Greetings, players! I have high hopes for this game. I'll give you a bit of information about me and my GMing style. These will all be posted on the Campaign Information Tab as well.
- First of all, I firmly believe that the number one goal of an RPG is for everyone to have fun. To support that primary goal, there are a few rules.
1) Intercharacter conflict is encouraged to the extent that it does not interfere with the overall flow of the game.
2) Interplayer conflict is to be mediated immediately and out of character.
3) The GM has final say in either of these situations.
- Second, this game in particular is a collaborative roleplaying experience. I have only the skeleton of a plot and setting, with lots of room to fill in blanks. Feel free to make things up including geography, history, and even common knowledge. I'm completely open to discussing any and all rule interpretations, house rules, and other suggestions, with the caveat that the GM has final say.
- Along the same lines, feel free to be creative during combat and such. I am a bit of an "old school" GM, meaning that I'm more inclined to make "rulings" instead of sticking religiously to the rules. For example, if you are fighting in a bedroom, it is safe to assume that there are sheets on the bed. Therefore, as a standard action, you could throw the sheet at an enemy. If the enemy fails to make a reflex save, he would become blinded for a round. Just an example, but hopefully you get the idea.
- Alignment is dumb. Pick one for your character for mechanical purposes, but don't feel constrained by it. I'll be ignoring it for the most part. That means that "detect ***" spells will only show anything if the target is extremely *** or defined by it, as in a clerc or something. In my book, the only true alignment is loot. ;)
- Play by Post is a unique medium. It allows for deeper thought and planning, but suffers from the pitfalls of a very slow pace. As such, please post at least once a day. If you do not post in 24 hours during combat, you will be botted. If you do not post in 72 hours, your character will be removed by whatever means are appropriate, up to and including death.
- Similarly, initiative will be streamlined to reduce waiting. Initiative will be in group, and, generally, will not even be rolled, since it's usually obvious which side goes first. If not, initiative will be rolled by the GM for each player against a DC of the average enemy initiative+11. Any players who beat the DC will go before the enemy, then the enemy will go, and then all the players will go as a group.
- Combat will take place with on a grid that I will upkeep. Please use this notation for combat posts (minus the spoiler):
Example:Steve races toward the remaining goblin and swings his axe down in a powerful arc.
__________________
- You will be responsible for tracking your own resources including HP, spells per day, arrows, food, etc. I will try to keep up, but the more hands on deck the better.
- You will be responsible for your own animal companions and mounts in combat, but they can and will be used at the GM's discretion outside of combat for plot and roleplaying purposes, but they will never be put into harm without your permission.
- The conviction and Death Flag rules can be found on the Campaign Info page as well
- Under the "Race" blank on your character profile, please include HP, AC, Saves, Init, Perception.
Any questions?
Joost got done, so ah be ready.
Ah have a question. Would craft (weapons) cover guns or no?
Should be set, save mount statistics (working on that now). How much leeway do I have in flavoring the mount? I really can only choose a wolf mount (as halflings are limited to pony/wolf, and order of the paw requires dog/wolf), but would like to flavor him more as a dog than a wolf. Though I would keep all statistics same as the wolf, may I change the flavor for character concept?
Malakai - No, I'd say you'd need a distinct craft (guns) for that.
Polo - Sure, flavor all you like.
Fantastic, and for background I may add some stuff to Rush. By all means, let me know if I add something that breaks out of your vision for the town.
In the P6 Codex all of the 'extra' feats ie: Extra Rage, Extra Lay on Hands, Extra Channels are given the special ability that they can be taken up to four times. Would this also apply to the gunslinger's Extra Grit?
Polo - Go right ahead.
Malakai - I see no reason why not.
Can I get a check-in from everyone who is playing please? I'd like to start the game proper in the next couple days.
Checking in!
Ralf - Vitalist - Dux's character from a PM
I just want to assure everyone I wasn't trying to be sneaky or any such. The three PCs I had in mind were all potentially "out of scope" for Jacob's world. I didn't want to clutter the recruitment thread with "How about this one? No? Okay, then how about this guy? No, huh? Well, I also have..."
Backstory needs to be tweaked for this reality, but Ralf's otherwise been adjusted for P6 and is ready to roll. Thanks to all for your patience.
