if it turns into a melee with the town there has to be some good folks that knew what was happening in basements, and out here at the old farm, that know we are doing good work. It was mentioned that people have seen the abominations out in the fields before.
Those people could throw their hats in the ring with us. Hedge mages, ranger/hunters, clerics of a good god, a local druid, reinforcements from wolfs ear, etc. those can be written in pretty easy.
All right, guys, re-recruitment has officially begun! Hope we get some good entries.
I noticed there's a recruitment open call where there's a collective of potential candidates waiting for gm perusal. It's organized into spreadsheets..
Whooo hoo! Dalton's back. Lets RP it up.
@Budd: Did you try that link I posted earlier?
I did! And look, as soon as I posted something in that thread, I got an applicant and one other showing interest! Thanks, I guess that thread's where it's at for recruitment right now. I'm also going to peek through the roster of uploaded characters to see if there's anybody else who looks cool.
Wanna know what I did today?
I updated the wiki, that's what I did.
HOW BALLER AM I YOU GUYS
Nah, in all seriousness, I really like the idea of keeping the wiki up to date. I don't know about copying the actual posts over to it (that seems like a lot of work to me, though if someone else wants to do it, cool), but for keeping track of NPCs and stuff I think it's a swell idea. Once I get all the NPCs written up, I might sort 'em by area (Magnimar, Galduria, Ravenmoor, etc.).
Also, I think Corsario's proposed character might be a really good fit for the campaign, and I'm strongly considering bringing him on board within the next few days. I'm still curious to see if anybody else will apply, but if Corsario's Voyla is all we get, then I'll still be happy. An Inquisitor of Desna is just so appropriate for what's going on right now. Plus, this keeps the party from being a sausage fest since Calwen and Warshawski have poofed. Any thoughts?
Yeah I think adding her in to the mix makes for good story telling and makes the group a shoe in for Carrion Hill. Another fighter type would be nice to have, but we don't have to have that. What I really like about this group is the sticking to our characters and when we all built them we were trying to realize our character not min maxing them.
I am really glad Dalton came back. I will miss the other two characters that went MIA , but we have to keep going and keep this unique group rolling.
Yeah, in particular I'm sad that Warshawski never got a chance to use a lot of her neat class abilities, but she was a great character (even if her and Marsh did not get along). Calwen and her noble steed got to kick a lot of arse, but again I wish she had at least gotten to meet Armand's killer and avenge him. Also, I will miss getting to write Lyila and the Nixies again. They were like my one little break from the grimdarkness of Ravenmoor. ;) Dalton having returned is fantastic. I was starting to feel particularly glum when it looked like we'd lost three people back to back and nobody was responding to the recruitment thread...
Also, if Corsario does end up joining, I might actually get to show off a little bit of the very detailed and well-thought-out Founder's Festival that you guys are totally missing. :D At least SOMEBODY will get to see what's going down over there! (I do appreciate that the module's author threw in a note saying that it's entirely possible the players might never even see the Festival, but filled it full of fun stuff regardless. That's good modulin'.)
I figured since we missed the festival so far, why not start a bonfire of our own!
I'm looking forward to an inquisitor type. I've always like the class and the combination of a Desnan is too good.
Indeed. If it weren't for my eternal love for all things kung fu, thus making Monks my implacable favorite class for all eternity, Inquisitors would be the top. Something about the synergy of all those abilities and the flavor of the class is just so... Castlevania! (For those not in the know, that's a good thing.)
Hi guys, Corsario here!
Well, thank you for the invite for your game. I started reading the Gameplay thread (24 pages!) and I have to say you play some really nice game!
Too bad you lost some players, and I just hope I can be as good player as you all are.
One disclaimer. English is not my primary language, so if I sometimes write something "odd" please tell me, maybe is made a mistake.
About my proposal, it's a Desna Inquisitor:
IMAGE
CHARACTER SHEET
Description:
The young woman entering the inn is covered by a dark grey cloak. Even if her factions betrays her as a Varisian, her clothes differ from what is normal in the nomadic people. Instead of the light colorful fabrics, she wears a sturdy and colorless outfit, with a longbow on her back.
She sits in a table, and with a raspy voice ask for some ale, which she drinks, looking outside, towards the starry night, while singing, very softly, a Varisian song.
