So, I'm not currently GMing a game. But I hope to run RotRL someday (I got a physical copy of the book and hope to run it PbP). I do have some ideas that sound interesting.
So, I've been reading different threads about Tstuo, Nualia, and the rest. But here's an idea I want to use and would like some feedback on.
In the letter that Ameiko receives from Tstuo, there is a tiny mention of trying to reach someone else, a 'him'. In Tstuo's journal that the party finds in the Glassworks, there are mentions of that same 'him', but little information is given. In Tstuo chambers in Thistletop, the party finds not only the plans that the half-elf would use to blackmail Lonjiku, but several crumbled up wads of parchment. These are incomplete letters. Some of these are addressed to Ameiko. However, the other set of crumbled letters are addressed to another sibling. A brother, who Ameiko never met before.
As it turns out, despite Lonjiku saying how his wife wasn't faithful and how much dishonor it brought him and the Kaijitsu name, he's a little hypocrite. For he had an affair as well with a woman from Magnimar. A married woman The affair resulted in a child and Lonjiku cutting off all ties to his secret lover and desperately trying to hide it. Except Tstuo found out before he left Sandpoint. One of the first things the half-elf did in Magnimar was try to find his half-brother. While he didn't establish contact with him, Tstuo did keep an eye on him.
Now that this new information has come to light, Ameiko wants to meet her other brother. So, when Sheriff Hemlock suggests that the PCs go to Magnimar to testify in court, Ameiko will ask them to try and find her long lost half-brother and try to convince him to come to Sandpoint.
When the PCs arrive, they have little encounters with the missing Kaijitsu, using disguises, words, and his magic to con and steal from both NPCs and PCs. This would lead into a subplot about finding him and stopping him. I imagine that it may involve stakeouts, learning more about him, hunting him down, maybe even a roof top chase :).
Anyway, the NPC would have levels in charlatan rogue and (maybe) negotiator bard, giving him a way with words. Give him a magic item that allow him to disguise himself. For race, I know I want to go with Aasimar. Here's my thinking.
Thoughts? Any feedback on race, classes, and concept are welcome, as well as any advice.
Lonjiku having another bastard child out there would be entirely consistent with his character.
As to the suggestion of the other Kaijitsu sibling being an aasimar, as well as Nualia's half-brother(!!)... well, the whole situation is pretty small-town drama/soap-opera already, so this fits right in.
Thank you for the compliments, Trace!
Bump.
So, I'm working on a sample build. But one question is on my mind. What level should the NPC be at? According to my book (I got the Anniversary Edition), by the time the PCs are finished with Burnt Offerings, they should be at 4th level. So, I'm thinking somewhere around 5th - 6th, maybe 7th level (all PC classes). Correct me if I'm wrong.
Bump
Some neat ideas, but I would be hesitant to make so many plot-important characters related to one another.
Also, the problem with Nualia being Lonjiku`s daughter is that I have a hard time imagining a celestial being interested in Lonjiku.
It’s mentioned in both Blood of Angels and Blood of Fiends that the otherworldly influence that produces aasimar/tieflings can lay dormant for many generations before manifesting.
I understand your hesitation, Peet. It seems a bit complicated. But, the idea's not set in stone entirely. I'm hoping to work out the idea through feedback. An alternate idea I had was to drop the Nualia and aasimar and make Iozif a rakshasa tiefling.
What Trace said is correct. Entire generations can go by without ever resulting in a tiefling or an aasimar. But that doesn't mean that it isn't there.
Also, Nualia wouldn't be Lonjiku's daughter. Here's how the family would break down if I used the aasimar and Nualia relation idea.
Nualia: born from unnamed Varisian man and unnamed Varisian woman. Born from a legit coupling.
Ameiko Kaijitsu: born from Lonjiku Kaijitsu and Atsuii Kaijitsu.
Tsuto Kaijitsu: born from Justice Ironbriar and Atsuii Kaijitsu.
Any thoughts?
Any opinions?
Ask yourself: how does adding Iozif Kaijitsu advance the story?
If he is to be found in Magnimar, will he be an ally against the party's enemies? Will he be working with their enemies? Will he be an unrelated side enemy? Or strictly a red herring? Will he be a neutral party that may become a useful contact later?
So far your descriptions make it seem like this will be a side quest with no actual contribution to the overall plot. That's fine, but if so then you probably shouldn't make too big a deal about it, or you threaten to derail the actual story.
By the time that the party gets to Magnimar the Nualia & Kaijitsu storylines are over unless any of the people involved escaped.
Try. You have a point.
Try.
EDIT: True. Sorry for that.
Tsuto is not the only illegitimate half-elf in town, Rynshinn Povalli, is also one of a similar age. I was thinking of adding in one or two more, for more of that same type of feel, with any luck I can get a PC to decide to be a half-elf...
Making all of them related to the same elf who came through town 20ish years ago was the plan, and making Justice Ironbriar the father just seems mean (and FUN!)
