GM Shady's Iron Gods

Game Master shady18

Hi - opening discussion thread. Please only post here if you have already been selected for the campaign. Thanks.

I look forward to learning more!

I look forward to learning more!

I'll post up campaign resources over the next week or so. I'll also write up an "introductory episode" as I did on the Everflame campaign, in an attempt to keep the introductory detours to a minimum.

I'm still figuring out the starting point in my head ... There is, in particular, an extended and potentially very verbose meeting with the initial campaign "patron" that I'm keen to bypass, while at the same time ensuring that the party gets the requisite information.

Haven't yet decided whether to do a set of "introduction" posts before the party gets together, or to start at the point where the initial quest starts - I'm inclined towards the latter at this point but it will come out as I do the prep.

Here's Adrien! I'll probably stick with half-elf for this, but I might be a human or some other race. I gotta rebuild him, the last game he was in had some weird rules, so I'll get him up and working again.

And here's his eidolon. Just wanted to put both of these in here to kep track.

And here is Arkady, resident bloodrager - looking forward to the game :) still in the process of putting stats towards the alias, but that will be done by tonight :)

OK, everyone. Bear with me on this, I have some travels coming up (Germany and Holland this week, USA next) but should keep posting broadly up.

I note there is another IG recruitment thread up at the moment, closing 31 Jan, so there may be a flood after that point.

Adrien, if you're planning to have the UMD down, I'll free up my skill point for something else. (Besides, being not-magic is kind of my thing right now).

Ok, Arkady's stat block is in place for perusal and approval - let me know if there's anything you need me to change about the character :)

I'd like to take UMD, but since we're not using Background Skills I'm gonna be a little tight on skill points.

Then the UMD is your job. Mine is physical rogue and technologist stuff.

And I..pretty much hit things.

But I do feel the pain of not enough skill points.

Feel free to PM me if you have strong (or other) opinions on the recruitment thread ...

Hi - thanks for being patient - I'm going to check the character sheets for these three characters tonight, will let you know if there are any issues.

No worries at all - let me know if there's any changes you need made for it.

Hi, never got round to this as had to sort out the new entrant on the other campaign (two of you will be aware of this) before I travelled. Will get through them when I get back. I have some ideas on selection (and have effectively chosen one) but please continue to send me your views if you have any.

There are some other IG recruitments both under way and in the process of closing. I know one closed yesterday so there may be some refugees from that (I will go post there once the GM has announced). Still aiming for Feb 8 close on this one.

Apologies on not having my sheet up yet. Been a busy few weeks here at school, I've got a lot more work than I'm used to. Now that I've started to get my schedule sorted out, I'll have it up sometime tomorrow.

I've written to each of you (and per the PM, apologies for the form letter) with current thoughts on the recruitment thread, and to elicit any final views you might have. No obligation to come back but feel free to do so.

Hey, folks. Thanks for the invitation to join your game.

GM Shady pointed out that several of us have Kellid tribal backgrounds that we could link together. That's fine by me. I was thinking of having Thüm come from a particularly raucous bunch of brawlers called the Aufruhrstählernvolk, basically a heavy metal fan's idea of what the Germanic Celts were like, their hearts full of thunder. If that matches anyone else’s ideas of what their tribe might have been like, our characters could be from the same tribe; otherwise, maybe our characters’ tribes are rivals or allies, or have some bond or feud.

When will we get started?

Hmm. Went slightly early there, Thüm! No problem, I've now posted the selections to the recruitment thread.

If the question on when we get started is the campaign proper - timeline is that I'd like to check the character sheets this weekend and then kick off some time next week.

Anyhow, our party's complete - welcome everyone to the game!

Adrien and Ozzy should both be complete, at least mechanically. I'll get some descriptions of them both along with backstory some time tonight. I just need to write it out again and stuff like that.

"sᴀʟᴜᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ᴄᴏᴍʀᴀᴅᴇs. ᴀᴘᴏʟᴏɢɪᴇs ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴᴄᴏɴsɪsᴛᴇɴᴄʏ. ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴀʟᴛᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴅᴇsɪɢɴᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴄʟᴀss ᴅᴇᴍᴀɴᴅᴇᴅ ʟᴀʀɢᴇ ʀᴇsᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴏғ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ʀᴇsᴏᴜʀᴄᴇs. ᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇ ʙᴀsᴇ ᴇxᴘᴀɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀʀᴇᴀs ᴏғ ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ; ᴀʀᴄᴀɴᴏʟᴏɢɪᴄᴀʟ sᴛᴜᴅɪᴇs, ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴀsᴇs ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀᴘᴛɪᴛᴜᴅᴇ...ᴍᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄᴀʟ ᴇxᴘᴇʀᴛɪsᴇ ɪɴ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴜʟᴀʀ ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴀsᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴏxɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ 120%. ʜᴀᴅ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴄǫᴜɪʀᴇ ᴀssɪsᴛᴀɴᴛ. ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋs. ʟᴇᴀʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ғɪʀᴇ ᴇʟᴇᴄᴛʀɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀʀᴄs ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ.

ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ɪs...ᴀᴍᴜsɪɴɢ."

Well, that rambling introduction aside, hello again to those I've been acquainted to once before, and an earnest greeting to the rest! Yay or nay on the small caps dialogue and general style? Just easing into the role here.

As a note, I feel I should explain. Tio's undergone a handful of sizable changes; what you're left with is a Blood Arcanist (and her radio-throated familiar) who is as equally content to build a warrior a mechanical arm as she is to blow the other one off (to build him another one, obviously.) Her backstory's currently under review, but is more or less the same until her first arrival in Torch. Then it becomes less divine and more...craft-happy. She would talk to toasters, if they existed. Would probably like to invent a toaster. Weekend project, perhaps.

Welcome all :) very much looking forward to kicking the game off. Even though Arkady doesn't come from a kellid tribe, he is a native to Numeria and belonged to a dwarf clan that is now mostly wiped out. Happy to make ties to anyone who may have had dealings (trade is most likely) with his clan.

Hello everyone! Super excited to be here!

Personally, I've never understood the idea of roleplaying androids like robots - their personalities and intellect aren't programs or software, they're living beings with souls of their own. Onna certainly isn't going to talk like a computer - as far as she can tell, she's a Kellid tribeswoman and a shaman, though she does know there's something "different" about her, and doesn't always understand social interaction and "normal" emotions.

I like Tio a lot (I was super excited to see she was one of those accepted), but I definitely think she should be roleplayed a lot more like a person, and a lot less like a machine. I see Androids as pretty similar to someone with a mild personality disorder - similar to Asperger's Syndrome, actually. Intellectual, analytical, and confused by social customs that seem so obvious to "normal" people. Using robot speak for them is just plain weird.

I like that Onna and Tiø are two very different androids. You'll have fun exploring why they are so different and how they react to each other. Maybe they'll challenge each other's self-image.

Would other Numerian tribes be familiar with the story of how Arkady's people were wiped out? Maybe there's a connection there.

Onna's people sound like a more lawful folk than Thüm's. Perhaps they are wary of the quarrelsome Aufruhrstählernvolk, who are puzzled by their ways in return?

Ninja'd me! They're a more peaceful tribe, for sure. Perhaps the last Onna (the soul living in her body before the current one) managed to negotiate between the tribes and prevented hostilities from breaking out between the two clans. She would have no direct memories of this, but might have learned of it from conferring with her in her dreams.

