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Deep in the Ethereal Plane lurks a small demiplane, consisting of a large gothic manor house and its grounds. Lights flicker in its windows, fountains play in its carefully manicured gardens, and the sound of feasting and jollity comes from within.
At first it might seem like a welcome respite to planar travelers, but those few who have escaped describe a place of chaos and madness, where all times and places seem to converge, and yet nothing ever changes. Where the dust of millenia lies on flower that are still as fresh as the day they were picked, and where visitors from a thousand worlds and realities have reshaped the very fabric of the house to their wills.
They describe an ancient, powerful, inbred family of nobles, trapped by a timeless curse, who have existed so long that they are sure which parts of their personalities are truly their own, which are masks they have adopted to break the boredom of endless eons, and which have been whispered in their ears by sinister manipulators in the shadows...
They tell of visitors wandering the halls who have been searching so long that they no longer remember their own names, and of others whose minds have broken because they cannot find what they seek, and have taken up a role of their own in the endless, macabre dance that is the society within the house.
And when asked what those lost souls were seeking - those who escaped always blanched and whispered the same thing.
"A way home. A way OUT."
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This is the old TSR adventure X3 - Castle Amber by Tom Moldvey. Loosely based on the Averoign stories of Clarke Ashton Smith, it is a crazy, creepy, slightly campy and hugely strange adventure of high fantasy.
As all times and realities meet at Castle Amber, you can use pretty much any crunch in a Paizo source - you character could be from Golarion, or any other world. Players would need good writing skills.
Is there any interest?
OMG - I still have that module ... Loved running my players through it back in the day.... It is SO fun - I highly recommend it!
I'd be super down, what character creation rules were you thinking?
I'd be interested, it sounds fun.
That is one of the most fun games I ever ran. Even today, more than 20 years later the players still remember it and laugh about what happened to them in Castle Amber.
I've never played it and I'm intrested!
Hmmmmmm. Sounds very interesting
Definitely interested.
OK - glad to see I'm not the only one with fond memories of this!
If you are interested:
we will be starting with 3rd level characters, but leave off the crunch for the moment - just give me a few paragraphs about your character, their personality and their background. Keep in mind that they must be non-evil, co-operative, communicative and adaptable to strange situations. When we do come to the crunch, flexible, widely skilled characters will do better than highly focused builds.
Crunch-wise we will be sticking to Paizo products (but as I say wait for that). Fluff wise you have the whole multiverse to play with - Golarion, Faerun, Oerth, Krynn, Mystara, a homebrew world etc. The mystical energies of Castle Amber will let you all talk to each other.
Sounds awesome, so we have a wide variety of races at our disposal then?
You know, it's been nearly 30 years since I ran this, and that was 1E.
Can I play? :)
Sounds awesome, so we have a wide variety of races at our disposal then?
As long as you can retrofit it to Paizo crunch, and it begins at 3rd level. I'll allow a bit of leeway, so for instance if you wanted a Kender, you could stat it up as a halfling. If you wanted one of those hippomen things from Spelljammer, you could stat it as a half-orc. Just don't make it so strange it causes difficulty for the rest of the party e.g. the mute halflings or alien mantis-men from Dark Sun.
You know, it's been nearly 30 years since I ran this, and that was 1E.
Can I play? :)
Feel free to write something up.
Im thinking a warforged actually. Or a dragonborn from races of the dragon
Im thinking a warforged actually. Or a dragonborn from races of the dragon
I think there are rules for intelligent androids in the Numeria Adventure Path, but I don't have them.
Aren't dragonborn just big kobolds?
I'll be looking at an Eberron changeling, probably an alchemist. I'll be away from my computer for a few days for a camping trip, but I'll think about backstory while I'm away.
Im thinking a warforged actually. Or a dragonborn from races of the dragonI think there are rules for intelligent androids in the Numeria Adventure Path, but I don't have them.
Aren't dragonborn just big kobolds?
