wooden pews. At the far western end is a dais holding the altar and a great hourglass as tall as a man, filled with red sand. Above that is a rose window depicting Pharasma's aspects: Reaper, Midwife and Prophet. On the eastern side are two open doors leading to small shrines flanking a set of double doors Detressa, these double doors lead to the cells for your order. Any of the grey-robed acolytes in the nave can direct you to the shrine to St. Feodric, which is the southernmost shrine.

The shrine is a long rectangle, lit with candles. At the north end is an open prayer book on a lectern while to the south stands a stone statue of a stern looking man holding a mace before him, a bed of black roses growing around the statue's base. The Cryptsmistress has not arrived yet- perhaps you are a bit early.

Okay, feel free to make introductions.

Here is the character generation/ooc discussion thread for the game. I'll give you all a choice for ability scores: either 20 point buy or we roll 4d6 through the die roller and discard the lowest six times. If we roll, you must use your rolls unless you get all 5s, 3s, etc. Everyone uses the same method, so we need to vote on it.

Hook: all of you have been asked/forced to work with the clergy of Pharasma in the Bottoms district to discretely look into some disturbances in the ossuary below the cathedral. Perhaps you are a member of the congregation, but you need not be affiliated with the church: the faction you belong to may have loaned you out as a favor, perhaps the Pharasmins provided much needed healing in exchange for future services, etc.

I can offer more info on the neighborhoods and factions of Kaer Maga if you need it as well as help with backgrounds as you like.

I'm looking for between 2 and 4 more players to go through the Godsmouth Heresy and possibly expand out into the city of Kaer Maga. I already have Bryan and Mothman as interested, so I would need just 2-4 more players to be up to 4-6, which is what I'm comfortable with. I'm hoping to start with 1st level PFRPG characters in early to mid February: this will give me time to get everything ready, make maps, finish some freelance work, etc and allow players time to make characters. I want to keep the focus on the adventure to start and if things go well, we'll expand further.

Let me know if you're interested!

Opening Night- October 17th, 1928; London, England

"There is a queue outside the theatre. They are huddled up
against the bitter cold. A photographer has set up his equipment
to capture the scene and the crowd is looking his way. A
large gentleman in an overcoat and a homburg hat, arms folded,
grips a copy of the London Express and shows an angry
expression. His wife next to him keeps her head down. Sitting
on camp stools in front of them are two well-dressed women in
elaborate hats, drinking tea. Behind the camera an empty
omnibus plows along the snowy street."
— Talbot Estus, The Curse of Beydelus

It's an unseasonably cold night for October, the wind howling in from Scotland to afflict the lowlands with a horrid chill. Thankfully the omnipresent London rain has let up for the evening, the clouds content to mask you from the stars above. You stand in a queue inside of the Scala in the West London theatre district (the Scala is between Goodge and Tottenham on Charlotte street, only a brisk ten to fifteen minute walk from Leicester Square and Covent Garden), having checked your coats. The hour is late, almost nine o'clock and you will soon be seated. The inside of the Scala is rather gloomy, lit by gaslights spaced evenly around the red walls. As you entered, each of you was given a playbill. It reads:

"Carcosa" or, "The Queen And The Stranger"
adapted from the French and staged by TALBOT ESTUS

CAST LIST

The part of CASSILDA, QUEEN of YHTILL will be played by MRS. HANNAH KEITH

The part of THALE, OLDER SON of CASSILDA will be played by MR. WALTER PAIGE

The parts of UOHT, YOUNGER SON of CASSILDA and NAOTALBA, CASSILDA'S HIGH PRIEST will be played by MR. GEORGE KEITH

The part of CAMILLA, DAUGHTER OF CASSILDA will be played by MISS JEAN HEWART

The part of THE STRANGER will be played by MR. MICHEAL GILLEN

The part of THE KING IN YELLOW will be played by MR. TALBOT ESTUS

There are about 100 people in attendance from all walks of life, all dressed in their best.

Please describe yourselves and feel free to interact with the other characters before the play begins.

Here's the ooc thread for when we get started and the current PC generation thread.

Guidelines- Okay, so we established that we're playing in London, specifically London as of October 1928. I will ask that at least one character (most central to the plot in the early going) be a trained psychoanalyst or alienist, published in their field. While that's the easiest fit, a related field like medicine, anthropology or philosophy may also work. Additionally, it would be a benefit if at least one or two more players be involved in creative pursuits of some sort- painters, poets, authors, actors, playwrights- all perfectly acceptable. They may be amateurs or professionals, but creative spirits will have a vested interest in how things progress in the campaign. Another good suggestion might be a medium or parapsychologist, or people involved in spiritualism (which was somewhat in vogue at the time).

