Okay, everyone, this is for OOC discussions. As long as all 5 of you (Yochtanl, Palag, Rsss'tak, Djatrix, and Vess'Sothek) get your character sheets finished, you'll comprise the core of group A, with possible additions in the future (1-2 players, max).
Link to original recruitment thread.
I'll post Riftview info in a few days, and info on the visions after character sheets and backgrounds are finished.
I think everything for my character is set. Hopefully.
Yochtanl, I'll look it over soon.
In the meantime, check out the quickly photoshopped image from a Conan book I was able to turn into Riftview, as seen from the plain: Riftview
Dotting and checking in.
Decided to go Precise stikes since we have a ranged rogue ad TWF ranger, makes more sense than Shield Wall...finishing equipment now.
Riftview looks good and the description is even better, looking forward to seeing where this one goes! Thanks for putting it together Fate.
@Rsss'tak: You should look at this.
Backstory added. I hope you guys enjoy it
I agree with what you guys were talking about the vision guiding and bonding us. In fact, I added that to the end of the backstory. If you guys have any suggestions on how to connect more of our stories, few free to point it out.
Wonderful work on the site! Looking forward to getting this started. Do I really have to wait 17 more days? XD
Backstory added. I hope you guys enjoy it
I agree with what you guys were talking about the vision guiding and bonding us. In fact, I added that to the end of the backstory. If you guys have any suggestions on how to connect more of our stories, few free to point it out.
Updated my background for our tie-in, I like the update. We will see what Fate thinks. Included it in a spoiler below, I think it flows much better now than the original. Fate/JM let me know what you think.
Ever since he was a hatchling Rsss’tak had seen his people struggle. It was the way of his folk but he didn’t have to be happy about it. He was a dreamer in a race of pragmatists. Dreamed of the bigger world, dreamed of becoming one of the Lizard Riders of his village.
It was this dreaming that drew him to an odd Lizard folk, his Kursssin Djatrix. Although not clutchling's he had seen to look after this Lizard Folk. He talked of strange places and odd things that captured Rsss’tak imagination. So they grew up as friends and Djatrix said that one day he would be a protector.
But the elders always said he was too meek, and not proud enough for a Lizard Folk Protector even though he had the bulk for it. Most of his people were rash, powerful warriors who preferred direct assaults and tearing their opponents apart. Rsss’tak has always thought that tactics and subtlety we just as important. In the minds of most of the tribe’s warriors, that made him weak. In his mind it made him smarter than most.
He had little way to prove his abilities until Djatrix told him that Rsss’tak should go to the Trollmires, something told me I needed to go there that there was someone or something that needed my help! He often wondered far from the village and many times through the Trollmires alone so he did not fear to head out alone. This time his wanderings took him to the sound of battle. When he crested the hill Rsss’tak saw two Elves. Yes rare and quite majestic looking Elves.
They were locked in a titanic struggle with a Trollmires Vorta, a snake of massive proportions. The Elves seemed to work as one. The snake would try to strike one Elf and he would roll out of the way and the other would strike at it from the other side. But finally the snake struck true though and latched on to one Elf, pulling him from the ground. Something made me move at that moment. While the snake was busy with the Elf I leapt into the fray on the other side of the Elf still standing and started pounding on the creatures head with my club and my claws. What seemed like forever passed as more blood and gore covered all of us. When it was over the Elf, named Jolarius, untangled himself from the snake and thanked me for my courage in helping him and his partner, Kloria defeat the Vorta. To my surprise the Elf spoke our language. He asked me where I was from and when I told him he said he was making a visit to my village on an important mission.
As we travelled he asked me many questions. He was surprised at my easy manner and impressed with the fact that I knew much about the surrounding world. When we arrived at the village, our arrival together helped calm some of the warriors who were alarmed by the sudden appearance of two Elves.
At the gathering that night the guest was honored and the reason for him being here was made evident. He bore a woodlands staff. A rare magical item once held by my people.
