GM Brayden's Serpents Skull. (Inactive)

Game Master Brayden Green

Travis wakes late and stumbles out of his trailer (yes, he DOES have a private dressing room trailer, because his agent is awesome). He peers around, squinting and realizes he's woken late. Still in his underwear, he trots to make-up and calls out, "Wardrobe! I need wardrobe!... and coffee."

He spots Shi and blinks stupidly for a moment, then nods, muttering something that slightly resembles "g'morning". He runs his fingers through his hair, trying to tame it enough for the stylist to get a comb through it later,

He spies Shi with a script and glowers for a moment as he thinks. He checks his pockets and realizes he's still in his skivvies and has no pockets. "Script! I need my script! Why don't I have a script too? They changed it again didn't they? You've got pink pages... My script didn't have any pink pages!"

He grabs a half-robe from make-up and wraps it around himself as runs off to find the AD to get his script updated. New pages? THey're adding new pages the day of shooting? Are they insane? What if I have new lines? OMG, worse! They've cut my scene, haven't they?! That's why I don't have pink pages! Why don't I have pink pages??

Travis retreats to his trailer for a 4am meltdown.

Seeing Travis exit his trailer, Shilyn raises an eyebrow. "Forget something?" she asks pointing at his bare legs with her donut. She lets out a giggle at the mention of the pink pages. "guess you should have gotten up sooner.". Still giggling she wanders off to get dressed before heading to makeup.

We haven't even started the Ap yet and already we have half nudity ;)

Painlord, let's go with max gold with everyone, instead of the average.

You want to swap out scribe for what? Permission granted in advance, just wondering what you are replacing with?

You want to swap out scribe for what? Permission granted in advance, just wondering what you are replacing with?

The standard swap out is usually Spell Focus (X). Does that work?

Traits: take one from Serpents and one from Paizo stuff.

I told some of you something different previously re:traits, but after reading through the Players Guide, there are actually some really good traits for this AP, unlike some of the others I have experienced, so I don't feel like they are way underpowered like they sometimes are, so just the one will from the AP and one from paizo sources will suffice.

Also, be advised that if you take a "Boarding in whatever place" trait, for the purposes of my story and how I want to set it up for PbP (and for later on) you aren't going to be boarding in different installments. The ship "will" be making different stops, so either you all got on before then together, or we could handwaive and say that the journey takes a little longer than it would normally takes because the route they took doubled back a little, and you all didn't mind paying it because you aren't in a hurry and it was a much cheaper fair than normal. Or something like that.

*** I plan on RPing on the ship, and for those of you that know the campaign you know that isn't written into the AP. I have reasons for this, and I think it will play out nicely. But I DON'T want to rp on the ship with everyone coming in at different times, because A) that would be kind of a pain to manage who comes in where, and B) in the interest of doing a PbP, instead of a handful of minutes at a table with each player until you are all together, it might equate to days worth of non-posting for the very last to get on, which seems to me to not be an efficient way of starting the game for said player :) ***

Brayden Green wrote:

You want to swap out scribe for what? Permission granted in advance, just wondering what you are replacing with?

The standard swap out is usually Spell Focus (X). Does that work?

Yep. Works great.

Also, because of the way that we are starting, I am pretty much ready to go, as I don't readily need a combat map or having to post other things of that nature.

I am ready to start by the end of the day. I don't expect to start that early, I understand you need to discuss amongst yourselves the best ways to not die, mechanically. As far as character details, let's play that out on the ship, and we can pretend that your previous rp with each other can spill over as well, if you want to just basically copy paste you can do that.

Let me take a second to explain the party forming. For this portion of the game, I don't expect there to be a party forming, unless you really like each other and are becoming besties. What I am saying is that I want it to happen organically for this part. If your char is a loner, be a loner right now. Don't force a group effort. There will be plenty of time later for a group "hurrah" sort of thing.

