How is the winter witch version of Sister Mara coming along?
I've got Mara's crunch done; I just need to finish purchasing equipment... And get the background that's in my head down on paper.
Ahah! I've been torturing myself for days on the oracle...
Not sure yet where I stand. For sure, I'm working on divine, and I'll avoid dumping charisma if I stick with druid. I hope to have an answer soon!
Is it just from a crunch perspective that you can't decide? If so, you can play as a druid or oracle and if you don't like it, or think a different class would suit your character better, you can just go back and change it.
My rogue is on his way, I just need to purchase equipment and factor it in and write up a bio/description. Can't say I'm a huge fan of the portrait, but not too many have appealed to me.
Equipment (mostly) purchased- just need to put up the bio and description.
Cool! Looking forward to it. Once I've got yours and Sister Maras, I'll start to put something together for an intro.
Okay! Should be all set.
Hopefully soon. Let me PM Max and see if I can get some info on Sister Mara.
Rolly:
Gylwinth:
** spoiler omitted **
Yes, that works very well! I'll try to get some folllow up info for you later today.
By the way, I put those in spoilers just in case, but feel free to be as open as you like with your background info.
Okay, Sister Mara's background is up, so I've got most of the info that I need.
Heldren is a very small town, so everyone should feel free to make whatever connections that they want between characters.
Thanks for getting things kicked off Gylwinth! One obvious connection, is old Mother Theodora, who is a local wise woman in town. There could be a lot of overlap in her work and your mothers. Mother Theodora also happens to have an apprentice: Sister Mara. I imagine the two of you may have gone on errands together or acted as go betweens.
wise woman, and Heldren is no exception. No one in the
village is sure just how ancient Old Mother Theodora (as
everyone calls her) is, but she’s been around as long as
anyone in town can remember. Old Mother Theodora is
Heldren’s most skilled midwife, and she helped deliver
just about everyone currently living in the village. She’s
also a soothsayer and hedge witch, and villagers come to
her to have their fortunes told or buy love potions or herbal
remedies.
It would male sense that there would be some sense of competition, though benign, then, no?
I think that would definitely make sense. Mara is also the adopted daughter of Menander and Kale Garimos, owners of the Silver Stoat tavern, and she refers to the gnome carpenter Tengezil Frimbocket as her uncle.
I think it would be easiest if Ben knows Rolly from caravan duties (since Ben's work in the military and formal mercenary outfits didn't pan out) and it's likely that he's spent a good amount of his time at the tavern while he's been in town.
I think it would be easiest if Ben knows Rolly from caravan duties (since Ben's work in the military and formal mercenary outfits didn't pan out) and it's likely that he's spent a good amount of his time at the tavern while he's been in town.
Makes sense. Rolly's pretty good natured and a fun fellow to hang out with, if a bit overbearing and crude. He'd also spend a good amount of time in the tavern (note, though, that I always envisioned Rolly as not caring much for ale or beer but loving wine).
He'd probably look at Ben as half of a good team combo - he finds the targets for Rolly's axe!
Ben and Rolly could know Mara from helping her parents at the tavern.
Okay, probably should have done this earlier, but here is an edited version of the Heldren guide in the book. Feel free to check it out and use bits, or not, as you like.
of town to the single door of this square stone tower. The
tower is 30 feet high, with battlements on its roof and
arrow slits along its walls. It is completely open on the
inside, with no interior f loors—just a wooden staircase
running along the walls to the roof. The tower serves as
Heldren’s armory and a place of refuge for the villagers in
case the village is ever attacked. In times of peace, the tower
is usually unoccupied, but a selection of simple arms and
armor—crossbows, bolts, spears, javelins, as well as a few
suits of leather armor, padded armor, and light wooden
shields—is stored inside for the militia.
time shoeing horses and repairing farm tools, Heldren’s
blacksmith, Isker Euphram , is quite skilled in battle. A
veteran of Taldor’s army, Isker served in Zimar and on
the Qadiran border for years before retiring to Heldren.
