I win! Too bad we didn't make wager's on Bonegrit's decision.
NPC Profile:
Our heroes notwithstanding, Zriorinta the Apothecary is the newest member of Dierik’s caravan, although like fellow Varisian Kelya, it’s probably more accurate to consider her as somebody whose path happens to running in the same direction, rather than a legitimate member of Dierik’s entourage.
Zriorinta’s position in the caravan is ambiguous to say the least, and a favourite source of speculation amongst those gossips in Dierik’s company. Everyone else’s weekly salary is distributed transparently and meticulously, the men and women lining up on Sundays to receive their small, stacked piles of coins from Agiz whilst the ratman’s claws tick over the beads of his abacus, or have their savings carefully shown to them by Santrian before being locked in a coffer and stored in the fortified wagon known as the ‘Moneybox.’ Zriorinta however, receives her wages directly from Dierik’s personal pocket, or so claims Santrian when asked.
Whether this is true or not, the apothecary doesn’t seem to do anything to earn this money (unless you count, as some do, Dierik's irregular night-time visits to her wagon). Anyone in the caravan seeking to buy any of her herbs, charms or potions supposedly receives a discount, but she prices her wares so obtusely it’s difficult to know if this really amounts to anything. Moreover, whenever the opportunity for trade arises with outside parties, she acts as her own entity, sharing none of her profit with her trail companions.
Considering this behaviour, a certain amount of animosity would be expected on the part of the caravan regulars. In truth though, most view her presence to be Dierik’s business, not theirs. After all, she doesn’t really get in anyone’s way, she’s nice to look at on the scarce occasions she shows herself, and perhaps having a little bit of magic to hand might prove helpful in a tight spot one day.
The lion’s share of Zriorinta’s business is selling organic, non-magical poultices and remedies, plus a large number of ‘lucky’ charms and curios of no intrinsic value. However, she also puts her hands to the crafting of her own magic items and the resale of others. Her stock is small, mainly potions, but also a few arcane scrolls, a wand or two, and a handful of enchanted pieces of clothing. She never openly inventories what she does or does not possess, instead choosing to cryptically offer what she thinks will be of most interest to her customers (and of most profit to her).
Zriorinta’s beauty is typically Varisian in nature. Although slender, she curves deliciously in all the right places. Her eyes, hair and demeanour are wild and dark, contrasting headily with the pure alabaster of her skin. Intricate Varisian tattoos work their way up her arms, disappearing under her clothes to crawl over more intimate areas of her body. She wears heavily embroidered gypsy skirts of rich natural colours, and her burgundy kapenia is usually wrapped about her brow.
And if the looks alone weren’t enough, two further details serve to make Zriorinta more remarkable still. The first are the four ashen-grey, contemptuous cats that haughtily keep her company. It’s commonly though that one of these cats is her familiar.
The second is the extraordinary three-wheeled coach that she travels in. For a century this peculiar contraption was the home of a famous dwarf known as Tumbelarn the Toymaker, a master craftsman of playthings for the young and young at heart. Known throughout the nations and communities encompassing Lake Encarthan, once a decade Tumbelarn would come visiting to sell his toys to a new generation of children. What became of him, and how his carriage ended up in the hands of Zriorinta, is the mystery the apothecary is not inclined to share.
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Actually having to deal with my own group of players splitting up horribly at the moment, so I completely understand and approve.
Hi guys; work forgot to book me into my usual hotel for Thursday's out of town teaching, I've ended up in a guesthouse with no wi-fi, so unfortunately no gameplay update today. Sorry!
Excerrent. The anticipation of my critical success will sustain me.
Excerrent. The anticipation of my critical success will sustain me.
Your critical success has been noted, even though Bonegrit may not necessarily note the implementation of the notation so noted in the notes that have been quoted.
Between being short an assistant, memorial day weekend, and the Coca-Cola 600 (auto-race, a big one, if you don't follow such things) going on less than 3 miles from my restaurant... work has consumed my entire weekend.
Sorry about the absenteeism. I'm still around, though.
Good to hear, Pyotr.
Hmmm, in my mind that kind of rhymes.