By the agreement of our peoples I return the staff once lost to your folk. In return, I accept the knowledge of the ancient tree to help the few Elves that remain. I also wish to honor one of your warriors. The young Lizard Folk who accompanied me here, Rsss’tak. Ask a boon of me and I will do what I can to fulfill it.
All of the tribe’s eyes turned to me. I was surprised by the Elves gesture but quickly blurted out what I had been thinking the entire day since our meeting, I wish to become a Lizard Rider, one of the protectors of the tribe. Many here do not think I am worthy of the honor but I know I have the heart and the soul to become one . Jolarius smiled and turned to the Elders. I had probably just outfoxed many of the Elders in the tribe.
When he spoke it changed my life forever, I will do as you ask. You will have proved yourself in combat to me. Proud Elders, this hatchling has honored me in combat and my life is his, in return he has asked this boon of us. As a guest I can ask for one boon from you, I ask this for Rsss’tak. Will you fulfill his request?
Reluctantly they agreed to do so. They made it hard on me for making it happen in such a manner, but they could not turn me away without dishonoring our traditions. They were surprised with how quickly I learned the ways of the lizard Riders and equally how fast I had bonded with my Marsh Drake, Visssila.
Becoming a rider had taken up almost all of my time and I saw my friend little. When Djatrix was suddenly banished because of his visions on his day of scales (the day a youngling becomes a full Srrrt'kestrak) Rsss’tak was saddened and feared for Djatrix's life. He was not a great warrior or hunter and the Trollmires were not a place for one unprotected as he, but he could not abandon the training that he was in the middle of to chase down an exile. He to would become one of the exiled if he did so. So he struggled with his inner spirit while he learned all he could. Eventually I became a Rider in spite of them, even if I wasn’t the hand-picked warrior as the rest were but it was a short lived glory.
Djatrix returned to the village to rip the truth from Xath'ix's mind in the trial of words. I knew his visions, knew he told the truth. What may have been too much for his people was not too much for him. As Djatrix walked out into the Trollmires alone again he decided his own fate, exile or not Djatrix would not walk alone again. He packed up all of his possessions and rode out to Djatrix. Need a ride Kursssin, smiling a toothy grin. Djatrix tried to turn me away from his fate, but my fate was already sealed. For better or for worse, the two would walk together on the path that awaited them.
Palag is finished.
Djatrix: looks good.
One suggestion I have is making the vision about something specific. But maybe it would be better to wait for the rumours first and then pick the most suitable of them for the first hook?
By the way, should we have some conventions about posting? Like tense and person of the posts, when we'll make dice rolls and so on. (I've played PBP before but not on these forums, and the posting conventions tend to vary a lot so I figured it's better to just ask beforehand.)
Palag is finished.
Djatrix: looks good.
One suggestion I have is making the vision about something specific. But maybe it would be better to wait for the rumours first and then pick the most suitable of them for the first hook?By the way, should we have some conventions about posting? Like tense and person of the posts, when we'll make dice rolls and so on. (I've played PBP before but not on these forums, and the posting conventions tend to vary a lot so I figured it's better to just ask beforehand.)
In the couple of other PBP's I am in on these boards we usually use bold for talking and italics for descriptive text but otherwise pretty open.
Fate may have an opinion though.
Use bold for talking in character, italics for your characters thoughts, OOC for , and spoilers for long ooc text or text meant for only one person. Dice rolls when asked for, or when relevant. I may make some secretly on occasion, but I'll not be a jerk about it, and will let you know via spoilers.
@Djatrix: I like your backstory, but am uncomfortable with a few plot points. After thinking it over, I'm okay with the seer of your tribe 'communing with rift demons,' as Djatrix saw it, and the confrontation. You probably have scars from it. This also leaves some interesting unfinshed business to follow up on later. I wonder how Vess'Sothek will tie into this backstory. Maybe he joined later after his own suspicions?
@Rsss'tak: You called the 'badlands' the Trollmires.
You grew up with many imaginary friends, internal voices, and strange dreams of places and peoples you could not have imagined on your own. The spirits of the dead, and the spirits of the land were, and are, drawn to you like a beacon for your ability to hear them.
The most important visions, to you, are the ones about the Rift, the ruins therein, and the spirits trapped that beg to be freed. There is a mountain that is not a mountain, and a river of fire. And on this mountain are the ruins of a once-powerful kingdom. In these ruins beckon voices, some forlorn, some in pain, some resentful, and one overwhelming voice that feels utterly black and evil.
The spirits of your ancestors, and those of the lands you live tend to have a different quality to them; perhaps the magics of the Rift changes the quality of spirits in those lands? Perhaps it traps some of them between worlds?
The voices tell you to go down the path. The path. At the end lies your destiny.
Other visions have included an owl and a snake, rainbows appearing over ruins in the rift, vesh, and voices saying that two vesh are needed to unlock your path.
Since you've traveled to Riftview, another voice, faint and looming at the same time, has started whispering to you. At sunset and sunrise, when the sky is amber and pink, you feel a tingle at the nape of your head frill, your mouth gets a little dry, and you hear an inaudible voice, mumbling almost, and see something in your peripheral vision...
Yochtanl, once you pick your Patron, I'll fill this in.
Wonderful work on the site! Looking forward to getting this started. Do I really have to wait 17 more days? XD
If I can get the stuff on Riftview finished in the next few days, we can start sooner, but I'll be posting infrequently from the 16th-23rd, as I'll be on a roadtrip.
Once I get The Riftview info uploaded, I'll generate the In-Character forum, and you all can start talking in character.
I still need Vess'Sothek's Char Sheet. I'll look over the others again soon.
Use bold for talking in character, italics for your characters thoughts, OOC for , and spoilers for long ooc text or text meant for only one person.
@Djatrix: I like your backstory, but am uncomfortable with a few plot points. After thinking it over, I'm okay with the seer of your tribe 'communing with rift demons,' as Djatrix saw it, and the confrontation. You probably have scars from it. This also leaves some interesting unfinshed business to follow up on later. I wonder how Vess'Sothek will tie into this backstory. Maybe he joined later after his own suspicions?
@Rsss'tak: You called the 'badlands' the Trollmires.
** spoiler omitted **...
Yeah I actually changed the badlands wonderings and encounter to the Trollmires after the detail you gave me on it. Started to doubt that my character would have travelled that far.
Hadn't thought about Patron yet, but it'll be Deception, as that's the closest match I could find.
I prefer third person and past tense. It sounds more like a book to me ;)
@Yochtanl: Have you checked the Patrons from Ultimate Magic yet? I will go based on Deception for now.
@Veltzeh/jmberaldo: Dialogue is in first person present tense, narrative is in third person, preferably present tense, but third is okay (can get confusing in some situations, though, especially when talking about sequential order, as they are ALL past tense, and then a preposition/descriptor is needed).
ssssomething trapped in the rifffffft. ssssomething needsssss out.
-->(what is it?) not ssssure. there are ruinsssss of vasssst magical weatthhh. wortthhh it for tthhhat if notthhhing elsssse.
follow the path of desssstiniessss.
-->(what does that mean/what path?) not ssssure. we believe it issss a metaphor... ssssomething in the riffft that will become clear ssssometime later....
(I am assuming that 's,' 'sh,' 'th,' 'f,' and soft 'c' are all accented snakelike. Just flavor, not mandatory.)
How does everyone feel about using Paizo's Critical Hit Deck?
When you roll a critical hit, you can elect to either, A. deal your normal critical damage, or B. roll 1d52 on the dice roller and 'draw' a critical hit card.
How does everyone feel about using Paizo's Critical Hit Deck?
When you roll a critical hit, you can elect to either, A. deal your normal critical damage, or B. roll 1d52 on the dice roller and 'draw' a critical hit card.
The problem is the monsters get to use it as well :)
Loosing a leg can be kind of devastating to a fighter...I would prefer to stick to standard rules but good either way.
I've looked at the Ultimate Magic patrons, none exactly stood out at me as better than Deception for the concept. Maybe I missed one?