For those of you not offended by chibi (others look away!), may I present Ralfael "Ralf" Tergsvor.
Q would probably seem far more mercenary than he really is, and tends to favor the wilderness because he doesn't really get people. He comes off as aloof in that elvish way, but people in Rush know he's the one you go to when you don't know what you're getting into. They also know that while he won't work with the law to bring criminals in, he also has his own code of ethics and is not above dispensing his own kind of justice.
Sounds like Ralf and Qorinae will get along just fine...
(Jelani - Mad Dog barbarian)
Guilford - Wizard
Qorinae - Rogue
Belved - Ranger
Ralf - Vitalist
Malakai - Gunslinger
Cavalier - kdtompos
That's a fine looking group! Still... Jacob, do you feel the healing base is covered well enough? Vitalists are pretty versatile but compared to e.g. a Cleric, their healing skills are a bit limited when they're first stretching their wings.
Ralf (né Dux)
Yeah, I'm not too worried about the "party balance" aspect. Frankly, I'd play with a party made of nothing but Fighters. I'll make it work.
Ok, I haven't fleshed out my background too much yet, but I have a pretty complete alias otherwise.
Guilford is a local clerk with some talent for the arcane arts. He's been gifted with a good memory, so once he's had time for proper study, he can recite spells and perform necessary hand movements with practiced ease.
He works for one of the chief mercantile organizations in town. GM Joseph - what's the level of economic development in these parts? Are we still at the point of strictly family businesses? Are there joint-stock companies, craft guilds? I know things are still a bit open, but I wanted to toss out a few ideas, and didn't want to contradict anything you've got planned out for sure.
Guilford - There certainly are larger economic forces at work. In fact, it's likely that some of the biggest players are companies and guilds, since the area is politically young. Rush is a town with both natural resources and trading routes, so it could very reasonably have several companies and guilds.
Say, Ralf, what's the story with that Heirloom returning starknife? It seems...expensive.
What are people's thoughts (and GM Jacob's ruling) on purchasing a pack animal? With a more realistic game, it would benefit all of us to have something that can lug around our supplies. I'm already noticing that I have to severely limit my characters gear to keep from being encumbered, and likewise for my mount.
GM Jacob - what would your ruling be on having a pack animal. Would it require handle animal checks (which Polo can handle)?
For the rest, would anyone care to pitch in some money for one, or should we roleplay it early in the game (since realistically, who among us would already own a pack animal? That's more of a purchase you make before exploring/adventuring.) If no one can pitch in, but still likes the idea, Polo has some extra funds that could get us a mule with a pack saddle to load up.
Bear in mind though, this creates something we'll need to protect and/or watch out for beyond ourselves.
Checking in.
@ Polo: I have a few gps I could throw towards a mule, instead of getting into trouble, which is my usual reaction to being in town and financially solvent.
Haven't looked at anyone's backstory yet, but I'm certainly open to linking histories with anyone who thinks there's a possible link.
Polo - I'd have no problem with it, but I would rule that you'll have to acquire one during play. Since the adventure starts in the thick of a battle, though, you'd realistically only have what you can carry out of your homes.
I think that makes sense. I don't realistically see any of us starting with it, considering the scenario set up. But it would be a worthwhile purchase I'm assuming once we get the chance to buy one.
Hehe. Just noticed that my combat example scored a Nat 20 plus max damage.
Boo. Oh well. I've never met a goblin with 11 HP anyways.
Say, Ralf, what's the story with that Heirloom returning starknife?
Story story: As I mentioned in our PM conversation, it belonged to his father. Overall I'd like the backstory reveal to happen in-game, but regarding the starknife specifically: It's been in the Tergsvor family for generations, continually handed down from father to son. Ralf's dad decided it was too significant to put it at risk like an ordinary weapon, so it wound up in a display case on the mantle.
That always bugged Ralf, who feels a proud weapon deserves to be used, not locked up in a box and merely looked at. So when he left home, he broke the case open and took the knife for himself. His ultimate goal is to use it to dispense the "final justice" discussed earlier, in honor of his father and all the other men in his family and clan.
Mechanics story: The starknife is purely for flavor. As a weapon it's inferior to virtually all ranged weapons (a lowly sling has 2.5 times the range and deals essentially the same damage). Most melee weapons, too: Even a silly wooden stake does 1d4! Yet it costs a dozen times more than a simple dagger and weighs thrice as much. There's not much reason to choose one except for style.
