I am running a play by post here on the forums that has been my test to see how readily Pathfinder converts to 5e. The first leg of the test, Crypt of the Everflame has gone fairly well, and the players in that group would like to continue. I expect that that game will wind down in a matter of a week or two, with some wrap-up role playing in town to finish it out.
But we lost one of our star role players and so are opening recruitment for the next adventure. Current players include: a female half-elven bard, a male half-elven fighter, a male human ranger, and a female forest gnome druid.
So, for system: D&D 5e, obviously.
The adventure will be part two of the trilogy:
Adventure Description:
Razmir the Living God used his power to conquer an entire country; now he and his mask-wearing priests enforce peace and generosity—though some say their tools are intimidation and fear. His worshipers preach charity and self-worth, blaming rival faiths for crafting lies about the glories of the Living God. Now the cult has come to the city of Tamran, feeding the poor and promising happiness to those who serve Razmir. Yet ugly rumors persist of bribery, extortion, and strange disappearances associated with the new temple. Are these stories just gossip and lies spread by rival faiths? Or is the church of the Living God more than it seems?
Character Creation:
Player’s Handbook. Avoid Dragonborn. Roll stats. 4d6, drop lowest roll. We’re using primarily Player’s Handbook as our source material. If you really want to play something from Xanathar’s Guide, talk to me about it.
3rd level starting characters. No evil characters.
We’re looking for 1-2 characters to add to the existing roster of players from the first adventure. As I mentioned earlier, losing one of our star role players was a blow.
If you’re looking to use an alternate race from another source, give me a good backstory for how it fits the starting conceit for the original adventure, which is:
Characters are teens selected for a traditional quest for passage to adulthood. While this is the second adventure, we’re still dealing with starting relationships that boil down to those town relations. The town of Kassen is mostly human, but there are a smattering of other races. Even an elf or dwarf might precociously choose to participate in the ritual to be deemed an adult when their parents might not consider them so.
Other races: I know a number of other races are available through other sources. If you really want to play one, make the backstory and how it fits with the starting conceit a good one. Obviously human characters have an advantage here.
Humans: Most humans are of Chelish, Kellid, Taldan, or Varisian descent, but Nirmathas was once a trade route from Cheliax to Varisia, so other ethnic backgrounds are possible. Humans speak Common (Taldane) but humans from non Taldan/Chelish backgrounds speak their ethnic language as well (as a bonus language).
The party currently has four players. Their fifth, a sorcerer named Rankev, will be written out of the story, since he stopped posting about four months ago.
The starting conceit of the first adventure in the trilogy was that the characters were teens coming of age in Kassen who were sent on a coming of age quest that went horribly wrong. Consider that as you consider your character choices.
Aldelenna Bard
A beautiful half-elf barmaid who sings at the Seven Silvers in Kassen. She is bubbly and excited to be recruited for the adventure.
Venssa Druid
Taking the place on the coming of age journey normally reserved for fostered youth, Venssa is a forest gnome druid who lives in a burrow by a menhir near to Kassen’s walls.
Finlogan Fighter
A half-elf fighter. Born to a local seamstress, Finlogan is the son of a wandering elf, who was too busy wandering to be a father. Aching to find his missing father, he joined the scouts and rangers, but his skills tend toward the martial side of things.
Cole Ranger
The son of a renowned ranger, Cole was raised with heavy expectations, that he absorbed but also moved away from home to get away from. He values the team, but wants to stand on his own rather than the reputation of his hero father.
The starting assumption for the original adventure was that characters grew up in Kassen, a logging community on the river in Nirmathas. Nirmathas is a meritocracy (those who pull their weight tend to have the most power) that escaped the rule of Cheliax only to find rule by Molthune was equally intolerable. Its people are practical and hard-working, and the primary driver of their economy is lumber, shipped between Skelt to the west and the capital, Tamran, to the east.
As teens growing up in a bustling logging and agricultural community, the traditional yearly trip to Crypt of the Everflame is one all the characters native to Kassen are familiar with. Usually the mayor and some dignitaries go. But every few years, youth with a particular sense of adventure are given the opportunity—some say to drive the passion for adventure out—to go to the crypt themselves to fetch the everflame. It’s been a few years since the last group went. Most have settled down and are living on farmsteads, or working with the woodcutter’s guild.
Replacement characters could come from many places in this assumption. They could have gone on the quest in years prior. They could have been passed over and be eager for a “second chance” at adventure. Or it could be something else. If you have an idea, bounce it off me and we’ll see.
There were a few npc characters the PCs met briefly that you might want to take over that would also work, most with fairly limited histories/interactions with the characters that will be listed at the end.
Classes:
All of the classes in Player’s Handbook are available. Please consider the existing composition of players as you make your choices.
Most classes translate fairly easily, clerics are the biggest difficulty, because the domain selection is so small. This means that a lot of the distinguishment of your particular faith will need to be in your role playing.
Having grown up in this small community, clerics are likely to come from one of the following faiths—5e domains noted:
Desna: Protection, Light (this is particularly appropriate for Varisian characters)
Erastil: Life, Nature (this is the most commonly worshipped deity for Kassen)
Gozreh: Nature
Gorum: War
Iomedae: Light, War (the local priest is unlikely to be helpful, but there is a paladin from Lastwall who might mentor the character in concert with the local priest)
Shelyn: Life, Protection (yeah, I know, beauty and love get short shrift domain wise in 5e)
Torag: Forge, Protection
Note that the Forge and Protection domains are NOT in the Player’s Handbook. Due to the dearth of domains, I am allowing the Unearthed Arcana article to be used. Remember you choose only one domain from the deity’s portfolio.