Sorry guys, I think your meeting with the Conductor of the Fens had the spark of an intriguing encounter, but was rather bungled by the DM. My original intention was the Conductor would cryptically provide some added lore regarding the nature of the Ghostlight Marshes, whilst also foreshadowing some events to come.
In practice, writing songs which double as clues (clues which the PCs aren't even looking for) without making them too obvious or too obscure is a pretty tall order, and I didn't really have the time to commit to make it work. As a result, the Conductor's ended up singing some ditties which I reckon are too vague to really add anything to the current situation. Depending on how things pan out in the swamp, later analysis might be revealing (though still somewhat obtuse). For now, I think all I've managed to do is create an encounter which is mystifying for the characters and confusing (perhaps even a little annoying) for the players. Great schemes not reaching their fruition I'm afraid.
The Conductor of the Fens was a creature I created for this year's RPG superstar contest (although I never advanced far enough to show him off), perhaps I was trying a little to hard to shoehorn him into the adventure. It looks like he might be exiting stage left for now, feel free to keep trying to communicate with him if it floats your boat, but I'm not sure if he's got anything else useful to add!
Actually, I think it's the reverse in my case. I immensely enjoyed the encounter, but I think it's Bonegrit who was frustrated by it, haha! That's not so say I've cracked the code (far from it) but I do applaud the entire encounter.
So, by my understanding, if Dunagan and Pellius start banging pots and pans (or armour, there's plenty of broken pieces lying around to make a din with), Pyotr will join in with the noise-making and hope One-Paw spooks. Anything else, and he's charging?
I think you've got it.
In practice, writing songs which double as clues (clues which the PCs aren't even looking for) without making them too obvious or too obscure is a pretty tall order...
I can only imagine. I wondered if you wrote those yourself or if they were drawn from somewhere.
The Conductor of the Fens was a creature I created for this year's RPG superstar contest...
I like the name and the idea. It's a shame you didn't advance further. (Though, neither did I. So, I guess we can lament together.) If he's not going to likely feature further in the adventure, I wouldn't mind seeing his stat block. Unless you need to keep him secret for future superstar submissions, of course. =)
I like the name and the idea. It's a shame you didn't advance further. (Though, neither did I. So, I guess we can lament together.) If he's not going to likely feature further in the adventure, I wouldn't mind seeing his stat block. Unless you need to keep him secret for future superstar submissions, of course. =)
I was one of the 32, which was really cool. I didn't get through the archetype round though, probably because I don't spend much time in a player's shoes. Such was the nature of the beast that I had the monster round prepped and ready to go, but didn't get through to use it.
I'll post the stats a little later, as the Conductor might just reappear before Del and Bonegrit get out of the Marsh. The example they encountered differed in many ways from my write-up, especially as the largely lifeless nature of the Ghostlight Marshes has curtailed many of his powers.
As for the RL stuff Pyotr, thanks for keeping us in the loop, keep on keeping on and look forward to you returning to regular posting!
I feel like I am limping along keeping my head above water just enough to not drown. I don't mind the flavor you added Pyotr. Please, please, please feel free to push along and do not feel the need to wait for me to keep things progressing. The story is more important than getting Dunagan's character spot on, so feel free to embellish as you see fit. I'll probably become a bit more consistent with my posting soon, but then it will get sketchy again (around July/August). Right now I am training my replacement and being hit with quite a bit of work while getting things in order. I'll be moving in July and training in August.
Don't worry Dunagan, we're sympathetic and the dwarf seems to be managing fine too. He even scared off an owlbear! Just keep dropping the posts where and when you can.
Well, it's tough to have the party break-up and also provide 'tags' for everyone. In this turn, Pellius was not 'tagged' and there really doesn't seem that there is anything 'significant' for him to do.
I'll try and post something later and tag other people and hopefully, someone will reply to my tags and tag me back.
Thanks for your comments guys.
Real world issues are making regular posting difficult for a couple of players (Pyotr and Dunagan) at the moment. They've let us know the situation, and I'm happy to accommodate them. On the whole, everyone else is posting regularly, but not all are managing to keep up with the requirements of the game.
In general, if you are around and reading the Gameplay thread, please make a post even if you think current events have no impact on your character. It can be as little as "Boris stands around and picks his nose," but at least it lets me know you're still there.
