Well...the things I keep asking about, mostly...but it's starting to look like that's simply too much to ask.
To be honest, I've been reluctant to go painting landscapes here without seeing a little more of the canvas. Perhaps others are holding back similarly?
One thing I'll offer, I know that earlier you'd said 'no cities' in your call for sites/ideas...but I'm going to go ahead and suggest a city. ;) Maybe not a location we get to for a little while, but the door-to-door urban streetfighting (or running) seems a staple of the genre.
Perhaps the starting location is out in the provinces / counties somewhere, but there is a large capital city a few counties over? That would probably have our area seeing an influx of refugees fleeing the zombies, assuming the outbreak started in teh capital.
Bill is always open for business, and can help with any of your mundane crafting needs! Ecentric or otherwise!
I'm wondering if Bill is the common thread of our party -- he's the guy we all go to in town to get our things fixed....or, as the case may be, to stretch our starting gold to the max.
Sounds like the town of New Greenleaf needs the following things so far:
* The crafting shop of Mr. Bill Godfrey
* A small shrine to some suitably forgiving deity (Sarenrae?) for Crazy Will to have gone to for confession
* A militia post that Jaer is based out of -- perhaps a dozen soldiers at a time who double as the town watch?
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As far as 'canvas' goes, what do you want? I'll happily supply whatever I have to...but I'm hoping to get most of the details from players. Think of the canvas as pretty blank, with some pretty basic preconceptions of the main theme...I'll fill in the blank spots...
...but if there's an inn, just off the main road, that brews their own mead and has the best rabbit stew in the county...so you visit regularly...I want to know about it.
If there's this urchin with amazing skills at petty theft, and she drives the law crazy...tell me. She'll make a fascinating npc.
The elf just wasn't coming together for me in a way I liked so i have another idea to propose. A ratfolk alchemist that is sort of a member of the poorer side of town. He is known for being able to acquire all sorts of strange but useful (and sometimes illegal) items for those willing to pay. His front is a small goods store with a secret storage room for his lab where he creates concoctions and alchemical things. I would know bob and trade with him sometimes and the questionable side of me would be sort of known but unprovable. He would be chaotic good, not seeing the harm in some things, quite easy to get along with and his catch phrase is 'its only illegal if you get caught'. He knows quite a few of the troublesome villagers and the poorest folk as well as other businessmen but would be known by quite a few more than that.
I can get a better background and character up tonight after work.
I am thinking normal human samurai... hm.
Price for a a Mighty(+1) Composite longbow is 83gp 33sp
wow, that's a nice discount ;)
What would a MW Mighty(+2) Composite longbow cost at your shop? I don't know where Crazy Will got his, but man, I think he overpaid ;)
@GM, I put a sack in my inventory and was planning on filling it with reclaimed arrowheads & fletchings. (So that he can craft arrows if he finds some wood, instead of having to make arrowheads and such as well ;)) I was wondering how much you thought those components would weigh and cost? Just say how much it would be per 20 arrowheads/fletchings, than I can figure out from there how many sets he would have put in that sack.
Be a straight up 125gp.
I think you missed the Masterwork part I asked for, as that component alone would cost 100 GP for you to make. But even if you would ask 300 GP in total for the thing, it would still be much cheaper than what it currently cost me ;)
Got some of the story here. Let me know what you think.
Kaars story in New Greenleaf began almost a dozen years ago. His life before that is a mystery to him, no memories of his family or warren are left. He remembers waking up in the woods on the side of the road several miles from the village bruised and looking like he was robbed. He found a broken cart and a few scattered items which luckily included an alchemist formula book and a number of other alchemical recipes for different concoctions. He walked into town with just his name and a few possessions and never left. He eventually managed to set up a lab in an abandoned run down house given to him by the crazy dying resident who thought he was a long lost son. He was blind and everyone in the village left him alone. They say he was an old war veteran from the last big war, or that he used to be a wizard before the magic drove him mad.
Since then Kaars has become known in the village as a merchant and trading alchemist of various potions. Not too many like to be known to associate with him but those looking for an alternate remedy or something to be repaired with finesse have never been unsatisfied. Recently he has found an old dusty book hidden under his lab filled with the strangest arcane symbols. All his time has been spent trying to decipher the code and find out what the old man was upto but he was having no luck.