If you want to use a different god, give me a good reason that fits the starting conceit.
The adventure conceit assumes that any sorcerers are children of the Vargidan family. The patriarch of that clan has had children with a variety of races, so humans, half-elves, or half-orcs would all be appropriate, but this is important for background. Again, there are no known sorcerer bloodlines in town except the Vargidan line, so you’ll need to explain the outsider status and history in your background if you go that route.
Cast of characters:
For background purposes, I’m detailing major characters in Kassen, as well as those most likely to serve as older friends or mentors of the characters. If you want to create relations or brothers or whatever fits your background, that’s great. The more coherent you fit in the story, the better the role playing will be. Just bear the full descriptions in mind. Father Praast, for instance, is too young to be having kids who you would be interacting with, and Asina Silvers can’t have brothers, given her background. If you have questions, ask.
Cygar Anravis: Cygar is a human stranger who has been staying at the Seven Silvers for months. He’s dark, mysterious, scarred, and an outsider, which makes him in the eyes of most townsfolk untrustworthy.
Sir Dramott: a human paladin from Lastwall, Sir Dramott is a scout for his militaristic country, making sure the orcs of the Hold of Belkzen stay kept in check. As a paladin of Iomedae, he is a logical choice to mentor paladin characters, or clerics who wish to worship the goddess of valor. He is capable and wise, but a bit harsh, and too ready to believe that service at Lastwall is the only valor worthy of high honor.
Jocyn Elmaran: another resident of the Seven Silvers, Jocyn is the town’s entertainment (and to hear him tell it, they need it). He was crippled in a fight with orcs some years past, and makes his living performing in the common room of the tavern. He is a trained bard, and the likely choice to mentor bard characters. He’s a lax teacher, but in the dark hours on those occasions when he gets drunk suggest that he has seen real terror.
Grimscar: A forestry guild worker. He is a good worker, but mean and often rude to the residents of Kassen. He often picks fights, but word has it he can’t hold his liquor. He might be a friend for half-orc characters.
Holgast: a retired wizard, Holgast lives in a tower at the edge of town. He’s knowledgeable but very old and quite forgetful and spends most days puttering around his tower, enjoying a full pipe, a book, and a nap. Rumor has it he is immensely wealthy, having retired after pulling a rather hefty hoard from… something. His lessons, when he remembers to give them, are quite erratic and involve a lot of chores and little learning. Lately, though, he’s forgotten to lock the door where he keeps the apprentice spellbooks, and some of his students have been learning on their own. - NOTE: Holgast is well traveled and has some spells from outside player’s handbook. Wizards may select the frostbite, gust, or thunderclap cantrips, or the first level spell ice knife. These spells can be found in the elemental evil player’s guide.
Jimes “Short Change” Iggins: a waiter at the Seven Silvers, Jimes has a reputation for petty theft and an attitude that it’s all in good fun. He’s well enough liked that the local populace just is careful to count everything twice around him. After all, if they really need it, they know where it is. He remains determined that his nickname simply refers to his size as a halfling, and he makes an excellent mentor for rogue characters.
Braggar Ironhame: A dwarven weaponsmith, Braggar is known for his temper and the quality of his work. He makes a good mentor for dwarven characters, and is one of few devotees of Torag in town. He is also a barbarian, and can mentor characters in channeling their rage.
Guardsman Golfond Kir : A guardsman. He suffered an injury as a child (a horse kicked him in the head) and has been a bit simple since. But he is kind without fault, takes care of an elderly mother, and plays with the local children. He is often the butt of jokes and pranks, but Kir is known to be the most honest man in town.
Arnama Lastrid: In a country known for its rangers, it’s no surprise that Kassen has its own. Arnama is tough, quiet, and teaches mostly by example. An orphan of the wars with Molthune, she believes in a family made by bonds of friendship. She is impatient and has little discipline teaching, but she takes her charges—and she has several at any one time—far afield, and teaches them much just by doing.
Ilimara Oniri: One of few people not from Kassen, Ilimara is Qadiran, and a devotee of the ancient practices or Irori. The path of the monk is a difficult one, and it has yet to help Ilimara find the peace in her heart. She is willing to teach, though those who study with her suspect that she may have turned to devotion out of a darkness within. Beautiful and exotic, she is more than willing to mentor a monk character.
Father Rantal Prasst: The High Priest (really the only priest) of the village, Rantal is familiar with the practices of a half-dozen faiths, though his services are those of Erastil, he will still guide someone who is called to any of the faiths described above, and as such is the most likely mentor for those characters, teaching them priestly devotion, the basics of spell casting, and allowing them space to pray—and even preach. He will still teach the basics of priestly devotion to a budding cleric of Iomedae, but for tenets of faith demands they go to Sir Dramott. Rantal does not like violence, and supposedly gave up a youthful career as a soldier.
Asina Silvers: At only 13, Asina is already doing almost half the work at the Seven Silvers. Her father is expecting her to take over when he retires. As young people in the town, you suspect she other aspirations. She does her work diligently, and if there’s a rumor in town you haven’t heard, Asina is sure to know it.
Trelvar Silvers: The owner of the Seven Silvers public house. He never recovered from losing his wife last year, and that his son didn’t last the winter has shattered him. He puts a lot of pressure on Asina to take over, and the two run an honest business, Jimes’ occasional petty thefts aside.
Olmira Treesong: A druid, Olmira is already an unusual sight, but Olmira looks the part, dressing in grasses and clothes made of plants and bark, and always followed by a retinue of animals. She seems more concerned with her following pack of birds and squirrels, but will teach the secrets of nature to a curious character if one is looking to learn.
