An Early Frost - Reign of Winter Campaign

Game Master GM Tallgrass

Hello, everyone! I picked up the first book in the Reign of Winter AP last night and read through all of it in one setting - I love the vibe of this chilly scenario. As such, I've decided to give it a go here as a PBP and I'd like to invite you, the Paizo-gaming community, to join me.

Application
To apply, please complete the (hopefully minimal) steps below.

0. Download and read the Player's Guide.
1. Build a character using the crunch below.
2. Share how often you can post/contribute to the game. I don't want to put unrealistic expectations on the group, but I'd like to shoot for one post per day on weekdays. If we go faster, I'm down with that.
3. Share how many other PBPs you're currently playing.
4. Interact with the other applicants (this will serve as a writing sample, introduction to your character, barometer of how well you play with others and a sample of your character's personality):
It is evening in Heldren. There is a chill in the air as you make your way toward The Silver Stoat, Heldren's only tavern. Whether you've lived in Heldren your entire life or are newly arrived, you know that this is a fixture of village life and that the tavern fills with patrons as they gather to share gossip, hear news and reward themselves with a mug of Three Devil Ale for their hard day's work. As you cross the threshold, you are greeted by a crackling fire, the smell of delicious steaks, and the sounds of hearty conversation.

Character Creation Crunch
1. All characters begin at level one.
2. 20-point ability buy.
3. Non-evil alignments.
4. All Paizo-created races are acceptable. No custom or third-party races are allowed.
5. All Paizo-created classes and archetypes are acceptable.
6. Two traits. One must be a campaign trait. Try to pick traits that align with your backstory, not just add to your character's stats (or figure out how to add stat-boosting traits into your backstory).
8. Max gold for your class.
9. Max HP at level one, roll or 1/2 HD + 1 thereafter.
10. Firearms are commonplace.

Character Concept:
I don't really want people to spend a ton of time time drafting a crazy-long background (unless you want to!), so I'm just asking for a general idea of who your character is and why they are the way they are. Here are some basic questions to consider.

1. The adventure starts in the village of Heldren, a small village in Taldor just north of the Border Wood near Qadira. All characters should be residents of Heldren. Were you born there? Are you newly arrived?
2. If you're playing as a common race, how do you view other, rarer races? If you're playing as an uncommon race, how did you come to live among the common?
3. What will your character contribute to the party in and out of battle?
4. What goals/aspirations does your character have? These don't always need to be lofty or noble.

Recruitment will run until I have enough applicants to choose a full party. So get those apps in quickly.

Please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to the applications!

Dotting. I'll have a submission up for you sometime tonight.

Dotty Dotty. :D

All the dots. I shall have something forthwith! :D

Dotting as well.

I want to apply with this guy. I might need to tweak him a bit for your campaign.

I'll be applying with this character after making a few changes to match up with the campaign.

Won't have time to make the changes until this evening. Stuck in meetings all afternoon.

Actually he may be up to snuff. Except maybe gold and gear. I will check that in a bit.

Dotting

Here is a wizard (infernal binder) who traveled to Irresen in order to witness Baba Yaga's appearance and the replacement of the queen. I will get to the questions at a later time.

Posting interest! I'll read the Player's Guide tonight, but I've got a few characters waiting in the wings that might mesh with this.

1. LG Human Fighter (Tactician or Cad) or Rogue (Investigator), character concept is a City Guard captain or sergeant who's on an investigation related to a crime or mystery back in his home city. Think Sam Vimes or Humphrey Bogart.

2. CG Human Monk (Martial Artist), character concept is a burly Ulfen bartender (perhaps working at The Silver Stoat?) who's trying to find and rescue his kidnapped son. Think something from Street Fighter.

3. TN Kobold Rogue (Sniper), character concept is a cunning infiltrator trying to track down a party of "noble" adventurers who killed his clan's patron White Dragon. Think Solid Snake or Sam Fisher as a Kobold.