What I envision this first part being, is not necessarily party formation, but developing your character into the world step by step. Rather than BAMMO, here are 4 pages of backstory to impress upon you your dangerous situation!

More than developing relations at this point, I want you to live life in your character all while experiencing the world. IF you want to do that together (because you are all just so freaking good at becoming a party by now, with so many games played, even if the beginning seems a little forced) then I don't expect you to turn that switch off.

A couple ground rules and forewarnings:

No "big time swears" either in or out of character. 1. We don't know who is and isn't comfortable with language, so let's avoid it altogether. 2. I know for a fact that some people follow my APs (and probably many of yours) and read along, and we don't know what they are or aren't sensitive to. On that related note, no graphic sexuality. I understand that this is an adult game, but we might have youths reading it. So I am definitely okay with a PG-13 type mentality, but let's not push that into an R rating. We can have plenty of fun not being "old man creepy" at the same time. I am perfectly okay with people going in separate rooms, and PC and NPCs waking up from the same places, whatever. Let's just not talk about hearing each other through walls or seeing stuff that you wouldn't see in a PG-13 movie. I think that is the rating that we want to shoot for on a language and sexual content level. Again, because we don't know the comfortability of everyone, and of the people following along.

I don't think that we'll have a problem with open animosity for each other in the gameplay, or anything like that. We have a good group here. Just be courteous to each other.

I would like for each character to have a "secret" that I can either weave into the story, or that would come up at some point as a "party loyalty / rallying point" at some time. It doesn't have to be something nefarious, or really game changing. I just think it is fun to have conversations with each other, and have something that you are holding back. It makes the game seem more real, rather than "Hey person I have never met before now, I watched my mom and dad die when I was a young kid, and that is why I became a Paladin for Iomedae. Can you pass the sugar, please?" That just doesn't seem like a real thing to me. IF you watched your mom and dad die, for example, you wouldn't tell anyone about it right off the bat, and when you *do* choose to tell someone, it is because that person is special to you, and it can be a really special moment. Feel free to PM me back and forth to me about your ideas.

I want the story to be about you as much as possible. I have no problem customizing the story to the players, and taking side trips here and there to accomplish the things that you need to. Feel free to give me hopes and aspirations and anything that you can to allow me to tailor the story to your characters.

Oh, I should bring this up to. As I mentioned in my rules, I am *not* a rules lawyer, I am a story teller. I came to tabletop gaming unfortunately recently, in the last couple years. It is what I was looking for in video games and books all those years. I have no doubt in my mind that some of you at this "table" know more than me. That is completely fine with me. I have no problem being corrected on a missed ruling, as long as it is not done antagonistically. Combat is my least favorite part of gaming (as a gm or a player) so I tend to care about that a little less, and I like to rp a LOT more, when the group is good. What I am saying is that I will make mistakes - as I think that most of us will - and that I have no problem with these things being pointed out, so that I can add it to my working knowledge and go from there :) So thanks and sorry in advance if you get frustrated. let me be clear, I don't know "nothing". I have a decent working base, and a major benefit of PbP is that everything isn't so bang bang that there is time to learn and look things up. I just don't know as much as I would like to, and I am working and looking to improve that.

- To further complicate things, I am coming back to gaming after about an 8 month hiatus (my wife's mother passed away from cancer last June). We are both - relatively - young (I am 30 and she 29) so it was a big blow to her, and she is still dealing with it to some extent. It shouldn't interrupt gaming in a permanent fashion, but I mention it for 2 reasons. The first, is that I am admittedly a little rusty, and this is going to be something of a warm up game for me, at least at the first. The second, is that there will be the occasional "can we watch a movie together, I am freaking out" friday or saturday night that I just need to take some time and be with her. I have a laptop, so it won't interrupt things too much, just know that once in a great while I'll be needed.

If you aren't disinterested after reading all this, then let's get started (when you are all ready)! If you are, no hard feelings. Let me know sooner than later, by pm or whatever and I am sure we can find someone to take your spot.