Mayor Jonark Uptal: An elected mayor, Jonark has held the position for eleven years. His next election is coming up and he wants to make sure this year’s Quest for the Everflame goes off without a hitch. He doesn’t trust outsiders and has a known tendency to err towards siding with locals over visitors except when there is overwhelming evidence.
Moltus Vargidan: Vargidan blood sings with magic, and the whole clan has sorcerous blood. To make sure it’s spread as far as possible, Moltus has almost a dozen children, each from a different wife, and most of the family comes to their sorcerous power without much guidance from the aloof and wealthy patriarch. Moltus is an eccentric character, with white hair past his waist.
Colbin Vetnar: The guildmaster of the woodcutter’s guild. Colbin is interested in money, and makes little secret of it. While there are other contenders for power in town (both Holgast and Vardigan are wealthy enough to confront him, and Father Prasst has enough social influence), Colbin controls much of the economic future of Kassen, and has maintained his power.
Guard Captain Gregor Wisslo: While Kassen is far from the horrors of the seemingly endless conflict with Moltune, orcs from Belzken are still a threat. Gregor is disciplined and regimented, but not very intuitive. Nonetheless, he is a capable, if demanding, mentor for fighter characters.
Zandre Vargidan: A beautiful young man whose elven heritage shows in his skin, Zandre is only twenty-two and inherited none of his father’s magic blood. His father took this as clear proof that his wife had cheated, beat her near to death, and set her out. Because Zandre was almost of age, the town demanded he be allowed to participate in the Quest for the Everflame ritual, the last time youth were sent on it. Tales tell that arcane might came to the young man, but he never speaks of it, even though his father reluctantly let him back into the Vargidan compound. He blames his father for the loss of his mother (he briefly went searching to no avail), and keeps to himself. Zandre is a warlock. The road of a warlock is solitary one, but he might act as a friend and counselor to someone who forged a pact of their own.
There are a few NPCs that the characters interacted with during their time in Kassen who they could potentially take over. By chance most of these are heavily weighted towards arcane, I think because our lost player Rankev was so involved in the role playing at the start. Note that some of these are younger than standard starting age characters (Hansyn, Asina).
The most obvious is Zandre Vargidan (male half-elven warlock). Part of the Vargidan family, he’s practically an exile within the family itself, as his father does not respect those who gain power from pacts. While he didn’t share the most recent trip to the Crypt of Everflame, he did go four years ago, and while there was no undead invasion that time, something did go wrong, and someone nearly died. Rumor has it that Zandre came to power saving one of the others on that trip, and it was the closest anyone had come to dying on the quest in decades.
Hansyn Vargidan is a human thirteen year old boy in the sorcerous clan of the Vargidan family who lately has taken to proto-ranger messenger boy duties out of love of the head of the rangers, Arnama. He might very well sneak into an adventure as an attempt to be worthy of her. Growing up around so much magic, maybe he’s seeking this outside belonging because he doesn’t have the sorcerous spark. I can see Hansyn as an arcane trickster rogue. He has inherited all the family haughtiness, and has no humility.
Luthos Vargidan is the favorite of the Vargidan clan… by his father. A half-orc child of a orc witch with whom his father shared much affection, Luthos hates the orcish roots of his youth, and sees his father as the savior who took him away from the bloodshed and brutality of orcish life. At fourteen, Luthos has been fully mature for two years, and has struggled as those his own age are mostly human and half-elven and still very much children. His tastes run mainly towards men, a secret he carefully keeps for fear of his father’s prejudices. He is cultured and refined and has a taste for fine Taldane suits. As the favorite of the Vargidan clan, Luthos is certainly a sorcerer.
Gimble is one of Renet the Smith’s apprentices. A human male who has been ruled by his hormones, he might make a reasonable cleric, a paladin who struggles with being pure, or any number of martial choices—or a very non-standard choice for a lot of other things.
Turik is one of the smartest boys in the village. A human male apprentice to the wizard Holgast, he’s described as: a squirrely looking youth with large round glasses that made his eyes look huge and a shock of bowl cut, stark black hair that went in ten directions at once. He has a frightening memory and a talent for counting cards. Wizard is the obvious choice, but this is another one that might go arcane trickster rogue.
Asina (human female) is the daughter of the town tavern and barkeep owner. She’s had a sad life, recently losing both her mother and infant brother. She dreams of being swept away and taken from life in Kassen, as she feels overburdened with the responsibilities placed on her by her father, who expects her to take over since there will be no son to take the role. We don’t have an ethnic background for her, but if her mother was Varisian, maybe she’s quietly a practitioner of Desna as a cleric? There are some possibilities, though this is another character that would only be thirteen.
Yvette is a human female guardsman of Kassen. She could be studying to be a paladin, or have some other role. She was romantically entangled with Rankev, and Gimble is quite put out that she chose to go home with the haughty sorcerer instead of him.
Anyone else. Just give me a good character, these are just the ones that actually appeared in the story so far that have some good potential for a player to pick up and run with.
For obvious reasons, some arcane ability is particularly desirable, since the party lost its sorcerer.
Game play:
I do my best to keep things moving, which means I’ll be doing some rolling for the players, especially initiative to get combat going quickly. If I forget a bonus or mess up (it happens), let me know and I’ll do what I can to fix it as long as the notice is timely.
Small encounters may not have a map at all. Large ones usually will. Maps slow things down, sometimes a lot. If I think having the map will slow you down more than not, I’ll skip the map.