4. LN Half-Orc Inquisitor of Asmodeus, character concept is a dour, serious lawyer-from-hell who is trying to track down some NPC of note and serve them with a court order or an eviction notice. Think Judge Dredd + Anton Ego (the Critic from Ratatouille).

Interested, and getting to those requirements

Alright, here's the very basic crunch for my grumpy dwarf Cleric of Torag.

1.

2. I post a lot of times per day! Depending on what's going on I can get down to one or two, but usually multiple.

3. I'm in, uh, *mumble* 13 games. *cough* Well I get bored...

4.

Writing a little background fluff now - will post shortly! And I'll make an alias if you wanna keep Maylin. :)

Submitting: Bjornin the Wildling - Artic Druid with a caster build.

1. The adventure starts in the village of Heldren, a small village in Taldor just north of the Border Wood near Qadira. All characters should be residents of Heldren. Were you born there? Are you newly arrived?

Newly arrived and living more in the wilderness surrounding the town. Occasionaly acting as a guide and healer for those in need...

2. If you're playing as a common race, how do you view other, rarer races?

Bjornin has been an outcast himself and doesn't judge, though he does have a bit of a fear of/prejudice against the Jadiga and Winter Witches.

3. What will your character contribute to the party in and out of battle?

In battle, Bjornin will be a caster class with some melee capablities. He will focus on battlefield control with his conjurations as well as a secondary healer. If he is expected to be the primary healer, he is capable but plans to use his spells in combat, so the party will need to purchase wands to compensate.

4. What goals/aspirations does your character have? These don't always need to be lofty or noble.

Bjornin senses that something is effecting the normal balance of Nature and knows that it is too big of an issue to handle himself. He seeks allies in pursuit of this goal. On the smaller scale, he works to aid those in need of assistance in the northern wilds, trying to teach and guide people to a harmonic survival in the inhospitable climate of the north.

I'd like to play an Inquisitor (I haven't tried that class yet) who has the Vigilante Witch Hunter trait. I was thinking a young man who was raised alone by his father and assumed his mother was dead. A curse of some kind caused his father to age quickly and die at 35 with the body of a 80 year old. On his death bed he told his 12 year old son the truth, his mother was a Witch from the north and she was responsible for the curse. Bryce Eivanson had not know his wife was a witch until after Jorgie was born but when he figured out the truth he took the child and fled south. This confession was made in the presence of a cleric/priest who was to become the ward of young Jorgie so the cleric helped guide the lad to become a witch hunter servant of the church. I will get you some crunch up soon.

Dotting for interest. I will put something (I have ideas for a witch or possibly a ranger) up tonight after work. :)

DOT

So...it appears has captured peoples' attention. I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with.

Just a quick note: You cannot have any ability score lower than 7 after racial modifiers AND there will be roleplaying penalties or challenges for having an ability score lower than 10 (i.e. a character with 8 Charisma will not only have the negative ability modifier for a diplomacy check, but will also have a more difficult DC or will require more creativity in their post).

That's the fun of negatives, I think. :D

I applied for another Reign of Winter game a while back, and for one reason or another, didn’t get in to that one, but this was the character I thought of for that one,

Nolan Avendur Yavinskuud (Dwarven Wizard)

I never imagined that I would leave the quiet tranquility of the island home my family escaped to all those years ago. My father, and his brother, after my father died in a tragic surfing accident, did not raise me to be a warrior in the family traditions, nor did I learn the ways of the Divine casters of my mother’s side of the family. I study, well I read a little, of my Aunt Henrietta’s journals detailing her life as a magic user, and always found her stories to be delightfully entertaining. When she left for the frozen north lands of our ancestors, she left behind a gift for me, a simple apprentice guide to casting, and a book with a few spells.

For a few months her letters were filled with stories of interesting people and strange missions. I looked forward to her letters. I looked up to her and admired her courage.

Her last letter read simply, “Nolan, come to Heldren. I’ve found something here that I need to have returned to m y estate on the island, but my adventures here are not over. Can I count on you?”

Well, how could I not go?