Android vs warforged. I prefer a warforged. Thematic.
And i believe youre thinking of Wyvern for large kobolds =^^=
I was recently thinking of running this as 5e to get some experience GM'ing, so I'd love to run through as a player. I've still got the print edition somewhere at my parents' house.
OK feel free to write up your character backgrounds. Recruitment will be open to the weekend at least.
How about a luchador(brawler) who was plucked from his world on the eve of a championship match? El Diablo Verde!
Aren't dragonborn just big kobolds?
With bewbs! Thanks 4E.
:P
So far
I was going to withdraw and let others experience it for the first time, but if this keeps up I will put a character in.
I was think of a Dark tapestry Oracle. "This place is insane, and I know insane!"
El Diablo Verde
You grew up in the slums of a city the son of a poor washer woman. You learned to fight before you could walk. By your 12th year you were leading a pack of kids and winning turf wars.
After a particularly vicious battle, you were noticed by a promoter. He offered you a way out of the ghetto apprenticeship at a wrestling camp. You were thrilled! You would trade rags and hunger for glory and adulation in the squared circle!
Life at the camp was rough, but it was paradise compared to the calles. You grew large and strong, and were taught the techniques of professional wrestling - armlocks, piledrivers, head scissors, faking injuries, glowering. By the time you were 18 you were appearing on TV as the masked nightmare El Diablo Verde. You were a natural; you quickly became champion . Your mask, the symbol of your prowess, remained unremoved. The crowds screamed your name. You were the mightiest warrior of the ring.
Unfortunately, an all-too-real war was being waged, and you were drafted. Four hombres pálidos came for you one night and dragged you through a rip in the sky. One, an exceedingly ugly one who said he was part of a group of blood suckers from a place called Ustaluv, they said they would drain your blood and break your will. But even the threat of death Itself could not conquer El Diablo Verde. Before you were tuend into one of them, your attackers were attacked in turn by actual knights and holy priests. The battle could have gone either way, but you added your strength to that of your rescuers and turned the tide.
None could withstand the strength of El Diablo Verde. You made it to Caliphas, where you resumed your career. The legend of El Diablo Verde, who only fought at night and who never removed his mask, grew in the viewing. Soon you had franchised goods and throngs of screaming fans.
La muerte es la vida, no?
Looks like insufficient interest in this one to be viable. Thank you to those who wrote up character portraits.
Too bad. :( work just kept me busy.
Maybe keep it open till sunday?
Well, OK. But I'm looking for about 5 players, and we only have 2 submissions.
I'd potentially be interested! My 2e thief didn't last very long in this adventure in 1990, and I'd love to play the rest of it. One bard, one oracle, and one brawler so far... how about a slayer? Human, of course.
Corlan stared blandly over his cards at the dwarf across the table. After six hours at the table, even his characteristic swagger was starting to falter. The stumpy creep across from him had won the last six hands, blowing obnoxious cigar smoke the whole time, and Corlan's purse was insufficient to cover his latest raise.
But there was something Corlan knew that the dwarf didn't.
Leaning back, Corlan drew his short sword, then laid it carefully on the table, the blade pointing directly at the dwarf's cigar.
"This ought to cover the difference," he said, then added, "By the way, Bruggan of the Kron Hills, you killed Pol O'Davery in Veluna last year. I tracked you all the way to Hardby before you made it on the riverboat there. It's almost fitting that I finally caught up with you here in Greyhawk, where I was born."
The dwarf wasted no time protesting; he reached for the short sword instead. But Corlan was already on his feet, longsword drawn. "Game's over, fellas," he said to the other players. "I have a feeling I'm going to clean up on this hand."
Cheese Louise...I'm in too many games already, but this one would be so different!
My character would be an NPC character I created way back in the days of D&D Basic/Expert/Etc. but never really got a chance to use.