The plan is to see how things work with using Roll20 to share maps for encounters requiring them.
Obviously the hope is to have everyone roleplay and enhance the story that way. I know it doesn’t always work, which is why I’m starting with a relatively short adventure.
Be familiar with the play by post guides in the forums—there are two excellent ones stickied in the online games general discussion forum. They give a lot of good guidance like: Elect a leader or the first two people to agree will drive the story, make sure to use , don’t assume other character actions, and leave hooks and pushes for the characters. Try this one to start.
The expectation is a post every day (I know weekends are tough and I’ll make allowances) and if you’re going to be gone or unable to post, let folks know. No one can do that all the time—not even me. So just keep everyone informed. Even if it’s just
Remember that your backstory only matters to you and me (as the GM) unless you develop a roleplay connection with other characters that helps make it matter to them too—you get out of PbP what you give. Complement folks out of character when you see great role playing. If it’s really great role playing, don’t forget, if you’ve earned inspiration, you can give another character your inspiration (and give up yours) to reward them, even if it doesn’t match up to their traits/flaws.
This is a mature game. That means if you want to seduce the bandit, we can roleplay that and fade to black when appropriate. It also means you don’t need to feel too shy about describing how entrails drip out of the monster if I tell you that you critted and ask you to describe how you eviscerated the beast. But keep it reasonable. We’re on public boards, that means risque is a line that needs to not get too close to explicit. Remember you have other players too, who want the game to progress—while adult situations are all well and good, it should be something that develops the character, contributes to the game, and keeps things moving.
Recruitment is open until the party is full. If that has not happened within a reasonable period, I will reassess the game.
Would you allow an Aasimar warlock with celestial patron?
The first and obvious question people may have is "what is your game like." So I think the easiest way to answer, since this will be the second adventure of a trilogy, is to point you to the Crypt of the Everflame 5e conversion Gameplay Thread.
Party composition is a difficult thing. There are a lot of things you can balance out with non-standard compositions, as this party has with the lack of a classic "rogue" or "cleric" and I'm open to seeing what the possibilities are since they now have three primary roles that aren't, strictly speaking, filled, with "wizard" now also vacant.
Would you allow an Aasimar warlock with celestial patron?
I'd need to know which source you're using for Aasimar. There are multiple possible sources and they differ.
I'm fine with the celestial warlock for class.
http://engl393-dnd5th.wikia.com/wiki/Warlock
http://engl393-dnd5th.wikia.com/wiki/D%26D_5E_Adventure_League_Playable_Rac es
Right here :)
Will go protector aasimar. Sadly I get light cantrip from two sources (race and class) but the fluff fits well so that isn’t a real issue.
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Will get character made and background. This will be fun! Ranged dps and party healing
Str (12) Dex (14) Con (12) Int (10) Wis (12) Cha (18)
So...one good stat. The rest very mediocre. Looks like he will certainly be in the back.
Also figure between healing hands (racial), healing light (class) and spells, I should have some decent healing.
For the background, don't forget to consider how you fit into Kassen. The Vargidan clan, a powerful family with sorcery in their veins, hates warlocks, and no one really knows why... indeed their hatred was under the surface until the prodigal son and presumptive heir, Zandre, returned from the crypt ritual four years ago as a warlock.
Perhaps your character is the reason the Vargidan clan hates warlocks so much, or perhaps you've avoided town because of it.
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
Stat bonuses are much less important in 5e, except for your primary stat, so you aren't hurting that badly. your spell save DC is going to be 14 and your spell attack bonus +6, that's not bad.
If you're concerned about combat survival, you're starting at third, which means two invocations. There are two that are good defensive ones - Armor of Shadows (would functionally give you an AC of 13 + dex most of the time) and Fiendish Vigor (at will ability to spend an action to cast false life. That's temporary hit points any time you want them to act as a buffer). You'd probably want to recast them as celestialized versions for RP purposes, but either one would help balance out the weaker scores. I'd usually go with fiendish vigor, since armor of shadows only improves the available studded leather by 1 point, but there are certainly valid rp reasons to go with armor of shadows instead. (and of course there are other incredible invocations for combat attack wise that you may prefer)
Yeah...agonizing blast (Cha to damage) and Armor of Shadows (AC15) should suffice.
Between the two I’ll be at +6 To Hit with 1d10+4.
Though he does have great Rogue stats. :p
Dex18 Con14...
Look forward to seeing the character sheet and history.
I've been thinking about a half-elf wizard lately, I'll see if I can rework the story into the budding teen concept.
Grumbaki here. Profile being made and crunch being written
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@ Gm, how would you handle it if I wanted to pay Asina as a sorcerer? The concept is interesting me. I was thinking that maybe she could have kept her powers a secret for a bit (since they may have developed around the age of 11?) Or she just discovered them recently. was thinking maybe the wildmagic bloodline, could have been anything that sparked it. I'd figure it would be fun to have her roll on the chart whenever she casts a spell since she would have very little control over the magic at the moment.
Colbin Vetnar: The guildmaster of the woodcutter’s guild. Colbin is interested in money, and makes little secret of it. While there are other contenders for power in town (both Holgast and Vardigan are wealthy enough to confront him, and Father Prasst has enough social influence), Colbin controls much of the economic future of Kassen, and has maintained his power.
Lodric’s family works for Vetnar’s Woodcutters guild. They are responsible for shipping lumber out of town for sale. This is, as one would imagine, a prestigious and important position in such a small town. Aegil has performed his duties all his life, and takes them so seriously that he barely skims off the top. He has always expected Lodric to follow in his footsteps.