It's also important to remember that PCs need not only be reactive. Talk to NPCs, do little tasks appropriate to your character etc, actions like these can be a springboard for adding further depth to the campaign.
It's also worth saying that the quality of the posts continues to be fantastic, even if the quantity is occasionally flagging.
Comments welcome.
Comments welcome.
Here come the comments then. :)
From experience, player posting will pick and slow down according to what strikes a player as interesting. Sometimes things that seem uninteresting to you will spur player activity while other times things that you think will be great will turn out not so for PCs.
That being said, I think the amount of work you put in the game is fantastic (way above what I do as a DM for sure). And to be honest with you, I fear that you may get 'tired of us lazy players'. I would love to get more into roleplaying but frankly haven't found an 'echo' with other players. Again not the players fault, it just is.
In my games, I encourage 'open ended' posts meaning that I ask players to post and, at least, 'tag' a PC (best) or an NPC. That way, things continue. In fact, I insist that this kind of post be the rule.
Another thing that you as a DM can do (which would help me out in particular) is to have a little OOC section in your posts. In that section, you can point out some RP opportunities and, more importantly, give us a timeline on when you will pick the story again.
For example, you last post (#586 for Pyotr, Pellius & Dunagan) could have ended (for example).
-------------
OOC
RPs options include:
- talk to Dierik,
- walk along with Kelya, or
- other (?).
I will pick the action again mid afternoon so figure out what your PC will do until then.
--------------
This clearly outlines what is expected of Pellius for this next post. Sometimes, you will feel silly because the RP opportunities will seem obvious to you but may not be so for us.
Is this the kind of feedback you were looking for?
Thoughts?
[tag] :)
Thanks for your input Pellius.
It does seem that many of our PCs are of the more solitary, observe quietly from the sidelines type, which might have lessened the amount of interaction between them and the NPCs. However, that's perfectly fine by my book, so I wouldn't want to push PCs into tagging each other if they don't feel there's any in character reason to do so.
The OOC options idea is an intriguing one. I'd like to hear some opinions from the other players here. The advantages are obvious, but I'm a little worried that using it might feel like I'm leading players by the nose. Moreover, I look to hide away little 'hooks' of interest in my meandering gameplay posts for the observant reader to pick up on (a kind of reward for paying attention if you will), and posting options might undermine that.
On the other hand, as you said, things that might appear blindly obvious plot hooks to me can certainly less clear from the other side of DM's Screen, especially as the slow pace of PbP doesn't exactly keep little details fresh in the mind.
I'm sorry about the break in posting, guys. I have a new shift manager who is very nearly ready to stand on his own. This will reduce the burden on my schedule significantly.
Thanks for your input Pellius.
It does seem that many of our PCs are of the more solitary, observe quietly from the sidelines type, which might have lessened the amount of interaction between them and the NPCs. However, that's perfectly fine by my book, so I wouldn't want to push PCs into tagging each other if they don't feel there's any in character reason to do so.
You're welcome. And again, this is not just idle chit-chat here but I'm thinking that if you go through the trouble of posting a few paragraphs, we should be able to come with 'something' that keeps the RP going. This 'tag' doesn't have to be in every post but certainly in our 'initial' response to your initial post. I don't care how much of a lonewolf your PC is, this is a written medium that we are playing in and the entertainment comes from 'reading' about your PC. Other wise, you could just write a short story without our participation. Frankly, these games to me are more of a shared narrative than anything else.
The OOC options idea is an intriguing one. I'd like to hear some opinions from the other players here. The advantages are obvious, but I'm a little worried that using it might feel like I'm leading players by the nose. Moreover, I look to hide away little 'hooks' of interest in my meandering gameplay posts for the observant reader to pick up on (a kind of reward for paying attention if you will), and posting options might undermine that.
On the other hand, as you said, things that might appear blindly obvious plot hooks to me can certainly less clear from the other side of DM's Screen, especially as the slow pace of PbP doesn't exactly keep little details fresh in the mind.
Yes, there is a fine line to walk here by providing options without 'railroading' but the options you provide are more like suggestions and are not the only ones. We could certainly ignore them if we want to pursue our own RP opportunity but, sadly, this hasn't happened much.
