Evening one and all and welcome to the staging point that lies between yourselves and the great blue seas afore ye. I'm looking forward to the beginning torment that you'll face, and it's great and terrible savagery will make your eventual ascension to command and piracy all the more satisfying.
I'll be running the AP reasonably close to the original, but will be repainting some areas to suit the particular character we've got in the group.
Please build your character into an alias and make a post here stating when it's ready for a crunch review. Any final questions on builds and the like, please fire away and as people check in I'll also have a few items of discussion to get through with some characters.
I'll aim to get the gameplay thread rolling soon after we've had everyone check in.
Let the torment begin...
Bah - I hate water and all things fishy.
Dot, ahoy mateys!
Should be interesting:
Cavalier
Bard
Rogue/Fighter - two weapon
Aquatic Druid
Death Mage
Sea Witch
Yes, I agree this should be an interesting mix. Obisyth and Shifty/MIDN. Cedrick Dragonne both have animal companions too. Not sure if they'll have them right at the start or as things go on.
DM VoV - thinking about having Nachni's item be a bit of jewelry or a few coins squirreled away.
Not sure how familiar everyone is with the Daredevil Bard. The most important bit affecting all of you is that I trade away Inspire Courage for Derring-do. That will give you a +1 on Reflex saves and a +2 competence bonus on Dexterity-based skill checks. If you move at least 10 feet during your turn, you also get a +1 dodge bonus to AC.
I'm pretty sure I will stick to my plan to go with a whip for combat (once she can get a hold of one).
All - a question on my character. Right now I have an Albatross as an Animal Companion. I have been going back and forth on whether it is better to have the companion versus a domain. Please let me know what your opinions are, here are the options.
1) Stick with what I have - Albatross as an animal companion -- should make for a nice scout over longer distances and unlikely to arise suspicions in other boats - Mariners view Albatross as being a good omen - hehehe, boy are they wrong.
2) Take a domain - gives more spells
3) Take the Eagle Domain - get some interesting spells and can still have the Albatross as a familiar (I think that DM VoV would okay switching the Hawk with my Albatross).
4) Something else that I have not thought of.
Let me know what you think, I am good with any of them. Having the domain will allow me to memorize more healing spells to compliment our daredevil bard (which I assume will take CLW as one of her spells).
Glad to be here, mates! On to pillage and plunder and other appropriately piratey things! :-P
Here is a not-quite-finished character sheet for Joneth Revane.
Oh, and here is a question that just occured to me: Joneth, as originally conceived (back when he was a Varisian human and before I turned him into a tiefling after failing my Will save to apply for your game), was supposed to have a pickpocket's outfit as far as clothing is concerned, as well as a pair of wrist sheaths (among other more mundane adventuring gear, such as backpack, belt pouches, thieves' tools, leather armor and so on and so forth; the spoiler at the bottom of his character sheet has his full initial equipment). Seeing as we are supposed to be wearing clothes (at least, I assume so, otherwise first introductions are going to be very awkward, not to mention hiding our one item...), does he get to retain his pickpocket's outfit and one of the wrist sheaths (presumably the one holding the dagger they did not find)?
Either way is fine by me, just thought I would ask. :-)
It's an tough call. So far, I had not planned on CLW being in Nachni's initial spells because its really not in her nature. But, we may be a little short on healing depending on what you and Lloyd Jackson decide to do.
I'd be awfully tempted to consider Eagle (Albatross? Osprey?) domain. If your main thought with the albatross was scouting, you still get that with a familiar (though it will be DM VoV's call if he lets you flavor it that way). And, I see several spells in that list that I think you be extremely valuable - Eagle's Splendor, Fly, Overland Flight (and that's without even looking at some of those others I'm not as familiar with).
Avast!
I think my crunch is already ready. Any questions or suggested changes are welcome.
Here's Fish. My fellow spell caster take a glance and over an last minute feed-back.
@VoV What are your thoughts on familiars? I like the octopus, but it can't survive out of water. The dinosaur is pretty useful, and has a swim speed, but just doesn't seem 'fishy' enough. There are also some pirate familiars introduced in this adventure, but they don't have abilities listed, and a fear what may become of my beloved seal if the pirates see her.
@John, where is this class from?
It's from Super Genious Games. It's on the PFSRD if you're curious. It's basically the Necromancer done right.
As for the Octopus, isn't there a cantrip called Drench? Octopi can survive out of water for quite a while. The main thing they have to worry about is drying out.
For the record, I think an octopus familiar is an Awesome idea.
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Think we are starting sans familiars...