His chain shirt, pike, and short sword are still in good
condition, oiled and wrapped in a chest kept in his
house behind his shop, and Isker has taken it upon
himself to oversee the training of the village’s
militia. He keeps a few weapons for sale in his
shop, including 10 +1 cold iron sling bullets. He
also has a suit of masterwork banded mail for
sale (a relic of his army days), and could craft
other suits of armor if needed. His daughter,
Xanthippe, works as his apprentice. When not at her father’s
forge, Xanthippe’s likely to be found at the Silver
Stoat, holding court with her numerous suitors.
Although widely considered the village beauty,
Xanthippe is as proficient with her fists as with
her hammer, and those few of Heldren’s
young men who have tried to woo her
too aggressively walked away with
black eyes for their troubles.
general store carries everything a
villager needs, as well as most gear an
adventurer requires. Heldren sits
on the road to Zimar, so plenty of
trade passes through the village.
The store’s proprietor, Vivialla Steranus takes advantage
of this brisk trade to stock
her shelves. In general, most of the mundane adventuring
gear listed in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook can be
found here.
Heldren’s town hall boasts a clock tower overlooking the
town square. Its clockworks were imported from Qadira
some time ago, and are kept in working order by Orillus
Davigen (NG old male human expert 3), who can usually
be found up in the tower tinkering with the machinery.
The clock tower’s bells ring every hour from 6 am to 6 pm
(the villagers prefer to keep things quiet at night), and can
be used to sound the alarm if there’s a fire or to muster
the militia in case of attack. The town council meets in
the hall every week on Starday, though there’s usually
little to discuss beyond minor disagreements between
neighbors. The hall is big enough to host almost the
entire populace for monthly village assemblies and large
social gatherings, such as the annual Longnight dance.
On the wall outside the front door hangs a notice board,
where flyers are posted with local news, job openings, and
goods for sale.
in front of this equally neat house, the home of Tessaraea
Willowbark, Heldren’s resident apothecary. Tessaraea sells a
variety of herbs and all of
the special substances and items listed in the Core Rulebook.
Goldtooth (male dwarf) offers shaves, haircuts,
and dentistry, as well as “leechery and other surgical
proceedings.”
stands right on the town square across from the town hall.
A fixture of village life, the tavern fills up with patrons
in the evening as they gather to share gossip, hear news,
and reward themselves for a hard day’s work. Anything
that’s worth knowing in Heldren gets talked about here,
and if asked where he got a particularly juicy bit of gossip
or information, a villager will likely say, “I heard it from
the Stoat.” Husband and wife Menander ( male human) and Kale Garimos
(female human) run the Silver Stoat as if it were their family kitchen—
there’s always a seat at the table or a space by the hearth for
a guest, or a warm bowl of Menander’s hearty stew for an
empty belly. Menander works in the kitchen, cooking up
his famous venison f lank steak and numble pie. Kale tends
bar, serving up the tavern’s signature brew, Three Devil
Ale, which she brews in-house using imported Chelish
hops. Heldren doesn’t get many visitors, so there is no true
inn in the village, but travelers are welcome to a spot on
the f loor of the Stoat next to the fireplace for a night, as
long as they’re up early and on their way. Those who linger
risk a rude awakening from Menander’s wet mop in their
faces.
Sophia Imirras (NG female human commoner 1/expert 1)
offers horses (and a single pony) for hire or sale, as well
as stabling and grooming. Royal couriers on their way
to or from Demgazi or Zimar often change horses here.