Sometimes there are plots that the PCs never see, having some of these floating around in your bag of DM tricks in case the players DO follow up on some red herring is always nice.
This is a campaign being run at home, not a convention event, I wouldn't be too afraid of Peet's concerns of campaign derailment, the campaign goes where the PCs do. Events will soon enough bring them back to the main storyline.
Ah missed one, Nisk Tander the Alchemist could fall into that group too.
Interesting ideas, Lorax. Might be promising.
To answer Peet's earlier question, it does seem like a side quest. But it could lead to other things. This would take place before the
So if they get Iozif to Sandpoint and these events happen, then it could lead to a red herring or the superstitions of the small town locals. And Iozif might be able to provide some support, help, contacts in Magnimar, and/or some information that the PCs might need.
What if Iozif is actually Naulia's twin?
Unnamed Varisian woman could have brought Naulia to Lonjiku expecting him to take care of at least ONE of the children. Lonjiku being an ass just dumped the baby off at the church and ignored her, perhaps even helped contribute to her ostracization from society.
Yes that makes the Tsuto and Naulia thing more creepy. Good.
Wow... that's a fantastic idea!
Although, the original idea is that Tsuto finds out about Iozif through some entries in Lonjiku's journal. If the journal talks about both Iozif and Nualia, then Tsuto would know that Nualia is his half-sister. And then they most likely wouldn't be having relations with each other.
Well, Tsuto Kaijitsu is the son of Atsuii Kaijitsu and an unnamed elf.
Iozif and Nualia would then be born from Lonjiku Kaijitsu and unnamed Varisian woman.
Totally not half-sister at all and yet still too close to not be creepy. Just the results of different Kaijitsu's infidelities.
Actually, I believe they did name the elf at some point. He was an elvish bard, and he showed up in Sandpoint after Atsuii showed up at Sandpoint, but Lonjiku was missing. He consoled her, and then after one week, Lonjiku showed up. Atsuii returned to her husband (and the elf was miffed over that), and then eight months and three weeks later gave birth to a pointy-eared Tsuto. The rest is history. ;)
Wow... why did I forget that Tsuto only had Atsuii as a common parent with Ameiko? Maybe Lonjiku's journals didn't mention Nualia. A possibility. There could be a couple kids dropped off at Father Zantus's doorstep before going to the orphanage. Just a thought.
@Tangent: Where does it say that they named Tsuto's father? I can't seem to find it.
Here: Ask James Jacobs
The Magnimar book also gives Anya as the name of Lonjiku's mother.
Thank you, Spiral Ninja. I think I can disregard this for my game. Or at least find a way to incorporate it into the game.
Okay. So after nearly a year, I'm dredging this thread back up. I've been looking over my extra npc plans and have decided to change the classes. I plan on Iozif to be a charismatic rogue/wizard/arcane trickster. Can anyone give me some advice on making this work?
Any advice?
Well, he's going to be brought into the campaign at a point were he's likely to be between say 5th and 8th? Yes?
If that's the case I'd actually suggest Bard, then his high charisma will get put to use.
Yeah. I was thinking about 7th or 8th level.
A bard could work. But from the guides on arcane tricksters that I've read, wizard is one of the better choices when paired with rogues. By charismatic, I meant having a slightly above Charisma, but having a higher intelligence and putting points in diplomacy, bluff, etc.
Though, I'm open to other ideas.
No, I was really thinking just "Bard 8" (or whatever).
Even at 8th level, he'd only be a 5th level caster, at best as an Arcane Trickster. Just pick the right Bard Archetype to fit your idea and he'll be fine.
So, I was planning on Iozif to be a level 8 sandman bard. However, I gave him pc gear, which increased his CR to 8. I'm starting to rethink his level. Maybe make him level 6.
Also, some other ideas that I've had:
For the gang, I was thinking that it be led by a transmuter and its top enforcers being a grenadier alchemist with a vestigial arm that he hides, a dwarf fighter, a knife master, and an evil cleric (I'm thinking Calistria). Their base would be some kind of bar, gambling hall, and club. I'm thinking of the type of 1920s bars that Frank Sinatra or the mob would frequent. This would give the PCs a different challenge and something to fight. I would also give them some kind of connection to either the Skinsaw Cult or the bigger threat of Karzoug.
I would imagine that she would also be a bard, but have class levels in something like spy rogue, master spy, investigator, or urban ranger. She would be working in the gang's club as an entertainer, spying on them to protect her lover. She's also a deputy of the Magnimar guard who's planning on retiring after the gang is put away to spend her life with Iozif. Any thoughts on this?