Would be odd that we were pressganged on to a pirate crew and they decided to stop and grab our pets too. That we start with only one small item and our underpants (Well it is inferred we have underpants, I hope thats not an item we need to choose) gives me the notion we are up for a very tough start :)
Depending on the pet it might be ok. An albatross need never come close enough for people to figure out that it's a magic pet, and it could keep up with the ship.
Not so much with the octopus though.
Cedrick is correct for the most part - familiars / animal companions / hounds of hell will be lacking at the start of the campaign, but the witch is a slightly different case; given that his spells rely on the familiar. So there are a few options.
1. Pre-existing familiar that comes aboard with you - which is limited to one of the small ones that could hide away on your person.
2. Pick up a familiar on-board the Wormwood (such as a rat, spider, there is also a parrot)
3. Octopus could work, though in a fairly restricted fashion initially. (think brain in a jar)
So the real question is what familiar would Fish like to have? If you confirm on the octopus, I'll give you a couple of options of how it could work.
Healing role: we obviously don't have a cleric... but we do have a druid and a witch. So the intent is that you two would share that burden between you initially. Are you both comfortable with that?
For all: You start with a set of clothes, plus an item or item combo that is relatively easily concealable.
F.Castor - pickpocket's outfit and a single dagger plus spring loaded wrist sheath is fine.
Voice- the original incarnation of John had the tiefling ability to be healed by positive and negative energy (number 49 on the chart). There is a feat I saw that gives an additional tiefling ability. Would you let me take it to pick that ability again?
Might lighten the healing load a bit and it's thematically appropriate.
Ok, after thinking about it. I believe that I will take the Eagle Domain with an Albatross as my Familiar. This way I will have the extra spell slot and we should have a nice scout - and my perception should be pretty decent as well.
Nachni - a piece of jewelry or the like is fine as your witheld item. Is it intended to be a source of barter cash or personally significant to Nachni?
John - Would the healing load lightening come from your death mage preparing inflict light wounds to potentially cast upon himself?
I'm a little bit hesitant purely for the fact that I haven't allowed anyone else to pick and choose... but I am thinking of a potential solution depending on the answer to the question posed above.
I think I'll go with octopus. It'll be challenging, but think it fits best. The Iguana is really cool, but slimy tentacles win. The Dodo's +4 initative is great, but come on, a fiendish witch from the depths of the abyss does not have a silly looking bird as a repository of arcane might. Though if I worshiped Pazuzu it would be great cover. 'Who are you?' 'I am a cultist of the Demon Lord Pazuzu whose eldritch might in contained in that bird!' 'The dodo?' 'Yes' 'Right, Moving on'
On healing, I selected CLW. If there bard does also, that gives us half the party with healing ability. Not a lot, but hopefully enough.
Fish - octopus it is. Let's go with a juvenile that is roughly tennis ball sized to make it easier to hide initially. So that s/he doesn't dry out I'll also allow you to take create saltwater as a cantrip if you like.
Sweet thank you's! Any crunch complaints? I moved the 5 points in Cha over to Int. Hadn't realized how much of a save or suck the witch is, and I'm lacking any of the offesive hexes, so I gotta make my spells count. Mechanics isn't the most important thing, but it does matter. (There is a small evil part of me that wants to play a 20Int Lv1 Witch with Cackle and Misfortune. Make that first save buddy boy or your ass is mine!)
Not sure what you are allowing for hidden goods, I was thinking of something on the order of 10 uncut semi-precious stones, the type I would have found in my wanderings of the jungle or along the seashore somewhere. Say 5gp value each.
Also, my character sheet should pretty much be done. I may have missed something, so if anyone sees anything, let me know.
Voice- yes, that was the thought (also potentially being healed by any negative-energy abilities of undead we might face)
If you don't want to allow it, that's fine. I'm happy with the character as is.
Bah - I hate water and all things fishy.
Wait a second.... Madam, I'm not sure you and I can be friends... to the death! *Pulls out a limp fish* On guard!
Crunch review is still incoming for all.
Obisyth: you can have your hidden item as a bracelet / necklace / small pouch of stones. 50gp street value maximum.
John: still thinking over the negative energy heal.
Joneth is ready crunch-wise. All that is left is to simply add his fluff -appearance, personality and background, which can already be found in the recruitment thread- and his character sheet is all done.
Gameplay thread is now live - please check in with a brief description of yourself and let me know what you are up to in Port Peril immediately before you get shanghaied.
I'll not limit you to drinking in the Formidably Maid (though you certainly can be if you like) - you could be walking the streets, sitting on the pier watching the waves, searching for a certain someone, or bargaining with a shady merchant. Once we've all are ready then I'll fade to black and you'll awaken rocking back and forth upon the seas.