At the very least, the 'game timeline' would help and again, if an unforeseen RP opportunity arises, you can just follow it and ignore the timeline. Think of these as suggestions unless something better comes along.
But...this is your game and I'm just sharing what works for me so YMMV.
Thanks for your input guys. I'm not seeking to bust any balls here, and I'm especially sympathetic to outside forces reducing our capacities to contribute, especially when you've let us know in advance on the discussion thread. So no apologies necessary, Pyotr. I'm just keen to keep this campaign in rude health.
Quite late over here in the Orient, so I'm off to bed now. I'll be back on tomorrow with some more responses to the ideas above, some more Gameplay and perhaps an NPC profile of Crooked Callan which is sitting half finished on my desktop.
I'm in a similar boat as Del in regards to the pbp venue. Not got many games under my belt in terms of history, and I think that has tended to push me towards a role swaying more responsive than proactive. Hopefully that'll melt away a bit as things progress. Even having said that, I'm enjoying this game immensely.
In regards to the plot-points/OOC options; I think it's a helpful option, but I think it runs counter to the idea of a sandbox style game. Maybe instead of listing the available quests from an encounter, there could be some sort of highlight or indicator when there's something going on that you specifically want us to pick up on? Not so much of a "this is what I want you to do" as a "pay attention to this." I'm not certain even that is necessary. I think it largely depends on if we're missing overt trails of bread crumbs in the first place.
Guys,
I'm glad you are all considering suggestions. It speaks well for the group and I'm sure that we will reach a solution that will satisfy all of us.
One thing I want to point out is that the 'suggestions' are really short term and NOT 'quests'.
Look at the example I provided above; the suggestions were:
-------------
OOC
RPs options include:
- talk to Dierik,
- walk along with Kelya, or
- other (?).
I will pick the action again mid afternoon so figure out what your PC will do until then.
--------------
These suggestions only encompass the 'game time gap' until the DM intends to pick up the story (in this case morning to mid afternoon).
The suggestions were NOT:
a) go straight to Urik;
b) go back to Castle Ferrine;
c) etc (some other quest).
I totally agree that these decisions should come from the whole group. That's the whole idea of a sandbox adventure and we are lucky enough to have DM that wants to put in the time necessary for that to work.
I hate tooting my own horn but maybe a 'real life example' can explain things better. I just sent out Turn 96 in my Carrion Crown game. Read the turn and see how I encourage more roleplaying and provide options for what the PCs can do next.
The website for the game is here and the specific turn is here.
I think the PCs have some very specific aspirations and goals that perhaps have not been triggered by the events in the game yet. Maybe Dunagan will have quite a bit to contribute to the roleplay when he actually gets enough time to take a look at Dierik's sword? There was some interesting dynamics when Dunagan and Pellius were looking over the sakkaveen forged sword. That's what excites Dunagan and in turn me. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to what will happen once the party arrives at the Hold of Belkzen.
Currently somewhat overwhelmed with work and saying goodbye to some dear friends who are saying goodbye to Vietnam to return to the states. Gameplay threads updated, but I've got stuff to add here as well, some further responses to your thoughts above plus unrelated campaign related stuff and something else which I think will be welcomed by all. However, can't really find a window of free time at the moment; hopefully all that will come along tomorrow, or maybe even later today.
Thanks and Dunagan and DM for the tips to approach to Kelya; I'll certainly will pursue it once we are in a more pleasant environment.
On reflection, I think the overriding problem is simply that only really Pellius and Delkaneth are able to keep up with the post a day schedule at the moment – so a slight drop in momentum is probably unavoidable. And overall, it’s not a grave problem in the slightest, despite the occasional lapses, all the players are posting and the campaign’s moving forward. Hopefully, players’ capacity to post will improve in the future, but I must accept this will inevitably wax and wane with the demands of real life. Sometimes my enthusiasm to forge ahead with the adventure gets the better of me! The main thing is that everybody seems committed to the campaign.
Irrespective, some useful comments and ideas have been generated in the discussion above. As you’ve noticed, to a certain extent I’ve adopted Pellius’ suggestion of summarising possible options at the end of each Gameplay post. Remember these are not your only options, and I might purposefully omit some options, just to see if anyone notices the occasional subtle hint lurking in my walls of text.