Hide Shirt - 20gp - 18lbs
Tail Blade - 11gp - 0.5lbs
Morningstar - 8gp - 6lbs
Dagger - 2gp - 1lbs
Alchemist's Kit* - 40gp - 24lbs
Hemp Rope - 1gp - 10lbs
Bandolier - 5sp - 0lbs
Spring Loaded Wrist Sheath - 5gp - 1lbs
Pickpocket's outfit - 0gp - 3lbs
Formulae Book - 0gp - 0lbs
96.5 total
8.5 left
*This kit includes an alchemy crafting kit, a backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a flint and steel, ink, an inkpen, an iron pot, a mess kit, soap, torches (10), trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin. The kit does not contain a formula book because an alchemist begins play with a formula book and does not need to purchase one.
Kaars Arden
Ratfolk Alchemist(Vivisectionist/Internal Alchemist) 1
CG Small Humanoid(Ratfolk)
Init +4; Senses Perception +7; Dark Vision 60ft.
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Defense
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AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+4 dex, +3 armour, +1 size[+4 shield, +2 natural(mutagen)])
hp 9 (1d8+1)
Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +2
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft.
Melee Morningstar +5 (1d6)x2 (+1d6 SA)
Melee Tail +0 (1d2)x2 (+1d6 SA)
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Spellcasting
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1st level formulae DC 14, 1+1 per day Crafter's fortune, Cure Light Wounds, Shield, Expeditious Retreat.
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 7
Base Atk +0; CMB -1; CMD 13
Feats: Brew Potion, Weapon Finesse.
Traits: Slippery, Vagabond Child, Indomitable Faith.
Drawback: Vain
Trained Skills: 1 Craft(Alchemy) +8(+1 to create an alchemical item), 1 Escape Artist +9, 1 Perception +7, 1 Sleight of Hand +8, 1 Stealth +13, 1 Survival +5.
Languages: Common, Halfling, Gnome.
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Special Abilities
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Vain Whenever you fail an opposed Charisma-based check, you take a –2 penalty on all Charisma-based checks for the next 24 hours.
Indomitable Faith You gain a +1 trait bonus on Will saving throws.
Slippery You gain a +1 trait bonus on Stealth checks and Stealth is a class skill for you.
Vagabond Child(Urban) Select one of the following skills: Disable Device, Escape Artist, or Sleight of Hand. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks with that skill, and it is always a class skill for you.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency/Familiarity Alchemists are proficient with all simple weapons and bombs and light armour.
Small Ratfolk are small and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC and a +1 size bonus to attack rolls. -1 to their Combat Maneuver checks and to CMD, and a +4 size bonus on stealth checks.
Slow Speed Ratfolk have a base speed of 20ft.
Dark Vision Ratfolk can see in the dark up to 60ft.
Rodent Empathy Ratfolk have a +4 racial bonus on handle animal checks made to influence rodents.
Cornered Fury Ratfolk can fight viciously when cut off from friends and allies. Whenever a ratfolk with this racial trait is reduced to half or fewer of his hit points, and has no conscious ally within 30 feet, he gains a +2 racial bonus on melee attack rolls and to Armor Class.
Tinker Ratfolk gain a +2 bonus on Craft(Alchemy), Perception and Use Magical Device.
Sneak Attack +1d6 A Vivisectionist gains sneak attack as the rogue skill.
Alchemy(Su) When using Craft (alchemy) to create an alchemical item, an alchemist gains a competence bonus equal to his class level on the Craft (alchemy) check. In addition, an alchemist can use Craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using detect magic. He must hold the potion for 1 round to make such a check.
Brew Potion(Ex) An alchemist can brew potions of any formulae he knows (up to 3rd level), using his alchemist level as his caster level. The spell must be one that can be made into a potion. The alchemist does not need to meet the prerequisites for this feat.
Breath Mastery At 1st level, the internal alchemist can control his breath and the flow of vital energy within his body. Without preparation, he can hold his breath for a number of minutes equal to his Constitution score (after this, he must begin making Constitution checks or risk suffocation); by spending a full-round action preparing himself, he can increase this duration to 1 hour per point of Constitution. The alchemist can survive twice as long as normal without food or water before he starts to take penalties. He can put himself into a state of suspended animation as a move action, and is then unconscious and appears completely dead; he awakens at a preset time or in response to a condition set by him when he enters this state.
Mutagen(Su) When an alchemist brews a mutagen, he selects one physical ability score—either Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. It’s a standard action to drink a mutagen. Upon being imbibed, the mutagen causes the alchemist to grow bulkier and more bestial, granting him a +2 natural armor bonus and a +4 alchemical bonus to the selected ability score for 10 minutes per alchemist level. In addition, while the mutagen is in effect, the alchemist takes a –2 penalty to one of his mental ability scores. If the mutagen enhances his Strength, it applies a penalty to his Intelligence. If it enhances his Dexterity, it applies a penalty to his Wisdom. If it enhances his Constitution, it applies a penalty to his Charisma.
Formulae Book 1st:Crafter's fortune, Cure Light Wounds, Shield, Expeditious Retreat.
Favoured Class Bonus(1/6 discovery) +1HP or +1 skill point or 1/6th of a discovery.
Weapon Finesse With a light weapon, elven curve blade, rapier, whip, or spiked chain made for a creature of your size category, you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls. If you carry a shield, its armor check penalty applies to your attack rolls. Special: Natural weapons are considered light weapons.
Yep didn't see that, 250gp then.
Hmmm... just spit-balling here, but...
Well, most of the PCs listed so far are fairly independent, self-sufficient characters; perhaps they were on the edge of civilisation, 'up country on a hunting trip' or something similar, and did not notice when the zombie apocalypse first happened? Their first hint of the horror that awaits them is when they return to a small frontier hamlet to resupply / sell their goods... and find substantially more than they were expecting?
Perhaps as the campaign progressed, the goal could be to move to larger settlements, find other survivors, work out what happened, and try to gain access to a ship of some kind, and from there take stock to work out what the ultimate goal is; self-sufficiency on a isolated island, or fighting the zombie menace?
I've got a couple of ideas.
I've noticed the apocalypse shows often have a low-status group or location that actually does relatively well out of the apocalypse.
The Hobsons moved to New Greenleaf about forty years ago. Old Ausk Hobson, his cousins Davok and Tsarog, their wives and a mess of kids. They bought the old farm in the Dell, paid gold - a lot of gold - for it without complaint. Did it despite everyone knowing it was haunted. Well, if the dell had a bad reputation afore the Hobsons moved in its got a terrible one now.
Hobson farm barely scrapes by. Their kids are all dressed in poorly made things, and they mostly get by by hunting. Occasionally old Ausk comes into town to trade, but its rare. Still, when Ausk's son Karoug started that fire at the Hicksons Ausk coughed up the gold to pay for it with little complaint.
They don't mix with us, and we don't mix with them, and that's how we like it. Something funny about 'em - not just that they're foreign. They've got a weird look about them. Teeth too big, noses too small. There's those who say there's orc blood in the Hobsons, and I reckon they're right.
Local kids no better than to prowl around there, but there's chanting been heard in the nights, and howlin', and strange smells.
Mechanically he'd be a half-orc wizard or cleric (still thinking) with the trait Rich parents and then most of the money going mostly on teams out of Ultimate Campaign.
I recognize this would give a bunch of NPCs who would make excellent victims, and I'm okay with that. Keeping them safe would be the hard part. Mostly they'd stay in the base.
I'm having trouble with the character itself.
Cleric seems like it could work. Trouble is Channel energy; healing or undead killing is a bit too much. Makes me think a negative cleric could work better. Community and Undead both have limited healing. Undead actually seems to be coming up pretty good. I could see the Family being Urgathoan... but mostly Urgathoan around the Gluttony aspect.
I looked at Witch. Half orc allows scarred witch doctor, which seems interesting... dunno, seems a bit wierd.
Wizard actually fits surprisingly well. Thought about this one a bit. I think a Shapechange or possibly Life Necromancy could work well.
Thoughts?
This is Harkani.
Karoug is The Hob of The Family, out at Hob's Dell.
Would it be possible to have Hob's Dell within 30 miles or so? It's going to need a few hills to match the description.
Possibly Hob and maybe a few of his brothers might be headed to town to trade for supplies?
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Very possible. Hob's Dell would be to the north, along the river...maybe a mile from it. It'll actually be a lot closer than 30 miles...the as-of-yet unnamed village on the lake isn't 30 miles.
Actually, eight or ten miles works great. I know there are no mapped hills there, but that's no big deal...those are BIG hills. There can be smaller.
Right around the 'R' in River is perfect for me.
Sure, near the R on the Tolliver River would be great. A dell is a valley, so I had it with hills (in fact an old volcanic caldera).
A crater would be a slightly different flavour but would work just as well.
I would like it to be a bit inaccessible, even if close. I figured steep sides were good because zombies could still get in, but animals would have trouble getting out, making it a sort of natural reserve.
Would that be better?
That does mean I would prefer it to be at least a half mile from the river.
Given how close it is now I think it would be more likely that The Hob might be nearby. Simple small-scale trading (eggs, milk, furs and meat) that can be carried by foot might occur more often... in exchange for tools, perhaps.
Is this the place to look for links?
Perhaps Crazy Will runs into hunting parties occasionally when out trapping?
Bill and Kaars might know them from occasional trading forays?
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Sure, near the R on the Tolliver River would be great. A dell is a valley, so I had it with hills (in fact an old volcanic caldera).
A crater would be a slightly different flavour but would work just as well.
I would like it to be a bit inaccessible, even if close. I figured steep sides were good because zombies could still get in, but animals would have trouble getting out, making it a sort of natural reserve.
Would that be better?
That does mean I would prefer it to be at least a half mile from the river.Given how close it is now I think it would be more likely that The Hob might be nearby. Simple small-scale trading (eggs, milk, furs and meat) that can be carried by foot might occur more often... in exchange for tools, perhaps.
Is this the place to look for links?
Perhaps Crazy Will runs into hunting parties occasionally when out trapping?
Bill and Kaars might know them from occasional trading forays?
Oh...there are hills in the forest, just not as big as the ones farther north. It's obviously a somewhat volcanic area...a smaller volcano could be there...especially an ancient, cold one.
A ravine is simpler, though...and that's the image I had...
Right now, I have it in mind that Will's cabin is south-southwest of Greenleaf...but if you want to be known at all by PCs...whatever story you guys can agree on that's halfway feasible is fine with me.
Great then :)
As regards other PCs though... not necessarily all of them... but at least one would be good.
And given the area we're talking about, at 24 miles/day travel (12 in hard terrain) seems like they might have run into each other out in the wilds at some point.
I don't think 'the farm' is going to have sufficient wildlife to support the entire Family, so I sort of thought they'd have occasional hunting parties going out.
Should this be a conversation in the discussion thread? Am I in?
South to South West from New Greenleaf sounds like a good place for my cabin.
Chances are that Will has run into hunting parties, as he doesn't just keep himself to the immediate area around his cabin.
He might have even come close to Hob's Dell, trying to figure out for himself what's the deal with these Hobs. You know, seeing as Will has a few issues with trust and whatnot ;)
Sure. I'm good with that.
What sort of a relationship would you like?
Doesn't seem like you'd get lumped in with the other 'townies', even if it was just a wary respect.
Hello, EldonG;
Here is an entry to throw in. Have a look, let me know what you think.
Loving the story so far.
Thanks,
A little more than seven years ago, as King Peridon was preparing to drive Karsh from the County, Father Sir Krenlin had been quietly serving in the Iomedan Order of the Chalice, a small hospitaller order with a chapterhouse far from the Voorsheim border, for over two decades. Already in his early forties at the start of the war, he rather thought he would never see battle. As the war dragged on, however, the various Iomedan Orders leaned more and more heavily on less traditional branches for troops, and so it was that Krenlin was assigned to front-line duty for a ship-born offensive into County Morella.
The force’s landing at Drummonds Point was fiercely contested, and the heavily armored Knights were of little use in the initial fighting. Once on shore, though, the disciplined heavy infantry began steadily pushing Karsh’s forces north and east. Krenlin served with distinction at the Third Battle of Tomlin’s Vale, personally cutting down a pair of bannerguards and toppling an enemy cavalier’s standard. His luck turned sour near Greenleaf, though. The Knight beside him – and to this day, Krenlin can still not conjure her name – had been dazed by a sling stone, and Krenlin saw a Voorsheim halberdier taking aim to finish her. In desperation, Krenlin extended his shield over her head – unfortunately, presenting the inside of his shield and his relatively unprotected left arm to the descending pole-arm…
After the battle, Krelin awoke to find that his Order had already moved on, and his hand and arm were maimed. His commander had left him orders to, when he had receovered sufficiently, restore and tend to the shrine of Iomedae in New Greenleaf, desecrated and long neglected in the Occupation, and await further orders. The old hospitaller knew even then that those new orders would never come.
Since then, Father Krenlin (he rarely goes by ‘Sir’ anymore.) has tended the tiny shrine near the Grounds. Apart from a brief appearance on training days, he never wears his heavy scale armor anymore, even though the habit of years keeps it clean and well maintained. He helps around town as a healer, visiting Kaars’s shop every month or so to round out his kit, and spends his time in quiet meditation. He writes his Order’s Chapterhouse every year, but has no real expectation to ever hear from them.