The campaign will begin with all of you attending a play called "Carcosa or, The Queen and the Stranger" being a fantasy in two acts adapted from the french and staged by Talbot Estus at the Scala Theater on Charlotte Street. You may have gotten a playbill from a friend or acquaintance or found one in a periodical you subscribe to- even less well-to-do investigators can afford to go, since ticket prices are quite reasonable. It will be helpful if you know each other in pairs or groups.

Hopefully that's enough to get the ideas flowing; looking forward to playing with you all!

I'm considering taking a stab at running the CoC Tatters of the King campaign after the holidays (likely starting in January) and I'm wondering if anyone has an interest in playing? It's been correctly described by an Amazon reviewer as "action averse"- which is what makes it a poor choice for my tabletop group but I think it could be quite well suited to a play by post game. I've run a few pbps in the past that have fallen through, but I still want to try this out if I can get 4-6 willing people.

I'd like to use the BRP system from Chaosium, the story centered on London and Scotland in the 1920s. I can give some more details if anyone has questions. I will note that I both have a day job and do freelance illustration in my own time, so a hiatus here or there is likely inevitable and I certainly understand that players may have similar concerns.

Anyone interested in a trip to scenic Carcosa?

I've just started a CoC campaign and I was wondering (before the first fatality/insanity mishap) if there are rules or guidelines anywhere for rolling up investigators that have already dealt with the Mythos and are a bit more seasoned than presented in the rulebook (the BRP system Call of Cthulhu, not d20). It could also help if one wanted to run something like Masks of Nyarlathotep which suggests more experienced characters.

I figure a few more personal interest points can take care of skills, but Mythos points, sanity pool and the possibility of knowing some spells are another matter.

Tonight was our first session of what I hope will be a long-running Call of Cthulu campaign. I had only run the game once before, so the rules were a bit shaky but everyone had a good time as far as I know. The game begins on October 20, 1927 in Boston, Mass with an investigation into a haunted property ("The Haunting" from the back of the 6th edition CoC rulebook). I think my players are still adjusting to the mindset of the game, since we're coming off of D&D and everyone decided they were packing heat. Details are still a bit sketchy, but our investigators are:

Dr. Donald Harrison, M.D.- At 47, Dr. Harrison is a well-respected physician. Classically educated overseas in Cambridge, he picked up fencing during his time abroad as a means of staying in shape and protecting his person from roustabouts and ne'er-do-wells. A particularly bad accident or assault in his past has lead to a debilitating injury and a fragile psyche. The good doctor must walk with a cane which conceals a rapier in case things should grow dire; in the worst case scenario, he turns to his .45.

Prof. Darla Donnawitz- Prof. Donnawitz teaches the newly minted discipline of Archaeology at Wellesley college outside of Boston. During her 36 years, the Professor has gone on a number of digs around the world and while she is a woman of average size, years spent climbing and digging throughout the world has given her a degree of upper body strength that far exceeds expectations. Beyond this and her connection to Mr. Horowitz, the landlord of the property, we know little else.

Detective Ed Merkle- Detective Merkle is a hard-nosed veteran of the Boston police force. With little more education than a few years of high school and time at the police academy or on the beat, Merkle rose through the ranks through both his skill at observation and his larger than life presence. A hulking figure in a trenchcoat, fedora pulled on over his salt and pepper hair, the detective is "getting too old for this s*%@" but is far too stubborn to let even some (likely phoney) haunting keep clogging up his case files.

Bonnie (with the Gams)- A transplant to New England from rural Arkansas, Bonnie is not only one of the first female masters degree recipients from Miskatonic University she's also the first female journalist for the Boston Globe and will gladly give you the dirt on how hard she's had to claw her way up to get there. Bonnie's reported from the trenches during the Great War (and isn't half bad with a machine gun as a result) only to be stuck writing some ridiculous seasonal piece on Boston hauntings. Since her older cousin Ed's working the case already, Bonnie figured she could tag along on his investigation to see if Dr. Harrison's theory about a hallucinogenic mold might pan out. Bonnie is physically fit, but rather slight. A mild case of rosacea keeps her from being truly attractive; a confrontational attitude born of a professional life spent struggling to not only equal her male counterparts but to exceed them has made it rather difficult to make new friends and acquaintances.