As far as connecting Kellid/tribal backstories, Onna is from a small tribe which I gave a throwaway name to, and I'm more than open to changing. She was the tribe's only divine spellcaster, and revered as its holy woman for many generations - the tribesmen don't know how android "births"/deaths work, they just know that their holy woman is eternally youthful and is "reborn" about once a generation. She has met the departed spirits of her "past lives" (the other souls who have been born into her body as the tribe's shaman) in her dreams, and can call upon their wisdom (and their magic) by entering the spirit-sleep - the trance she enters to prepare her daily spells and choose her hexes.

Since they're all named Onna (derived from the Hallit word for "mother"), all her 'past lives' refer to one another by their spirit animal. "The Hawk" is the Battle spirit, for example, and "The Fox" is the spirit of Flame. (You get three guesses which spirit "The Mammoth" is.)

I'm debating whether to raise I raised Onna's strength score a little bit and gave her some more "oomph," so she can choose to mix it up in melee combat when the time comes. She'll be fine with a 16 wisdom, I think.

Would other Numerian tribes be familiar with the story of how Arkady's people were wiped out? Maybe there's a connection there.

It's possible that there would be rumours or stories about what had happened to wipe a small clan of dwarves out - even Arkady himself can only guess as to who was behind it. He believes that the Technic League were testing a device nearby the clan hold as retribution for being chased off of clan lands a previous time (as well as the clan in general having had a history of subtly defying the Technic League where it could). The explosion wiped out 2/3rds of the hold and spread a sickness throughout the rest. Arkady was in a hunting party when it happened, so he wasn't close enough to the explosion to be directly affected, but he developed his latent bloodline powers due to staying in the affected clan hold for too long while burying the dead and helping rescue the sick and dying.

It's a recent happening (6-10 months ago), and might be used as a cautionary tale of what happens when you defy the technic league.

Since they're all named Onna (derived from the Hallit word for "mother"), all her 'past lives' refer to one another by their spirit animal. "The Hawk" is the Battle spirit, for example, and "The Fox" is the spirit of Flame. (You get three guesses which spirit "The Mammoth" is.)

I'm debating whether to raise I raised Onna's strength score a little bit and gave her some more "oomph," so she can choose to mix it up in melee combat when the time comes. She'll be fine with a 16 wisdom, I think.

Hi, I think I said on the recruitment thread that we would not have ability scores lower than 8 after applying racial mods.

That aside, Tio's certainly a living person, not a machine. Her speech pattern is more a shout to Moradin Solus of Mass Effect fame than anything else...buuuut that can certainly be dropped in favor of a more obviously humane outlook if you'd all prefer. She's certainly got her dumb moments too; at least if you were to ask Rust, her familiar. She repeatedly gets his name wrong...despite being the one who, y'know, gave him it. Russ, Reece, Rice, Ruth--lots of Ruth. Occasionally a Belinda. Not sure how that one one got in.

In short, it's a definite contrast to Onna, but that's cool in itself and should make for some really unique perspectives. Still working out the kinks here, and all criticisms are welcome.

Hi, I think I said on the recruitment thread that we would not have ability scores lower than 8 after applying racial mods.

Oops! I thought I remembered that, went back and checked, and somehow missed it! I've fixed it by dropping Con back down to 14.

In short, it's a definite contrast to Onna, but that's cool in itself and should make for some really unique perspectives. Still working out the kinks here, and all criticisms are welcome.

Just giving feedback on how it seemed. I'd recommend going without the small caps too. I really like the character - dementia seems like an excellent example of how she might feel. I was really hoping there'd be another android in the party so Onna could learn about her true heritage.

If Tio feels like she's "trapped in an artificial shell," maybe Onna can teach her to be at peace in her own body, even as she teaches Onna about what it means to be an android - she seems to be more well-informed about technology than Onna, at the very least. (To Onna, a crossbow would seem like advanced technology.)

I'm really excited to see where this goes!