So here I am at the age of seventy, leaving my little bungalow on the beach, taking my simple book of spells, and packing the few things I own to travel some distance to the north. I wonder if it is cold there.

Hmmm, a lot of applicants, and some very good players.

It is evening in Heldren. There is a chill in the air as you make your way toward The Silver Stoat, Heldren's only tavern. Whether you've lived in Heldren your entire life or are newly arrived, you know that this is a fixture of village life and that the tavern fills with patrons as they gather to share gossip, hear news and reward themselves with a mug of Three Devil Ale for their hard day's work. As you cross the threshold, you are greeted by a crackling fire, the smell of delicious steaks, and the sounds of hearty conversation.

1. The adventure starts in the village of Heldren, a small village in Taldor just north of the Border Wood near Qadira. All characters should be residents of Heldren. Were you born there? Are you newly arrived?
2. If you're playing as a common race, how do you view other, rarer races? If you're playing as an uncommon race, how did you come to live among the common?
3. What will your character contribute to the party in and out of battle?
4. What goals/aspirations does your character have? These don't always need to be lofty or noble.

I can post at least once per weekday, often more than that. Currently I am in four PbP games, one moves very slowly, one moves very quickly and the other two are average.

Carl Ironeater:

Dwarven Invulnerable Rager Barbarian.

If that is a worthy first effort, I will flesh out his background :)

I can post multiple times per day and will notify the group if something comes up that will prevent that. I am an adequate writer and try to keep different characters seperate (I ditched a Gunslinger as too similar to an alt in one other PbP). I am an experienced gamer, but PbP is still pretty new. I am involved in two currently, one is dying (on a different forum) and the other is flowing well. (look at my aliases for B'yelka Morfaine).

I can post at least once a day, I am running 4 adventures, and would be glad to interact with others here, except Lexi. I mean, seriously, come on, she's everywhere, man, everywhere (it's a bit troubling, really).

*pout*

Generally good for multiple posts in a day. In three other PbP but two are short campaings and will be ending soon. Participation in them shouldn't impact posting here.

Sure, go ahead, pout. Doesn't, well, it, it, hey now. No sticking out of the lower lip, now, I mean it. Stop that, stop that. Oh, alright. I'm sorry.

:D Couldn't resist.

Will have character up later this evening.

So... I'm not involved in any other PbPs currently - Lexi sucked me into them only recently. But I'm available for multiple posts a day! All the posts!

First, the crunchy stuff!

Golbar the Wanderer!

As to the other queries...

1. The adventure starts in the village of Heldren, a small village in Taldor just north of the Border Wood near Qadira. All characters should be residents of Heldren. Were you born there? Are you newly arrived?

Golbar is a child of Taldor's wilds, recently arrived in Heldren seeking information on his father - the tribe that raised him pointed him to Heldren, and the change from the wilds to 'civilization' is intriguing to him. People are nicer, and the food tends to be warmer.

2. If you're playing as a common race, how do you view other, rarer races? If you're playing as an uncommon race, how did you come to live among the common?

Golbar's got a sense of wonder about the wider world. He calls himself 'the Wanderer' because he wants to see all it has to offer. Other than the folks in Heldren, he's probably not overly familiar with the rarer races, but all are interesting to him. The barbarian tribe that raised him not far from here were insular, but he never liked that - now he wants to meet everyone!

3. What will your character contribute to the party in and out of battle?

In battle, Golbar's a brick. Out of battle, he's curious, interested, and good-hearted. He's a lovable lug who'll break people who threaten good folk.

4. What goals/aspirations does your character have? These don't always need to be lofty or noble. He wants to find out his family line. Learn more about where he came from. Learn more in general! He's not particularly bright, but he's exceptionally interested in everything.

Now, for the writing!

