A point about Almar's PoV on the goblin killing. Almar thinks goblins are nasty little critters out for killing and loot, sizes aside he sees them not differently from a pack of rats one needs to exterminate before they cause famine and disease (always wondered why so many people seem to think mice and rats to actually be nice creatures...).
Simply put, to Almar they are detrimental beasts, you can't leave them alone because they won't leave you alone and will kill you if given half a chance, so you kill them first whenever they start causing problems and those you can't kill you scare enough they'll never consider taking up arms against humans again.
This last part was all about why Almar wanted to bring Gutwald back to Sandpoint and kill the female runt: he wanted to make an example to ther goblins. Even powerful chiefs like gutwald will get killed if they attack humans!
As a side note I don't endorse this philosopy myself in real life... it's just I'm trying to play Almar with a "Wild West" vibe, and to me that kind of mentality is the mentality a lot of frontier people had.
Hi all,
I'll keep this short and frank. I'm no longer really enjoying this game. I check it for updates with very negative apprehension, wondering what the next argument or IC/OOC dispute is going to be over. Theres a point at which interparty conflict RP eventually grinds me down and stops being fun anymore and I hit it several days ago.
I've been e-mailing Hamied about this and I believe its best if I simply bow out of the game; I have been giving the game time but all the conflict appears to be getting worse, not better. I'm not enjoying myself and ultimately thats what I play for.
Perhaps this particular AP or playstyle is simply not for me, different strokes etc. Have a great game everyone, best of luck :).
Alex
I'm sad to hear that and I beg you to reconsider. There may have been some points of attrition, but all things considered I believe it was all very enjoyable. These are just characters we paly, not real people.
I am definitely disappointed, but I understand AK's reasoning. I've fostered the argumentative style in this game. James Jacobs has said that his approach to this AP has been somewhat inspired by the Dragon Age games, and I can see why...large, sometimes disparate adventuring group. Some fall in love, some become adversaries.
I wanted to pose a number of points of philosophical disagreement in order to promote the kinds of interactions we've seen. It has bordered on hostile at times, and I think we are walking a fine line, but I find it engaging to GM. I fully recognize that not every player is happy in such an environment, however, and I fully support AK's decision.
I intend to continue, and to recruit a replacement in the coming weeks.
You will be missed, AK. Best wishes in all endeavors.
I confess I'm disappointed too. It's never fun to see a player drop (for whatever reason) but, as you said, the AP itself lends itself to a certain style of play. Not to mention that modules aren't written with PbP in mind and the style and manner of a PbP game is very different from one around the table and that can twist things a bit too. At least in the early going, the main NPC's drive most of the story and, by design, everyone reacts to them in different ways.
I'm sorry this didn't work for you AK, it was good gaming with you.
My own personal experience is that this is one of the best PbP's I've ever been in. For two big reasons: I think the pacing, both in and out of combat has been very good. Even when players were absent or sick the game kept a good flow. Also, and perhaps most importantly, I looked at the characters as people and not just a collection of numbers. For example, I think of Lisabett as Lisabett and not just as a sorcerer/druid leveling towards Mystic Theurge, etc. etc.
I think we have it in us to become a very solid group, because each of us has something another lacks. Almar is hardly restrained, but he thinks clearly under pressure and has yet to express himself in a really repugnant way. Raziel is plugging along as the party cleric and being a source of really great sense. And Sorin provides the heart to Lisabett's not so cool pragmatism.
I've been trying to get Lisabett to work with the NPCs to understand the party better, but it appeared Ameiko was entranced by the mystery. I think her progressing with Shalelu is coming at a really critical time and will likely calm her significantly.
Lisabett will probably take the caravan position as scout. Will give her an opportunity to contribute something that she prides herself in, and some time away to clear her head.
I have to confess that I have looked at the blurbs for this AP.
Ameiko is going to be the driving force for this AP as far as I can tell so far, and her being engrossed in "the mystery" is just her doing it.
And, from Raziel's view (that Lisabett can't share because she doesn't live in Sandpoint), what Ameiko has found is something from her past that she wants to know about. I would suppose Lisabett might feel the same way if we found some clue leading to her own mother.
