A recruitment thread for a replacement player (Inactive)

Game Master Birch33

As a player, it has historically taken me a while to get into character in PbP as I need to think through motive, character and personality beyond the two or three bullet-points I had in mind initially. A recent experience meant I already knew what my character would say in any given situation. Sure she'll change - I expect her to have a story-arc through the levels - but circumstance will alter her, not me changing my mind about her personality. And the GM knows who she is too – and can plan accordingly.

I can understand if you think the following process seems a little detailed and long-winded but it's not supposed to be scary. Instead it is my way of letting you know what sort of game you will be getting into – and I’m hoping that players who get what I’m trying to achieve here won’t be put off. What I hope comes across is my love of fluff and aversion to crunch. If you desire a rules-heavy GM, I'm not your guy. I want to tell a story first and foremost. I also like a fast-paced game with lots of posts and banter.

Example: I'm flexible about the use of skills. In a game I’ve played in, the GM says only knowledge arcana can yield any information about the creature we've seen. If I were the GM, I'd be looser. Perhaps the character came across one in a dungeon crawl one day? Get a good roll and it can be the case. Or perhaps this area is plagued with them? Knowledge local then. You see I don't ignore the dice but I don't let them rule the game. That doesn’t make me right and the other GM wrong by the way – we’re just different. Which is my way of saying, if you like crunch-based/rules focused role-playing, I’m going to disappoint you.

I’ll let the link above answer that one – but in summary we’ve started the second leg of a three adventure campaign. The characters are at third-level and the rules for crunch are in the original thread.

I'm a story driven GM and will always ensure that the fluff of a character is what drives me to recruit them. And, in my experience, a lack of effort in recruitment leads to a lack of effort in the game.

So where’s the crunch? I’ve pointed out the link to the stat rules before you commit any time to the process but I don’t want to see any stats yet. Once I agree to a character, then we can look at the crunch. And you’ll need to know some of the mechanics rules before you can work on your character.

Character Build:

My only variation to the original crunch rules are:
- Races – Core Rulebook only
- Classes – Core Rulebook, Advanced Player’s Guide only n.b. archetypes are allowed

So what do I want?

I’ll start with don’ts

Don’t:
- Create a character that would strike me as purposefully min/maxed - it will likely get passed over
- Offer me ‘one you’ve prepared earlier’ and could tweak if selected – indulge me enough to think that this game deserves a character in its own right – not a reject from another game

And now what you should do:

Do:
- Provide a physical description
- Describe the character’s personality
- Describe the character’s background
- Tell me why you’re in a bar called Gar’s Last Meal – in Tamran
- Spend time telling me about your character’s back-story – why do you have those skills and languages and why are you that class
- Tell me about your character's overarching aim in life. This will help with selecting appropriate encounters (or treasure). You may not want other players knowing what it is – so you can PM me if you wish. An overarching aim is to be knighted, marry a handsome prince , create the ultimate spell-book or discover the Sword of Gryffindor – rather than to simply get rich or be a specific advanced class. Basically, what plot hook would have you forget any common sense and rush out to fight a dragon single-handed?

I would expect at least a daily input but the pace of the group is key. If the majority of the players are posting more regularly, it can be really frustrating to have to wait 24 hours to continue - especially in combat. And posts in combat don't have to be verbose. A few lines will do if that's all that's needed.

I do prefer longer posts in general (but don’t hog all of the limelight).

Applications:

So, you've made it this far down the post, and I presume you're still interested. My aim is to close applications when I have the right player. Recruitment will most likely stay open for a week and I’ll give 48 hours notice when I think I’m close to finalising the player.

In my experience, people who create outstanding applications don't always post frequently or well. How often you post here and elsewhere (I will have a look to see what is your style and frequency) will have a bearing on my final decision.

It is therefore useful to let me know if you are an existing player on the boards, and which alias best reflects your playing style.

Now, what do I need on this thread? Dotting for interest is OK. Otherwise please use the Discussion thread for questions (the ability to follow directions is another factor in selection!). Post here with your character concept.

If you want to ask questions of the other players on the game’s discussion thread, I’m OK with that too.