- It was the meat that drew Golbar first. The warmth, the fire, the laughter, all that was excellent. But his stomach had been rumbling for hours now as he had walked and the tang of spiced, seared meat had drawn him directly to the tavern. He'd been a few times, knew a few of the familiar faces, but had kept to himself. Not out of fear or a wish to be alone, but he wasn't sure initially how to approach these new folk. The tavern's proprietor was happy to accept his coin and even happier when he'd come back and ask for a another plate of food, big man that he was, but Golbar hadn't had any conversations with any other patrons yet. Tonight, as he stepped through the doorway and closed the heavy wood door behind him, he resolved to. Purchasing the biggest steak that had been cooked, he moved to a table with an empty chair and set down, looking from new face to new face. "Hello," Golbar's voice was a rumble. "I'm Golbar. How is your evening?" -

Hmmmmmmmmm, I have been looking into Running RoW in person after I finish my current Campaign at home. And you sir, (from your posts that I stalked already) look like an excellent GM to steal ideas from and to get a general idea of how to run it. Shameless suck-up'ing :p

I can post multiple times on the weekdays, weekends are stricter as I have in person games and other commitments to attend to. I can definitely post at least once in the morning and once at night for weekedens though. (sometimes very late night UTC-7)

Currently I am in 3 other PbP, and run an in person game.

And here is a running list of applications

Arcane

• Argyros Amyntas – Aasimar (Azata) Fighter – Michael Sumrall
  
• Asmar Eriksson – Human (Ulfen) Fighter (Rondelero Duelist) – Pezmerga
  
• Delweir – Human Wizard (Infernal Binder) – Bill Lumberg
  

Divine

• Bjornin the Wildling – Human Druid (Arctic) – Patrick McDade
  
• Maylin – Dwarf Cleric – lexibean
  

Combat

• Golbar the Wanderer – Human Barbarian – mattdude00
  
• Nathaniel Artegal Boote – Halfling Paladin – Terquem
  

Skill/Utility/Misc

Interest:

• Carl Ironeater – Dwarven Invulnerable Rager Barbarian – FireberdGNOME
  
• 4 Characters – Go Check – Xisifer
  
• Unnamed - Human? Inquisitor – Bryce Evianson
  
• Witch or Ranger – Fiallain Bo’airr
• Unmentioned – Doomed Hero
  
• Unmentioned – Castarr4
  
• Unmentioned – Ptolmaeus Arvenus

• Unmentioned – Mark Thomas 66
  
• Unmentioned – Tie My Shoelace

Submitting Alinza Vishki a Hexcrafter changeling Magus. I'm playing in two Pbp one that moves averagely and the other that is very slow. I can post two times a day nearly all days of the week except weekends. Plus I'm running two Pbp's. Alinza main role in combat is dealing damage while debufing the opponents, Out of combat Alinza brings a good charisma, and Knowledge of things arcane for now and later other Knowleges.

Alinza hurried trough Heldren streets, the air chills seeping in her body even with her cloack wrapped around herself. Upon entering the tavern Alinza sighs in pleasure at the heat then seeing no free table's she moves towards a table and with a big man who had just introduced himself to other at the taver. "I'm sorry but do you mind if I sit here? She says charmingly and pointing to a chair in the same table.

The cold is bearable, but only just Delweir thought to himself as he entered the doorway of the Stout. The narrow confines of the tavern and the rough garb its patrons stirred thoughts of Egoran, with its neat and spacious salons along the cobblestone streets. For a moment the young man stood just inside the doorway and shook frost off of his outer coat. Then he scanned the room for an empty seat.Once he located a vacant chair, Delweir wound his way past the patrons at the bar and sat down. Hopefully, this is the kind of place that has waitresses. If I have to approach the bar for food or drink I will certainly lose my seat.

Delweir would be a utility character who contributes to combat via summoned creatures, battlefield control spells and some buffs to the front-line types.

His immediate goal is to witness the replacement of a witch-queen by Baba Yaga herself. He realizes that the chance of actually seeing this take place is slim but he will risk it nonetheless. After all, what is to be gained by sitting in an isolated chamber reading dusty tomes written by authors who may well never have actually experienced anything that they claim to have done. Delweir would rather experience events and learn from them.

Ultimately, Delweir wants to see the far reaches of this world and others as well.

Dotting for interest. :) I'll drum up something in the next hour or so.

