GM Sloth's Rise of the Runelords (Inactive)

Game Master ThreeEyedSloth

Hello, everyone and congratulations on being selected for this adventure. If you haven't already, please complete your character sheets using the character creation criteria below.

Character Creation Guidelines

1) 20-Point Buy, 1st Level

2) Choose two traits. One must be a campaign trait.
3) Max HP at first level 

4) Average starting gold for your class

If you use Hero Lab, I'd love it if you sent me your .por files. Just shoot me a PM with a link to download it (if you use Dropbox or a similar service) or for my email address.

Finally, please put the following in your character profile under the "Race" field: Race and Class (archetype if any) (Armor Class / Hit Points / Saving Throws / Initiative / Perception)

How We'll Play
I like to have fun and err on the side of fun over rules. This is usually in your favor, so if you show creativity, we may be able to avoid a dreaded dice roll (the dice roller on this board often hates my players).

I will roll initiative and use your passive perception for you when necessary. This speeds up the game considerably (so please include your initiative and perception scores high on your character sheet). If you wish to make an active perception check, please state so and roll the dice. If I don't want to use your roll (or if it's stupidly low) I will simply reject it.

As for handling initiative, to start, I'd like to just use individual initiative. If we find that the combat portions of the game are moving too slowly, we'll adjust.

When doing a skill check, go ahead and state what skill you're using and roll the dice. Again, I might reject your roll if it is unnecessary, but it speeds thing up if I don't have to ask for it.

Let me know if you have any questions and when your character sheet is ready for review.

I'm looking forward to getting started!

One angry evoker checking in. :)
I need to enter the "Race and Class (archetype if any) (Armor Class / Hit Points / Saving Throws / Initiative / Perception)" stuff still. Shouldn't take long.

I believe my sheet is ready for review if you haven't already. I kept his back story somewhat nuts and bolts, but can expand it if you want. For example, I never said which of his family members lived, only that the survivors of his family settled in Sandpoint. So that's up for development if you like.

Dotting; will get sheet together later today or tonight.

The party is picked!

Ekan Waterfield - Our arcane specialist
Edrebertil - Our lucky archaeologist
Totek - Our guide and skirmisher ranger
TBD - Our divinely inspired druid

Everyone should be checked in soon, so we'll get started quickly!

Ekan, could you shoot me a link to your .por file via Dropbox or some other similar tool?

If any of the rest of you use Hero Lab, can you also shoot me a PM with your .por file?

Thanks everyone - looking forward to getting started.

Hooray!

I've got Totek's profile updated to match his new direction in life. I'll send you the .por file later today.

my usual computer has been stolen ..err borrowed so the por file may have to wait. Sorry :o

And welcome, all.

Hi all. Divine caster checking in. Built the Druid, but chose druid before I knew there would be only 4 of us and would like to go back and consider cleric or oracle. Druid just does not pack enough healing with likely a single cure light a day. Even a non-life oracle can manage up to 3 cure lights a first level and a poor cleric can channel 4 or 5 time a day plus spells.

Idyll, Unless you have your heart set on druid I think I will post an alternate build later tonight.

Ok. Got on my regular laptop

Hopefully the dropbox link thingee worked (Can you tell I'm not used to using it?) :)

Your cleric reporting in. Still need to write up the back story and description. Cadas is a Human Shoanti Nature cleric (as close to a druid as I could manage and still heal well) who has come to help as a representative of her Wind Clan with problems of the land. Please let me know what you think.

As I prepare the initial post, I'll have some questions for some of you about your backgrounds. If there's some info you don't want others to know yet, go ahead and PM me. Otherwise, feel free to put the information here.

No real secrets my character must have to help my RP so out of laziness I'll just post here :) Please let me know if anything I post is too much presumption on my part. I'll change whatever you like.
How long have you lived in Sandpoint?
Ekan spent the first 7 years of his life in a small hamlet, then giants, for whatever reason, came through and tore the place apart, forcing the survivors to flee. Most of the surviving Waterfields came to Sandpoint to make a new home. Ekan was just turning eight when Sandpoint became his new home. At roughly age fourteen, he managed to impress a traveling wizard (A former graduate of the Academae himself) and left Sandpoint to begin his apprenticeship which was a mix of travel and time in a tower outside of Korsovo. About a year ago he finished his apprenticeship to his master's satisfaction, and he returned to Sandpoint feeling better ready to protect it against giant kind.

So all total he's spent about eight of his 21 years at Sandpoint.

What kind of house/dwelling do you live in?
The Waterfields lost everything, and had to rebuild. Now they are chiefly split between a small farm and barn, and a carpenter with a modest if clean home. Ekan has been living back and forth between both, trying to pull his weight (Burning Hands can clear a field just fine if you want a controlled fire). He's considered getting a cottage of his own, but secretly wishes he could afford a tower. In the end, being ready to defend Sandpoint against giants remains his obsession.

What do you do for a living now?
In addition to being a low level wizard for higher, Ekan also has used his knowledge of engineering to help with some of the reconstruction of Sandpoint. Truth to tell, he's probably underpaid compared to what he might make in a bigger city, but he doesn't mind much.

Are you well known among the citizens of Sandpoint?
The Waterfields are still considered "newcomers" by some of the older and more conservative families in Sandpoint, but have welcome for all that. Ekan himself is still seen as something of an outsider as he did leave to apprentice elsewhere for a time. However, wizards aren't so common that they don't get talked about and as Ekan has been open with his magics AND helpful with his services, word has gotten around that he's reliable if a bit moody. He's even made a few friends who encourage him to be social at the local tavern and the like. At age twenty one, no doubt some of the older Sandpoint women think that it is time the young man consider taking a wife.