Welp, well-informed is certainly one way to put it! Tio's just...remarkably unsurprised that you could build something like a laser while Androids, Gearsmen, and tales of great metal beasts in the Numerian Wastelands exist. So we've got an Android that's obsessed by her physical heritage (but trying to figure out where her soul is going), an Android that's empowered by her spiritualism (and is trying to understand where it is she came from), and undoubtedly a smattering of other PC opinions and views that'll coincide between the two. That is...going to make for some very interesting conversations to say the least! :D

Just giving feedback on how it seemed. I'd recommend going without the small caps too.

And (constructive) feedback's always appreciated in my house! [also, consider it done~].

Welcome!

Ulok is the other Kellid tribesman, a talented but uneducated nomad with a gift for taking things apart. Right now, the background is pretty simple, but the eventual goal is to be a tinkerer, gunsmith, and full of inspiration/luck/grit/panache.

I'm really having trouble picking a campaign trait. Stargazer sounded like a good choice because of her interest in astronomy (reading the stars to divine the spirits' intentions), but she really would have had no way of knowing stars held other worlds and other life. They're just magical lights in the sky to her.

I penciled in "Against the Technic League," since it's pretty easy to assume that a Kellid would have had unfriendly interactions with them in the past (maybe even responsible for capturing some of her clan as slaves in the tribe's history).

GM Shady, would it be giving away too much to tell us if this AP will allow our characters downtime for retraining and crafting and so on?

GM Shady, would it be giving away too much to tell us if this AP will allow our characters downtime for retraining and crafting and so on?

Maybe - can't guarantee it would happen when you might want it though. On retraining I'm not a huge fan and it would have to make sense.

As an example where it does make sense, Technologist is actually something that makes more sense picking up later in the campaign btw as the early part is tech-poor (and really the entire arc is about "discovering" tech in Golarion, which implies that you start off knowing little about it).

BTW should add - I do think crafting's important for certain types of characters/players so will try to make time for it if people want it.

Good to know! In Tio's case, she's got some tricks that'll let her burn the midnight oil in terms of time allocation, and will probably invest in some Alchemy to round off her skill set (I might even take out that point in appraise she has hanging around...haven't yet decided). I mean, crafting's pretty much her 'thing'. The only reason she's got Technologist now over, say, Scribe Scroll is because trait-wise, I'm actually a little stumped.

At a glance, Skymetal Smith would absolutely make the most sense...but the actual reading of it and its mechanics are really not to her taste. She has nothing against Robots or, predominately, the Technic League (...yet, anyway) so Numerian Archaeologist or Local Ties (Engineering) probably makes the most sense. Penciled in for the latter at present, but as with anything I'm open to suggestion.

Onna: What if your character met Thüm's hero wife Göerta while she was alive and stomping monsters? For example, Onna might have treated Göerta for poison or disease or radiation poisoning. Or what if she somehow were entangled with one of his kids, such as a son who keeps trying to convince her the best way to ensure peace between their tribes is to marry him?

Ulok: Your character's early wanderings could have brought him through Aufruhrstählernvolk lands. Could he have spent time with Thüm's tribe, bringing them goods from Torch in exchange for permission to hunt for artifacts there? Perhaps he warned Göerta about a dangerous robot monster that chased him away from a technological find, not realizing the story would make her want to fight it immediately?

Arkady: I kind of like the idea that everything Thüm thinks he knows about dwarves he learned from children's stories.

Tiø: Perhaps with the Skymetal Smith background you could choose a starmetal object that you could eventually enchant with Craft Wondrous Item, such as an adamantine necklace that you make into an amulet. Might be nice to have a magic item you know won't get sundered.

Touché.

Which I suppose has that settled then. Went for an Armlet. Will probably whack something applicable to the Wrist Slot onto it if/when the opportunity arises. Also gave me an idea to tie-in how Tio's metal-throated bird entered the picture, so that was nice.

Backstory marginally revised, stat-block adjusted, and generally all material up to date. With luck, I believe Tio might be good to go.

Can everyone make sure character sheets are done by close of play Friday - I will check and do final prep over the weekend and hope to kick off the campaign early next week.