The problem is that Lodric is...different. He has heard voices since an early age, and has the ability to naturally work magic. His father took to this is surprise and fear, for what if word got out? His son healing the sick and throwing bolts of light around? Why, it would attract attention! He forbade it. Not that it really mattered. For Lodric’s attention never seemed to be on lumber, or making money. Rather it was “doing good deeds” and nonsense like “making the world a better place.” Rubbish that would bankrupt the most honest of businessmen!
Aegil’s prayers were answered though, when his wife had a second son. One without daft voices or worthless distractions like glowing wings or whatnot. Now, secure in his family’s future once more, Aegil has given his eldest son a letter of introduction, and has allowed him to go to the coming of age ceremony. Which will hopefully make him mature enough to continue the family business, or which will get him to wander off and be someone else’s problem.
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I will have to come up with something fun.
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I see we have several vying there are several Arcane casters I was thinking of Turik's place. But with an wizard and a sorcerer in the mix I might go with a Life cleric of Erastil.
Lots of activity. I like to see that, but it also makes me sad, because you know I can't take all of you.
So, as I noted, we're only looking to fill 1-2 slots. I'm certainly fine with going with two rather than one, especially with a wealth of interested players.
BUT, I think one is pretty solidly filled by Grumbaki (Lodric Aegilson) who responded first and has finished his character sheet, character concept, and wrapped in the setting fairly well with his character history.
That does mean there is still a slot to be filled.
I'm counting two people who have stats rolled (Gnomezrule and mishima), and two with voiced ideas, both based around Asina (rorek55 and LazyFisherman).
So, to address some of the questions:
LazyFisherman: your background for Asina being a thief would need to be compelling. She's been staying at the Seven Silvers out of a sense of duty, out of NOT wanting to hurt her father. I struggle with the idea that she'd be contributing to the theft there (even though they turn a blind eye the Jimes theft, his thieving habits are an open secret in town. Serious theft would be noticed). That's not a no... it's a note that you'd want to really seriously think about that character concept. You could turn it on its head and make Asina a mastermind rogue and have Jimes working for her, for instance.
rorek55: Asina as a sorceress is a tough sell also. Though she is very young, and Masks of the Living God does take the characters out of Kassen... she could conceivably stow away as a way to escape the Vargidan clan, who would surely do something terrible if someone tried to usurp their near monopoly on sorcery in town.
Gnomezrule: A cleric is certainly a possibility, either as one of the NPCs (I could see Gimble going that route) or as a totally new character.
Mishima: half-elf wizard is fine. The only real wizard in town to have trained you would be Holgast, but that might allow you to write in some interactions with Turik, who is the only apprentice we've seen in the adventures.
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With Grumbaki already putting forward a complete character concept and history, and a record of successful play in PbP games, I think it's fair to award him one of the two slots for Lodric Aegilson. In addition to working in the history, he's also gone for an arcane caster that neatly fills missing roles... healing and arcane power.
So there is one slot left.
I have four potential players. I will not blame anyone for not wanting to put in the time to create a character they may not get to play, but I look forward to seeing whatever those of you who choose to put forward an option present.
I wish I could take more players, but a party of seven gets really unwieldy fast. I hope some of you are still willing to submit possible characters. I look forward to taking a look, and I know my existing players are looking forward to some role play interactions as the current adventure wraps up.
Thank you. :)
Look forward to writing this story with you.
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well, I'm going to still go forward with my sorceress idea. Even knowing that I'm less likely to be picked as another arcane caster has been selected already.
Asina is the daughter of the town tavern and barkeep owner. She’s had a sad life, recently losing both her mother and infant brother. She dreams of being swept away and taken from life in Kassen, as she feels overburdened with the responsibilities placed on her by her father, who expects her to take over since there will be no son to take the role. Due to the hardships she has suffered, and the responsibilities she has had to take on she is mentally older than most other girls of her age, however, she still has the whimsy and optimism of a young girl. She was theatrical, and greatly enjoyed singing and even performing for the tavern goers when her work allowed. She had almost resigned herself to a life as a tavern keep. It wasn't so bad,sometimes even fun when enough people were around. However, something happened this past year, and one day when she was extremely frustrated she inadvertently access her magical abilities, after the spell took its course, there was a tingling sensation all over her skin, and what felt like a rush of air as chaotic forces of energy swirled around her. She found herself unable to speak, instead, only producing large amounts of pink bubbles when she attempted. Instead of being scared, she felt calm and laughed at the sight, only leading to more bubbles. She would spend the afternoons of the next few months of her 13th year stealing away to the woods to attempt to tap into her new found magic. Eventually, after knowing she could control at least some of her new magic she started using minor things to help her during her daily chores when no one was looking. Now, as the next time for a group to adventure out of the town draws closer Asina can't wait to tag along. Excited and eager to see at least some of the world. And to, at least for a time, get away from her mundane responsibilities.
@GM, I wanted to talk to you about ways she may have gotten her wild magic. I had a few ideas.
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One, she spent a lot of time around Hansyen and the Vardigian clan, and some type of magical backlash or a powerful spell may have unlocked something.
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second, She just got lucky, she had been born with it and it merely awakened once she got old enough. This could be added with the first idea in the way that a spells energy awoke this magical ability, it could also help explain why she was always energetic.
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third, She was blessed by a fey she met in the woods when she was younger, possibly after running out of town due to her mothers death.
I want your opinion on this before I finalize -how- she has her magical abilities. She also would have just started making use of them, so likely would still be completely unknown to the Vardigian clan.