Another investigator or two may join our intrepid friends in the next weeks, but for now these four are out and on the case. Tune in soon to see how their first look at the Corbett house pans out.

I've been running a lot of the PF adventure paths for my campaigns and while I enjoy them, I sometimes get the creative itch to write something myself. I've got a lot of ideas rattling around in my head, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to commit the time to writing a quality campaign, even if I get started now while they're still two-three adventures from the end of the current game.

So, if you design your own campaigns, how much time do you typically spend working on them? What are some methods you use to save time?

I ran RoRL a while ago, but managed to kill all but one PC in the battle at the conclusion of the second adventure (the halfling bard was charmed trying to escape). So, inspired by the Shadow Under Sandpoint campaign journal thread, I want to try and get a sequel campaign going with different PCs. So, here's a bunch of my random ideas that I want to coax into a true campaign and I would be happy to hear any feedback.

I plan on assuming that a different group of adventurers took out Karzoug at Xin-Shalast, but they've been corrupted by how powerful they became and went their separate ways. A different evil wizard and his apprentices have taken a seat in Xin-Shalast and spent the 5 years between the original AP and the start of this one clearing the city, forging alliances with the inhabitants and getting poised to expand into a new empire.

Sandpoint went through a lot; being almost destroyed by giants and a dragon during Karzoug and Mokmurian's rise. And while the people have rebuilt and moved on, it isn't quite the same. The town council is looking to be more proactive about their own defense and I want the PCs to be involved in it- Sheriff Hemlock would definitely be on the look out for some independent help while the Mayor and the rest decide how to go about forging alliances while trying to maintain their independence.

Titus Scarnetti, having survived a brush with the stone giants that wanted to abduct him, has been very generous in using his own funds to fortify the town against further attack (out of concern for Sandpoint's citizens or fear for himself is up for discussion) but he's also pushing to bring in Hellknights from Citadel Vraid to give the town what he feels would be greater stability. While Magnimar has set up a garrison of soldiers nearby, after five years without a major giant attack it's become a punishment post for officers out of favor with the city government and is less effective than it could be. Seeking a securing allies for Sandpoint can be a consistent goal of the campaign and allow the PCs to make their mark while working for Sheriff Hemlock and Mayor Deverin (or for Titus Scarnetti or another member of the town council). It bothers me that a lot of movies/video games/campaigns where a large invading force is going to attack the PC's kingdom requires that the player/protagonist gather allies and formulate defenses, etc. only after it's apparent a huge battle is coming.

Another change is almost like a gold rush of arcane scholars coming into Sandpoint after word of what the Old Light was gets out and what dungeons are beneath the town. Maybe the wizard adventurer consolidating his power in Xin-Shalast published a book of his findings and theories. While the initial rush is over, the influx of coin from visiting wizards helped a lot in funding the town's restoration and there are still several researchers still in town. A rival adventuring group may freelance for these researchers, running to old ruins to recover Thassilonian artifacts, etc.

The Sczarni make themselves useful in procuring access to the Catacombs of Wrath and some other sites for the less scrupulous researchers (they know about the underground access from the sea since the entrance in the Glassworks is sealed) under Hemlock's radar. They've even got a method for using the runewell for their own ends, exporting a potent alchemical concoction. That might end up as the low-level focus: Belor Hemlock's simmering war on the Sczarni and the PCs attempts to help close in on Jubrayl or work with Jubrayl to keep Hemlock off of their operations.

The hinterlands are more dangerous than ever with displaced giants and ogres from the Runelord's armies roaming loose. While the stone giants may go into seclusion, others won't be as quiet. Trade is more difficult by land route, except for one new trading company (which happens to be headed by the halfling bard from the previous party of PCs and his lamia mistress). I thought it would be fun to have Shayless Vinder as the point of contact in Sandpoint, since that PC wound up sleeping with her in RotRL. Naturally, this new merchant company is operated as an advanced scouting mission for the new would-be wizard king of Varisia.

I have some more ideas, but that's what I've got so far before I start taking this big mess and finessing it into something playable and coherent.

My curiosity about the Ravenloft campaign has been peaked recently and I picked up the 3rd edition campaign setting book from White Wolf. I'd like to ask: what other Ravenloft supplements come highly recommended and are worth checking out? For either 3rd edition or 2nd edition, since I'm interested in flavor as well as rules.