The "returning" attribute was conceived for Lanny's campaign, and only to help it be a reasonable ranged weapon. If a mid-melee opportunity arises it can be flung at an enemy without "throwing it away" as one would with a dagger. Returning at the start of the owner's next turn means a firing rate akin to a light crossbow (though the latter does 1d8 at 80' versus the starknife's 1d4ish at 20'). The masterwork and +1 are purely to stay legal, since those are required to support the returning enhancement.
It seems...expensive.
Hah, ridiculously so for what it is: 8324 GP. Even if Ralf had the money he likely wouldn't buy one; he knows a bad financial deal when he sees it! It's the ties to his father and heritage that make it important to him.
I'd presumed tacit acceptance of this weapon since I mentioned it in the character concept you approved ("Ralf fled his homeland with his father's beloved returning starknife") but perhaps it was overlooked. If you think it's too much I can strip off the returning enchantment, or dump it altogether -- as I said, it's not worth a lot as a weapon beyond the "cool factor" and backstory connections.
If you're thinking about total spent: The starknife, the single allowed outfit of clothing, and his kapenia/scarf are the only things that were "freebied"; everything else was paid for out of pocket (evidenced by the fact that he has four silver to his name, hah!)
Citing a kapenia reference to clarify that they are made, not purchased:
A kapenia is a family scarf, an intricate and colorful cloth that traces an individual's lineage throughout the generations. These scarves are prized possessions... received [upon attaining] adulthood, and many individuals chose to be buried with their scarf. Alternatively, kapenias are sometimes bequeathed to loved ones upon the owner's death or, even more rarely, to someone outside the owner's clan.
Let me know if you want me to nerf the knife (heh) for game balance or whatever.
El Ralfo
Regarding a pack animal:
The player thinks it's a good idea; Ralf's already at medium encumbrance. (I believe what Hero Lab's telling me but I have to go back and add it up by hand to understand where that 50 pounds is coming from!)
Also no issues with everyone pooling resources; we're going to be a team and we'll likely need to pull together to defeat the enemy.
The PC's a different matter. He's essentially broke, for one thing (may have to sell some gear just to buy rations if we're hitting the road soon). For another, he's more a mercenary than a team player (wellll... he'll play if you pay!) But given the weight he's lugging around he'll see the advantages and can probably be nudged into tossing his silvers into the kitty. That meager bit won't go far towards a pack animal, though.
Polo, your question raises another: If we (the players) are discussing this pre-game, does that imply our characters all know each other? I saw Ralf as... well, not "anti-social" but "distanced" from the community 'til the attack. But I can change that if it makes for a better fit.
Jacob: What's the land around Rush like? Dense forest outside of the town limits, meadows, rocky plains, desert? Thanks!
El Ralfo
I assumed from the set up that for the most part our characters don't know each other. I'm intrigued by the thought of combining some histories, and it certainly wouldn't seem unreasonable to have bumped into each other if we're all local to Rush. But it seems that our gathering is more as a response to the mounted attack and siege.
I only asked beforehand to see what people's thoughts were. I wanted to check what Jacob thought of it, and lumped it in with a question for the rest ;)
So I would presume that Ralf as an outsider works just fine.
Also, Polo has switched from a Cavalier to a Mad Dog Barbarian (I saw you were hoping to see one in action in the recruitment thread... serendipitous!)
But I have to point out that in no way is he optimized. He's a halfling character (penalty to main stat, plus small weapons) and using what would be considered a sub-par pet. But I'm in love with the concept, so he'll be what he is :).
I say "pfft!" to optimizing, at least in this game. I'm looking forward to something with more "heart" and story, something more free-wheeling than getting bogged down by min-maxers as often seems to be the case.
Besides, regardless of how optimized or crippled our characters are, I suspect Jacob will strive to make things exciting without being overly life-threatening. Heck, even a kobold can be a tough opponent if the only weapon you have is a toothpick!