That being said, I’ll just as often make sure I highlight potentially important ‘trails of bread crumbs’ that PCs may have been missing. Incidentally, nobody’s missed anything of major significance (and this certainly isn’t a murder mystery campaign), but on occasion I’ve been surprised that certain incidental details haven’t been remarked upon. These details will recur though, so we’ll see what happens.
This being my first pbp of this depth and detail I admit I sometimes hesitate with things like NPC interactions. I certainly don't want to take control of someone for an interaction but I also don't want to clutter the thread with 'Delkaneth asks Karannah to go for a walk with him along the river' and wait for a response, potentially derailing REAL posts and real action/advancement.
Delkaneth makes a good point here, and things can certainly get a bit overboard, but in general I’d prefer the problem of too many different things happening than too little. We can always move gameplay forward and spoilerize retroactive posts on the side plots if the main thrust of the adventure is driving forward. On the whole I think we’ve got the balance right so far.
@Pellius, thanks for the example. I want to keep talking with Crowl!
There was some interesting dynamics when Dunagan and Pellius were looking over the sakkaveen forged sword. That's what excites Dunagan and in turn me.
I was amused that Pellius took Dunagan’s uninformed elvish runes comment at face value. Delkaneth came to a different conclusion when he investigated the sword!
(*)unleash Rovagug on some orcs up north somewhere."
*: not literally, of course. Just inventing an expression.
My favourite is "Erastil's antlered manhood". Is that an original Bonegrit-ism?
My situation is gradually resolving itself. I should be back to normal posting during the week soon. Weekends may take a little longer before I'm back to everyday. Keep in mind that on top of everything, I had end of month this past weekend, which is always a time-eating-monster for me.
One thing I will say regarding NPC interactions: I may have been just a little bit reluctant to put too much dialogue or reaction from NPC's in my posts because of how well developed they all are.
I don't know if this affects anyone else in the group. But, just as I was concerned about making dialogue for Dunagan in a previous post, I don't want anyone (DM included) to feel like I've mangled or misunderstood/misrepresented their character.
But, if you are willing to just roll with those potential gaffs, then I can certainly put quite a bit more interaction into my posts from this point on.
Irrespective, some useful comments and ideas have been generated in the discussion above. As you’ve noticed, to a certain extent I’ve adopted Pellius’ suggestion of summarising possible options at the end of each Gameplay post. Remember these are not your only options, and I might purposefully omit some options, just to see if anyone notices the occasional subtle hint lurking in my walls of text.
It really does help me so thanks!
@Pellius, thanks for the example. I want to keep talking with Crowl!
I'm glad to hear that you had the time (and inclination) to read it. The next turn went up on the website so you are certainly welcome to read along. Sometimes I don't upload the turns quickly because the turn is distributed on the email list to all the players. Should you want to join the email list where the game is played (actually see players' post that go into the turn recap), I can arrange for that too. Just let me know.
FYI, I have house guest for the month of June so my 'intra-day' posting may suffer but I should still be able to post once a day but it may be late at night.
My favourite is "Erastil's antlered manhood". Is that an original Bonegrit-ism?
Aye, that it is. Not that he's a particularly religious fellow, but I've always been a fan of witty (or not so witty) exclamations where the powers are concerned.
I’ve made a few minor tweaks to the order of events (questions asked etc.) to make the post flow better. I’ve also DMPCed Dunagan for this post.
Excellent post DM!
You are very close to writing a 'turn recap' and I'd like to think that you came to that conclusion because of your own story-telling writing style and organizational skills.
Here's an old thread I started trying to promote PBEMs but I've since realized that a very similar result could be obtained with a PbP with turn recaps. This one was my attempt at it but it mostly shows combat rounds because the game was almost over when I transitioned. You have already seen a non-combat turn recap so you know what that looks like.
I think you'll come around to the 'turn recap dark side' soon enough. :)
One thing I will say regarding NPC interactions: I may have been just a little bit reluctant to put too much dialogue or reaction from NPC's in my posts because of how well developed they all are.