None of Sophia’s horses are combat trained. Sophia also
has two carts, a wagon, and a carriage for hire.
town square is the large statue of a beautiful woman right
in the center of the town. Usually just called “the Lady,” the
statue has been here for as long as anyone can remember,
and no one knows who it actually represents. Some believe
the Lady was the founder of Heldren or some ancient,
forgotten Taldan noblewoman or even a mysterious fey
forest goddess. Others have more sinister theories—an evil
witch turned to stone for her wickedness or a magical statue
through which the satrap of Qadira can spy on Taldor. On
any given day, a few entrepreneurs selling goods or produce
can be found on the square, and a market is held on the last
Fireday of every month. Elder Natharen Safander also hosts
the annual Harvest Feast in the town square, during which
the people of Heldren erect a giant bonfire in the square
and bedeck the Lady in garlands of flowers.
village council, Ionnia Teppen, lives in this simple twostory
house just off the town square. Ionnia’s family has
had a place in Heldren’s politics for generations, and her
membership on the town council was all but assured. She
is by far the most inf luential member of the council, and
most villagers consider her the de facto mayor of Heldren.
is a cleric of Erastil, he tends to all of the village’s f lock
regardless of their faith. Though most of the villagers follow
the teachings of Old Deadeye, the temple also contains
shrines to Abadar, Gozreh, Pharasma, and even Sarenrae.
Natharen doesn’t much care for the Taldan government’s
intolerant stance on the faith of the Dawnf lower, and
believes that in a village like Heldren the sun goddess is as
important as the god of agriculture.
Frimbocket (N male gnome expert 7), a gnome with a wild
shock of electric blue hair. He decorates his creations with
delicate and elaborate trim he calls “gingerbread,” a style that
has proven quite popular among the well-to-do of Taldor’s
southern cities.
day and night cutting timber harvested by the village’s
woodcutters into planks for shipment to Zimar and other
cities, and stacks of lumber are always heaped outside.
Partners Alexius Demetri (CG male human commoner 1/
expert 2) and Lycio Vallant (LG male human commoner 4)
oversee the sawmill’s operation, which makes them two of
Heldren’s wealthiest residents. Their large house on the
north side of town is easily Heldren’s largest private home,
nicknamed “Sawmill Manor” by the town.
shop refers to the supposed nickname of its proprietor,
Perkin Tarimm (CN male half ling expert 2/warrior 1), who
claims to be a retired Zimar corsair.
Great idea! Added.
Sorry about the format under those spoilers. It didn't look that way when I was copying it out of my word document. I'll clean it up a bit when I get the chance.
I think it would be easiest if Ben knows Rolly from caravan duties (since Ben's work in the military and formal mercenary outfits didn't pan out) and it's likely that he's spent a good amount of his time at the tavern while he's been in town.Makes sense. Rolly's pretty good natured and a fun fellow to hang out with, if a bit overbearing and crude. He'd also spend a good amount of time in the tavern (note, though, that I always envisioned Rolly as not caring much for ale or beer but loving wine).
He'd probably look at Ben as half of a good team combo - he finds the targets for Rolly's axe!
Ben's pretty easy going to a fault, so he's a good compliment. I like the idea that they each order different drinks and then just silently exchange them when the wait staff assumes Rolly ordered beer or rotgut and Ben ordered the wine.
Since the Silver Stoat doesn't have rooms where would we be staying in town for an extended period?
I'm going to be out of town for the next 3-4 days. My internet access will be sporadic at best, but I'll try to check in if possible.
Everyone good on their back stories? If so, we cna try to get started early this week.
Since the Silver Stoat doesn't have rooms where would we be staying in town for an extended period?
Oh crap, just realized that I missed this. Sorry about that.
This is a good point. Let's say the the Stoat has three rooms for rent at 5sp per night. It's only when those rooms fill up or when patrons spend all of their lodging money on booze that they end up sleeping on the floor around the fire.
Sounds good. I'm pretty much ready to roll.
And if you guys are into sci-fi at all, take a look at Ashen Stars. It's a space opera/police procedural game from the guys that made Trail of Cthulhu. I picked it up recently and it seems really cool.
Ready to go here!
Cool! First post is up. Going to start with Gylwinth for the first scene then bring everyone else in shortly.