Arkady: I kind of like the idea that everything Thüm thinks he knows about dwarves he learned from children's stories.

That sounds good :) I can scale back the incident to have happened when Arkady was younger, but it probably won't be young enough for Thum to have heard as a kid himself (given that Arkady is around 66 years old himself). He may have heard about it on the grapevine though about a defiant clan of dwarves being wiped out by something.

Let me know your thoughts, and we can work something out.

Arkady: It's OK to make the incident recent. I figure Thüm's people are geographically isolated in a stormy and inhospitable land--he won't know much about dwarves simply because he hasn't met any. I do like the idea he's heard distorted tales of their last stand though.

GM Shady: I would like to read the campaign setting Numeria, Land of Fallen Stars if it doesn't have big spoilers for the campaign. Would that be ok?

OK, have reviewed and fed back on Ulok, Tio and Adrien (+Eidolon).

Will do the others tomorrow.

@Thum - took a quick look today and I don't think it has spoilers as such. Go ahead.

I've fed back on the reviews with everyone - don't think we're quite ready yet. I'll start posting to the campaign resources today.

Additionally, each of you get a rumour of your own, which I'll PM (done, had to roll one twice as it didn't really make sense; but luckily every roll was different):

I've added some background information to the campaign resources. It includes a relatively spoiler free guide to Torch, including the names and roles of prominent local NPCs. I'll upload the associated map as soon as I can.

If you think your character knows any of these NPCs let me know and I'll bear it in mind. But in general my assumption is that you've been in Torch a few weeks getting the lie of the land, and either know who these people are, or know someone who can tell you.

To that point, I assume everyone has been rooming somewhere in Torch during that period (pick somewhere) and the money is accounted for, but once the party is established, you'll have to work out where you're staying either as a group or separately as individuals.

In terms of bringing the group together, I suggest kicking off with an attendance at an advertised town meeting, led by councillor Dolga Freddert (guide to Torch, number 22), the intent of which is to establish a new expedition. At this point, the group is not established, but it should be by the end of the meeting.

Any objections?

Getting quite close to being ready - if the above is OK, I'll get the initial post written and we can kick off in the next day or so.

Very cool; many thanks for the information Shady!

I seem to have it in my head that Tio's been in Torch for little under a year, so she's reasonably familiar with the town. That said, Torch actually has a guild of metallurgists? Welp, that's almost certainly where you'll find Tio on most days; there, or anywhere that'll spare her a hammer and a wrench.

From among the Councillors, I'd suppose she has a passing knowledge and respect of Dolga Freddert for her construction efforts, a generic doctor/patient-like relationship with Joram Kyte, and a semi-professional acquaintance in Khonnir before his disappearance. I'm not completely certain of where she'd be staying in town, but she doesn't necessarily remember either :P

Huh. So apparently Khonnir actually returned with some manner of construct during his forage under Black Hill? Any chance Tio could be helping to look into that while the wizard has been "out of office"? Just throwing out ideas.

Count me in for the expeditionary town meeting, excellent chance to ask some questions about the situation and such.

In short, no objections, and thanks again! Getting pretty excited for this to get underway.

For her part, Onna has been trying to lay low in town. She's practically terrified of the strange civilized folk, and has no idea what she's doing in town - she just knows from her visions that she's supposed to be here. She's managed (by pure coincidence) to avoid running into Tio while she's been in town. When she sees her, and notices the similarities she has in common, it's going to come as quite a surprise.

That all works for me, Shady. Thüm will be a relatively recent arrival, drawn by news of the trouble beneath the black hill. He's been distracted by the gambling at Silverdisk Hall, but looks forward to some real action, which he assumes the town meeting will usher in.

Likewise, Arkady is relatively new to Torch, and will likely spend time in amongst the dwarven neighbourhoods and establishments within the town, in as much as they will accept a short-bearded dwarf like him.