As far as critical hit deck, I'd say yes. Most of the cards don't have permanent effects, and even though some do, I like to come out of an adventure looking like an adventurer, ya know? If you aren't gonna hold back the CR's, and you expect us to die, then I'd say use the deck. It'll add to the excitement.
Now, how exactly are we gonna draw? Roll d52 and then?
Now, how exactly are we gonna draw? Roll d52 and then?
Yeah, I would number my cards and then the roll would indicate the effect. Again, it is optional.
The game has regions where certain things exist. If you stumble on them early, you are out of luck, as I'm not changing that. The reverse is true. If at 5th level you hear rumors of an evil cult, and they're 1st level and sacrificing pixies and squirrels to their dark overlords, sucks for you.
I'm fie with the cards. I like unexpected results and having to deal with them :)
The game has regions where certain things exist. If you stumble on them early, you are out of luck, as I'm not changing that. The reverse is true. If at 5th level you hear rumors of an evil cult, and they're 1st level and sacrificing pixies and squirrels to their dark overlords, sucks for you.
Honestly, I've never played in a campaign like that, though I've always wanted to. Hopefully it adds to the sense of immersion, so that it doesn't feel like a world tailored to us (like it sometimes does in regular games) so much as a world that is evolving separately from us. Maybe I can learn how to run in this one. XD
Now hopefully the rumor mill is stocked with rumors of encounters both suited to our level and too high/low, so that it isn't made too easy.
We know which ones are too dangerous when we get there and something really bad comes out to own us. :P
Good thing the vesh have a 30' move speed. Thinking of the phrase, you don't have to run faster than the dragon, just faster than the party's halfling!
Although I haven't looked at every crit card, we do use the deck in one of our IRL games. The vast majority of the effects either wear off on their own after a couple of rounds or after a Heal check is made. Some of the effects are permanent, though. (One of our characters lost 1d3 fingers last combat.)
I don't like having to double-confirm for the crit deck. With a normal 20/x2, that's only 1/400 chance. Not very likely I'd ever get to draw from the deck.
RE: Tense: Link.
Example:
I'd like a mixture of third person subjective and omniscient, present tense. Yochtanl walks over to Djatrix and hands him a potion. Djatrix thanks the little vesh, but declines. "I've got something, but thank you." Yochtanl pretends to look disheartened, but is secretly glad since he used his last potion on his familiar earlier in the day.
Like for example when the critical confirmation roll would be another critical hit. I'm fine either way too, though.
Hopefully we have some ways of finding out whether some areas are very dangerous. :)
-->What are you talking about? You do not double-confirm crits. A natural 20, or threat range roll on the confirmation roll is just a roll. Nothing special. However, in most of my home games we rule that a nat 20 is always a crit, no confirmation, but weapons with higher crit ranges have to confirm on anything less than a 20. Not sure I'm comfortable with that in an E7 game unless you are very sure you are okay rolling up new characters. Makes things slightly more deadly. Combine that with the Crit Deck and you get grittiness and lethality.
-->The regions' deadliness will become apparent through narrative, rumors, and encounters. I won't drop insta-kill zones in otherwise peaceful areas without warning/good reason. Everyone knows to stay away from Ruin X, where the spirits of the damned are bound for eternity, even though there are unclaimed riches within, for example.
RE: Critical Hit Deck:
I'll put it to a rescindable vote. If you all choose to use it, we can do away with the deck after another vote, and I'll make repairing any permanent effects easy in-game. Sort of like a play test. We could say, for the 1st level, since I'll be playtesting the pace of experience awards at that time, too.
My vote is yes for the deck, using it as an option after a critical is confirmed.
All right. That reminded me of another thing: how much is a player allowed/expected to control others' characters in a post? I've ran to many different conventions on that too. I imagine that usually the line is drawn on either side of harmlessly touching another character.I know. I only meant that we could decide the confirmation roll works like I said, to choose between a regular crit and a crit from the deck. But as Shane said, that would mean that regular ×20 weapons would get few deck crits...
You control your character. You do not control the actions of other characters. You can say that 'Palag pats Yochtanl on the shoulder comfortingly,' or 'Djatrix lightly cuffs Vess'sothek upside the head for an off-color remark,' or the like, but you cannot direct the actions of other characters. You can include their already stated actions in your comments, in relation to your character. For example, if Palag said he was going to the pub, and Rsss'tak was going there too, Rsss'tak could write, 'Rsss'tak and Palag walk together to the pub, having a light conversation about their favorite local brews and kicking a rock between them as they go.' That sort of minor character inference should be okay, within reason, but the other player has the right to veto the description. If, for example, Palag hates kicking rocks because it is somehow taboo or traumatic, he could say OOC, 'Hells no I don't kick the rock. Palag would never play kick-the-rock. Thanks for walking with him, though.' Or something equally absurd.
So, to sum up: no, to a point, and other players have final say over their character.
x2 weapons rate of critical hits would not change from normal. They may crit less often than 19-20/x2, 18-20/x2, etc. weapons, but the likelihood of a crit remains the same.
Hey everyone, please list your character's weight somewhere (either under vital statistics, encumbrance, or both). It's helpful when creatures pick you up or you fall on top of someone.
@Yochtanl: Feel free to pick a different feat for your familiar, since all familiars, effectively, gain Weapon Finesse by virtue of being a familiar. You also need to note its swim/climb speeds on the pdf.
You know, I read that part of the entry for familiars, but it just kinda blew right over my head that Weapon Finesse wasn't needed. It says that I just keep the feats it had originally, so I'll assume you're handwaving that. I'll change that to Go Unnoticed now, if there is no problem with that.
You know, I read that part of the entry for familiars, but it just kinda blew right over my head that Weapon Finesse wasn't needed. It says that I just keep the feats it had originally, so I'll assume you're handwaving that. I'll change that to Go Unnoticed now, if there is no problem with that.
I'm handwaiving it. Just something I thought was a waste due to redundancy.
Ah, here we go - was far down the list, but now it's dotted!
I'm a bad judge of weight for monstrous creatures, but increasing Vess'Sothek's weight to the 7'+ range ... 300 or so is about right?
Regarding the formatting of my skills section, do you have a model off of whom I could work?
I've never done a TWF Ranger. Here's to hoping I'm not a paperweight with a monstrous build!
Ah, here we go - was far down the list, but now it's dotted!
I'm a bad judge of weight for monstrous creatures, but increasing Vess'Sothek's weight to the 7'+ range ... 300 or so is about right?
Regarding the formatting of my skills section, do you have a model off of whom I could work?
I've never done a TWF Ranger. Here's to hoping I'm not a paperweight with a monstrous build!
My profile has a link to this thread, too.
300 would suffice. 400-475 if you're mostly muscle. You're like a cow or small horse. You're gigantic. Andre the Giant would look you in the eye, or look up a few inches into your eyes, at least.
As for TWF, did you look at the APG's ranger section? You could take Natural Weapon as your combat style (netting Rending Claws or Improved Natural Attack at 2nd), and take Multiattack for your first level feat (you would only take a -2 penalty to attack with claws and bite, whereas TWF doesn't do anything for your bite). If you do that, you can full attack at +3/+3 claws, +3 bite (instead of +0/+0/+0 as is). (Saves you on weapon money, too.) Just an idea, and I don't care either way.
Also, I still need you to make the above changes to your profile when you have time.
@Everyone:
If I can keep on top of things, I should be able to start in-character sessions in the middle of next week.
It'll start in the Wicker Warrior, a taphouse full of wicker furnishings that hosts mock combats every weekend. Combatants must wear encumbering wicker armor and spar with wicker weapons, trying to pin their opponent, knock them unconscious, or knock them out of the ring. It's a popular event in the rough and tumble town of Riftview. The food is decent, the apple beer and wheat ales are delectable, and they allow people to rent floor space on the common room and in the loft.
André the Giant was 7'4 and weighed 475-540 lbs. I figure he's a good real life reference for Powerful Build.
Ah, here we go - was far down the list, but now it's dotted!
I'm a bad judge of weight for monstrous creatures, but increasing Vess'Sothek's weight to the 7'+ range ... 300 or so is about right?
Regarding the formatting of my skills section, do you have a model off of whom I could work?
I've never done a TWF Ranger. Here's to hoping I'm not a paperweight with a monstrous build!
My profile has a link to this thread, too.
300 would suffice. 400-475 if you're mostly muscle. You're like a cow or small horse. You're gigantic. Andre the Giant would look you in the eye, or look up a few inches into your eyes, at least.
As for TWF, did you look at the APG's ranger section? You could take Natural Weapon as your combat style (netting Rending Claws or Improved Natural Attack at 2nd), and take Multiattack for your first level feat (you would only take a -2 penalty to attack with claws and bite, whereas TWF doesn't do anything for your bite). If you do that, you can full attack at +3/+3 claws, +3 bite (instead of +0/+0/+0 as is). (Saves you on weapon money, too.) Just an idea, and I don't care either way.
Also, I still need you to make the above changes to your profile when you have time.
Jolly good. I will adjust his weight into the more appropriate 400 bracket and take the natural weapon path as you brought-up; I'd not found the multiattack feat in either the core or APG, so I thought the use might not line-up. Landrith and Vess'Sothek's opposition will be even greater now!
I'll update the sheet later today.
Sounds good. Multiattack is in the back of the Bestiary.
@Everyone:
If I can keep on top of things, I should be able to start in-character sessions in the middle of next week.
It'll start in the Wicker Warrior, a taphouse full of wicker furnishings that hosts mock combats every weekend. Combatants must wear encumbering wicker armor and spar with wicker weapons, trying to pin their opponent, knock them unconscious, or knock them out of the ring. It's a popular event in the rough and tumble town of Riftview. The food is decent, the apple beer and wheat ales are delectable, and they allow people to rent floor space on the common room and in the loft.
Rsss'take is ready to be among the humans...of course he has never been around this many before...
Vess' do you want to be travelling with us or meet us at the wicker warrior?
Seeing two Lizard folk from your tribe would probably have you come over to talk with us and set up the group meeting?
Everyone. I'll be offline for 2-3 days, then posting sporadically for a week. Going out of town. I should be able to work offline for the rest of the Riftview stuff, and I'll have an in-character forum by Wed or Thurs. :)
Seeing two Lizard folk from your tribe would probably have you come over to talk with us and set up the group meeting?
Yes, and Vess'Sothek would likely traveled to the wicker event with you as opposed to meeting you by chance there. I'll read over the wiki and attempt to make a tie-in on Tuesday unless you have one in mind.
I made it to NC okay, and I'll have more detailed info on Riftview in a couple of days. I'm likely going to skip on the map for a week or two, unless something silly happens in town.
The main points I'll detail are the gatehouse, the surrounding farms, the 3 different levels of the town, the pubs/inns, Weaver Hall, the Tor, the garrison, important NPCs, the marketplace, various shops, etc.
Yes, and Vess'Sothek would likely traveled to the wicker event with you as opposed to meeting you by chance there. I'll read over the wiki and attempt to make a tie-in on Tuesday unless you have one in mind.
Seeing two Lizard folk from your tribe would probably have you come over to talk with us and set up the group meeting?
I think that is fine, we can pick up the RP there...we may have just been going there and invited you to come along.
Maybe you can just give a high level of what we know about each other before the meeting?
Alright, ready and waiting for startup.
Update tonight in a few hours and tomorrow morning, then we can begin, but I'll be infrequent on my posting Thursday night through Friday night (camping near Carolina Beach).
Okay, so I still need to update the surrounding farms, the gatehouse, the marketplace, and some of the shops. Here is a bunch of updates on notable places and personalities in Riftview.
Enjoy, and feel free to ask questions. You may start in either the Ratshank or the Wicker Warrior, your choice as a group. From there I'll post the first In-Character thread!
I'm fine with starting at either one, although I think it might be easier for me to join the group in we started at the Wicker Warrior.
Wicker warrior is fine....Djatrix and I could have just arrived there to learn what we could of the lands closer to Riftview...
I agree with the Wicker Warrior. Ratshank sounds like a filthy place.