It seems I should have looked at the characters in addition to the players behind them - we have some overlap in terms of backstories, but I think that's ok.

Ekan and Totek have baggage with giants
Totek and Cadas are Shoanti tribesfolk away from their homes

I'm not sure yet how Ed will finalize his backstory, but there may be some there, as well.

We'll use these commonalities as ties to one another rather than boring redundancies.

Actually, I did find it neat that a Shaonti Ranger and a Cheliaxian descended wizard would have something in common.

I think the commonalities would help serve to actually bring us adventurers together, instead of expecting completely random and unrelated people to just go on an adventure together. :)

I think the commonalities would help serve to actually bring us adventurers together, instead of expecting completely random and unrelated people to just go on an adventure together. :)

Kind of my hope as well. I don't know much about the Shoanti, but I believe they have some (understandable perhaps) resentment against the descendents of Cheliax. So that tie might help ease any tensions that might otherwise occur

** spoiler omitted **

I think his character sheet is up to date.

Idyll,

I am already in Sandpoint, but only have been here for a few days. I am staying at an inn until I can find a more permanent place of residence.

I shouldn't have put my information behind a spoiler tag, as I'd tried to set up a potential connection between Bert and Cadas (and possibly Totek & Ekan) in it. Take a look at it, all, if you haven't already.

** spoiler omitted **

Hey everyone - just a quick head's up. I'm writing the first post today and should have it up later. Sorry for the delay as I'm incredibly eager to get started.

See you in game in a bit!

Me too! :)

Likewise!

ETA: Also too, if any of you want to check my character sheet feel free; I think everything is fine, but you never know what you might have missed.

*Taps foot* Is it soup yet? :)

Servers are back up.

Hooray!

I'm looking forward to gaming with you all.

Oh, and I made a quick change to attribute scores real quick, Idyll. I had messed up on something and wanted to fix it before the game started.

Finally got the thread up. Was ready this morning and then the site exploded. Lets get this party started!

Yeah, the forums have been nuts today

You guys don't even need me! Thanks for keeping things moving and sorry for the delay - we're launching a client web store this week and it's going poorly. Sorry for the delay. I'll get things updated in a bit.

Not to worry. I think we've spent the time well, so now it'll make sense to have this particular quartet working together when the goblin problems start.

Holy cow - you guys have filled up the first page with only TWO posts from your DM. Well done!

Bert and Ekan got to talking about matchmaking interlopers and family. That can terrify a few posts out of anyone ;)

Though somehow I think that "make me a match" has a slightly different meaning when Ekan's worked up....

One other thing. I'm (optimistically) looking at future development for Bert, thinking about what things besides skills he can contribute to the party (now that I know what the rest of the party looks like). WRT spells, it looks like enchantment-based debuffs (hold person, crushing despair, like that) and buffs (heroism, etc.) would be good picks, as they fill in one of Ekan's prohibited schools. I already figure that his L4 rogue talent will be Trap Spotter, and he's going to go for breadth in Knowledge skills and others. That leaves feat selection.

Lingering Performance is a no-brainer for an archaelogist bard, as it essentially triples his luck rounds. That would be why it's his initial feat. Thereafter, though, it'll depend on his combat function. At this point I can see a couple of ways he could go, one of which is clearly superior IMHO. I welcome comments, critiques, and suggestions for improvement.

A better choice, though, might be:

He's still not going to be dishing out a lot of damage, but as he levels up (and gets a better bow) the numbers will improve.

Opinions?

Bards make great archers. While their feat economy is poor, they can at least pick up the essentials that make them worthwhile. Once buffed, archer bards are pretty amazing and versatile.

I encourage the missle-support, simply because there are few things as frustrating as being tripped. And, as your "opponent" I'd prefer to not be prone in every single battle.

While its possible, small characters are at a big disadvantage to trip. Why choose a -4 to an ability that will be important to your build. Go archer and deadly aim and never look back. :)

I know its no help, but go with what you like

That's what I thought; I wanted to bounce it off of people with maybe a bit more PF experience than I do, though. I've been playing since OD&D, but all my 3.x/PF gaming has been online.

I once witnessed a fully buffed and performing archer Bard take out a hill giant Barbarian in one round.

It was insane.

For some reason I didn't see your post yesterday, GM Idyll, and I have to run off to a meeting shortly. (I know; it's so rude when you're expected to, you know, actually work when you're at work.) I'll have a response later today.

Unacceptable. I expect all of my players to forego wok to post. Only I am allowed to allow real life to trump gaming life.

I'll be sure to mention that for my performance review ;-). Also, today's going to be another busy one, I'm afraid. (It doesn't help that the boards aren't stable yet, and I can't tell when new posts come in.)

Idyll, you still with us? Hope everything's alright on your front.

Yeah - I'm not sure what's wrong with the boards for me. I tried making some updates to all my games today and the only ones that are showing up are in my discussion threads. I'll try again tomorrow.

Is anyone else having issues with the boards at all?

A bit. I can still post, but sometimes it shows my post as still 'new' after. Other times it doesn't seem to show other folks new posts until I check manually.

I am unable to read the thread in which people are discussing issues with the boards after the latest update on Tuesday, which seems like a textbook example of irony. It's apparently possible to see a lot of things when you're not logged in...that doesn't help if you want to post, though.

I think the boards are finally sort-of back to normal, although the "Recent threads in $CURRENT SUBFORUM" list still seems to be slightly borked. It looks like it only shows the threads you haven't hidden as long as they're in the first 100 threads on the combined Online Campaigns subforum; with the number of PbP games going on here, things typically get pushed off the front page (and out of the Recent list) in less than ten minutes.