I'm now getting stuck into the crunch reviews, and will throw up any questions that come to mind.
I've put them in a spoiler purely for length.
- Character Sheet mentions a spellbook, though my understanding is that Death Mages choose spells similarly to a Cleric? I'd rename it for ease of reading.
- Command Undead is 3+Cha mod - so shouldn't it be 7 of per day?
- Swim should have a -1 mod from Strength
- How are you planning on tracking spells cast per day in the profile?
- What is your proposed retained item?
- Could I get a small section at the top of the profile showing spells memorized for the day and current HP?
- What is your proposed retained item?
- For my reference, could you list somewhere on your profile which skills have ranks in them?
- When you get a chance - if you can summarize the game effects of your Special Abilities please
- If I can get the spells memorized out of the spoiler and at the top of the profile that would be grand.
- Much as I know you're skill constrained... but I'd prefer to see a point in Handle Animal - otherwise you and your familiar will have a prickly relationship...
- If I can get a note somewhere of which skills have ranks that would be grand
Fixed - switched Survival for Handle Animal.
There we go. That should be everything you wanted. Skills are under Stats. Abilities have been summarized.
I assumed the small item would be her familiar. Otherwise, an obsidian dagger. (There are volcanoes in the area, and all the metals start to corrode after a while.)
Got rid of the spoilers around stats in the profile. I'm thinking five gold bracelets at 10 gp value each stolen from the brothel in Ilizmagorti for barter...or perhaps gambling :) I'm ok with less of them if you would prefer.
I'll trade all the starting goods/gold I'm supposed to have for a +1 trait bonus to sing. It seems witchy.
Poke - where is everyone - and our death mage? We need to get kidnapped and forced into manual labor.
--> John, as a note, if you set up the spoiler as [spoiler=XXX] where XXX is what you want the spoiler to be named, you can get rid of all the =====XXX===== and the Spoiler titles.
Do not fear - it's incoming ;)
I've made the updates to my sheet. As for spells, I've marked the ones I have memorized with an x. I figured I'd just erase the x when I'd cast them.
As for the retained item, I really have no idea. Since I'm an amnesiac would you mind suggesting something that I may have washed up onto the beach with? Something story significant?
Essentially the prize possession of one soon to be departed that can serve as an early focus for your connection to the spirits.
You up for that? - it will have some value to it as well if you want to turn it to barter afterward.
Nachni - 50gp in bracelets is ok by me.
Fish - I'm fine with that, an extra trait for a +1 on Perform (Sing) instead of a retained item.
That sounds fine to me :)
John - cool, you'll see it soon enough.
As a general note to all - this AP and this DM will be trying to not pull any punches in the lead in. You'll get some initial lee-way, but the men in charge are ones to step warily around.
I'm aiming to go with a reasonably dark look at what life aboard an Age of Sail boat would have been like and descriptions and tone will reflect that. I game with most of you already so I'm pretty sure you're up for it :) If the tone is putting you off or you have any concerns - please raise them up here.
There will also be a few abstractions and rule systems that will come in to cover the life aboard the ship that I'll go through in turn as we get to them.... assuming you survive basic training ;)
Obisyth - remember that you've not started with a familiar as we discussed and agreed in PM. You'll meet your familiar during play.
That is what I thought. That is why I posted my perception without the modifiers.
Forgot to mention that it probably makes more sense for Nachni to speak Vudrani than Abyssal or Infernal even though that means no sneaky whispering. Make sense? If so, I'll change it.
DM is fine with Nachni changing out the tiefling granted Abyssal for Vudrani.
As an FYI for all, I may be off the boards from Friday the 18th until Monday the 28th. I have attempted to download a program which allows me to tether my PC through my Iphone, but do not know whether it will work where I am going. Thus, I hope to keep up with my characters, but if I fall behind, feel free to DMPC me as necessary.
Away this Friday afternoon until Sunday night, just a heads up... will be happening most weekends now until I go away :(
I've been trying to nail down what john's personality is like. I've decided on a cross between Deadpool and the drunk skeleton from The Last Unicorn.
Obisyth / Shifty - no problems at all. In general weekends for me are going to be difficult for some time due to the wee baby's influence.
I'm conscious of the fact that there are a lot of faceless on-lookers at the moment, but my plan is to gradually drip feed their details in over the course of the first couple of days aboard.
You'll each be paired up with a specific NPC for your first few jobs, which will give you an overview - plus I'm modifying the ships actions slightly to allow you to essentially get to know them better (and get some tangible ideas for likes / dislikes / etc).
Thats cool