---------
A varisian girl at the top of her beauty and physical condition, lithe but not overtly athletic, dressed in dark clothes. Her hair, somehow, looks grey instead of black, and with the correct light you can notice her big dark eyes are dark grey too. If you ask her, and you have win her confidence, she will tell you their are the color of the night. Normally silent, her voice has a deep raspy tone.
She has long legs, big mouth, and a beautiful figure.
Introverted and prone to day-dream, she hopes her time has arrived, and she will now be free to do Desna's bidding, freeing from bondage and fear the most needy of her people, the Varisians. Always seems to be flying on the stars.
Inside she needs to reaffirm her faith and confidence, proving herself in the real world, after living with her extended family for all of her life.
She is also looking for that special man that will sweep her out of her feet.
Age: 21; Height: 5'6"; Weight: 140 lbs
Biography
Born to a Varisian travelling caravan, she has lived with them all of her life, learning from her grandmother the mysteries of the Night Butterfly, from her father archery, and from her mother the abilities of stealth and to know what people think, even while what they say is different.
Her big sister Wyssal has become a leader of the caravan, and her small sister Rose died some 10 years prior, of sickness.
Knowing that the way of Desna is the way of travel, she has left her family to make a mark in the world for herself.
Thinking in how to add her to the game:
What do you think?
Personally, although I think this would be a load of work for the DM, I would like to see you be a local. Your character is young, perfect for participating in the beauty contest going on at the festival.
The town seems to collect people of different ethnicities.
Random plot popped into my head.
Your mom fled here, for a sinister reason of course that will come to light later in the story, you were young. Your mom was a follower of Desna and came seeking shelter in this town, a known community dedicated to the goddess. Maybe she looked a bit like the gal in the paintings? The cult did whatever it is they do to her, you were left alive and raised in the village, assisted by the Khorzas? Or maybe you are the gothic bent friend of the self cutter Marleyna?
I am sure you have some suspicions about the village or your moms disappearance or maybe she is still around, but altered somehow.
Anyway quick thoughts and I've got to run.
What is your primary language? I think any mistakes will just help it read like you have a Varisian accent :). Don't worry, Vinnie just speaks crass bad English.
On another note, I know a guy who plays a great houndsman which is a hunter class with a dog for a companion, so not over powered. Want me to ask if he wants to play? His character just got castrated and eaten by orcs.
He is a good writer.
Marsh - shoot the fellow a message and have him look things over. If he's interested, we can take a looksee. And hey, Marleyna didn't inflict those wounds on herself! That was all ol' Robb's work. Marleyna has her fair share of self-destructive tendencies, but she's not a cutter. (Yet.) Her sister, on the other hand... You guys never did read that book you found at the Bartley house tucked under Robb's mattress, did you?
Corsario - I think it would be very interesting if Voyla was a local. Ravenmoor's population is primarily Varisian, and officially is a Desnan community (though the authenticity of its religious practices is... suspect, obviously). If Voyla is from Ravenmoor originally, then it's probably for the best that she (and, perhaps, her caravan) have been away for a very long time and only recently returned; after all, to a fully-trained level 3 Inquisitor of Desna, the "difficulties" with the town's particular manner of worship would be immediately apparent. What if Voyla was either born in Ravenmoor or her caravan spent some time there in her youth? She could have memories of the Founder's Festival and its various games and events, and has returned there to observe, or even participate? She could have other reasons for the visit, as well; perhaps a run-in with another Desnan (maybe her sister, who leads the caravan?) who had passed through recently indicated to her that there was something fishy about the way the Ravenmoor folk worship Desna, and that gave her cause for concern. You could have already been in town by the time the rest of the party got there, and while they were doing their thing, you were at the Festival enjoying the sights while doing a little investigation of your own. And then, of course, you hear that the creepy old Chenowitz House is on fire...
The cleric of Desna that made the pilgrimage into the Churlwood to find a way to save Ravenmoor from the blight is Iola Kriegler, the great-great-great-great-great-grandmother of Ravenmoor's current mayor and spiritual leader, Andretti Kriegler.
Also, Corsario, don't worry too much about your English. As long as your posts are interesting and your character has heart and substance, I'm not worried. (Wasn't Calwen's player from Germany?)
I think she was from a Scandinavian country IIRC.
I've been wrong before.