Despite the constancy having a stable home provided, adolescent Talarin was often mistreated by other workers in the warehouse for the favor she garnered just for being the owners' daughter. Talarin didn't feel like she garnered special treatment and suffered the verbal abuse with a decent amount of restraint, remaining stoic and cold in front of her accusers, but the truth was their words hurt her deeply. She learned to hide her feelings behind honeyed words and wry jokes, but the years of mistreatment hardened her on the inside and left her mistrustful and guarded. To deal with the hurt, Talarin took to finding solace in music, and has developed a fondness for the flute. She is especially fond of playing lilting, somber tunes in the darkening twilight and the virgin hours after dusk. For some reason, she's always felt comfortable and safe in the cool embrace of the early night.

Though her family knew increasing success with their merchant enterprises, it was, sadly, not to last. Swindled, harrassed, and in the end extorted to the breaking point by Razmirans, the Durand Mercantile Caravan eventually succumbed and broke beneath a glut of debt and a sullied reputation. In the years since, Talarin's been mostly on her own, narrowly making ends meet by working for other passing caravans or running inventory for local tradesmen. She's constantly thinking of the kinder days her family knew years before, and spends what free coin she's able to earn at Gar's Last Meal. It's certainly not the place she'd prefer to find her drink, but it is where she can afford it.

Appearance/Personality/Mannerisms:
Talarin is charming, lithe young woman in her early twenties with dark red hair, a button nose which she unknowingly crinkles when amused, and a fair complexion. Her hands are calloused and her clothes worn and patched in several spots, clear evidence of her familiarity with manual labor. Her small frame hasn't ever lent much to her being particularly strong, but her constant work and labor has left her both fit, quick, and balanced on her feet.

Talarin, or "Rain" as she now prefers, is not a particularly trusting sort despite her apparent charm. She learned long ago from her parents that people always look out for themselves above all else, and that no one would be unwilling to cheat her if they thought they'd get away with it. Further ill treatment during her adolescence from her co-workers reinforced this idea for her, and Rain is now a cynical adult who's become rather adept at hiding her cynicism behind a pretty smile or a clever joke. She uses humor to keep people at an emotional distance, but despite her jaded experiences she still harbors a good heart beneath it all, especially for the downtrodden and disenfranchised.

Rain has picked up a few languages in her family's travels ("Always pays to know what people say about you when they think you don't understand a word off o' their forked tongues," her father used to always say). Most of what she's learned has been in the interest of brokering deals and are the prominent languages in the region, but when she was younger, Brethenwiddle Smith, a white haired, bespectacled halfling with a warm laugh and shining eyes, taught her his native tongue during their travels. Brethenwiddle was a teamster her parents hired who stayed with the company for nearly a decade before he passed away. In addition to the finer nuances of halfling maladictions, it was Brethenwiddle who taught young Talarin timings and tempo, deft slights of hand with a worn deck of harrow cards, and even how to handle a whip. Even now, nearly a decade since he passed, Rain still has a propensity to swear in the halfling's tongue, a habit Brethenwiddle would find particularly endearing and amusing were he still alive.

Goals/Motivations
Rain is a bit lost at this stage of her life. She's been going through the motions eking out a living and surviving, but she's terribly discontent with her life as it currently is. Any even halfway promising opportunity to get out of the rut she feels trapped in is one she'll leap at the chance to take, especially if it promises the financial wherewithal she could use to restore her family and their business.

Rain finds extortion and dishonest business to be utterly abhorent, and given the time she'll eventually start to flirt with the idea of vigilanteism - surruptiously hurting corrupt businesses and secretly feeding their ill-gotten gains back to reputable businesses in a Robin Hood kind of way. And to clarify, Rain isn't put off by shrewdness or clever bartering, she understands each side of the deal is trying to feed their family and it's just the job. But she draws a line a egregious low-ball offers or obvious attempts to take advantage of the other party's ignorance.

Rain would love to out all the Razmirans in Nirmathas an beyond, though the outlawing of the Razmiran faith in Tamran has blown some of the bluster from her sails and she's broadened her focus to any who would seek to make a few coppers at the expense of the common folk. Once she reestablished her family's credibility, she hopes her family can renew the business while she stays in the shadows, keeping the blackmailers, saboteurs, and other thugs at bay before they can do any harm.

