Just throw Dunagan somewhere in the middle. He can toss out bless and buff everyone up from there. Other than that, he is probably capable of being on the front lines to wade in with the rest of everyone else.
EDIT: By the way, I will be on vacation starting Monday so I will probably not get in a post until Thursday or Friday. Please feel free to DMPC Dunagan as you see fit until I return.
@ Dunagan and Bonegrit. Thanks for letting us know about your absences, plus enjoy your holiday Dunagan!
Bah! You can sleep when we're dead! (Wait... how does that saying go?)
=)
I'm afraid Pellius will have to wait a little to see what that natural twenty brings up, and Delkaneth will have to mull over those horror movie fears a little longer.
I'm off for a couple of days camping, so no further DM updates for about 48 hours 'till I get back. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves though
:-)
I'm afraid Pellius will have to wait a little to see what that natural twenty brings up, and Delkaneth will have to mull over those horror movie fears a little longer.
I'm off for a couple of days camping, so no further DM updates for about 48 hours 'till I get back. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves though
:-)
Ah... well have a good time nonetheless; we'll be here waiting. :)
So exhausted, hung-over, half-sick at this point, I welcome the break but look forward to resuming. Decided to have our own little mini Hangover experience for the bachelor party (and at a casino!) and I'm still recovering, hah. Weren't any tigers in the bathroom, fortunately, but plenty of Starburst candy in the sink.
So exhausted, hung-over, half-sick at this point, I welcome the break but look forward to resuming. Decided to have our own little mini Hangover experience for the bachelor party (and at a casino!) and I'm still recovering, hah. Weren't any tigers in the bathroom, fortunately, but plenty of Starburst candy in the sink.
Whew! I thought you were talking about your niece's birthday party! =P
Guys, let's see if we can answer the marching order question.
Here are my suggestions but please provide input.
1) Riding in wilderness: Bonegrit, Pyotr, Pellius, Delkaneth, Dunagan
2) Walking wilderness: same as riding
3) Walking underground: Delkaneth, Pyotr, Pellius, Bonegrit, Dunagan
NPC Profile:
Like many of the members of Dierik’s caravan, Kelya is of Varisian stock, although in truth, she isn’t a member of the caravan at all, but rather a fellow traveller who happens to be journeying in the same direction. A priestess of Desna, the whimsical goddess of dreams, discovery and mystery, her apparent goal is simply to witness as much as she can of the lands of Avistan on her long sojourn.
For the past six months, she’s tied this odyssey to the wanderings of Dierik and his caravan. It didn’t take long for her to become one of the most popular members of this small, footloose community. Kelya herself feels very at home on the road, for unlike most of Dierik’s men, she hails from a full-blooded, fully-nomadic family of Varisians who continue to roam the roads around Ustalav.
However, Kelya’s appearance is anything but Varisian. First of all, she’s as tall as one of the half-orcs, and towers over Dierik. Unlike the typical midnight curls, her hair is a colour somewhere between platinum and gold, and falls without kink or curve to her hips. Her skin is pale alabaster, and in her younger years she embodied an almost too convincing personification of the adjective statuesque. Now having past her thirtieth year, the toils of the road have sanded out a lot of that wintery beauty, moving it towards a rugged homeliness that humanizes her undeniable looks.
Kelya’s spirit certainly doesn’t reflect the aristocratic hauteur of her appearance. She’s warm and sociable, never lacking a smile, and funny too boot, specialising in arch put-downs that leave the target grinning wryly at the truth of the words rather than offended or angered.
She considers herself a woman of the common folk and in her brief time with the caravan has even grown into the role of spiritual guide to the Varisian contingent. She is an eager participant, and often organizer, of various gambling games played about camp when the caravan finds itself in lonely stretches of wilderness. Her moderating influence prevents any of the participants making bets they cannot pay, or allowing disagreements to come to blows. Although Kelya and Dierik share a strong mutual respect, they don’t socialize much; Kelya feels Dierik just spends too much time ‘bossing people around’.
Kelya is also something of an expert on dream interpretation, and carries many books on the subject, which she happily shares around. These intriguing tomes have proved popular; many in the caravan read them simply out of curiosity rather than any driving desire to make sense of their dreams. Kelya herself always sleeps soundly in a hammock she hangs between two of the sixbulls.
Kelya habitually wears a rugged traveller’s outfit, but also produces rather striking two-tone dresses of bold patterns should the occasion call for it. A long, silken kapenia of green and violet about her neck. Her Varisian heritage is also evident in the tattoos which decorate her long arms; the stars and butterflies of Desna are clearly visible ensnared amongst the more abstract symbols.