And if you guys are into sci-fi at all, take a look at Ashen Stars. It's a space opera/police procedural game from the guys that made Trail of Cthulhu. I picked it up recently and it seems really cool.
Woah, that looks really cool. Just from the description, I pick up a Jim Starlin/ Mos Eisley/ Mass Effect sorta vibe from it. Those are things that I love, so that's a bit of a plus, ha ha. What is the Gumshoe system like? Is it d10 based like CoC?
Gylwinth: How would you like to handle Findel? Do you want to control her completely or would you like me to take over in roleplay situations? I figure either way, you should handle the mechanical stuff.
Okay, sounds good. I'll feed Findel info just like I would Gylwinth and you can play off of that.
I'll have a post tomorrow, sorry! Work's been pretty rough the last few days.
And if you guys are into sci-fi at all, take a look at Ashen Stars. It's a space opera/police procedural game from the guys that made Trail of Cthulhu. I picked it up recently and it seems really cool.Woah, that looks really cool. Just from the description, I pick up a Jim Starlin/ Mos Eisley/ Mass Effect sorta vibe from it. Those are things that I love, so that's a bit of a plus, ha ha. What is the Gumshoe system like? Is it d10 based like CoC?
Gumshoe is based around running mystery games, so character skills break down into two categories: investigative and general. With investigative abilities you have a rating typically between 1 and 3. Having even 1 point in these indicates a high level of skill. Since you use them to find clues and gather information, you never roll to use them. Instead, you automatically find crucial information and can spend points from those pools to reap a special benefit later. That way, the plot keeps moving forward because you always have something pointing you toward the next clue.
General abilities can go much higher but function more like typical rpg skills. You spend points on a d6 roll in order to succeed against a difficulty- 4 being typical, but going up to 9+ for really difficult feats. It's in general abilities that health, infiltration, combat skills, etc. are found. These are things that carry a degree of risk and are therefore tested on a success/fail level.
Each setting has its own special additions as well- Ashen Stars has different alien races, ship-to-ship combat, a reputation system, cybernetic enhancements, etc. Whereas Trail of Cthulhu has a sanity system and an optional magic system. They even have a Pathfinder version of the rules.
Just a note that as we get further and further into May I'll get busier and busier at my day job, so please forgive any absences on my part.
I'm also a little bit tempted to have history repeat itself and maybe make another attempt at a pbp game in the summer. Is anyone into the Midgard setting, Ustalav or Call of Cthulhu?
Hey gang, sorry for the absence. I work at a university and this is my first year that I have the responsibility of prepping for commencement. Most of that is over with though, so I should be able to get back on track soon.
Just a note that as we get further and further into May I'll get busier and busier at my day job, so please forgive any absences on my part.
I'm also a little bit tempted to have history repeat itself and maybe make another attempt at a pbp game in the summer. Is anyone into the Midgard setting, Ustalav or Call of Cthulhu?
I love Ustalav and CoC. I've never read any Midgard books but I listened to an interview with Wolfgang Bauer (I think) where he described a bunch of the setting. I thought it sounded really cool and I would grab whatever books I needed for it with no problem. So yeah, I'm in to any and all of that.
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Just a note that as we get further and further into May I'll get busier and busier at my day job, so please forgive any absences on my part.
I'm also a little bit tempted to have history repeat itself and maybe make another attempt at a pbp game in the summer. Is anyone into the Midgard setting, Ustalav or Call of Cthulhu?
I'd be up for Midgard or Ustalav. While I'd like to do Call of Cthulhu, I don't own it, have never played, and don't know the rules, so that one I'd probably have to pass if that's picked.
I'm in the same boat as Bryan. Midgard and Ustalav both sound good to me.
Okay, commencement prep over, life somewhat back to normal (until July and august when my ACTUAL busy season starts). Apologies again for the delays, hope everyone is still on board.
Still here!