I am excited about the group, and I think this has the potential to be all of our best stories ever. This is a really good group.

First of all, I'm impressed by the large post. :)

No qualms about any of the above, just need to think of a good secret...

Shorga, sounds great. I really like that. It won't hurt to have someone else that knows to not step somewhere because there might be nasty repercussions. Remind me of your trait so that I don't forget about it, and make often rolls :)

About 50 feet away from the other trailers is a large and rickety horse trailer, largely open to the elements and smelling... well lived in. A groan reverberates softly off the metal walls, and the sounds of slow movement come from inside. The rear door is shoved open in a screeching of rusted metal, and out stumbles Shorga. Bleary eyed and slack jawed, he wipes some drool from his face and stretches broadly in the morning sun. He's got studded leather armor on and it's clear he slept in it, equally clear is that it was not a comfortable rest. He smells strongly of horse, and he scratches his backside under the armor as he stumbles toward the breakfast spread.

With eye half-closed he manages to snag a bagel and some orange juice, either ignoring or too tired to acknowledge the looks he's getting from the support staff. One lady in particular makes a great show of covering her nose as she heads in the other direction, and Shorga notices. "Itssall about getting inno character!" he hollers after her. Looking around the room suspiciously now, he shambles back towards his trailer, food clutched protectively in his arms. "NED!!? Where's my 'sistant!" he calls as he moves.

"Oh... my... god... don't you ever bathe? Method actors! Sheesh!" Travis waves at the air around him, trying to clear the stench of horse from around the craft table.

Shorga turns, suddenly standing upright with his back ramrod straight. His hands drop to his sides dramatically, his food forgotten, "I am a Cavalier - shir! Of the Order of the Blue Roshe!" his eyes flashing with righteous fury. Turning smartly on his heel he stomps the rest of the way to his horse trailer.

Not a fan of Psionics? Bummer. Note: If it makes a difference, an Aegis is not a Psionic caster, he's like a Soulknife who makes armor instead of a weapon. It comes out as something akin to "Synthesist-lite". Much more limited than the monstrosity that can become (no size changes, extra arms, and whatnot), but similar idea of constant change and new abilities.

Sorry if I'm throwin' too many questions about this sort of stuff, it's not often I find a GM who even admits 3rd party classes exist. =)

Anywho, I'll stat up the Ranger now so we can get this show on the road if you don't like it.

Fleshed out and updated much of Wren's alias. Finalize versions will come tonight after I tweak a few things in Herolab, but the basics are all there. Just need to add the extra cantrips, my Parrot companion, and the extra skills.

I'm still working on the secret...that will be more difficult as Wren is a babbler with little self-awareness and so having a secret really isn't her style. But that just means I need to be a bit more creative with it.

Please let me know if I am missing anything or if you have any questions.

I'll have a post in the gameplay thread soon.

I can't believe that I just typed out the entire intro of the story and then my browser decided to page back when I scrolled the touchpad mouse down to hit submit on my laptop.

That was like 4 or 5 paragraphs long with dialogue. Swearwords!

ouch... watch the swearwords, now! lol j/k

should I delete my post and let yours be first? I can always save it in word and repost it later...

Not a fan of Psionics? Bummer. Note: If it makes a difference, an Aegis is not a Psionic caster, he's like a Soulknife who makes armor instead of a weapon. It comes out as something akin to "Synthesist-lite". Much more limited than the monstrosity that can become (no size changes, extra arms, and whatnot), but similar idea of constant change and new abilities.

Sorry if I'm throwin' too many questions about this sort of stuff, it's not often I find a GM who even admits 3rd party classes exist. =)

Anywho, I'll stat up the Ranger now so we can get this show on the road if you don't like it.

I've heard stories, and the one AP that I let someone use it got a little out of hand. It was a synthesist build, dipping in and out of paizo. It might be better in the hands of someone like you, but let's just stick to Paizo or paizo like things for now.

never mind - it's been more than an hour, can't delete.

