Hey guys and girls, well done on being selected. Feel free to dot the Gameplay thread. As F. Castor pointed out, you can dot and then delete the post, and it still works.
I'll post something to get us moving asap, but in the meantime perhaps you can give some thought as to where in Korvosa you live? Lorick and Gehenna have hovels somewhere, Vaen's mother runs a tavern, Evelyn's presumably of No Fixed Abode but has a friendly halfling with a warm forge, and Juliet's father presumably lives somewhere smart - although I'm guessing she will have a room somewhere she can crash away from him.
There's a map link in the Campaign tab to help you orient yourselves.
BTW, one of the GMs in another game I was in created a good format for the Gameplay thread that I would like to adopt: basically, all dice rolls go in a spoiler marked "Mechanics" and all OOC comments go in a spoiler marked "OOC". It's a bit fiddly, but it does mean you get the game narrative without being distracted by dice functions, rules queries and player chat. I will be using it, and I hope you will give it a go.
Hello everyone! I'm looking forward to gaming with you all.
Juliet's father is located in a nicely appointed townhouse in South Shore, along Shoreline Way. The townhouse is modest in size (for South Shore - it would be a very large dwelling in Old Korvosa), but is very tastefully appointed with fine details and expensive furniture en vogue with Thaliel's generation.
Tybalt, Juliet's brother (or brother?) crashes on various floors and couches throughout Old Korvosa and the west and north sides of the mainland, depending on who he has and hasn't worn out his welcome with. He can at times be found on Juliet's floor, and copied a key to her place (much to Juliet's chagrin), so he just kind of shows up.
Albert Ricci, Juliet's mentor, lives at his modest second-tier opera house (capacity about 100, eponymously named Ricci's), in the Slope Ward of midland.
Juliet keeps a low rent studio in Ridgefield, North Point, near the Posh and Turtle, on a side street still awaiting the gentrification happening in other parts of the ward. She doesn't know many of her neighbors - working nights at Ricci's, and then staying up wandering the streets of Korvosa has meant that she keeps a pretty nocturnal schedule. Her apartment is small, just one space with a bed, closet, cooking area and table with two chairs. A couple of framed artworks - prints of famous paintings by Korvosan artists, specifically of Korvosan street and waterfront life, hang on the walls.
Nicely detailed, just what I'm looking for.
Right, I see Vaen, Evelyn and Juliet have dotted in, I'll have your posts up in the Gameplay thread shortly. Look forward to Gehenna and Lorick at some point.
Sigh... Well, I did come up with Timmor and his... colorfulness. Hope you are having fun coming up with... expletives? I guess that is the best way to refer to them. :-P
Edit: As for where Vaen lives, you are correct that he stays in his mother's tavern/inn, which is located in North Point. I figure it would make sense, as North Point is also Kieyanna's "base of operations", so to speak.
Checking in. Once I'm off work I'll see to some more detailed thoughts, but I imagined Gehenna living somewhere in, or around, the West Dock district.
Thanks for selecting me, DM. I'm looking forward to the gaming with you all!
PS- Avatar subject to change. I just selected the first one that looked like a fit (at work). So don't be surprised or anything later. Thanks.
Welcome, Gehenna! Your post will be up shortly.
Getting the right avatar can be a real pain, I know - good hunting!
Sigh... Well, I did come up with Timmor and his... colorfulness. Hope you are having fun coming up with... expletives? I guess that is the best way to refer to them. :-P
Hey, you came up with him, I'm just having fun!
Edit: As for where Vaen lives, you are correct that he stays in his mother's tavern/inn, which is located in North Point. I figure it would make sense, as North Point is also Kieyanna's "base of operations", so to speak.
Makes sense.
I will do a list on the Campaign tab of everyone's assorted NPCs for ease of reference as we go along.
EDIT: also, did everyone get that I've moved the list of Unchained rules we're using to a link up at the top?
Hey all, really appreciate getting picked DMU. Took me a long time to get the alias up. Always some fiddly bits that need to be fixed here and there.
I threw in the Combat Stamina Use for each of my combat feats in the profile. The only way to keep it manageable I think is to find out what the stamina power is for a combat feat when it's picked and note it down for easy reference. A BRAWLER with Combat Stamina would be.. just.. crazy.
Anyway Lorick lives in Old Korvosa near the Old Dock, just out of view of the ocean but right in the middle of its region odor wise. He could move to one of the nicer bits of the poor district but he just doesn't care enough to. It also has the benefit of allowing him to drop by Cpt Melag Somelen discreetly who is stationed nearby. Lorick also is very familiar with the Shingles as he lived there as a kid and knows a bit of the Vaults as he sheltered underground on occasion.... Huh. I'll actually change my background skill spend to put one rank in Lore:Poor areas of Korvosa if that's okay DMU. I'll add Craft:Carpentry in next level.
Sia definitely lives in one of the nicer areas of Old Korvosa though and he spends a fair bit of time there.
And yeah I see the Link on top.
I'm on EST by the way guys. In Toronto. How about the rest of you?
Hey Lorick! Good to have you on board. I'll get a post up for you soon.
I threw in the Combat Stamina Use for each of my combat feats in the profile. The only way to keep it manageable I think is to find out what the stamina power is for a combat feat when it's picked and note it down for easy reference.
I appreciate that! Thanks
And I'm in London (GMT/BST) - but I keep weird hours, so I can post at different times depending on... things.
Athens (the Greek one) here. :-)
Are we okay to read everybody else's sections? Some really great stuff here. Awesome start.
I would assume yes. After all, they are not under any labeled spoilers. :-)
On another note, is there something to swap out Multitalented with? As I do not intend to have Vaenathis multiclass, this particular racial trait is kind of redundant. I have looked, but alternate racial traits tend to mostly replace Adaptability (which I have already done with Ancestral Arms). The only ones I could find for Multitalented are Arcane Training (useful to arcane casters only) and Jungle Affinity (kinda specific for wildborn half-elves and jungle terrain only).
Are we okay to read everybody else's sections? Some really great stuff here. Awesome start.
Yes. Absolutely.
On another note, is there something to swap out Multitalented with? As I do not intend to have Vaenathis multiclass, this particular racial trait is kind of redundant. I have looked, but alternate racial traits tend to mostly replace Adaptability (which I have already done with Ancestral Arms). The only one is could find for Multitalented is useful to casters only.
Not that I can find. