I'll try and reward Del's spell choices with opportunities to use them in good course!
Feel free to throw back any questions, wishes or gripes back at me (that goes for everyone)!
I’m going to do a character study on each PC. Part of this will be a more in-depth look at your character sheet, but mainly it’ll be just offering a few helpful suggestions, if I can think of any. Second up; Bonegrit!
an image of a lonely fortified orphanage on the borders of Lastwall and Belkzen, where the unwanted half-orc babes of both nations are abandoned without sufficient questions as to what goes on within the orphanage’s walls.
I still rather like that idea and I can see some fun potential with this location as the campaign goes forward. Do you mind if we go in that direction rather than the Vigil orphanage? It’d also help if Bonegrit’s memories of the orphanage were vague and barely remembered. Perhaps he escaped at a younger age (such as seven or eight, maybe somebody inside helped him) and was rescued by Grimspur before he could be returned to the orphanage.
Feel free to throw back any questions, wishes or gripes back at me (that goes for everyone)!
And as for:
DM Tadpole wrote:
Infernal eh? It’s all Latin to me . . . oh hang on!I like the idea that he got most of his slang and curses from the tieflings in the orphanage so Im curious to see who else might have the language. To him its not 'evil' its just a figure of speech so it might be fun to see how others react to it. I wanted something I coud type out without having to use another alphabet so got lazy and picked Latin. If youve got other plans for it I can use the translator to pick something else?
So Latin=Infernal, good with me. I'll also say Greek=Draconic and Vietnamese=Boggard ... oh maybe not then.
Seriously, it's a good idea which I was intending to use when the time came to hear some other languages. I'll assign some RL world parallels as different languages come up (though probably not with orcs, I don't want to slander any RL cultures!).
On a different note; Delkaneth, have you ever seen this movie? I feel there are some parallels between the protagonist and your PC, though I can't quite put my finger on why.
Second Master Santrian, and how he hired you
Although Dierik’s history with the city is long and complicated, for most of his men, this is their first time in Vigil. This is certainly true for the Taldan Santrian. On arrival in Vigil, Dierik instructed Santrian to seek out some adventurers for hire to aid the caravan on its passage along the Flood Road. Here are some ideas concerning how your PCs linked up with Santrian and got hired.
Tibal Santrian might have stopped by a tavern where the halfling was performing, and the two got talking after the show. Tibal was intrigued by the ambitious scheme to cross the Hold of Belkzen, and even more curious to discover the true story of how Dierik Ironcoffer, the famous knight of Vigil, fell from grace to become nothing more than a courageous merchant.
Delkaneth May have crossed chance by Santrian in a tavern, or seen one of the notices Santrian had posted about Vigil seeking adventurers (although the incensed citizens of Vigil were pulling Santrian’s advertisements down almost as quickly as he was putting them up).
Dunagan Again, might have seen a notice or chanced across Santrian whilst doing business. Perhaps Santrian has already tried to purchase extra longswords for the caravan at the forge of Hagrim, only to have been angrily turned away by Dunagan’s father (we could do a mild retcon here). Santrian certainly would have dwelt on the fact the caravan would pass through Koldukar on its journey north.
Bonegrit Perhaps Bonegrit overtook Dierik’s caravan on the road from Caliphas, and Santrian advised him he’d be looking for experienced guides in Vigil.
Pyotr Probably sought out Santrian rather than the other way around.
I'm so bummed that mending has a 1 lb/level requirement =P. I'd have to be level 3 before I could mend the longsword due to my other ability that increases my level when casting spells on weapons/armor. I wrote almost two paragraphs describing the use of the spell before I noticed the limitation. Guess I'll have to do it the old fashioned way.
Santrian may have tried to hire Dunagan's father and like you said, was turned away angrily. This could have led to Dunagan over hearing the conversation and catching up to Santrian down the road. Agreeing to go with the caravan simply for the fact that it would be going through Koldukar.
Right now I am developing Dunagan from a relatively sheltered young Dwarf into the character I envisioned him to be. Bear with me if he is not what you expected at first. He will slowly develop into the Dwarf that is solidified in his convictions, sees the world in black and white, seeks new metals, lovies his freedom and forges to his hearts content when the necessary tools are around and available =)
Although," the Dwarf eyes the Half-Orc over and then looks to Torshen's Hammer, "You seem to have a way with convincing others to give you what you need.
Lol! I wondered if that would raise some eyebrows. Don't worry. I am now nearly flat broke, and in debt to the rulers of Vigil.
The last day of the month is always a ton of extra work for me. I'll probably be out of touch until tomorrow. Pyotr will spend the rest of the day acquiring equipment for the journey, including the swords from the Haarglicks, provided that doesn't need to be RP'd out.
p.s. I hate accounting. That is all.
Somehow got my wires crossed on handle animal and ride before. In my defense, I was on the tail-end of a fever when I finished the stats on Bonegrit, so I'll use that as a scapegoat.
Changed some tidbits of his backstory to reflect the suggested changes, most especially in regards to the orphanage.
In regards to the caravan, Bonegrit initially would have flat out refused the expedition; lead a caravan full of humans through the orc-infested holds of Belkzen? No thanks. Half a coinpurse later, however, he began mulling over the exorbitant rates Santrian's employer was offering, and ultimately decided to track down the Second Master and sign on. Bonegrit's still not sure it was a great decision, but things are looking positive for the time being.
I'm going to be out from now until late tomorrow morning. Like before, just have Dunagan follow the crowd.
Using image shack, I've uploaded a helpful map of Vigil. Dierik's encampment is just off the bottom edge of the map, on the Belkzen road from Northgate.
I hope everyone can access it.
There is also a map of Belkzen. It differs slightly from the map found in the Inner Sea World Guide. Which one is correct? Only your DM knows!
If your character has a rank in knowledge (geography), assume he's aware of the major features of the Belkzen map, including the rough route of the Flood Road.
.
Santrian may have tried to hire Dunagan's father and like you said, was turned away angrily.
I think Santrian was simply trying to get him to fix the dull longswords, rather than hire him. The way I see it, having a skilled weaponsmith join the caravan would be seen as a welcome addition, but not something Dierik or Santrian would go out of their way to find.
@ Bonegrit. Thanks for the changes, much appreciated.
On being a paladin: Paladins usually seem to get people’s knickers in a twist, and often without need. However, it’s probably wise to make sure we are standing on the same ground regarding the paladin’s code.
Personally I think being merciful is an important part of a paladin’s ethos. Tales I hear of paladin’s slaughtering goblin babies because they're born evil leaves a bad taste in my mouth, both on a personal note and as an interpretation of the rules. As Pyotr is a redeemer, I imagine he thinks along similar lines. By the boundaries of his merciful smite ability, only undead, evil outsiders and evil dragons are irredeemably wicked (and in rare cases, especially concerning undead or dragons, I’d argue even these aren’t evil 100% of the time).
On their journey through the Hold of Belkzen, the PCs will certainly face evil in many guises. There’ll be times when evil presents itself blatantly at them, and they’ll be fairly powerless to take immediate action (for instance, trying to negotiate passage through an orc chieftain’s lands, in a court crammed to the gills with his best warriors, whilst the chieftain casually beats his slaves). In such a situation, drawing steel and charging the orcs is only likely to get Pyotr killed. As his player, don’t feel pressured into taking rash action for fear of ‘falling’. Pyotr must work to right wrongs, but sometimes his efforts must be more subtle.
With further thought to the thorny issue of a paladin ‘falling’, of course it’s an intriguing area to explore for both DM and player in role-play terms. However, I feel a paladin ‘falling’ should be a story thread ultimately under the player’s control. You should never feel like you’ve been backed into a corner, and that Pyotr has no choice but to act in a way that would cause him to fall. If our game takes us into murky moral waters for a paladin’s code, we can discuss in-depth the implications of Pyotr’s choices before he takes any action.
On being a paladin:
I think you and I are on the same page.
One thing I would like to clarify:
By the boundaries of his merciful smite ability, only undead, evil outsiders and evil dragons are irredeemably wicked (and in rare cases, especially concerning undead or dragons, I’d argue even these aren’t evil 100% of the time).
I just want to make sure we are both reading the ability in the same way.
Merciful Smite (Su): At 1st level, when a redeemer chooses to smite a creature, She does not take the normal –4 attack roll penalty for using a lethal weapon to deal nonlethal damage. She cannot use this ability to deal nonlethal damage to outsiders with the evil subtype, evil-aligned dragons, or undead creatures (these creatures take lethal damage from her smite). This otherwise works like and replaces the standard paladin's smite evil.
By my reading, doing lethal or nonlethal damage is by choice, and is a decision made at the time the Smite is declared, lasting for the full effect of the Smite.
On being a redeemer: I couldn't agree more.
Speed: Yes, corrected on sheet.
Greatsword = 50 gp
Lance = 10 gp
Scale Mail = 50 gp
backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, cold weather outfit, travelers outfit, wooden holy symbol = 13 gp 1 sp
Torshen's Hammer = 230 gp
Total = 353 gp 1 sp
Max starting gold for a Paladin is 300 gp, plus the advance/loan from the Precentor of 60 gp, leaves me with a current 6 gp 9 sp.
The "promissory note" was just sort of my way of announcing to the group that I was employed in some manner (to be revealed more fully in the future) by the Precentors Martial. I'm fine with the situation as is. I was having trouble reconciling where Pyotr's starting gold came from anyway. This keeps me right on level with everyone, while filling a hole in my backstory, getting me into the caravan, and setting the stage for future developments.
***steeples fingers menacingly*** "It's all coming together nicely... Mwuhahahah!"
One thing about Pyotr I will add, though: Although it says Orc under Languages on his character sheet, it will likely be very broken orcish. I can't think of any reason he would be a fluent/native speaker. Once he's spent a good deal of time around orcs and orcish (maybe a level or so), it might start to come back to him.
We’ll make sure that Dunagan has that portable forge, or at least something similar, by 4th or 5th level when his forging abilities are really starting to come into play. Until that happens, I'll try and fit in as many opportunities for Dunagan to get to a forge as logically possible.
I’d imagine Dunagan would chisel spells onto slates (that crumble to dust when used) rather than writing on parchment. If you like this idea, you can change your equipment list. Assume a chisel and ten slates costs 10 gp and the whole kit weighs 3 lbs.
By my reading, doing lethal or nonlethal damage is by choice, and is a decision made at the time the Smite is declared, lasting for the full effect of the Smite.
In think we're on the same page here. I referenced it more because the ruling inferred fluff on what creatures were considered irredeemably evil.
One thing about Pyotr I will add, though: Although it says Orc under Languages on his character sheet, it will likely be very broken orcish. I can't think of any reason he would be a fluent/native speaker. Once he's spent a good deal of time around orcs and orcish (maybe a level or so), it might start to come back to him.
This makes perfect sense.
Also, wealth now fully understood by a DM who also struggles with accounting (though rarely has to deal with it beyond totaling up gold pieces).
Starting to wonder 'bout Tibal. May want to drop him an email or PM.
Starting to wonder 'bout Tibal. May want to drop him an email or PM.
I dropped an email and a PM a few hours back. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt for a little while longer.
Whats the availability of books in Vigil? Are they treasures and owning one costs a fortune, or can I stop at Ye Olde Barnes and Nobles and pick up something for a few silver?
Probably somewhere in between I'd reckon. I'd figure most books are in the gold rather than silver piece range, but equally I wouldn't want to leave Del without any bedtime reading. My solution; let's do this old school. For every hour of searching, Del has a 20% chance of stumbling on a bargain, a book being sold for 1d4+1 sp. Perhaps he finds it in a junk shop, perhaps it's been damaged or torn, or maybe it's in a language nobody can read (Infernal!?). Del can also use one use of his archaeologist's luck to increase his chance from 20% to 25% for one hour. If he wants, he can do this on successive hours until his uses per day are exhausted.
He'll have the rest of the afternoon to search (probably about five hours maximum), but tomorrow will be a free day for the PCs, so unless you guys have other plans, each can go about whatever business he desires. Ergo, Delkaneth could spend most of the day searching for books (up to nine or ten hours if he's really dedicated!).
If Delkaneth's lucky and finds a cheap book, I'd like you to suggest a few titles he might come across. I'll do the same, and we'll amalgamate our ideas into a table - then you can roll to find out what book he's managed to discover.
@ Delkaneth. As the treasure-hunter spends the evening with the caravan, feel free to click on the spoiler in my last Gameplay post and find out what Dierik has to say to Bonegrit.
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or can I stop at Ye Olde Barnes and Nobles and pick up something for a few silver?
I have Ye Olde Discount Card. Save 20%!
My posting is going to be limited and shorter for the immediate future; I just lost someone who was practically my brother, and I'll need some time to get my bearings.
I'm very sorry to hear that. You have my deepest sympathies.
My posting is going to be limited and shorter for the immediate future; I just lost someone who was practically my brother, and I'll need some time to get my bearings.
You have my condolences. My wife recently lost her mother and I know how much it sucks. Take care of yourself and don't worry about the game. We all understand and will be here when you are ready to come back.
Sorry about the delay in my response. Last night turned out to be a longer flight than expected. We got back at 4 in the morning. Didn't find any smugglers though, so that sucks. Looks like we saved the best for last in the character studies =)
On Crafting
Actually it was your post about crafting that made me really want to play a crafting character. I wanted to be the one who put the quested items together in a glorious display of craftsmanship rather than having to haul the items to some NPC. Your campaign actually afforded the opportunity for a crafting character to attain glory rather than a 'sideshow attraction pimping out the characters.' Scribe Scroll
Not sure what you meant by money-spinner, but Dunagan has this feat in order to augment his role as a support character. It allows him to have necessary spells on hand which otherwise wouldn't be memorized. I really like the idea of the slate-scrolls and I will adjust my inventory accordingly.
I'll make the adjustments to my sheet to add the skill breakdown, default spell list, and horses's stats. I'll probably have this done tonight sometime.
Kagehiro; my deepest sympathies too. Thanks for letting us know. Get your bearings, do what you've got to do and feel what you've got to feel.
Delkaneth There's some fun titles in there. I might modify a handful of them then add some more to create a 1d20 table. 5 hours seems quite reasonable. Make those rolls; if you get lucky I'll post the table for you to roll on.
Dunagan Glad to hear we're on the same page regarding crafting. With regards to scrolls, my money-spinner comment was me considering you might scribe scrolls 'for sale' as a means of income. Which is fine if as long as he can find someone (or someorc) to sell them to. :-)
I look forward to seeing his finalized default spell list.
Apologies Dunagan. Whilst in the shower* I realised I've probably been getting the wrong end of the stick regarding Dunagan's spell list. I thought the open slot meant to signify you hadn't yet decided what spell Dunagan had prayed for.
Now the penny has dropped. This is a slot purposefully left open, so that Dunagan can pray for a spell he needs as and when it is required assuming he's got the time to prepare for it. Thus he has an open spell slot, and spends 15 minutes praying before he goes to repair some longswords in order to obtain a relevant spell. Perfectly acceptable :-)
A trade-off of versatility for less spells available in an emergency. In a different situation, Dunagan's ambushed by vegepygmies. He gets no time to prepare an extra spell, and thus must defend himself with a slightly smaller spell roster than normal.
Your DM will now cease being a dunce.
*DM Tadpole thinks about beardy dwarves in the shower. Weird.
so I'll likely only manage one or two posts a day on Sat and Sun.
Supplies for the journey
Opportunities to resupply within the Hold of Belkzen will be few and far between, and when they do come, trade will probably be with orcs; things will be of limited availability and poor quality. A lot of you are low on funds, but on the plus side, Dierik's caravan will supply several basic commodities as follows:
Food Free of charge to all those working on the caravan, daily, as supplied by Crinkles. Pretty dull stuff on the whole. If the PCs leave the caravan for a few days on business of Dierik's, then they can also be supplied with trail rations. Feed for horses also supplied.
Water The caravan is carrying several barrels of rainwater, though they'll need to resupply in the Hold. Dierik keeps a couple of small barrels and bottles of stronger stuff in his locked wagon, to raise morale when needs be.
Torches The caravan has plenty of torches the PCs can borrow if needed. If they want lanterns they'll need their own.
Rope Plenty of hemp rope to hand, though no silk rope.
Arrows and Bolts A few spare quivers of arrows and cases of bolts are carried by the caravan, but these might run low quickly depending on their reception in Belkzen.
Bedding Not supplied, but some of trade goods carried in the wagons are softer than the cold ground. If it rains, sleep under a wagon.
Feel free to ask about any other supplies you think you might need.
Remember PC can gear can be stowed on the wagons to reduce encumbrance, but if you buy trade goods you'll need you own conveyance (wagon or pack animal) for them.
It wasnt until he arrived back at the caravan that he realized he had forgotten all about going back to the inn. He turned his head back to the gate, remembering her smile and her eyes....then he looked back down at the book and stayed exactly where he was.
Oh to be young and without conscience ...
Late for me over here; tatty old book table to come tomorrow
It is only natural to think about smelly Dwarves in the shower, isn't it?
With regards to supplies, Dunagan can create water over and over and over as it is a cantrip. So that is not a concern. He can also turn said water into alcohol. Also, using level 1 spells, he can make food last longer and feed a few people if stockpiles run low.
Dunagan's plan of the day:
-Buy a small tent (10gp)
-Buy Pack Saddle or Trade Riding Saddle from one of the horses bought(5gp) 15lbs
-Buy Trade Goods (5-10gp worth)
DM Tadpole, got a rules question for you. According to handle animal you may combat train a mount:
Combat Training (DC 20) An animal trained to bear a rider into combat knows the tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel. Training an animal for combat riding takes 6 weeks. You may also “upgrade” an animal trained for riding to one trained for combat by spending 3 weeks and making a successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal's previous purpose and any tricks it once knew. Many horses and riding dogs are trained in this way.
Can those three weeks be done while we are traveling or do they have to be dedicated days? For example, could Bonegrit or Deramil (for a fee) slowly upgrade our riding horses to combat ones along the way?
At the suggestion of our favourite friendless half-orc redeemer (that'd be Pyotr, and I like him even if no one else in Vigil does), I've opened the Campaign Info tab and reposted the map links to Vigil and the Hold of Belkzen there. As Pyotr sensibly observes, it'll become a pain to find these links in the Discussion thread as the campaign gets longer.
I also added some useful links to the Golarion wiki and some fluff, but foolishly clicked the wrong button and lost it all. Will try again somewhere down the line.
A 2d10 table of battered old second, third, or even fourthhand books of no pressing interest to most of the public at large
2) The Art of War by Shun Tu
3) The Lies They Told About Tar-Baphon (author’s name scratched from the binding and frontispiece, about half the content has been carefully blacked out by ink)
4) The defeat of Graukard and Other Triumphs of the Vigilant Heavy Horse
5) A Treatise on the Mammoth Lords (seems rather fanciful)
6) Varisia’s Favourite Tomb Robber (a pulpy novel concerning Maragorn, a swashbuckling adventurer and dungeon delver)
7) The Geology of the Inner Sea
8) Horidable Piraty Lords of Ilizgamorxi [sic]
9) Nimble Hands, Sharp Mind, Sharper Blade, a book on coordination exercises by known duellist Vindrix Shartandel
10) How to Make and Play the Penny Whistle (learn seven nursery songs!)
11) Notes on a Northern Expedition by famous explorer Parn Corrawell (an account of his travels through Varisia, Irrisen and the Lands of the Linnorm Kings)
12) Common Spores, Molds and Funguses by Eegon Speng’lar
13) The Most Disgusting Goblin Songs (omnibus edition)
14) The Doomed Heart of Erraney Elbe (a torrid romance of great length, large passages illegible due to water damage)
15) The Basis of Divination Magic; a simple primer for wizarding apprentices
16) The Line of Ulthun (a short family history of Vigil’s Watcher Lord; a child has scribbled in charcoal on several pages)
17) Orcish Society and Martial Strategies by Stein Murroe
18) On Devils by Arch-Cleric Deylinarr Tiashuro
19) The Chemistry of Explosions; written by the Apprentice of the late alchemist Alberin Finnelathe
20) The Art of Weaving by Po Hai
Ugh... So, when I said weekends are no problem, what I meant to say was:
*pant* *pant* Should be back on schedule tomorrow. =)
For Dunagan
Good for me to keep in mind regarding the spells, and thanks for quick ref for the stats. If the other players follow suit I’d appreciate it, but no hurry in that regard.