So here's my idea: Tsuto finds out that Iozif and Nualia are his half-siblings. He doesn't care about that. He and Nualia go at it like 'donkey rats'. Eventually, Nualia finds out. Curious, she goes to Magnimar to observe him. She see that Iozif revels in his 'celestial taint'. Eventually, she becomes enamoured with him... and plans to corrupt him in the name of Lamashtu. She plans on releasing the demon, become a demon herself, go to Magnimar, and corrupt Iozif to be just like her. Then she plans on spreading Lamashtu's influence... with Iozif at her side, helping her give life to new monsters as their father. If I go with the tiefling lover idea, then that would give Nualia an extra incentive through her jealousy, thinking: 'Why would he want a demonspawn like her, when he can have a full demon like me?' Very creepy, I know. But could be very fun.
Thoughts?
tieflingwizard -
The ideas sound great, you have a good story with lots of interwoven elements and surprises.
My only concern is that it also sounds as if you are crafting a campaign FOR Tsuto/Naulia/Iozif.
My bit question would now be, how does all of this connect to the PCs?
I imagined that the PCs would be involved in the side adventures to find Iozif, bring him to Sandpoint, and remove the gang. They would get the side quest from Ameiko and it would build from there. All of the Tsuto/Nualia/Iozif would just be for extra bits of information. Considering that Iozif would be a former criminal, he would have connections in Magnimar that can help out the PCs while they're there (like during the Skinsaw Murders). The gang could also provide more information to the PCs or foreshadow the Skinsaw Cult or the future bad guys.
However, I understand where you are coming from. Any advice to how I can make it seem like it's not a campaign for those three? I really haven't GMed a game before, other than a 4th edition homebrew D&D game that went south due to lack of experience on my end.
The AP has given you background story of what is happening, you are doing a nice job of making that story yours by reading between the lines and filling in extra information.
You need to get the players to give you some information now.
Why are they in Sandpoint?
What is their general background?
There's lots of threads here about what is important for starting Burnt Offerings.
I'd say that getting the Players immersed in Sandpoint, comfortable with, and caring about the town and it's people, taking the time to let them get to know the NPCs of the town is high on the list.
You have a lot of good extra background and supplemental material to use.
You know how it fits into the arch from Burnt Offerings to the middle of Skinsaw.
What I would do at this point is save that material - don't worry about every detail just yet. Let the player's interests guide THEIR story.
Meanwhile the Tsuto/Naulia/Iozif story plays out, how much the players get involved in T/N/I's story should be up to them.
The last thing you need is for the players to perceive that T/N/I - particularly Iozif, are YOUR characters in the game and that they are along for the ride while you run your own character.
I've done some things that I think are nice with my run through, and things have not gone entirely as I (or the AP) had intended, by providing extra material you are making a richer, more "alive" campaign, but it could throw the timelines off. It's something to be aware of.
Get the players invested in Sandpoint - that's really the whole point of Burnt Offerings.
I imagined that the PCs would be involved in the side adventures to find Iozif, bring him to Sandpoint, and remove the gang. They would get the side quest from Ameiko and it would build from there. All of the Tsuto/Nualia/Iozif would just be for extra bits of information. Considering that Iozif would be a former criminal, he would have connections in Magnimar that can help out the PCs while they're there (like during the Skinsaw Murders). The gang could also provide more information to the PCs or foreshadow the Skinsaw Cult or the future bad guys.
However, I understand where you are coming from. Any advice to how I can make it seem like it's not a campaign for those three? I really haven't GMed a game before, other than a 4th edition homebrew D&D game that went south due to lack of experience on my end.
A few suggestions/ideas to consider.
Interesting backstory is just that - BACK story. As in not as important as what the players do. Whenever the choice is: I can advance the story of the T/N/I triangle or Player X can be a hero or the center of attention, you ALWAYS choose Player X. (But the same Player X should not ALWAYS be the center - if one player has a background that ties tightly to your T/N/I story and none of the other players do, you better have backstory for them from something else just as important or the T/N/I story should be an oh-by-the-way feature of the campaign.)
Remember you are the conductor not a musician. You may be setting a pace, directing and coordinating but the real performers are the musicians (the players.) You are there to make them look good. If you want to be the center of attention or perform yourself, you should write a novel or be a player. It's great to enhance/expand/alter the AP backstory to fit your own tastes or creative urges but it should always be done with the an eye to how the players are going to consume it - why will it be important to them and their various histories and motivations and if it doesn't give them something interesting to do (based on their interests), give meaningful challenges or provide closure to items in the pc's own stories then why are you doing it?
Thank you, Lorax and Latrecis. I'll keep this in mind. I am planning on making the T/N/I minor. Maybe mention in diary entries from Nualia. I'm probably going to use some things from the Community Content Thread.
I would probably ask each PC of their origins and, depending on where they're from, I'd give them some information. Maybe set up some prologue type rp with them.
In my game, Lonjiku
Nualia and Tsuto were in love back then. Lonjiku blackmailed Nualia threatening to tell it to Father Tobyas. It was him who brought Nualia to the smuggler corridor in glassworks, bringing her too close to demon influence and the catacomb if wrath