Dotting for Interest

Currently thinking of putting together a Human Witchguard Ranger.

Standing just outside of the tavern, Artegal tugs downward on his coat, and brushes snowflakes from his sleeves. His uniform must be right, trim and square, before he enters. Who knows, maybe tonight will be the night he meets her?

He walks into the place, and tries to keep his head straight, his eyes front. There are women here, surely, and he does not intend to stare, or be caught in an awkward glance.

“Be polite, be kind, be courteous,” he reminds himself, as he looks for a stool by the bar. Once he has secured a place to sit, he climbs, and waits patiently to be asked what his preference will be.

After several long moments, he finally clears his throat, and says, “Excuse me, but may I, please, have a glass of Tiigren’s Harvest Red,” a fine wine served in these parts, and the one wine he prefers.

One glass, and then maybe a brandy, but that will be all, he thinks to himself, and then carefully he turns his head to the left and then to the right, looking to see who is here this evening, and wondering if he will find the courage to ask someone if they need his services.

Wow. There's more interest than I anticipated. This is both awesome and mind-numbingly difficult. I'm not really sure how I'm going to pare it down. And we've only just begun.

Keep the apps coming.

I've compiled the list of formal applicants (thanks for the help, Tie My Shoelace!).

List Of Applicants
If I missed you, let me know!

Martial
Asmar Eriksson - Fighter
Argyros Amyntas - Fighter
Carl Ironeater - Barbarian
Golbar the Wanderer - Barbarian
Alinza Vishki - Magus
Nathaniel Artegal Boote - Paladin

Arcane
Delweir - Wizard

Divine
Maylin - Cleric
Bjornin the Wildling - Artic Druid

Skilled/Misc
Bryce Eivanson - Inquisitor

Oops, I totally put fighter into the arcane section. I am a genius, so much for proof reading that. >.<

Dotting.

Bummer about your Crypt of the Everflame game not running - I was a chance to be selected for that, whereas the competition for this is nuts already! Nevertheless, I will get a submission together, as I've been keen to check out RoW.

Wow, I was in the other campaign you started and then shutdown but <sheesh> there are already so many applicants. Guess I'll just pass on this and stick to the couple I just got into. Good luck everyone!

Jalin Naerius sorcerer lvl 1 LN, (archtype wildblooded) Rime-Blooded.

story born in the frozen north and taken in by a winter witch who was interested in his surprising resistance to cold, Jalin Nearius began his apprenticeship which failed. Whatever measures the winter witch took failed to coax the power of winter out of the boy. At age 16 in a show of absolute hatred she threw him into an icy river in the middle of winter.

Ironically this is what coaxed his power out, after 10 minutes he erupted from the river his skin the color of ice, his eyes showing only the black depths of the ancient winters which engulfed the world. He found the witch and killed her with his bare hands in a cold, icy rage.

He collected supplies from her house and fled across the tundra surviving despite everything it threw at him. He then came to Heldren and took a small, abandoned and falling apart hunter's cabin at the edge of the village. Many a time some of the more foolish denizens would come to challenge him...they were thrown into an icy river to endure the trials that shaped Jalin himself, none returned.

He would visit the Inn on occasion to spend some of his wealth, he always got the ale at half price as the barkeep did not want him in the Inn any longer then he had to.

The current night at the Inn was a cold one, but still he ordered that his drink be served cold with ice. It had always impressed the locals that even when it was cold enough to freeze a frost giant's buttocks that Jalin could drink such a cold brew.

You killed by brother!

The foolish barbarian, barely 15 by Jalin's reckoning charged at him wielded a great axe. The boy like his brother was stupid and more to the point he was bothering Jalin, those who bothered Jalin did not live long.

Griping his tankard, Jalin swung it into the boys face causing a howl of pain. Then he grabbed the youth's great axe and kicked him in the kneecap causing him to fall down on the floor. Swinging the great axe over his head in a great overhanded chop, he swung down and ended the boy's life. To his pride the head came off cleanly, it was always a sign of weakness to not finish off your kill in one swift, clean blow.