As I said, I'm going to go wild magic sorceress, and I'd be fine with having to roll for wild magic on every cast above 0th level spells, or another cool thematic I had was I could roll for the wild magic every time I cast a spell using the highest spell level I can cast. Too show that she hasn't quite mastered the more powerful spells, (or in her case, mastered how to channel that much raw magical energy properly)
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I would love to play Hansyn as a young confident arcane trickster or Asina as a Cleric of Desna with a love of life and freedom. Both would prove interesting to play as young adults discovering themselves and the world around them. I think i have a slight preference for Hansyn though.
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 14
Human Variant
Feat - Observant, Skill - Arcana
Background - Eye for Detail (custom)
Skills - Perception, Nature
Tools - Cooking Utensils, Forgery Kit
An eye for detail makes it easier to learn and remember small details.
Personality Traits - Curious, loves a good mystery or puzzle.
Stubborn, When I set my mind to something, I follow through no
matter what gets in my way.
Ideal - Independence. I am a free spirit—no one tells me what to do
Bond - Wants to earn the attention and respect of Arnama the Ranger
Flaw - Over confident, gets him into trouble sometimes.
Hansyn has spent most of his youth without any magical talent. His family often pointed it out in friendly jests but it dug deep at the boy that he was unlike the rest of his family and had no magical talent. Just being around his family though he has picked up knowledge and has started with the help of Holgast he has forged his own path and began to learn magic through sheer will and not innate talent. Only recently, has he been able to produce much more than a spark from his hands.
He has recently also been trying to gain the favor of Arnama the ranger. Running messages and other odd jobs for her. He want's to really impress her though and needs a good opportunity to do so.
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Also @Gm I was thinking about giving Asina the entertainer background. I could flavor her as looking up to your groups bard. I had the thought when I was making the crunch for her. Her mother gave her a string instrument, and she always enjoyed singing, as a way to entertain the tavern quests. She liked doing it a lot of reasons, one of which was she didn't have to do other work while she was singing. Just looking for ways to integrate her into the party. Here is a rough Idea for her crunch.
Asina level 3 Human(variant) Wild Magic Sorcerer
Str: 08
Dex: 14
Con: 12
Int: 10
Wis: 10
Cha: 16
HP: 17
AC: 12
Saves:
Str: -1
Dex: +2
Con: +3
Int: +0
Wis: +0
Cha: +5
Feats: Spell Sniper
Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance, Persuasion, Deception, Sleight of hand (human)
Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, String Instrument (gift from her mother)
Equipment: Arcane focus, spell pouch, incomplete
Spells known:
0th level: Eldritch Blast, Dancing lights, Prestidigitation, Minor Illusion, Mage Hand
1st level: (4/day) Magic Missile, Silent Image, Chromatic Orb
2nd level: (2/day) Mirror Image, Misty Step
Background: Entertainer
Personality Traits:
Nobody stays angry at me or around me for long, since I can defuse any amount of tension.
I change my mood or my mind as quickly as I change key in a song.
Ideal: People and Beauty
I like seeing the smiles on people’s faces when I perform. That’s all that matters
When I perform, I make the world better than it was…
Flaw: I have trouble keeping my true feelings hidden
I think I'll drop out of the running, but not out of the lurking. ;)
I'll take a look at these tonight when I get home from work tonight. Glad to see some folks still interested.
well, I'm going to still go forward with my sorceress idea. Even knowing that I'm less likely to be picked as another arcane caster has been selected already.
** spoiler omitted **...
There are plenty of options for her to have manifested wild magic. Consider reading the druid Venssa's history... perhaps the manifestation is tied to the menhir near Venssa's burrow... While it's established that Venssa and Asina only met at the Seven Silvers at the beginning of the quest, there could be a quiet adversarial relationship where Venssa somehow knows that Asina tapped into a magic that should have been left alone.
I think I'll drop out of the running, but not out of the lurking. ;)
One of my characters spoke very highly of your play style, but I certainly understand. One slot with now five people vying for it doesn't give great odds. Lurk away. I hope you enjoy the adventure.
** spoiler omitted **
I would love to play Hansyn as a young confident arcane trickster or Asina as a Cleric of Desna with a love of life and freedom. Both would prove interesting to play as young adults discovering themselves and the world around them. I think i have a slight preference for Hansyn though.
** spoiler omitted **
This is nice. I might consider whether Hansyn is likely to go to Holgast directly, or somehow twist the apprentices like Turik into helping him. Both approaches have merit and both would say something different about the character. Going to Holgast directly might be seen as defiance (it's certainly true that Moltus Vargidan considers their sorcery to be a sort of divine right, and would look down on wizardry too, though not as badly as he does on taking a pact for power). Going to the apprentices is less bold, but might be a show of power for a thirteen year old, being able to trick or manipulate brainy older teens like Turik.
Think about it. Other than that one bit of history, this looks good. Hansyn appears only briefly in the original adventure thread, but he does encounter Finlogan and Cole (the fighter and the ranger) while they are on patrol early on.
Also @Gm I was thinking about giving Asina the entertainer background. I could flavor her as looking up to your groups bard. I had the thought when I was making the crunch for her. Her mother gave her a string instrument, and she always enjoyed singing, as a way to entertain the tavern quests. She liked doing it a lot of reasons, one of which was she didn't have to do other work while she was singing. Just looking for ways to integrate her into the party. Here is a rough Idea for her crunch.
** spoiler omitted **
I think entertainer would fit. She's been established to be the town gossip, and gossip is a form of storytelling. Whether this is an attempt to mimic Aldelenna or not, it's certainly a form of entertainment for her.