Although Kelya carries a starknife, she abhors violence, and has not been seen wielding her weapon, even when the caravan has come under attack. She is not as reckless as many Desnans, and whilst she seeks a wide gamut of experiences, in most cases she’s content to be an observer rather than a participant. Save perhaps Dierik, none know her purpose in travelling with the caravan, and believe simple wanderlust is her sole motivation. This may or may not be true.
Guys, let's see if we can answer the marching order question.
Here are my suggestions but please provide input.
1) Riding in wilderness: Bonegrit, Pyotr, Pellius, Delkaneth, Dunagan
2) Walking wilderness: same as riding
3) Walking underground: Delkaneth, Pyotr, Pellius, Bonegrit, Dunagan
Thanks for this Pellius. I've seen no objections, so I'll take it as the default unless someone states otherwise.
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Of particular interest to Delkaneth, and our Latin as Infernal theme, is this wiki page on Latin profanity.
NPC Profile:
Whilst Santrian may be master of the men and women (be they human or demihuman), the half-elf Deramil proceeds him in authority as master of the caravan’s most vital resource; it’s beasts.
It’s with these animals that Deramil is most often found – he’s not a man for socialising, or for a word said in vain. His rapport with the horses and oxen in Dierik’s caravan is one built of mutual respect, and he can instil obedience in even the most recalcitrant mule. It would be easy to assign a preternatural agency to this understanding between man and beast, but in truth Deramil’s ability comes merely from skill and experience. Though no sage (he’s rarely seen reading anything), through observation and practice, he’s become an expert on animal behaviour, as well as their ailments and fallibilities, and also all kinds of natural remedies for whatever aids them.
Like Dierik, Deramil is a native of Lastwall, though he’s spent longer roving than even his Trail Captain. Most claim him to be over hundred years of age, entirely possible given his elven blood. Deramil has little to offer on the subject; he’s close-mouthed about his past, as he is on most subjects. At least fifty years ago, his skill with horse flesh made him a name of note amongst the breeders of Lastwall, and to some his ability is still remembered (if only through the regardful recollections of fathers or mentors since passed away). Such success must have brought Deramil considerable wealth once upon a time, but there’s no evidence of such riches now.
The half-elf has since spent decades serving traders, mercenaries, drovers, anyone with need of his skills in animal husbandry. The pay in question has never been in issue, but he’s never worked for any outfit that allowed mistreatment of its beasts. Sometime in his past, Deramil worked with Dierik’s father, and made a good enough impression for Dierik to seek him out when he chose to enter the merchant business.
No details of Deramil’s parentage have ever been revealed, and it’s likely an age would pass and more before he chose to volunteer any information on the subject.
Although tall, Deramil’s age has given him a slight stoop. The length of his trunk is accentuated by the long, straggly beard dangling from his chin. This beard is a sorry thing if compared to the luxuriant growth sported by a dwarf or even a man, it’s thin and messy, and a dirty grey in colour.
The beard is indicative of Deramil’s appearance overall; aging and lacking in maintenance. His clothes are of simply cut material, unwashed and impregnated with the smell and stains of the animals he tends. In inclement weather, he puts on a heavy, waterproof weather cloak – which is just as filthy as the rest of his attire.
Though it’s said Deramil has some skill with the bow, when the caravan comes under attack he considers his sole concern keeping the animals safe and under control. That being said, Callan can tell the tale of at least one incident when Deramil purposely allowed some of the draft beasts to stampede in order to turn the tide of a battle.
Horses and obscure authors notwithstanding, 75 NPCs have so far appeared in the campaign. To help keep track of who's who, I've created a 'cast list' on the Campaign Info tab. All named NPCs are there, some of great import, others just mentioned in passing.
A handy reference if you're struggling to remember who someone is.
My son's first communion was today so a house full of family .... will post either later tonite or tomorrow morning.
Enjoy the special day :-)
Pellius is on his horse and, given the time, has 'nudged' Bonegrit to get going so unless that plan goes awry, there isn't much for me to post.
A handy reference if you're struggling to remember who someone is.
Nice! I really appreciate the work that you're putting into this.
I shall endeavor to sneak in a post at work today.
Wow, what a list! Another month and this will turn into a Tolstoy novel!
Thanks for all the work on that, DM.