The rest of the patrons were silent for a minute, then they went back to drinking as usual. Jalin ordered another tankard of your brew, iced.

For the record this character is not LE, that means he would go out of his way to dominate and enslave others. Jalin doesn't go out of his way to do that, but if you do get in his way for whatever reason he doesn't care why, you die. When you think of my character think of him as a cold, remorseless bastard who's seen the worst the world has to offer, and not only survived it but thrived in it.

And here is a running list of applications

Unnamed - Human? Inquisitor – Bryce Evianson

Actually Bryce Eivanson is the characters name, MytrilDragon is the player :) Yes he is an human Inquisitor and the stats are in his profile to check out. Still fleshing out the background.

Dotting for Interest

Currently thinking of putting together a Human Witchguard Ranger.

And...I just got into a different game and hit my limit, so I won't be submitting.

Good luck, everyone!

I have an idea.......

The Excitable Nosh, Gnome Gunslinger/Pistolero. He's an excitable chap, he's got a touch of wanderlust, loves to tinker, collects all kinds of things, and doesn't play well with magic.

I will post my in character response to the opening later tonight. In the mean time, any questions, concerns, etc. let me know

1. The adventure starts in the village of Heldren, a small village in Taldor just north of the Border Wood near Qadira. All characters should be residents of Heldren. Were you born there? Are you newly arrived?

Bryce was born in the north but raised in Haldren until he was about 8 years old by a single father. When he was 8 his dad died of a curse, and confessed that his mother actually didn't die in child birth but was a witch. A priestess of Pharasma took Bryce to nearby Zimar where as a ward of the church he was raised in a secret order of hunters. He was groomed to be witch hunter and has just recently returned after 12 years to Haldren to see if he can find any clues that will lead him to find his mother.

2. If you're playing as a common race, how do you view other, rarer races? If you're playing as an uncommon race, how did you come to live among the common?

Bryce will have a particular hatred of witches, hags and those who consort with them and will probably be distrustful of races that are not the norm from where he is as he tries to determine if they need to be hunted like witches or not.

3. What will your character contribute to the party in and out of battle?

Bryce will wade into battle with his mace in one hand and his pistol in the other particularly targeting spell casters to limit their effectiveness. Outside of battle he will be suspicious of the unknown and be ever vigilant that his friends are not being lured by witchy powers. He will tolerate other spell casters in the party, but he will be wary of them. He knows not all casters are witches, but he never wants to let his guard down just in case.

4. What goals/aspirations does your character have? These don't always need to be lofty or noble.

Hunt down that Witch of a mother and kill her for what she did to dad.

Please find Nikaana's application. His game mechanics are behind the avatar. I'm playing 4 PbP's but two appear dying which is why I'm applying for another. I can post several times weekdays and at least once on weekends. The answers to your four character questions are here:

Doomed Hero here with my submission.

Ragnar is an Oracle of Bones who will go Barbarian at 2nd level and eventually prestige class into Rage Prophet.

He's a somewhat complex character who's backstory can be summed up as "Grimdark Brigadoon." Basically, he's been caught in a curse-induced stasis while the world went on age after age. Now he's free and trying to figure out how to end his people's plight by tracking down the witch that cursed them (one of the Daughters of Baba Yaga, possibly the big bad one causing all the problems in the Adventure Path)

Please let me know what you think.

Maylin's questions!

"MAYLIN!" Colberg yells across the tavern then proceeds to force his way over to her pushing past all the locals. "Aye, good to see ya doin' well. I got some stronger stuff than that Three Devils crap, I know you been wantin' some." He pulls out a tankard of Gunderbal Special Reserve and slams it on the bar counter in front of Maylin. He looks around and grabs a nearby stool/chair and then places it next to Maylin.

As he places the stool down he turns to the patron next to him and looks him over. He then makes the other guy to move by forcing his way in, saying loudly, "Thanks fer movin' mate. Really appreciate it."
Turning back to Maylin he puts on a huge smile, "So missy, what have you been upta lately?"