I’d love to take a crack at it too :)
——————
Setting up the candles, organizing the cutlery and cleaning the windows.
Off to the market, buying the necessaries and carrying it all back before starting getting the kitchen ready for service.Gathering firewood, firing up the hearth. Sweeping the floor.
Going up to wake up dad and remind him it’s time to open soon.
Opening the Seven Silvers, (usually paired with serving Old man McGee a dark ale and listening to his same old stories again). After which she’d find an excuse to do something in the kitchen.
Going up again, throwing dad his apron to his face or telling him the bar was unmanned now. (This was often the thing that had him come down and start work).
She’d do their laundry and clean up their home above the bar. Usually she’d find time to take a nap now, just before she’d be called down to help with the evening rush.
Life was not easy on Asina. She’d picked up the slack after her mother passed, trying to fill that role. Doing the things she used to see her mother do made her feel connected to her in some way, but she soon found out that there was no time left for her own interests. Her hours had her up to eleven and sometimes even past midnight, so her lectures were the first thing she skipped, much to the dismay of Father Prasst. There was definetly no time to run around with her friends like she had before.
Instead, now she listened to her friends’ fathers complain about their lives, spilling their drinks as they slurred into their cups.
At first it had been sort of exciting, this adult world that she’d been deemed too young for before. But the routines soon became all too familiar and the dreariness off it all set in.
Asina started wondering things. She started wondering if it was always going to be like this.. if it was her lot in life to marry one of these sorry villagers that would escape his life with her to drink at the bar.
The thing that kept her up at night though: was wondering if her mother had the same...
This background has some potential. And I can see the thought behind overlooking Jimes more obvious thieving because the halfling makes Asina happy.
Okay. I've responded to all the proposed backgrounds in the thread and the questions they included.
At this point there are four possible candidates.
Gnomezrule - rolled up stats but hasn't posted since.
Rorek55 - Asina as a wild-magic sorcerer.
LazyFisherman - Asina as a rogue.
Greycastle - Hansyn as an arcane trickster rogue.
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It looks like Mishima has dropped out of consideration.
Since Gnomezrule was an early poster, I'm going to wait till tomorrow to see if he contributes anything or contacts us to let us know his plans.
At that time, I'll look at what's been submitted and anything additional you have to add to what you've already posted on background, etc. And I'll make my decision on which character to accept.
I think it makes sense, other than any submission from Gnomezrule and clarifications on existing submissions by the other folks listed above, to close new submissions for the remaining slot. I'll make a decision from the three listed (four if Gnomezrule submits something).
I think all three of the character ideas submitted so far have some potential. It's not going to be the easiest choice in the world.
Thanks, sorry to be so fickle but I didn't feel like I could come up with something in a short time. I didn't immediately realize it was moving forward so fast. Plus I have had a few teen characters not pan out, I was a little wary.
Since you mentioned someone spoke well of me, let just return the favor...I've gamed with Daniel, Greycastle, Gnomez, and Grum and they are all incredible (definitely better than me as a player, so there's another reason for me to step out).
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Okay, here is the consolidated and for all purposes finished character for Asina.
Asina is the 13 year old daughter of the town tavern and barkeep owner. She’s had a sad life, recently losing both her mother and infant brother. She dreams of being swept away and taken from life in Kassen, as she feels overburdened with the responsibilities placed on her by her father, who expects her to take over since there will be no son to take the role. Due to the hardships she has suffered, and the responsibilities she has had to take on she is mentally older than most other girls of her age, however, she still has the whimsy and optimism of a young girl. She is theatrical, and greatly enjoys singing and even performing for the tavern goers when her work allowed and always enjoyed hearing about the gossip and rumors going on around town. Often times wanting to sing along with Adelenna, and picking up a fair bit from her subconsciously. It provided her with a little entertainment while she was performing her more mundane chores and learning all the responsibilities she would have to handle eventually. She had almost resigned herself to a life as a tavern keep. It wasn't so bad, sometimes even fun, when enough people were around.
However, something happened this past year, when her mother died. Asina fled to the woods where something within her would awaken. She wandered about the forest, crying and sniffling along the way when, finally exhausted she collapsed. Unknown to Asina however, she was near a Menhir, A place saturated with strange and powerful magic, and due to a small innate power in her own blood, and her extreme emotional level she inadvertently managed to tap into the local lines of this magic, the potent magic in the area forever leaving a mark on Asina and sparking her magical abilities the shock of this would knock Asina unconscious. This accessing caused a ripple those sensitive the ley lines of this strange magic could sense. She would awaken that night, near midnight. Alone, she grew frightened that she would not be able to find her way back. The lush canopy blocking out almost all of the moonlight however, when she was just about to give up and start crying, wishing for nothing but a light to light her way. Asina would feel a small surge of energy, something she had never felt before, but at the same time seemed extremely familiar to her, and several ghostly balls of light appeared around her. After the spell took its course, there was a tingling sensation all over her skin, and what felt like a rush of air as chaotic forces of energy swirled around her. She found herself unable to speak, instead, only producing large amounts of glowing pink bubbles when she attempted. Now, instead of being scared, she felt calm and laughed at the sight, only leading to more bubbles. The bubbles only lasted for a minute or two and helped calm her fear. She would manage to use the lights she created to find her way back to town before they faded away. Never noticing the watchful eyes of Olmira Treesong and her vanguard of animals watching and following her the entire time.