I can't believe that I just typed out the entire intro of the story and then my browser decided to page back when I scrolled the touchpad mouse down to hit submit on my laptop.

That was like 4 or 5 paragraphs long with dialogue. Swearwords!

That at least deserves some !%#!@#$!# son of a motherless !$!$! and I'll put a %!@#$!#^ inside a %!$!@# duck and kick its %!#$!#@ into !@#$!#@$!@! creation!

Isn't imagination great!?

ouch... watch the swearwords, now! lol j/k

should I delete my post and let yours be first? I can always save it in word and repost it later...

Nope. Your post works fine and doesn't conflict with my into. The only thing that you might modify is that the crew is a tightly knit group and wouldn't welcome any help, not this early in the voyage at least. They would probably hate you for doing what you are doing. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't do it if you want, they just wouldn't welcome it at all.

Wait, that post isn't Travis, it is from a vantage point of "kitsume?"

That is fine as written. Just as long as you are comfortable with him possibly/probably dying, ;)

Actually post is from a generic 3rd person pov... my next post, whenever it comes, will be more personal. Just wanted to get things rolling with an intro sort of, and if you want to kill off the kitsune quartermaster, or if he's supposed to die with the rest of the crew as part of the plot, that's fine... just thought I'd give at least one member of the crew other than Travis a face.

travis, are you taking the stowaway or the Jenivere crew trait?

IF so, your post is fine, and they wouldn't hate you. If you are a stowaway, I suggest you stay a stowaway for the time being. I would probably make yourself useful to them before you reveal yourself (unless you want to remain a stowaway for the entire voyage, which doesn't seem like fun) because they would have no qualms about throwing you off at the next port, which... we kind of need you for the AP and everything... So don't let them do that :)

Well, I had taken both initially and that is how my post is written up, as if I still had both, but I am taking the stowaway trait officially... I was hoping to become part of the crew, since Travis doesn't have a LOT of money to pay for passage, which is why he stowed away in the first place.

Have you got any suggestions for becoming useful to them before revealing himself? He could kill rats or something, lol...

Or I could switch and take the crew trait instead and make the post make more sense... whatever works for you, I guess.

Did you want to take both? - which is fine - Or were you operating under my old rules of if you take one from the AP you get a bonus one?

IF you wanted to take both your traits from the AP, then I would just hand waive the rp of being useful, because your traits make up for that. We would just start as you being a part of the crew.

You don't have to take them both if you are eyeing something else. If you decide on stowaway only then I would recommend doing something for each crewmate. Or you could come on at port and then weave an intricate lie about how you just got on, and you have your papers but they must be in your luggage. But before I get them, can you tell me that story of the Isle of Catamaroon again? Well thanks for that, I'm going to help wash up. Let me take that plate for you, etc etc.

Ahhhh...feels good to have Wren out of her cage. :)

The ol' bird was going batty all locked up in my head.

I was operating under your initial rules when I took them both... but I can take them both, that works for me...

Dropped the other trait, as it wasn't essential anyway.

Alrighty, here's Bashing Bu...I mean Alphonse.

haha, painlord. That is great.

Rynjin, looks really good other than my ? in the spoiler.

So I was thinking, we should set up a Google Drive page that can be shared for party notes, and do party xp on the same or a different one.

I'll setup a google drive page if no one minds. Google and I get along fairly well. :)

I'll setup a google drive page if no one minds. Google and I get along fairly well. :)

<<singsong>>

Mug and Google sittin' in a tree,
D - R - I - V - I - N - G.

Since you mentioned XP, I'll just shoot out my customary plug --- I really like doing Leveling at the GM's discretion, rather than counting arbitrary numbers. The AP often gives excellent guidance for when it's good for players to level anyways. Well there it is, my 2cp. Don't look like much do they? * *

I would totally make out with Google and not tell my wife about it.