Lucia von Hendriks, daughter of the infamous, nefarious, merciless, and whatever-other-nasty-adjective-you-can-come-up-with Black Eagle Baron, Ludwig von Hendriks, has stepped out from that dastardly man's shadow to do his bidding. Though she upholds her tyrant father's unfair laws, when she's away from his influence she's a much less cruel and brutal (she'd be LN alignment-wise).
Sent on a quest by her evil father to recruit some dark mages into his service, Lucia travelled to the Principalities of Glantri to look into the many magic-rich families dwelling in that land, including the mysterious and powerful d'Ambrevilles.
In old D&D she was a fighter; in 3.5 I think I made a Marshal version of her. Not sure what Pathfinder class I'd end up going with, but it'd be a martial one.
DBH here. I have my Oracle made up, I'll add in her story in a few hours when I'm free.
Will be able to get a character ready tonight or tomorrow =^^=
Ah. The Kender. *reminisces fondly of the time he committed genocide in a game because the party's little Kender s%*! stole his spellbook one time too many, and pissing off the level 16 cleric/wizard/mystic theurge necromancer is a bad idea.*
As amusing as it would be to revive that character, it really needs at least eight levels to get off the ground, and until then I'd be useless except for a few skelly friends.
Hm...
Maybe a spritualist. Anyone have a really angry character they want to cameo as my ghost buddy? I'm bad at coming up with companions, someone throw me an idea please XD
Celeste wandered aimlessly, it was all she did these days. She could feel the presences just out of her sight, waiting for her lose concentration so they could begin to whisper those dreadful secrets to her again
Everything seemed so pointless lately, food was bland and tasteless, alcohol didn't help anymore. Not since she had awoken with blood running down her chin, unsure if it was hers, or somebody else's?
Talking to people was so pointless, good or bad they were all focused on meaningless things, she couldn't find it in herself to care for their concerns anymore. Growing more and more isolated from the world with every step she took.
Until now, as the mists rose around her, the voices swelled with excitement as she moved deeper towards something she knew she didn't want to meet.
Glad to see this getting back up.
With the spiritualist? I am in a carrion crown game where the ghost familiar was the ghost of her deviant older brother. Its playing out nicely so far.
Sorry for taking so long to get a character concept up. Still intrested!
I was thinking of playing a Summoner character from a non-magic setting who was about to be burned at the stake for witchcraft before being swept up by the multiverse.
Mordan strained against the ropes holding him to the stout post to no avail. The flames had barely taken hold in pile of firewood at his feet but already the smoke stung his eyes and lungs. Firelight and bitter tears spun the faces of the mob around the pyre into demonic visages. Could these really be the people he grew up with, his neighbours? His friends? He opened his mouth cry out but forced himself to stop. There was no reasoning with them. His throat was already raw from arguing, then pleading, and finally begging. This is the end. No point in giving them the satisfaction. He tried to control his breathing. Gasping for air when the errant wind blew the smoke clear of his face. As small part of him had to wonder, is it better to choke to death on smoke or hold your breath and wait for the flames? At least his Eidolon was spared this painful end. The disappointed howl of their captors as it vanished from their grasp was a last bittersweet satisfaction. If only he could dismiss himself as easily! The smoke was rising thicker now and he could feel the heat from the fire. An incautious gasp sucked in a lungful of smoke and he began to choke. A wave of dizziness passed over him and he felt like he was falling...
I was thinking of a gnome investigator.
Even for a gnome, Aida was driven by an unusual degree of curiosity and wanderlust, never content to remain in one place for too long or accept a mystery as unsolvable. As stubborn as she is curious, Aida had a strong proclivity for getting into places where she really shouldn't be- marking a place as dangerous or forbidden is akin to an invitation to her.
When do we find out if this is a go, and if so, who's in and how char-gen will work?
OK, it has been a week - thank you to all those who wrote up character sketches. Will the players of the following characters please report to the discussion threadwhere we will discuss the rules for character creation.
Corlan
Mordan
Celeste
Borden
Lucia von Hendriks
Notes?
I'll send you what I write up.