Mechanically speaking, Rain is steering toward the Arcane Trickster Prestige class, eventually having 3 levels of rogue (acrobat archetype) and 4 of sorcerer (shadow bloodline) to qualify. I would love for her to actually graduate at some point into a full fledged masked vigilante. I'd especially like it if her other persona were built off an existing group in the world, but altered just enough to make her different and build up her mystique in the public's eye. For instance: if she were to ever see a Red Mantis Assassin, she might be inspired to one day become the Grey Mantis. Hopefully, she'd be successful enough in her endeavors that when it's time for her to retire, she can pass the the mask to another gifted people's champion who can take up the cause in turn.

Where it came up short is that this would be a third-level character. It feels like a first-level character in terms of skills and advancement (and cash). If I talk in game terms, the amount of xp you’d have to have gained to get to level three would have to amount to more than her life so far. The rest of the party have tackled an entire dungeon, saved a town and preserved the memory of a hero.

The other part that jarred slightly was the sleight of hand with regards cards. It feels more like a confidence trickster’s skill and didn’t initially fit in with the character you’d built in my mind. I wouldn’t count it out but I feel it needs a more compelling reason to have the skill.

This is your character at the end of the day, so my feedback doesn’t have to be incorporated – it’s simply my take on Rain as I see her. You could, for example, play up the vigilante angle – and she could already have a reputation in Tamran – or at least her alter ego could.

And now a real spoiler – at the time this adventure is set, the cult of Razmir isn’t outlawed. So I love your reason to see it driven out of Tamran.

Some good news about funds - standard starting cash for L3 characters is 3,000gp. All magical equipment must be approved by me.

I really like the way you've not been offended by my input and how you've rolled with it (no pun intended).

Are you up for doing the crunch to go with the fluff?

Miro was the bastard son of a Halfling noble and one of his maids. Much to his natural mother's anguish, the noble ordered him to be sent away to a home and all ties to his parents severed. However, Miro knows nothing of this, as his father did a good job of cutting ties. Miro's life began in an orphanage on the outskirts of Tamran. There was almost nothing out of the ordinary about the orphanage; It had too many children for its small budget and a kind couple (Heff and Maggie) running it who did their best to help the children but could only do so much. However, the couple was in debt to one of those men who you really don't want to owe money to. Nobody knew the man's real name, but they referred to him as Silver Eyes due to his white mask with silver designs around the eye and edges. This man would come to the orphanage on the first of every month, spending most of the day there, and the couple made the children clean and line up for this man. They were instructed to call him sir, use their best manners, and do anything he asks. Silver eyes would talk to the couple for a few minutes in private before coming to see the children, and he would ask them many questions. Some of them he would ask to do a simple task, such as finding something he hid in the house or trying to steal something off the couple or another child at some point during the day. Occasionally he would like something one of the children said or did, and he would 'adopt' them. This had been going on for a few years when Miro was finally old enough for the man to notice him. He was occasionally asked a question or two, and once he was even asked to try and pickpocket the key to the house off the couple. Miro, scared and in awe of the man, tried to complete his request, but when he tried to take the key from Maggie she caught his hand and gave him a sad smile "Almost". When Miro returned to the man, he quietly told him of his failure. The man simply nodded, then continued onto the next child. Miro had been scared of the consequences of failing, but the man's demeanor at his failure angered him. I can do better than that, I can make him think I'm the best pickpocket he's ever met! And so when the man left that night, Miro began training himself. He would lift small things off the other children with varying amounts of success. He would often get hit or bullied when he failed, but he persisted on. Eventually he discovered that he actually liked the thrill of stealing. He began to take notes over what he had done right or wrong. After a few weeks he tried Maggie again, and managed to get her ring out of her pocket when she was washing clothes. When he tried to return it the next day she was waiting for him with an irritated look on her face "I know what you've been doing Miro. I told you that stealing is wrong" she looks at the shamefaced child for a moment then sighs "But I also know why you're doing it. Listen, there's a difference between stealing a piece of food and stealing a ring. Get caught with an apple and you'll be thrown in jail. Get caught with something valuable and the punishment will be harsher" She pauses, contemplating what she might be doing "Just make sure you know the value of an object before you take it. The knowledge might save your life" And she held her hand out for the ring. He gave it back, contemplating what she said. Now when he stole things, he would pay attention to how much the item meant to its owner, himself, and a stranger. He began to learn the guidelines for determining somethings material and non-material wealth. Finally the day came when he was ready, and on the first of the new month he executed his plan. The children were finishing breakfast when the soft knocks were heard on the door. Not waiting for Heff and Maggie to respond, Miro jumped up and ran to open the door. He held it open for Silver Eyes, head bowed and welcoming him in. The man cocked his head curiously, but entered and waited for Heff and Maggie. They also gave him puzzled looks, then the day went on as it normally did. When the man was ready, he went through the line of children, asking an occasional question or assigning a task to be done now or later, and finally reached Miro. He paused, then leaned down "I believe I am going to give you another task. I like politeness. So, if I remember correctly last time you failed to filch Maggies key. How about you try to get Heff's waist dagger this time" He paused, waiting for Miro to accept, but then Miro smiled "That's easy. How about something hard? Like taking whatever this is from you" and he held out a small red and black necklace with intricate gems and designs in it. The man eyes opened and he clutched at his chest, finding his amulet gone. The next second, Miro thought he had gone too far, as he saw a terrible fury building in the man's eyes. But then, just as suddenly, it dissipated, and he chuckled "Now, that is impressive" He took the amulet back and hid it back under his shirt, then turned to Heff "I've no more to do here today, I shall be leaving early...and I am adopting this halfling boy"