I don't know if this affects anyone else in the group. But, just as I was concerned about making dialogue for Dunagan in a previous post, I don't want anyone (DM included) to feel like I've mangled or misunderstood/misrepresented their character.
This is a good point, Pyotr. In the PbP format, conversations tend to be either perfunctory, or progress as a crawl.
I appreciate the respect your showing to the other characters in the campaign. Rather than risking misrepresentation of another character, one suggestion is posting several questions to be asked in a dialogue to give it a bit more life. This could be in the form a short conversation 'tree' such as 'I say this > If he says A I say X > If he says B I say Y'.
@ Pellius and Del; thanks for the love.
NPC Profile:
It’s Callan’s appearance, rather than his character, that has that prefixed ‘Crooked’ to his name by all that ride with Dierik Ironcoffer. Although the horrifying mess of rotting teeth in his mouth might easily have earned him the moniker alone, the Crooked part of Callan’s name refers to his gait, and the twisted leg that forces him to walk so. Almost twenty years ago, a troll near bit his leg off with its disease ridden teeth. The resulting infection nearly proved fatal, and although the warrior fought it off it left his left leg crippled and almost useless. The warped limb now struggles to support his weight, forcing him to adopt a waddling limp which disguises how quickly he can cross open ground when the need arises.
Callan is a Garundi, although most of his life has been spent as a wandering sellsword in lands far north of his homeland. He has his race’s dark skin, though the flesh of his body and face is crisscrossed with the lighter marks of long-healed scars. His woolly grey hair is receding. Despite his heritage, he dresses in garb standard from Varisia northwards, the typical trappings of a mercenary; straight sword, well maintained chain mail, a solid but inexpensive horse, and just a few coins in his purse (the rest astutely hidden away).
For all the crookedness in Callan’s form, and his sly, rough way of talking, his character is straight and true. His principles might be concealed beneath a crust of boorishness, but when encountered they’re as solid and unyielding as his shield arm. He wields arms for pay, but quietly follows a strong ethical code, and there’s certain things he won’t do, whatever the weight in coin offered. Once he’s accepted a job, he sticks with it, however great the trials it might present.
Three years ago, he signed on as captain to Dierik’s small unit of caravan guards, and has not looked back. He’s developed a stern but paternal command of the men and women who work for him, and enjoys an earned respect he never received drifting though the brief, ever-changing mercenary stints of his past.
Callan was an unquenchable cardshark and crapshooter in his youth, and the guards claim he won and lost at least three fortunes before giving up gambling for good half a decade ago. These days he steers well clear of any games of chance played in the camp, as if fearful of falling back into old habits. Kelya is sympathetic to these feelings, and does her best to ensure gambling games are organised out of sight and earshot.
One of Crooked Callan’s favourite pastimes is the telling of outlandish stories. Half of said tales concern the adventures of his youth, whilst the rest are assigned to an improbably large extended family of brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles, aunties and grandparents. Perennial favourites are how Callan’s half-brother Jiri slew the Sandpoint Devil, the adventures of his niece Azilya in the far north (including her time as the concubine of a Linnorm King), and Callan’s own seduction and imprisonment by a dryad of the Backar Forest of Molthune. These tales constantly change with each telling, and no-one really believes there’s any truth to them.
A couple of points.
- Roll hit points. Be it low or high, you get what you roll.
- Casters, please include a revised default spell list reflecting your expanded spellcasting abilities, posted on the Discussion thread.
- Make sure your character sheets are fully updated.
- Give the DM a heads up regarding any unusual choices (including any spells not taken from the Core Rulebook).
Congratulations. :-)
Hit points for 2nd level:
Changes to sheet are:
HP to 24;
Fort save to +5;
Will save to +4;
bab to +1;
added 1 rank each to: climb, knowledge arcana, perception, ride, spellcraft, and stealth;
obtained spellstrike ability;
can now memorize 4 0-level spells and 3 1-level spells;
obtained 2 1st level spells: grease and frostbite
Normal spell memorization is:
0-level: acid splash, disrupt undead, light, prestidigitation, and read magic (automatic),
1st level: color spray, shocking grasp, frostbite
I think that's all but let me know if I missed anything.
I think frostbite is from Ultimate Magic but I get my 'stats' from http://www.d20pfsrd.com/.