We've been off to a slow start, but the game is just about to hit it's stride and I'm interested in getting one or two more people in to bolster the current party. We're using PFRPG rules for character generation, 20 point buy. Ideal players are willing to get a little bit of familiarity with the setting and are able to post at least every few days.

Currently we have:
Incantator Maro: N male human cleric (Belsameth)
Galwynn: NG male human sorcerer
Dusis: N male human barbarian
Lugdro: N male human druid

Scarred Lands: The Serpent Amphora Cycle

Discussion thread with character generation rules.

We just started Council of Thieves this week and I think it's going to be a lot of fun. The thing that I want to make sure of, though, is that I can give the PCs adequate motivation to stick with the Children of Westcrown and their m.o. The one character that may end up being a little tricky is the rogue PC with the Child of Infamy background: he's a fledgling actor with a side job as a thief. His beef with the government is that his sister (an opera star and minor noble) was assaulted and murdered before the campaign began and the government of Westcrown covered it up. He was the first to raise his hand after Janiven's speech and say,"So what's in it for me?"

I kept him going by saying that Arael's organization, though small, has connections throughout the underworld of Westcrown and they could perhaps bring him information in exchange for his help. Ultimately, I'd like there to be a progressive search for the truth followed by a worthwhile payoff toward the end. Two possible culprits and reasons:

-Aberian Arvanxi, the mayor: easiest fit, seeing as he's obsessed with the opera and figurehead of the government. But I'm concerned that the event at his manor at the end of The Sixfold Trial will be derailed if he learns of it too soon. He would also work as a possible red herring.

-Sidonai and Vassindio Drovenge: this would mean that his sister's death had to happen a long time ago. My thinking is that after the birth of Ecarrdian, Vassindio wanted to be extra certain that his son hadn't fathered any other tiefling bastards and would thus have his son's mistresses tracked down. That could lead to a series of "cold case" investigations into other murdered women from around the same time until he finds the link tying them all together: the disappeared Sidonai.

So, those are two ideas that I'm thinking up that might work separately or together. What do you think?

On the second Wildday of Tanot, the small riverside village of Trela celebrates the Carnival of Flowers with games during the day and feasting, song and dance in the evening under Belsameth's moon. The boats running up and down the river that divides New Venir and Lageni have ceased travel for the day to join the festivities: danger and doom are regular hazards on the merchants' long road and any opportunity for merriment is quickly snatched up like a fallen silver coin. The eaves of the modest houses are decked with garlands filling the air with a sweet fragrance to complement the laughter of children and the gentle singing of a handsome half-elf who strolls the town with his harp. Sailors, townsfolk and river guards converse and joke while local young men and women exchange bouquets in an elaborate homespun courtship ritual. Even the silhouette of the Blood Steppes to the north, with all the danger and tragedy it represents, cannot dampen the spirit of the Carnival.

Each of you has found your way here on this feast day with your own purposes in mind and while future plans and events may press you heavily every other day of the year, today is a celebration of the recently arrived summer and the promise of rest and recreation is difficult to pass up.

It's about two hours before noon and townsfolk are lining up around the periphery of the village where a track has been layed out; a line of men and women are stretching at a line drawn in the dust with chalk. The town square has been cleared as well and some of the burly Riverguard are piling up padded armor and elderwood rods under the supervision of a handsome young man in the black robes of a Belsamite.

If you want to join the footrace, you had better hurry...
Okay, wide open: let me know what you guys are up to.

And, to reiterate, we're starting in the small river village of Trela on the eastern border of New Venir, next to Lageni and south of the Blood Steppes. Calastian territory, though the official religion remains Belsameth. We start with the festival of flowers to celebrate the spring. It's helpful if everyone knows at least one other PC; there's no inn in town, so if you've had to stop in here and there you would have met a resident or two to allow you to stay in their home or barn.

A Vigilant PC (good/neutral aligned rangers, fighters, rogues affiliated with the nation of Vesh to the north: stealth reconnaissance, information-gathering missions, etc.) will have a strong hook but isn't completely necessary.

I'm considering running a PFRPG pbp set in the Scarred Lands setting and using the pre-published modules/mini campaign that was published for it. Not sure when I want to start, since I'm completely nuts and running a Golarion pbp and tabletop game as well. Anyone interested if I throw it together?