I'll ask my friend as well if Marsh can't get his. He was the one who was in recruitment who played the somewhat unhinged Brawler / Inquisitor tax collecting monster; though I don't think he'd mind making something else up entirely.
I'm not too familiar with Golarion lore and geography for the most part so I will refrain from commenting on Voyla's backstory and how to include her at all, as it would be uninformed.
Oooh, that was a great character! Silas, I think his name was. I remember him and Greven Morius (sp?) being really, really close to getting in. He was also the only character that took advantage of the option to go Lawful Evil, if I recall correctly. Even if that character has to be tinkered somewhat or comes in later in the campaign, I'd like to have somebody like that along.
@Marsh - also, hold on, holy crap, that guy's character got castrated and eaten?! What the heck? That's probably the worst character death I've ever heard.
Sounds good. Her sister's caravan saw "weird" things in their hometown the last time they stayed there, and when Voyla heard about it, she decided to return "home" to see by herself, and also to participate in the Founder's Festival, which she normally does.
The fact that even as it is her Hometown she know almost nothing about it, or that her caravan is not into whatever is happening in town is well explained by the fact they don't really spend much time there.
Less castrated and eaten... and more his hund got eaten, then all the fingers on his right hand were severed... followed by him joining the hund in the stockpot.
Humbled as I am by the interest in Thrymr, he was very much built for a specifically Ulfen and outdoorsy campaign... so I'd need to research and pitch a different character for here. I'll cast eyes over the thread and other characters and see if I can come up with something to fit.
For full disclosure I have played through a modified Feast of Ravenmoor previously, but I'm able to divest player and character information.
Whoohoo! You found us. Yeah we are playing Feast of Ravenmoor, but CHUD has modified it heavily. We are all 3rd level and I think we were given 1800 gold starting for gear? CHUD should chime in.
Yeah I was thinking Thrmyr can be reworked the Ulfen background probably doesn't fit, but the huntsman/hound is a neat concept at totally fits this backwater. We are going on to another adventure from this one the tracking dog would be great for finding our lost party members.
Since you already know the town and setting you could be a local or something. The party in the village is just starting.
Diggin' the back story and connections, Voyla. The will make for an interesting introduction in sure!
A thought for the potential hunter type, Thrymr, perhaps a bounty hunter? Following the lead on Nettlby Breckenwald? Or would being a local huntsman fit better? Not sure.
An alternative that I could offer is a rework on a character concept I bounced around in my head a while but didn't commit to paper... and is a bit more fitting the Ustalav landscape.
Broad strokes is a Varisi traveller with a bear companion. Maintains the survival skills, but pairs them with a bit more of a social orientation as well.
I'll commit a bit more detail to the concept before I throw it up for public ridicule ;)
So, I just got back from seeing Mad Max: Fury Road and @#*$&@#*#@$*&((*%!) that was AWESOME.
@Corsario/Voyla - I think this is the best approach. I think I'll start working on an introduction to tie you into the ongoing festival based on this premise. I have a review to write for my blog tonight, but I'll start cracking on it as soon as I'm done with that. This will be a little similar to what I did with Calwen, since she had a totally different starting place than the rest of the party... but a lot less taxing on me.
@Thrymr - It's true that this is a heavily-modified Feast of Ravenmoor, but I'm also still planning on moving on to (similarly modified) Carrion Hill afterwards. It'd be great to have more folks along for that part of the adventure in particular. Also - I read the epic demise of your character in that campaign, and it was very sad. :<
As a related note regarding Carrion Hill, considering the physical distance between your current location and Ustalav, there may be a bit of a mini-adventure on your way there.
Starting wealth was 3,000 GP, the norm for level 3.
Assuming you guys survive Ravenmoor at all, of course. :)
Thrymr's demise was less sad and more 'fitting' I thought. Got into a poor situation and wasn't able to get away from it.... slight Ulfen bloodlust didn't help either ;)
Fury Road is indeed a magnificent film, looking forward to when it finally comes out on DVD so I can watch and re-watch and pick up on more of the buzzard details and whatnot. Hopefully Miller kicks on and makes another film in the milieu.
Perfect! I will wait for you go ahead...
Okay, gang! Time to move things along. I'm working on today's post now, which will include both what's currently going on at the Chenowitz house and also cover Voyla's introduction - which you guys are free to read through anyway, since it's likely the only glimpse you'll get of what's been going on over there.