** spoiler omitted **
Hey guys,
I've begun to consider how to go about finding a replacement for Alazandaru. The easiest answer is to put up a short term recruitment thread next week seeking one more to add to the group, but I thought I'd ask first if there's anybody you guys might know personally that could be a good addition to the game.
Any thoughts?
I liked the only ninja submission to my thread, but ultimately bard is a better skill monkey in my opinion, so that's why I chose him.
I am in another game with the player if you want me to drop a line to him and invite him over.
Daniel Stewart - Setomi?
yep. He's in a taldor game with me.
Nope. As I said, if not for the bard, and if I wanted to run with 6 characters, I would have taken him. I can let him know you're interested and link him here, if you would like.
I can see Setomi fitting in nicely, and I have some idea of what she might have been up to so far, considering her connection to Ameiko. If Daniel Stewart wants to join us, I'll gladly have him. If you could direct him here, that would be awesome.
Thanks!
Here is Setome. Is is built on 20pts and is level one. I can change whatever you feel need changing. Her background is also included.
Welcome aboard, Daniel. I'll get you situated in the next day or two. I have a final paper to finish and turn in. In the meantime feel free to peruse the thread. Don't worry...I won't hold you accountable for 1,250 posts. Let any of us know if you have any questions.
Aaah, think we can get him caught up pretty easy.
Lisabett is a bit of a b*$%!. She doesn't really contribute much to fighting coz everything resists her really weak saves, but uh, the last fight she made the paladin able to move in difficult terrain and kick some skeleton tailbone. She's currently tracking down rumors of her arch nemesis and former captain. And trying to learn how to behave in civilized company, you know, where dragging a woman you want down on a table and having your way with her isn't considered appropriate behavior.
Almar's a gunslinger, looking for some shadow figure that did some bad stuff elsewhere. He was a caravan guard for Sandru's outfit.
Raziel, or Brother Holheim is our healer and voice of reason. He's looking for Koya who has gone missing recently, seemingly always just outside his grasp. Not in a romantic way, though I think he's obligated to her somehow that hasn't really been explained among the group.
Sorin's our paladin of Shelyn. He's... a peaceful dude who believes in the power of diplomacy and love. He sorta has a thing for Ameiko.
Welcome on Board Daniel!
I hope we'll have fun playing togheter.
:)
Hi Lisabett and Almar. Thanks for the update and I look forward to playing. I guess I just need to know if I need to level up and how many points for attributes I need to start with...oh and starting cash, or items would be good as well!!
22 points
level 2
as for your starting cash, don't know how DM Hamied wants to do that for ya. We have only cashed in the goblin bounty so we're not really rolling in dough.
LOL..ok..well I will level up and add a few points to her abilities (I think she was made with 15, but it may have been 20...I cannot remember!)
Yeah, sorry, 22 points and no stats below 10. Why don't you take max starting gold? These guys started with average, but you're coming into the game later and they have had the chance to spread a little wealth.
The party is currently level 2. I keep track of XP separately, and will tell you when you level. As of right now, the party is a little less than halfway to level 3.
Quick question: Your name is spelled "Setomi" in your character background, and "Setome" on your avatar. Which is correct?
Let me look over your sheet tonight and I will get you in the gameplay thread this weekend.
Ok...fixed the name...you were right it is suppose to be Setomi! I updated the sheet to 2nd level, but kept the same gear....I do not think she will be able to purchase some of the items she might want in Sandport..lol
Welcome Setomi!
Glad you can join the group.
And if Lisabett wants to know what is between Raziel and Koya, then she just has to ask. I'm sure any character that lives in Sandpoint would be able to explain it easily too. It is nothing really secret, it is just a bit less than Sandru's connection with Koya.
Great to have you!
It's probably easier just to have you read Sorin's bio than for me to try and explain it. Up until now, his life has been largely uneventful. He's the same age as Ameiko and, considering the amount of time he's spent at the Rusty Dragon, I would guess he knows Setomi by face even if not by name.
Ah, I just stated what my character knows about folk, what they've been volunteering. I never read histories or anything. That's cheatin' :P
A quick, completely out of game question. If I was interested in running a pbp here, how do I go about setting myself up for it?? I know many of you are DM's on the boards here, so I thought I would ask how to go about this. thanks
Go to the appropriate sub heading, whether recruitment or discussion (depending on if you're calling recruitment) and click the on the top right. It'll give you a subject line and a text box. Fill em both in, push submit.