Thanks for the clarification on the other thing. Ralf doesn't have to be a total outsider; I'm thinking he's been in town a few months (Jacob, does your calendar go by months?) He's done some work for people who require no-questions-asked healing or need an... ahem... "inconvenience" dealt with. Rush being a frontier town means more opportunity for mercenary work and profit without running into -- or even catching the notice of -- anyone high up in the power structure. Routing the enemy ourselves and quickly getting things quiet again is a "business investment" for him.
Of course I'm not implying anything illegal or of questionable ethics! <Innocent look>
Odds are most folks would have seen him around here or there, but probably no drinking games in the pub, haha. Though if any of y'all's PCs are the sort to take advantage of the services he offers, then maybe they've had some business dealings?
And: Yay serendipity!
Does anyone understand why a bear pet is small (child sized) eventually growing to medium at its biggest (human size), when a wolf pet starts out medium (human sized) and grows to large (horse size)? That seems ridiculous!
For the sake of having a bear that's actually bigger than my halfling, what are your thoughts on reflavoring a different standard pet to call it a "bear"? I know I asked this earlier about calling a wolf a hound, but want to make sure things are still kosher.
And honestly, if people can help me understand why wolves are bigger than bears...
I do know that the small/medium bear issue is a big part of the reason I can't play a druid. Grumble grumble grumble.
Without knowing too much about anybody, I can say ...
I might know Malakai, if he'd be likely to hire a scout to help him search for this salty pete guy.
Ralf, it sounds like we may have been hired onto the same jobs a few times. I expect I'd respect your talents and be startled and confused if anyone asked what I thought of you personally.
Polo, seems like another outdoorsy guy in a small town, so it's highly unlikely that we wouldn't have crossed paths.
ah dinna who this salty pete is. Ah joost want tae find ma black powder, but ah wuld like yer help with that friend.
You got me curious about the bear/wolf size thing, so I did a little googling. Apparently "its been ranted about for years in the various forums." I didn't spot a definitive answer but I did see some reasonable observations for the size of the bear, at least:
Why Aren't Bear Companions Large?
And Qorinae, if you still want to be a Druid I found a delightful rules-legal solution that gave me a good chuckle:
You're welcome. ;o)
On the who-might-know-whom thing:
I imagine Qorinae and Ralf hold their possibly similar worldviews for very different reasons... or at least I hope Qorinae hasn't suffered through what Ralf has. But if their personalities are compatible (I can see our sort being either simpatico or mutually nerve-grating) then perhaps they've shared a mug or two on a "professional respect" or "post-job debrief/analysis" basis. Maybe we should swap some PMs to see if there's anything workable here? Not suggesting a "friendship" per se (not sure that's even possible for our sort) but to coordinate what we might know about each other and so on?
And Malakai, for what it's worth Ralf will be picking up some ranks in Cr:Alchemy along the way ("Creating gunpowder from scratch requires a DC 25 Craft (alchemy) check"). That doesn't help you now of course, but if this team gels (and depending on Jacob's rulings) you may eventually have a sympathetic source.
EDIT: Oops, I just cruised your profile and see you have Cr:Alchemy covered just fine on your own. Oh well, it's the thought that counts...
I love the cat idea, because a Druid would know. I'm not sure people would ascribe such authority to a barbarian. But if they're wise, they won't argue with him
It's an idiosyncrasy of the rules. Probably not the only one. I'm not going to rant about it. I swear I'm not.
I'm not ... I'm not ...
And the cat thing is awesome. I wonder why cat, though, and not roc or slug? Maybe they were sticking with CRB.
As for what Q's been through, nothing you wouldn't expect from an elf in his line of work. A few close calls in the wilderness, whether with petite bears or plus-sized wolves, or bandits or enemy troops or just the environment. He's probably done a little time, because he's just not willing to let the law define his choices, and because he's not very polite. I've no idea what Ralf's been through, so I can't really compare.
Which reminds me...
@ GM - Q being who he is, he would probably have a pretty decent wilderness kit, camping gear, etc, which at this point is beyond his means, financially. I don't really know how carefully you track that stuff, but assuming that it does make a difference: Rather than downgrading to a shortbow, can we just say that he was away from his camp when the hobgoblins tramped through it, destroying all of that, and leaving him with just the stuff he's carrying?
It's an idiosyncrasy of the rules. Probably not the only one.
Oh lordy, you're kidding, right? Definitely not the only one!
I'm not going to rant about it. I swear I'm not.