Showtime!
Welcome aboard Voyla!
I'll get caught up here and post tonight. Sorry for the delay.
Thanks
Male Halfling Hunter 3
Feats:
Combat Expertise: can take a -1 penalty on attack rolls to gain +1 dodge to AC.
TBC (non-combat feat)
Outflank: when me and an ally with this feat are flanking, flanking bonus increases to +4. In addition, when scoring a critical hit – provoke an AoO from ally.
Pack Flanking (teamwork bonus): when companion is adjacent and threatening the same creature, considered to be flanking.
Traits:
Beast Bond: +1 on Handle Animal and Ride
Frontier-Forged: +1 on Perception and Survival to get along in the wild
Racial Traits:
Small: +1 size bonus to AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to CMB and CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth.
Slow Speed: base speed of 20 feet.
Wanderlust: +2 bonus on Knowledge (geography) and Survival checks. When casting spells or using abilities that provide or enhance movement, treat caster level as +1 higher than normal.
Keen Senses: +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
Outrider: +2 bonus on Handle Animal and Ride checks.
Weapon Familiarity: proficient with slings and treat any weapon with the word "halfling" in its name as a martial weapon.
Languages: Common, Halfling, Varisian.
Favored Class: Hunter – animal companion gets a +¼ luck bonus on saving throws.
Skills: (6 + Int)
Handle Animal (Cha): +11 (3 +2 Cha +3 Class +2 Racial +1 Trait) (15 with companion)
Heal (Wis): +8 (3 +2 Wis +3 Class)
Knowledge (Geography-Int): +9 (3 +1 Int +3 Class +2 Racial)
Perception (Wis): +11 (3 +2 Wis +3 Class +2 Racial +1 Trait)
Profession (Ursari-Wis): +8 (3 +2 Wis +3 Class)
Stealth (Dex): +12 (3 +2 Dex +3 Class +4 Size)
Survival (Wis): +11 (3 +2 Wis +3 Class +1 Trait +2 Racial)
Class Abilities:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: simple and martial weapons and with light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).
Animal Companion (Ex): functions like the druid animal companion ability. The hunter’s effective druid level is equal to hunter level. A hunter may teach companion hunter’s tricks from the skirmisher ranger archetype instead of standard tricks.
Nature Training (Ex): counts total hunter level as both druid levels and ranger levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats, traits, and options that modify or improve an animal companion.
Wild Empathy (Ex): functions as a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The hunter rolls 1d20 and adds hunter level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.
Precise Companion: both gain Outflank.
Track: as Ranger class feature.
Hunter Tactics (Ex): automatically grants teamwork feats to animal companion.
Teamwork Feat: gain bonus teamwork feat. As a standard action, can choose to learn a new bonus teamwork feat in place of most recent. Can change Wis / day.
Animal Focus (Su)
Spells Known: (Wis based spontaneous)
0th: create water, detect poison, know direction, mending, resistance, virtue
1st: bristle, cure light wounds, heightened awareness, magic fang
Gear: 3,000 gp
Masterwork Shortsword – 310gp
2 x Dagger – 4gp
Chain Shirt – 100gp
Dire Collar: 1/day on command, creature that fastened the dire collar (and within 30ft) can cause animal to gain benefits of enlarge person for 1 minute. 1000gp
Masterwork Studded Leather Bear Armor: +3 Armor – 200gp
Animal Companion: Bear
Ability Scores Str 15+1, Dex 15+1, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Size Small; Speed 40 ft.; AC 17 (10 +2 natural armor +2 Dex +3 Armor)
HD 3, BAB +2, Fort + (3+), Ref + (3+), Will + (1+)
Special Qualities low-light vision, scent.
Attack bite + for 1d4+, 2 claws for 1d3+
Link (Ex): can handle animal companion as a free action, or push it as a move action. +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding an animal companion.
Skills: Perform (Dance), Stealth, Survival
Feats: Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Claw)
Tricks: attack, come, down, fetch, heel, perform, stay, track
Crunch is taking shape - will be building him up as a Varisi halfling from Ustalav who was part of a gypsy troupe before being forced to go it alone due to and has turned to a combination of the land and working as a Usari to make his way in the world. When in the wild it's all business, while in a city his bear can be muzzled and pose/work as a dancing bear.
Dramin, if the whole wand thing doesn't work for you, I'm totally cool omitting it from my post.