Zareby Grenache
It's a sight almost like a carnival, or a city in miniature. Small homes of modest construction sit at the base of a hill with a multitude of tents sticken around them without any real rhyme or reason and lording over the entire chaotic mess, silhouetted against the Inner Sea, is what must be Lady Vestang's country house. Even from a distance it's a fine old house, though you've certainly seen finer in Oppara and other ports. A large stone wall separates the villa from the rest of the hamlet around it and from the beaten track you can see that there is a courtyard within, full of perfectly arranged trees and bushes: a welcome change from the monotony of the southern Taldor scrubland. The house behind is a stately two-story structure with just about anything a rich person might want: a balcony, big columns and of course lots of windows with brand new panes of glass.

It's a welcome sight after your long trip south. You've been jostled in the back of carts, driven off the road like cattle by passing upper-crust types and too rarely welcomed to a trader or beast-tamer's campfire to trade gossip and pass the evening hours. Just from what you've seen on the trip, this should be some sort of shindig.

It all began in the back room of a gambling den in Oppara. Lady luck was kind for a short run and the bloke you were betting against hadn't realized that his fortunes had deserted him. Finally, just when you thought he was ready to call it quits, he throws a letter on the table. It's got a seal, nice paper, looks like a party invitation addressed to some woman named Viviana Albercroft. Didn't seem like it was worth a stake, but then he told you all about this party and how much some folk might be willing to pay for such a thing. It sounded like a good time, anyhow, so you let him play for it. Shortly after you won the last hand, you found a fence for the invite and used the money to pay for your passage south.

So here you are, standing outside the Lady's hamlet with the dust of the road on your boots and most of your winnings dried up. Various porters and teamsters run left and right as harried servants pitch big, luxurious tents for their masters. Camels pull carts covered in tarps smelling of all kinds of exotic animals. You see a permanent structure called The Dancing Tabi (likely an inn by the look of it) and a big tent nearby with a sign outside painted to resemble a mask. A guard near the town gate look over the crush of incoming party-goers with tired disinterest. He's the only one you can see.

Run-down on character creation:

• 1st level characters, standard (15 point) point buy
• Races/classes limited to PFRPG core rules and supplements subject to DM approval
• Max starting gold, one trait

The campaign will be a somewhat episodic narrative of your characters and their adventures throughout Golarion (despite the name, it won't be solely constrained to the Inner Sea region). A well-rounded group is an advantage, as there will be a variety of challenges to test their mettle. If there will be any major feel or theme, pulp sword and sorcery would be it, though it will likely span many of the genres that fall under the fantasy umbrella. It's helpful if your characters are amenable to the Pathfinder organization, though they don't have to be members right out of the gate.

We open at a Taldane noblewoman's new country mansion where she is throwing an elaborate masquerade. Rumor has it she and her wealthy family have begun dabbling in the sponsorship of adventurers and archaeologists in the Inner Sea and the invitation boasts that the masquerade will host their most recent find.

Now that the final PFRPG rules are in, I'm interested in taking another shot at running a play-by-post of my own. I wound up biting off more than I could chew with the Planescape game I tried running and writing entirely on my own, so what I'm going to do this time is run mostly published material culled from Dungeon magazine and adapted to the setting, similar to what I've done in the past with a more successful real life campaign, adding my own touches, side plots and alterations.

The score:
I'll need time to review the rules and get things squared away, so I'm looking to start at the beginning of September. I'm most comfortable with 4-6 players, not sure where I would stop for a maximum. Golarion will likely be the setting, characters made with the PFRPG core rules, other sources approved on a case-by-case basis with a preference for Pathfinder stuff. It's not that I don't love your catfolk ninja/psion/ghost faced killer, it's just that I would rather keep things restrained while we're getting used to the rules.

Let me know if you're interested.

The Open Game Table Roleplaying Anthology is a collection from bloggers far across the interwebs of their musings on roleplaying and such. Collected by Jonathan Jacobs of the Core Mechanic and featuring all manner of articles, it features illustrations from myself and fellow Paizo board member Hugo Solis, among other contributors.

Do you like blogs?
Do you like D&D?
You should spend $23 on this book. What else are you going to do with it? Buy a lot of glue and snort glue until you pass out? I know that's what I would do. But don't do that, because it's bad for your brain cells. Open Game Table Roleplaying Anthology: $23 spent to support your ailing brain cells.

**Amazon will likely have a cover image up soon and the release date is March 23rd, not March 20th. It will also be distributed by Indie Press Revolution, so if you want to get it at your FLGS, ask them to order it for you.