She would spend most of the afternoons of the next few months of her 13th year stealing away to the woods to attempt to tap into her new-found magic. Magic, she had decided, that was a final gift from her mother. Eventually, after knowing she could control at least some of her new magic she started using minor things to help her during her daily chores when no one was looking, such as magically folding towels or magically cleaning the dishes. The only other real chance was that Olmira would come to the tavern every now and then. Now, as the next time for a group to adventure out of the town draws closer Asina can't wait to tag along. Excited and eager to see at least some of the world and she wasn’t going to let anyone or anything stop her. To, at least for a time, get away from her mundane responsibilities her father has forced onto her. Just a bit of adventure and some thrill. Just a little taste of life outside the small town and tavern. Then she would be fine with keeping the tavern. At least, that is what she tells herself.
Asina level 3 Human(variant) Wild Magic Sorcerer
Str: 08
Dex: 14
Con: 12
Int: 10
Wis: 10
Cha: 16
HP: 17
AC: 12
Saves:
Str: -1
Dex: +2
Con: +3
Int: +0
Wis: +0
Cha: +5
Prof. bonus: +2
Feats: Spell Sniper
Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance, Persuasion, Deception, Sleight of hand (human)
Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, String Instrument (gift from her mother)
Equipment: Arcane focus, spell pouch, incomplete
Spells known:
0th level: Eldritch Blast, Dancing lights, Prestidigitation, Minor Illusion, Mage Hand
1st level: (4/day) Magic Missile, Silent Image, Chromatic Orb(or Comprehend languages)
2nd level: (2/day) Mirror Image, Misty Step
Background: Entertainer
Personality Traits:
Nobody stays angry at me or around me for long, since I can defuse any amount of tension.
I change my mood or my mind as quickly as I change key in a song.
Ideal: People and Beauty
I like seeing the smiles on people’s faces when I perform. That’s all that matters
When I perform, I make the world better than it was…
Flaw: I have trouble keeping my true feelings hidden
This is nice. I might consider whether Hansyn is likely to go to Holgast directly, or somehow twist the apprentices like Turik into helping him. Both approaches have merit and both would say something different about the character. Going to Holgast directly might be seen as defiance (it's certainly true that Moltus Vargidan considers their sorcery to be a sort of divine right, and would look down on wizardry too, though not as badly as he does on taking a pact for power). Going to the apprentices is less bold, but might be a show of power for a thirteen year old, being able to trick or manipulate brainy older teens like Turik.
Think about it. Other than that one bit of history, this looks good. Hansyn appears only briefly in the original adventure thread, but he does encounter Finlogan and Cole (the fighter and the ranger) while they are on patrol early on.
Twisting the wizard’s apprentice does add a bit of a deviousness to him that I had not considered, I like it. As for the rebellion against his father, between his age and cocky attitude he doesn’t think his pops will figure it out. Ahh the ignorance of children lol.
@Mishina Thanks for the good word! My posting record on these forums isn’t nearly as stellar as some of these other veterans. For a while now I’ve been only playing 5e games and my options for games are limited here. I need all the backup I can get.
I've been waylaid by a stomach bug. I managed my PbP update, but I'm going to hold off reviewing here because I don't want to do it when I'm feeling sick. That's not fair to whoever I'm reading when things get nasty.
So Gnomezrule still has some time to post (though it's looking like he won't) and LazyFisherman to post anything additional that they wanted to post.
I'm really excited by these character ideas, and I do want to get you a decision promptly, I just want to make it when I can think clearly. Some orcish fiend has fed me something that was not entirely dead, I think. Hopefully a night of plaintive wailing to the porcelain god will alleviate my discomfort and I'll be able to review with fresh eyes in the morning.
No rush, take your time to make the right call for the game and party. Feel better sooner rather than later.
I've taken some time to review what everyone has posted.
Of the choices, Greycastle's rendition of Hansyn is my choice as the best fit for the existing party. Greycastle, if you are still interested, please let me know and feel free to join the discussion in the current Crypt of the Everflame campaign. That adventure is, I'd guess, about a week (certainly no more than two), from wrapping up, and there will be some opportunities for the new folks to join in as the party returns to Kassen.
Rorik55: Unless something untoward happens and Greycastle is unable to join us with Hansyn, I'm afraid this is the end of Asina the wild sorceress's journey for the time being. I was impressed by the character background and your willingness to weave in elements of the story, but ultimately Greycastle's character concept simply fit better into the mix of classes and characters the party already had.
LazyFisherman: Your concept for Asina was interesting. You made a compelling case for a 13 year old girl as a rogue. Ultimately, the lack of any crunch, a too sparse posting history, and a worry that the character was concept-wise too close to Aldelenna caused me to set yours aside. I hope you will join in the robust forum community, and perhaps the next time I post a PbP will be your time.
Thank you for the invite. I look forward to joining. I’ll get an alias made up.
As Greycastle has accepted the invite, recruitment is currently CLOSED for the Masks of the Living God 5e conversion campaign.
This adventure is part two of a three part arc. The original party is currently wrapping up part one of the story, Crypt of the Everflame.
Players are encouraged to check in at the discussion forum for that adventure, as there will be a few opportunities in the coming week or so to ease into the adventure as part of the celebration as those characters return from their quest.
It may also be useful to do some establishment RP around Hansyn and Lodric as the other players are wrapping up. I will setup the discussion and gameplay forums here in the next day or so to facilitate that.
Congrats again to Grumbaki and Greycastle. I look forward to gaming with you!
Thanks for holding out for me for awhile. This week got a little crazy for me. I was on the fence about hopping into another game but I knew some of the other players and wanted to give it a go. However rolling up a new healer was slow going for me.
I think the ones you picked look cool. Also thank you to those who put in good words. Congrats to those who made it.