@Mark: I'm unreasonably excited about a halfling hunter with a bear companion. Both you and Voyla are going to add an awesome dimension to this game!
I agree! Bears make everything better, and being from Ustalav will be handy down the road.
I'll have a post up tomorrow! Gotta do a clopen. Fun times.
I want to see Mad Max again... ;_;
Go for it. Dramin isn't exactly a perceptive guy. It served a function and he likes practicality.
I agree! Bears make everything better
So true
I want to see Mad Max again... ;_;
I've seen it twice now and want to design a clan of barbarians after Immortan Joe's Warboys. WHAT A LOVELY DAY!
uu uu ggg hh uughh hh
Sorry it's been all day without a post. Today was a horrific slog. I'm working on something now, gang.
took me three friggin hours to get home from work grumblegrumble
3 hours? Holy hell.
Yeah. Public transit usually takes half that, but the train was delayed, the bus was delayed, I got rained on, et cetera et cetera... I slept until almost three o'clock in the afternoon today. O_O
More updates to the Wiki. Slowly but surely, I'm getting all the NPCs up-to-date.
Quick update! I'm in a f'ed up transportation situation and won't be able to post until later tonight. Sorreh!
Ahhhhh, I see. You are building suspense. Hope your commute isn't so horrible you kill us all off in a epic fit of kick the dog, roll the dice and off with their heads! :)
Just dropping in to state that the character is slowly coming along. I should have a bullet-point style background for review sometime in the next day or so.
Cool hope we can bring him in soon.
Aye. Looking forward to seeing that bear in action. :D
Good grief today was exhausting. I'm sore as hell. I may not be able to get a post up until the morning; we'll see. Just got home, gotta eat, do garbage, take a hot bath... Let's see how it goes.
In related news, thanks to you guys going well off the rails (though the module is quite helpful in acknowledging that this is a strong possibility), I have absolutely no idea how close to finishing Feast of Ravenmoor you guys are now. It could end very quickly or go on for quite a while longer, depending entirely on your own actions.
"Get back to the Nostromo, nuke the village from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." - Hicks
In other news... a little feat called Spirit’s Gift is officially in the astonishingly good category for anyone with an animal companion. I've taken it for now... but I'm a tad worried it's too good. (it is banned in PFS)
- Born to a Ustalavic Varisi caravan.
- Mother was an Ursari, and father was the train's medic.
- Grew up with the caravan winding around the wilds of Ustalav before settling in for an extended stay in Varno at Cesca.
- Apart from training in both of the parental trades, Niklos was prone to sneaking away into the city to explore.
- Tales of the Harrow enchanted his mind, and he went seeking the Silent Aviary in the ruins of Castle Azurti. While he was there something happened that he has no memory of... but resulted in him fleeing screaming into the city with blood streaming from his eyes and ears.
- In the ensuing fallout, his caravan was forced to move on... travelling south.
- One night the caravan was visited by a black coach, dark as night. Niklos knows not what was said or who was present... but after the coach left, the caravan forced as much speed as could be mustered to flee West.
- Seven days later... Niklos snuck away before dinner to get some respite from the oppressive gloom that had descended over the Varisi of the caravan. It couldn't have been more than an hour or two spent in quiet reflection and play with one of the Ursari's new-born bearcubs... but when he returned the caravan had been turned into a charnel house of blood and death.
- Numb and scared beyond rationality, he fled... and every step he took in the years that followed took him further and further from Ustalav and the memory of his parents and family.
- He grew hard and cold during the years that followed... travelling from town to town, village to village - begging where it was needed, playing Ursari when he could... a bit of petty banditry when all else failed... travelling ever to the North and West.
Well theres a start :) - appearance, personality and final crunch to follow slightly later. (as well as a revised avatar)
I was just involved in a bus accident! No one injured. Shouldn't be anything to worry about. I brought my computer along to work today, so I should have a post up this afternoon. EDIT: I should clarify that I was on the bus that was hit.
Nice work on your character, btw! Niklos seems cool. We can work on fitting him in shortly!
Guess that accident was worse than I thought; five people were stretchered out and we ended up having to "evacuate." :\
Interesting day this is turning out to be!
Niklos, where's that feat from? It seems insanely good.
I am glad you are ok.
Yikes. Glad you're safe, Budd.