I'm not ... I'm not ...
<GM Voice>Make your saving throw.</GM Voice>
And the cat thing is awesome.
The catbear maneuver is reasoned intent, but it could come off as being nutso. It can be a lot of fun playing (or playing with) a PC that's delusional -- sort of a Don Quixote type -- or who is just totally outside the norm in some way. Everyone tends to either humor them or try to help (which usually makes things worse). Either way, more times than not hilarity ensues.
(Malakai's owner-operator is already aware of my fascination with such things from our being in a game together, and he's been very patient with that and played off of my PC's quirk superbly. I'm not sure what's going to happen when it's revealed there are -- purely through random chance -- two PCs in that game with those symptoms, though!)
As for what Q's been through...
Sorry, I was referring more to life twists that brought him to the emotional/personality/lifeview place he's in. Ralf was a pretty decent kid until an emotionally devastating incident warped him into the revenge-seeking "screw authority" person he is today. What happened to him, I wouldn't wish on anyone.
I've no idea what Ralf's been through, so I can't really compare.
His history isn't a secret and will come out, I promise. If we decide Qorinae and Ralf have worked together and established some level of trust you probably already know some of it (and I'll share accordingly). I just find it's more natural to reveal some backstories in game/in character rather than posting a page before things even get started.
Riddle me this as well, Qorinae: a giant chameleon pet goes from medium to large, so big chameleons are larger than bears. And wolves are the same size "mechanically" as elephants. Ha!
So, still looking at this, the simplest solution is to get a different pet, but man do I want it to be a little halfling with a big bear ( not a little halfling with a bear his own size... Koala bear? Not really a bear...). Speaking of the elephant/mastodon, that's the concept I'm talking about. I'd like to get the legal mastodon pet and call it a big grizzly, call the gore attack "bite" and be good with it. You could similarly go with a lion and say its a bear, but mechanically you have a really agile, charismatic bear.
I found some stats someone threw together with the same concern. The thread is found here. Here's the stat block:
Bear, Large (Brown, Polar)
Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 40 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Attack bite (1d6), 2 claws (1d4); Ability Scores Str 15, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6; Special Attacks grab; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent.
7th-Level Advancement: Size Large; AC +2 natural armor; Attack bite (1d8), 2 claws (1d6); Ability Scores Str +8, Dex –2, Con +4.
The creator says it's a compromise between the big cat and the bear. From what I can tell it takes the big cat stat block, but makes the following trades: adds +1 natural ac to match bear ac, but drops dexterity by 4 (losing 2 ac when allowed dex bonus). In addition to the dex drop, wisdom drops 3 and charisma drops 4 (big deal?) while both str and con raise by 2 (much bigger deal). To compensate, 2 of the big cat's combat abilities are completely removed, and "grab" is presented earlier where "rake" was allowed instead. I would think it better if grab wasn't introduced until 7 like with the big cat, so it would be a straight loss of two combat abilities. The author believes it still weaker than the cat, but I'd argue pretty comparable. Rake isn't a huge ability to lose, though pounce is pretty awesome (pouncing bears? That Armageddon stuff right there!)
Wow, I'm so glad to see everyone jumping on board so eagerly. I ended up spending the whole day out against my wishes, and I'm still on my phone. I'll substantially answer everyone's questions tonight and odd like to start the gameplay tomorrow. Thanks all
Whew! I'm home. That was marathon day. I was out from 6AM to 930PM. Like I said, I'm psyched to see everyone getting into this so much. I can't wait to get started tomorrow. Let's see if I can't weight in on everything I want to.
Re: Ralf's Starknife - Go ahead and do the returning bit, but scrap the +1 and masterwork. Screw the rules.
Re: Land immediately surrounding Rush - Primarily farmland, mostly flat, a few hills, a few small (max of a mile in diameter) forests. That's just the stuff that's too small to be represented on the hex map. The overall landscape is plains.
Re: Polo's Bear/cat/animal - Honestly, call it whatever you like. Just use reasonable stats from a reasonable animal and you can flavor it however you see fit. Mastodon, bear, lion, whatever. Just pick one, tell me what you're using, and call it a bear. A really agile, charismatic bear if you want. Bear have personalities, too.