LOL!

Since you mentioned XP, I'll just shoot out my customary plug --- I really like doing Leveling at the GM's discretion, rather than counting arbitrary numbers. The AP often gives excellent guidance for when it's good for players to level anyways. Well there it is, my 2cp. Don't look like much do they? * *

Thoughts? It would be a lot easier, and there is a very natural progression in the module. At least for module 1 there is.

It would be nice not to have to worry about that, and one thing less to keep track of, but I'm not pushing for it if everyone is up in arms against.

Leveling by the AP guidelines is generally a lot easier on everyone involved, I've found yeah.

It's how I do leveling these days for APs, and "at my discretion" for homebrew stuff ("Welp, it's been a while since you've leveled and I'm tired of seeing your old abilities. Level up.")

Oh and I'm probably going to post my character sheet again, but with a Mythweavers sheet later. I find them easier to use than makeshift sheet #13 there.

Only problem is I can't name it "Alphonse Veritas" since that name is stuck to another char sheet (I picked the name and later decided to change it because I changed him to be from Tian Xia...and realized you couldn't edit sheet names near as I can tell. Sad times.).

Since you mentioned XP, I'll just shoot out my customary plug --- I really like doing Leveling at the GM's discretion, rather than counting arbitrary numbers. The AP often gives excellent guidance for when it's good for players to level anyways. Well there it is, my 2cp. Don't look like much do they? * *

+1.

I'll setup a google drive page if no one minds. Google and I get along fairly well. :)

Along this same note, I'm usually available via googlechat/gchat during most of the day. If anyone wants to add me (painlordpfs), or send PM their handle, I'll add you. I firmly believe that out of game socializing is a big component to long term PbP success.

I'm in the PST time zone.

I'm fine with GM leveling us up when it works in the AP.

I don't do googlechat, but I am on FB (I know, it sucks)... I'm in pst time zone too, PL

Thanks for the offer Painlord, I'll have to figure out what mine is... haha.

Also, it would be unnecessary to have, as we have a "discussion" thread, but Jake/lucky, Mug and I know each other in real life (friends in high school) and we have a GroupMe that we use for pathfinder related stuff, when we are nerding out on new product announcements or cool stuff in a thread and we have no one else to turn to to share our nerd glee.

I would be fine with making one of those for the group. If anyone is unfamiliar with how it works, you would be added to a group, and then you type in a text to a number (and save that number in your contacts) and then it broadcasts that text to everyone in the group. It is a quick way to say "I'm sick" or to talk about the latest release from paizo, recent reading, etc. It works the same way that your text works. Or, you can add the app if you have a smart phone, and it works pretty much the same, but you can from your own groups if you have the app.

Up to the group. Like I said unneccesary because of the discuss thread. I haven't ever done it with a group before. But I think that this isn't going to be just any group.

GM leveling is fine.. oh wait.. the GM aready has enough levels!!! :) How about some trickle down economics?? *bats eyelashes*

and um..

I haven't ever done it with a group before. But I think that this isn't going to be just any group.

PG-13 remember?? haha

Hows this Serpents Skull Team Site look guys?

I figure it's got enough information to be partially useful. If you want permission to add and edit just let me know and send me your email address(es).

I updated the team site a bit, and put a few links to future maps, loot and equipment spreadsheets. Though they aren't visible, I created individual pages for each character on the site. You could write or link character journals, backstories, pictures/art, whatever you like. Since your character pictures already link to your paizo profile pages, I elected not to regurgitate the same information on the Team Site. I'll leave those pages clear for when (and if) you want to add unique content to them yourselves.

My plan is to wait until you request access to your individual page, at which point I'll need your email to give you (and only you) access. Any questions, let me know.

Hows this Serpents Skull Team Site look guys?

Fan-tastic.

Also, updated Wren's alias with a bunch more yahooery.

That looks amazing Mug.

Go ahead and give yourself a Hero Point, and be sure to add me.