Krenlin still stands straight and tall – his posture giving him the illusion of actually reaching six feet, though in reality he is a couple of inches shorter. His close-cropped hair has gone completely silver over the years of his stay. Hospitaller or no, he is still a Knight and Paladin of Iomedae, and his manner is somewhat formal and stiff, if unfailingly polite. His rare broad, infectious smile is usually reserved for children that he helps as a healer or teacher. Day to day, he still wears his vestments – long blue woolen robe over leather trews, the white tabard with gold sword and chalice of his Order – a little off white after years in the field – and the red scapular and hood, almost always down.
To explain his old injury: do a ‘Spock’ with the left hand, palm up. Draw a line from the bottom of the ‘V’, between the middle and ring fingers, to the wrist on the pinky side of the hand, and cut off everything outside that line, ring and pinky fingers included. Krenlin has enough grip for day to day tasks, and, with long practice, has mastered gripping a shield-strap, but he doubts he would ever be able to hold a weapon in the left hand again.
Krenlin is a standard Paladin, but, given the 6-level limit, I don’t think he’d have any game-breaking powers (Remove disease, for instance) until near end-game, should he live that long. His healing is relatively minor, and he will not have the stat bonuses to make the game to easy (my opinion, of course – I defer to the GM’s judgement.) I have statted him out as ‘Old’, with the relevant bonuses and penalties. The ‘Saving Shield’ feat just nicely dovetailed out of his backstory.
If you feel any of the Paladin powers would be unbalancing, I’m perfectly willing to delay or nerf them.
Father Sir Krenlin, Male Human Paladin of Iomedae 1
LG Med Old human, Init +0; Senses Perception +1
Defense
AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10
Armored 17/10/17
hp 10 (1d10)
Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +3
Offense
Speed 30 ft. (armored, 20ft.)
Melee heavy shield bash +2 (1d4+1)
dagger +2 (1d4+1/19-20)
longsword +2 (1d8+1/19-20)
Special Attacks smite evil
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +3)
At will—detect evil
Statistics
Str 12, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 12
Feats Improved Shield Bash, Saving Shield
Traits armor expert, caretaker
Skills Diplomacy +6, Heal +8, Knowledge (religion) +5, Profession (soldier) +5, Sense Motive +5
Languages Common, Orc
SQ aura of good
Gear: On person: belt pouch, dagger, iron holy symbol (Iomedae),
Belt Pouch: flint and steel, 2 gp, 9 sp, 3 cp
Backpack: healer's kit, holy text, whetstone, traveler's outfit, cold weather outfit, canteen,
Rectory attached to Shrine: ; scale mail, heavy wooden shield, longsword, 2 large baskets, blanket-winter, candle (10), candlestick, cot, mess kit, pot, soap, tea (per cup) (10), teapot,
Special Abilities
Armor Expert -1 Armor check penalty.
Aura of Good (Ex) The paladin has an Aura of Good with power equal to her class level.
Cold weather outfit +5 Fort save vs. cold weather.
Detect Evil (At will) (Sp) You can use detect evil at will (as the spell).
Improved Shield Bash You still get your shield bonus while using Shield Bash.
Smite Evil (1/day) (Su) +2 to hit, +1 to damage, +2 deflection bonus to AC when used.
Thanks, G.
How about y22? There are 3 north-south oriented buildings right there, and the shrine could be the smallest, easternmost of those 3.
As to where he starts, I'm open. I don't picture him typically armed and armored in day to day life, so starting at or near the shrine is a definite advantage.
I imagine that Krenlin would know Kaars fairly well, and may well have met just about everyone else, with the possible exception of the Hob.
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Y22 works great, right there on the king's road. I can see him sleeping on a cot in the back room...armor on a simple stand, and weapons on the wall somewhere.
If that works for you...the early night was quiet...sleep came easily...but by early morning, in the middle of the night, there's a definite disturbance outside. You find yourself half-awake...falling back asleep...when a shrill scream changes everything...Daddy!...DADDY!
...it's a child's voice.
Are you still accepting new entries?
E6 with Zombies sounds awesome.
Awesome. Just out of curiousity, would anyone be willing to give a quick rundown of characters already running?
I have a couple concepts I can choose from.
Also, this is a 15 point-buy correct?
# of traits allowed?
Thanks.
Are you allowing the Playtest classes?
I'm thinking of a Shaman.
You're not thinking half-orc by any chance, are you?
You could be one of Hob's family if you are.
They're an insular family that lives out in a dell in the woods. Got a bad reputation, and live fairly primitively. Half-orc traits are fairly subdued. Check out Hob's profile if you are interested.
I was leaning towards human. (as I always seem to do...)
One last question, are there any houserules that I need to be aware of? Things like, "quarterstaffs are finessable" or anything like that?
bill is a rogue(of sorts)