I've been back since Friday, but I've been keeping super busy. You know how it is - needing a vacation (holiday) after a vacation (holiday). My wife and I went to Vegas and left the kiddos with the parents. We went running around and tried to see all the sites in a few days. Lots of walking. Saw a few shows. It was a good time. Don't think I'll go back though, too expensive and I'm not all that into the gambling and drinking. The sites were great though! The architecture is incredible and the shows are just as great. We saw Le Reve and Absinthe, the first being a mix of all sorts of acrobatics, and the second being a mix of some rather raunchy humor and acrobatics. The rest were the free shows like the Sirens of Treasure Island, Bellagio's Fountains, and the Mirage's volcano. It's good to be back. I'll be playing catch up in the forums today =)
Welcome back. Sounds high on the fun, but a little low on the relaxation. I can certainly understand the need for a weekend off from your week off!
Thanks! It sure was. =)
Nice! I really appreciate the work that you're putting into this.
Thanks for all the work on that, DM.
Thanks guys. Also, good to have you back Dunagan and glad you enjoyed your holiday.
Dun know why you want to dig a trench. Always thought for a Cairn you wanted to build it up and bury them under rocks?
Lol! Yeah, so I have no idea how to actually build a cairn. I just assumed it would need some kind of foundation. Also, I thought you would need some dirt to pack in between the rocks. All of that led me to think you would start with a trench.
We can flesh it out another way, though. I'm very likely to be completely wrong about all of that.
He rolled a natural 20. It seems destined to be the most beautiful cairn ever created, men and orcs will come from miles around to stare in awe, and the dead will lie peaceful, comfortable in the knowledge that the rocks were piled above them with consummate skill.
On the serious side, having earth to help stabilise the cairn seems a good idea, and might also keep in some of the reek as the bodies decay.
Hah! Those reactions were hilarious! I should have just dropped Dunagan's charisma down to 5!
Also, on a side note: Dunagan switches between Sard and Cornalium throughout the trip. It so happens that Sard is the horse of choice for tonight's expedition.
On another note, I am not sure if you have caught on to Dunagan's references to Dierik Ironcoffer as Sir Dierik. It is most undoubtedly an under-toned insult to the character of the man and likely to grow into a term of endearment as time goes on, but for now, it is me role-playing out that 7 charisma. Perhaps as time goes on it would be interesting to get a quick synopsis of how the NPCs view the PCs.
Just FYI: One of my Assistant Managers just put in notice. This will put slightly more strain on my schedule, plus the added burden of going through the interview/training process for someone new. I should still be able to maintain a regular posting schedule. But, I may miss a day here and there (especially on weekends).
Fortunately/Unfortunately, mine is the manager training store for the region. This means there is a pretty constant stream of new managers coming through (I have one trainee, right now). The down side of that, is that they are for other stores...
Also, don't let Pyotr's angry rhetoric make you think I'm against this! I love the idea of a chase through the marshes!
(I may love it less if we encounter a Will o' Wisp!) =P
I'm all too familiar with the terror that are Will o' Wisps (especially at this level) owing to a deadly Kingmaker encounter. Maybe we'll be *lucky and only encounter a pack of shambling mounds, yeah?
* aka, not lucky
Hah! Those reactions were hilarious! I should have just dropped Dunagan's charisma down to 5!
Glad you liked them! I dread to think the level of boot in mouth comments and flatulence that would come out of a Charisma 5 Dunagan.
Perhaps as time goes on it would be interesting to get a quick synopsis of how the NPCs view the PCs
This is a really good idea, and something I'll try to put together after the PCs have been with the caravan a little longer.
On the topic of "The Acts of Iomedae", some of these would make awesome movies. How are these two:
She defeated a coven of Garundi witches, freeing the city of Eleder from their tyranny.
She gave nine drops of her blood to free nine righteous knights imprisoned by the vampire-mage Basilov; she and the knights then slew him when he attempted to recapture them.
DM, I know in the past you have asked to roll certain skill checks (etc.) for actions we have described. Be aware that it's sometimes hard for us players to determine what type of roll is appropriate, like for this situation: is a knowledge nature roll needed to identify something, an acrobatics roll to avoid falling into quicksand, etc. Please feel free to roll for us (at least for Pellius) once you determine what's required. For the sake of speed, I would rather you rolled for us and not tell us what to roll and wait for us to roll. A roll is a roll.
A good point Pel. Most of the time when I call for rolls, it's at a natural point to hand over to the PCs anyway, or for something where the effect can be applied retroactively.