Re: Q's Equipment - Sounds reasonable to me. I track survival gear pretty closely because I love the tension created by low resources. Keep the longbow, and we'll say that you lost your campsite to the hobs.
Is that everything? I'll post the starting scenario tomorrow, feel free to keep sorting things out on this end. Enjoy, and thank you.
I track survival gear pretty closely because I love the tension created by low resources.
Ralf opens his backpack and looks at his two days worth of rations. Then at the 2sp 5cp in his hand. Then back at the rations.
"Aiwa, tension. Lovely."
I'm switching up Ralf's avatar before the game starts. I found one that's a little closer to my concept of him (though the chibiform avatar remains the gold standard). And fewer people use this one, so there's a smaller chance of collisions if I post elsewhere as Ralf.
Jacob, I've added a brief flavor overview to Ralf's profile in which his rumored homeland (Omäña -- pronounced roughly oh-MAUN-yuh) is mentioned. I kept everything pretty generic but you may want to skim it to be sure it doesn't step on any future plans. And if his country's name doesn't fit with your mythos, direction is welcomed for choosing something else.
Thanks,
El Ralfo
Re: Q's Equipment - Sounds reasonable to me. I track survival gear pretty closely because I love the tension created by low resources. Keep the longbow, and we'll say that you lost your campsite to the hobs.
Me and my big mouth. Hopefully the hobs have some grub that isn't too repulsive.
Ach dina worry lad. Ah will share mah food with ye.
Background finally finished, along with finalized stats. Thanks for the patience with me.
As an quick FYI, Polo "borrowed" his animal companion as well as his main weapon. I figured it would create a bit of tension to start off with. I maintain his CG alignment, however, as it's not something he would have done under other circumstances and was only done here as a necessary action for the greater good (saving Rush).
Do what you'd like with it. ;)
Also, in regards to survival gear and tracking resources:
Polo only packed about 2 days of food for his bear (raw meat is heavy), and about 5 days of rations for himself. While he could have afforded more, it makes more sense to me that he wouldn't exactly be fitted for a long excursion when the town comes under siege.
He's also put some points into survival, in case we need to scrounge for food.
Ok, the gameplay thread is live. It's a little railroad-y, but that's a necessary evil of starting an adventure. You can clear up any ooc questions about the scenario here. I will generally be able to answer quick questions in a few hours since I can handle that from my phone. It's just complicated stuff that I need my PC for.
In fact, I can clarify something now. When I say the town is under attack, the first thing that pops into my mind is some giant crazy mega-siege ala Lord of the Rings or something. This is more of a local scale thing. The militia is made up of maybe 200 people and the attacking army is probably around 600, counting all the various species.
Heh... Malakai's going to take out the rider and Qorinae's downing the mount? Sweet synergy!
On phone at the moment. Can update when I get home
And if the rider is goblinoid Ah get an additional +1 to mah attack.
Sorry if I held things up! I was still just going through gear. As for feat selection, would it be alright to swap out Toughness for Point-Blank Shot? I am going to be doing a fair amount of shooting until level 3 or 4, so I want to be more useful at it.
Also, as a clerk for the Bancroft Company, Guilford does a lot of figuring. Would it be considered ridiculous for him to own a masterwork abacus as a "free" item? It seems like an item where a masterwork version would cost 50 Gp more than standard. It would have been a gift from his family upon finishing his apprenticeship. Still, a 52 GP item would be a huge gift in a small town. He'd only really have the item for flavor, as there aren't too many circumstances where it would come into play.
I'm just glad you're here period, Guilford. I think we'll have the physical beat-down covered nicely, but as for magic... well, while a vitalist can dish out some hurt it's nothing compared to how a wizard does it!
For what it's worth on the feat selection, once we really get rolling and the team gels, you'll likely have some DR working for you that will partially offset those three extra HP (presuming Jacob agrees to the swap-out). Of course one can never have enough HP, DR, AC, etc., but at least this won't be as bad as completely forfeiting the added cushion Toughness offers.
So... how many more digits of precision do you get out of a masterwork abacus? :D
El Ralfo
So... how many more digits of precision do you get out of a masterwork abacus? :D
El Ralfo
I'm not sure there, Ralf, but I think it has to be worth at least a +2 circumstance bonus to Craft: Financial Statements. ;)
Yeah, Guilford, I have no problem with that.