It is pretty basic from then on. If you call recruitment, you'll get page with all the tabs all on them like in all these games here. Click discussion when you want to add one, and there will be a dialog box there asking if you want to add to that campaign. Same will be said of the gameplay tab.
Campaign tab is all yours, though. That's where you can edit your players, the status of your game, everything. Can add links to maps and rules there as well. Oh, and name your campaign after a while so the tabs don't all pop up Null.
I'll get a new gameplay post up this evening for Setomi.
Raziel and Sorin would know her. It is even possible that in Sorin's case, she has helped Ameiko teach him Tien.
Character sheet looks good, unless I'm missing something obvious. So you know there are some items in the party loot that would be specifically good for your ninja, as other character are not proficient with shuriken or wakizashi. It's always hard when a new player comes in and there's already been treasure collected, but I don't know that some of the items would be useful to anybody but Setomi (and maybe Ameiko, but PCs always trump the four big NPCs).
Any last questions? Anything I or anybody else should know about you or your character?
I will toss up some play-by-post GMing advice in a bit. For now, I have to rush off to rehearsal.
More soon.
Thanks guys..for the moment I think Setomi is good to go, and she would probably know anyone from Sandpoint that frequents the Dragon, but she is also pretty shy and reserved, though that is changing as she grows in her choosen field..
- The Kaijitsu family was once called something else. The name Kaijitsu was created to protect the identity of the family. Your grandparents came with the Kaijitsus across the Crown of the World 60 years ago, but the last person to know the true name was your father.
- 25 years ago, the Kaijitsus were found, and nearly destroyed. Ameiko's father and mother survived with a handful of servants, which included your parents. They relocated to Sandpoint to begin anew.
- Ameiko's enemies are deadly and unrelenting. It is certain that they still hunt for her. You must watch and protect her, but always from the shadows.
I hope those work for you.
Now, onto the timeline of the current campaign.
Two nights ago, Koya Mvashti, an elderly priestess of Desna, came into the Rusty Dragon and knocked quietly on Ameiko's door. Ever vigilant, you were aware of her presence and listened through the door.
Koya first spoke of a dream where she saw herself meeting with "the outlander that wears dust on his hat and thunder on his belt" in a cave. Koya then shared that she had also dreamed of Ameiko digging in snow, deeper and deeper until she had made a great tunnel. On the other side of the tunnel was a far away land. Koya's description sounded very much like tales you have heard of Minkai, in Tian-Xia: the land where the ancestors of you and Ameiko originated, but a place the two of you have never seen yourselves. Ameiko was very upset, and left the premises.
You watched Koya walk away and meet two tall warriors that stood in the shadows, but your first duty was to Ameiko, so you followed her. She walked down to the beach and sang sadly for a time, before disrobing and going for a swim. You were careful to watch her, but you did not reveal your presence. After she returned to shore, she slept on the beach for hours before returning to town. It was shortly after that she learned that Koya Mvashti had left town, having given no reason other than the dreams she shared. When she told Sandru Vhisku towards evening, he impulsively saddled his horse and rode south to the swamp that the "outlander" had gone to earlier that day. That man and his companions, three of whom you knew (Alazandaru, Raziel, and Sorin) returned shortly after, however, and Ameiko met them south of town. She told them what had happened, and after some argument, they rode south after Sandru and Koya. You saw all of this, from hiding.
The strangers returned a few hours ago, with Sandru in tow, and with the elf Shalelu, but without Koya. The group currently seems to think she went north with two mercenaries who are companions of the Ulfen woman, Lisabett, but there is still much speculation as to why. You know that they have agreed to meet Shalelu at dawn and track the old woman. Your first concern, as always, is Ameiko.
Curiously, right as the group returned from the swamp, they shared a letter that Ameiko read herself, and then Sorin tried to translate. Based on his crude attempt at Tien sentence structure, you guess that the letter was in your language. Ameiko has since carried it into the kitchen, and gone out back to be alone. The letter lies folded on the table near you. In your starting post, I will include the letter. You choose whether or not to read it, and then where you'd like to go from there.
Hope all that works for you! Let me know if you have questions of concerns.