When possible, I like to give you guys the opportunity to make rolls for yourselves, but if it's holding up gameplay, I wouldn't hesitate to make a roll on your behalf. So far, I don't think there's been many occasions where that's been needed.
Hey guys. I've already given DM Tadpole the details, but I'd like to let everyone else know about what's going on. I've recently been promoted and in consequence I will be very busy the next few months. I will be attending training and moving to a new place. Things have already started to pick up, but this is the calm before the storm. I expect it to get much more crazy. With that in mind, DM Tadpole and I have agreed that he will DMPC Dunagan during my (likely unexpected) asbences, but I will try my best to post once a day.
Gratz on the promotion!
Thanks =)
With regards to the last combat round, Pellius stepped away before casting burning hands so unless the twig-men have reach (which they could), there was no AoO provoked.
OK, I'm going out on a limb in saying this but here goes...
Why show all the DM rolls?!
It's a lot easier to have a little .xls sheet and roll and update as you go. Just go for the cinematic description and concentrate on the role-playing. At the end of the round, give us a health status of our PCs and the enemies (along with any special effects in place).
We don't need to see DM rolls; we trust you (we have to trust you, otherwise you could screw us any other number of ways and we wouldn;t even know it).
All that work (and it's a lot, I DM too) could be done on the role-playing side.
Thoughts?
With regards to the last combat round, Pellius stepped away before casting burning hands so unless the twig-men have reach (which they could), there was no AoO provoked.
They don't have reach, that was my bad; I was trying to jet through a lot of stuff in a quick lunch break.
Why show all the DM rolls?!
Good point. To a certain degree, it's a case of I've got to roll somewhere, so using the Paizo dicebot is as good as any. Copy and paste help out to some extent in speeding things up, and I'm sure I'll get more efficient as I work out what's what.
In addition, although my rules-fu is reasonable, it's far from flawless. I want to give you guys a chance to point out an error if you spot one.
Still, it's good to have your trust. If there are times when not making rolls 'onscreen' is more convenient I'll go with it. There's certainly instances where it's better for you guys to know there's no rolls going at all (such as opposed stealth or bluff checks).
Loved that last 'combat summary post'.
That to me is great and I repeat myself in saying I have no need in seeing your rolls (even though I caught on error on my PC! :) ).
So I'll say it again, if showing the rolls ever gets in your way of the 'other stuff', forget the rolls; I'm really here for the 'cinematic roleplay'.
Dang real life, getting in the way - good luck with everything!!
Thanks =) At least it is a good thing interrupting my hobby.
I for one love the openness of sharing the rolls with us DM Tadpole. I prefer a transparent GM over a closed one when it comes to mechanics. It shows that you are willing to let the story unfold in an unpredictable way rather than a way you want it to. An unpredictable story is all the more fun.
We've not had a post from Bonegrit in a few days, and it appears that the half-orc ranger's feelings on whether to pursue Shambles further into the Ghostlight Marsh will impact significantly on what the party does next.
Hopefully Bonegrit will post in the next 24 hours, but if he doesn't I don't wish to delay play for everyone else whilst we wait for him. If he doesn't post I'll DMPC him, although I'd prefer not to take important decisions out of the hands of the players.
I'd also like opinions from the other players based on your judgement of Bonegrit's character - do you think he'd listen to the words of his companions and return back to camp with them, or continue to look for Shambles, even if it meant continuing into the Ghostlight Marshes alone?
Work... killing... me....
Need... sleep...
I'll try and get a post up by tomorrow morning, at the latest.
It's obvious he went in by himself but I think he was sort of hoping to find the dog without much trouble. Now that trouble has found him (and us), I think he will think twice but he is a stubborn half-orc and his roleplaying reason seemed to mesh well with his character so... (drum roll please)
I say 50% chance he goes on even without us (roll higher than 50 to continue on).
Based on his previous statements that the dog is part of the caravan and that (in a round a bout way saying) it is his duty to protect it, I'd say that he would continue on with or without the group until he either finds Shambles or evidence of his demise.
Sorry! Ended up without internet access while traveling out of town for my friend's wedding. Exhausted currently from the trip, but I'll have something up by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.
Sorry! Ended up without internet access while traveling out of town for my friend's wedding. Exhausted currently from the trip, but I'll have something up by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.
No worries! We'll wait on Bonegrit's update and get a decision directly from the half-orc's mouth. I've had a pretty busy day myself, so that works for me. If I have some free time later in the evening perhaps I'll try and write up another NPC profile.