Miro's life changed dramatically that day. Silver Eyes brought him to the worst part of the city, then he went out by the docks and opened up a hidden trapdoor in the ground. He ushered Milo in, then followed and shut the door, drowning out the last beams of sunlight. Silver Eyes held up a hand and it began to glow, providing illumination in the long tunnel. After walking for a brief period, the chamber opened up into a huge cavern and Miro got his first look at the underground. Thieves and burglars in one corner with a pile of valuables, sorting them out and arguing over their worth. Illusion mages in another, discussing manipulation of light. Sly faced men in another corner, who seemed to be going over a list of names and running over the facts about the people listed. Miro was lead over to the first group and introduced. There was Whirrun, Lady Natalia, Castieen, Faelyn, Ragar, Martil, and Jeckyl. There were mixed looks of disregard, interest, and acknowledgement from them. "These are the Blood Knives. You're their new filch, start learning" Silver Eyes walked away, and Miro only talked to him very occasionally since. Whirrun stood, a bronze skinned, white haired mountain of a man, and walked over to the child "In here you learn fast. If you don't we'll kick you out or starve you. So pay attention. Castieen will be your teacher. If I have to talk to you again then you've either done something very good or very bad" and he sat back down, letting Castieen take over. The human looks up from inside his hood, letting Miro see his dark stubble and large scar across his cheek "Like Whirrun said, I'll be teaching you. I'm going to crash course you. First task, get enough food to feed us all tonight. The only rule is to not get caught" Miro, still stunned by everything that was happening and too naive to question the authority of adults, stared at him for a moment then exploded with a myriad of questions. As the endless flow of words came out Whirrun chuckled, Natalia flicked her eyes at him in annoyance, and the others stared at him. When he was finally done Jeckyl walked up to him and said in a smooth voice "Listen kid, you'll get your questions answered, but only if you can show us you're worth something. After a month we'll tell ya the basics, and if you make it through Castieens training you'll know it all. And kid" He leaned down "The rewards are only bound by your own talent" Jeckyl sat down again, letting Miro think on what he said. Finally Miro nodded, a determined look in his eye "Ok. Let's do this" The next few weeks were the hardest of Miro's life. He was asked to steal well-protected items or large items that were hard to hide or transport, return items within a certain time limit, and numerous other tasks that tested his skills to their limit. All the time Castieen gave him advice and tips, showing him where he could improve. At the end of a year of this intense training, Miro was brought before Whirrun and the others. Whirrun stood, looking down at the child less than half his height "Castieen says you're ready after only a year. It's pretty remarkable, but I've never doubted him before and I don't now. Don't disappoint me. Welcome to the Blood Knives"