Sounds great, and the change to the background only expands what I was hoping to tell of her background. Thanks for the assistance and letting me join!! And thanks Hu5tru for suggesting me for the part!
oh no. please, sorin, as someone who was active in a music program for well over a decade, please do not get a piccolo.
it's the one instrument that I hate more than the saxaphone and bad percussionists damaging my hearing.
at least with the flute I can imagine its jethro tull music when Sorin makes his checks :P
woo hoo! got the land of the linnorms book as an early christmas present, so I'll give it a read and try to figure out what Lisabett would know of their culture today.
Mostly have been reluctant to launch into a full detail of what she does and doesn't know without having read what Paizo's official ulfen culture is like.
How about a tin whistle? A duduk? I was actually thinking of an oboe but I'm not sure how far musical instruments have come in Golarion (especially valve design); are there glockenspiels for example? French horns?
Too bad about the sax, it's my second favorite wind instrument after the clarinet. Sorin's second favorite is the trumpet but he doesn't usually carry that on him.
It's funny that you mentioned Jethro Tull since, when I was creating Sorin, I was having trouble deciding which Performs to take for the Intense Artist feat and hearing Bungle in the Jungle is what led to me to the flute.
I think the flute fits Sorin best. He's hard on outside because he wears armor, but has this completely unique and brilliant way of expressing himself. Sorin can take his armor off and be an artist, which is pretty cool.
hrm...
I'd sorta forgotten why I gave Lisabett the crush trait when I made her. So far maintaining Sandru's good opinion has been the only humanizing element to her... She really needs to learn how to communicate.
think as the group coalesces and she has something to do that she's good at, and time to be alone and think about her recent change in life she'll calm down and start drifting to N, hopefully to end somewhere near or about NG. But, that's long game stuff.
Now everybody talks.
heh.
Posting while Sorin had posted.
Now lisabett can bite our heads off. (~_^)
haha. maybe when her player has had some sleeeeep.
depends on whether or not coffee with baileys in the morning. instant mood improver :P
oh dear. I can see that this development is going to end well.
Lisabett and Ameiko adventuring together. good thing all she has is javelns and debuff magics with really crap saves.
It was bound to happen sooner or later! I wouldn't worry too much about Ameiko's ire...I'd be more concerned about her ninja companion!
But seriously, don't fight, guys!
:)
WHAT???
No mud wrestling between the ladies???
You're mean DM!
:D
Edit: since I posted I can add something useful as well as exercising my poor sense of humor: I think everyone should have his part of the money Almar collected for the goblin bounty. It's 56 gp each (Almar already spent part of it in ammo components). AND we should decide who got what. there's a lot of stuff that could become useful later on.
mud wrestling? lisabett would break that skinny asian lady in half.
I sometimes don't get Paizo rules, coz by rights, the almost six foot lisabett who has 12 str and 14 con is probably built like... well, mike tyson, whereas Ameiko is built like a paizo iconic, cheesecake and top heavy.
plus Lisabett has a superior wis modifier and is beneath expending such energies just to make her look more like a monster, which i'm assuming is Ameiko's desire by coming out. Or... it's because she has a wisdom penalty and doesn't realize that Lisabett is speaking the trading tongue for a reason and the pretty lady should just stay home. :P
A Sandpoint question: Father Zantus is in charge of the Cathedral, correct? This may have been mentioned before but which god(ess) does he serve? Does each shrine in the Cathedral have its own head priest?
My understanding/interpretation is that Father Zantus runs the Cathedral, and though he is devoted to Desna, he and his acolytes maintain all of the shrines. I leave it up to you and Raziel exactly what your role/rank within the Cathedral is. I assumed that Raziel was the highest ranking worshiper of Sarenrae, actually.
Highly likely, now. Most "shrines" are attended by a 1st level cleric. A temple would be run by a cleric capable of curing diseases, so a level 5 cleric. I assume that a Cathedral would be run by someone able to raise the dead, so a level 9 cleric.
As far as I recall, Father Zantus is a priest of Desna, and is about 4th to 5th level. He doesn't have much help (Raziel being one of the 1st level clerics).
The cathedral came about because several religions needed to be represented, but Sandpoint wasn't large enough to support 6 different temples.
The original temple was wood, which burned down in the 'late unplesentness', and the new temple was built of stone, and finished 5 years ago.
It is a cathedral in name, being a large stone building.