All fine on the purchases. Both of your horses came with riding tack including saddles as part of the price; I presume Dunagan’s plan is to ride one and use the other as a pack animal. Is a trade riding saddle something with a write-up or simply a turn of phrase?
Regarding trade goods, I’ll expand on this in a later post (probably in Gameplay). If you have any player suggestions about what things might have trade value in the Hold feel free to suggest them in the Discussion thread. I welcome ideas, and also be sure to look at Cargo spoiler in the first post of this thread for some information on some of the items the caravan is already carrying.
Training your Mounts
Sard is the only horse to have a bad trait (laziness), well done for avoiding Iaspis the carrot junkie. Sard’s laziness can be cured with a DC 16 Handle Animal check after three weeks work.
Combat Training
Upgrading Sard and Cornalium to combat-trained horses seems perfectly reasonable, and could be done whilst travelling on a normal day (i.e. one when bloodthirsty orcs are not enthusiastically trying to disembowel and wear your viscera like a wig). Deramil is one possibility, although he’s often quite busy overseeing the caravan’s large quotient of pack animals. Plus you’ve got to come up with a way of making him offer more than a single word sentence in conversation.
As quoted, it would be a DC 20 Handle Animal check and three weeks cumulative work.
Never used 'em before, but perhaps we could introduce them to Follow the Flood Road. I'd be interested in hearing your opinions and experiences if you have an idle minute.
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(i.e. one when bloodthirsty orcs are not enthusiastically trying to disembowel and wear your viscera like a wig)
Hahaha! Those Orcs are so fashionable!.
I meant to say that I would either buy the pack saddle outright or if it was possible, try and trade the riding saddle for a pack saddle.
Ten Possible Trade Goods
Further to Dunagan’s shopping trip, here are ten suggestions for trade goods the PCs could purchase in Vigil for the road. Like I mentioned before, if any other ideas occur please feel free to suggest them.
1. Salt – 5 gp per pound, available at the Saltworks
2. Gorumite Holy Symbols (made from tin) – 1 gp each, available at the Market Square and various Chapel-Shrines to the Lord in Iron. Rumours in Vigil say the worship of Gorum is growing amongst the orcs of Belkzen.
3. Just about any kind of alcohol; orcs are not discerning – 2 sp per gallon, cheaper if you opt for the worst kind of swill, available at the Market Square and selected breweries around Vigil.
4. Tobacco – 6 sp per pound, available at the Market Square.
5. Timber – 3 gp per cord (15 lbs), available from selected warehouses around Vigil, common woods only.
6. Live Pig – 3 gp each, available at the Market Square (of course, your DM wouldn’t be able to resist driving Dunagan to tear his beard out as he struggled to herd his recalcitrant swine up the Flood Road).
7. Honey – 5 sp per jar, available at the Market Square.
8. Hunting Snares (3 lbs each) – 4 gp for a snare big enough to trap an animal up to a hare in size, available from a specialist hunting store in Vigil.
9. Coloured Marbles (2 lbs per bag) – 1 sp per bag, available at the Market Square.
10. Perfume – 5 gp per vial (selling this to orcs might just be wishful thinking), available at the Market Square.
In the gameplay post I added farming tools, but these could be many different tools such as every day hammers, nails, etc. I figure Freedom Town would be a place in need of such things.
On a different note, I was doing a bit of searching through images for good forge rune material and came across this . It is similar to what Amrin and Dunagan's forge runes would look like.
On hero points: I think they are great! They are fantastic for rewarding outstanding roleplaying, ingenious ideas, and all sorts of other reward-able types of things. And these rewards do not create a permanent disparity between characters such as wealth or experience. I would also like to keep my character alive as long as I can and would hate to die by a critical hit. If you do decide to allow them, I would suggest that you give the players a chance to retcon their builds to add any type of trait/feat associated with hero points if they so choose.
Pyotr, hopefully things have calmed down for you as I am looking forward to typing up some more jests about the super-persuasive half-orc of Lastwall =).