Miro spend the rest of his childhood as a member of the underground and servant of Silver Eyes. He eventually left the Blood Knives after a failed mission in Molthune where over half of them were killed. He quickly moved up in rank, getting more important jobs and eventually running some of the jobs himself. When he was old enough and started learning about the world he fully realized what kind of position he was in. He stayed with them, not only out of fear of retaliation for leaving but also because he was good at it and liked his job. But he always had doubts; He thought that stealing was fine but he disliked the assassinations and other more serious crimes they committed. One day he was summoned to meet Silver Eyes, and upon entering the dark chambers he was told that tensions with Molthune were rising and the seeds of rebellion were planted. He intended to have his groups tend to those seeds until a full blown war started. Miro balked at the enormity of his proposal, but also firmly believed that they needed to be freed from the grip of Molthune. The next five years of his life were dedicated to stirring the embers: Sabotaging shipments, attacking soldiers, stealing supplies, eliminating important members who cried for peace. Slowly and surely, disappointment at Molthune turned into resentment, and resentment turned into hatred. Chaotic skirmishes began breaking out all over the countryside and throughout Fangwood, and Miro was rewarded by Silver Eyes for being one of the ones directly responsible for starting the rebellion. Miro was very proud of what he had been done, and upon further reflection of their accomplishment versus what they normally did he grew very confused. Normally everything was done for wealth, power, and reputation. He put the thought out of his head, he was too glad about doing what seemed to him was a good thing.

For several months the rebellion waged on with no apparent progress. Then there was a tipping point, where skirmishes began being won more often and there seemed to be a pattern of attack. It was discovered that a half elf by the name of Irgal Nirmath was leading a band of rebels in organized attacks. As the months past Nirmath's reputation and forces grew until he was famous in both nations as well as widely feared in Molthune. Miro was pleased there was a driving force to the rebellion. After several months Silver Eyes summoned him again, but instead of him being impressed at the catalyst Nirmath had become he seemed furious. He ranted about the order of things and how they were being thrown out of balance, finally ordering Miro to leave him to his work. Miro, more confused than ever by the workings of Silver Eyes's plans, left and continued to observe and subtly affect the war. Finally, seven years after Nirmath began fighting, they were on the very doorsteps of victory. Miro, excited and wanting to see how things ended left to watch the final battle. It was a long few nights of siege fighting and guerrilla warfare, but finally victory was obtained. Miro yelled in jubilation with the troops and celebrated, finally deciding he wanted to find Nirmath and congratulate him in person. It took a very long time, but finally after the sun set he was granted an audience. He waiting outside Nirmath's tent when he heard a snick and a gurgling noise from inside. Heart racing, Miro flung side the tent flap and ran in to see a cloaked man standing over Nirmath, dagger deep in his throat. Miro stood there stunned for a moment, then noticed a silver, eye shaped embroider on the mans cloak. Realizing what had been done, Miro fled into the night. As he was running, tears streamed from his eyes at the betrayal that had been wrought upon him. He finally stopped running deep in Fangwood, dropping to his knees and crying out to the sky. His entire world had been ripped apart, and he had only one thing left of his being...revenge.

Since that day Miro has been tracking the movements of, sabotaging, and researching the very group he used to be a part of. He has always stayed in Nirmathas, often visiting Tamran in disguise to see what events are unfolding.

I also found the character very dark up until the point he saw the assassination. If it were a novel, it would feel too quick a change of heart (although you had sewn the seeds). And then the revenge immediately kicked in - which also feels dark. Again, not a game-killer but if you encounter the cult, could you contain your need for revenge over a greater good? You could, but would your character?

I'm about for formally close the recruitment and I owe it to both of you to make a decision quickly. I'd ask you to do the crunch but I know it won't add anything at this stage - so don't see that as me making a decision already - I just don't want you to do the work in case I don't choose you.

Yes Miro is certainly darker than most of my other characters, but I believe it's what would happen if you grew up in a cult of thieves and assassins. He hates to feel like he's looked down upon, which is why he felt the need to impress Silver Eyes when he was living at the orphanage. And while he stayed with the cult and worked for them, showing that he was the best at what he did, he always thought that killing was a bit serious. However, he had also been led to believe that everything they did served a purpose, or a higher calling. That was called into question when Nirmath arose and Silver Eyes was angry at the rebellion having a leader. Well Silver eyes had wanted a war to start, but he wanted Morthune to win. When Miro discovered that the organization he was in had been lying to him (when Nirmath was assassinated), he realized what he'd been doing all his life. Kind of like a CN character in an evil organization that eventually realizes he's good. His past is very dark, but he's trying to brighten his future.

If we encountered the cult and the chance for revenge was there...I'm not sure. It might entirely be possible that Miro would blindly put aside other concerns to get his revenge if nobody can talk some sense into him. It's a huge character flaw in him, sometimes he is driven by emotion.

Thanks for the feedback, I always like to get a 3rd person view of my writing. Cheers and fun gaming, can't wait for the decision!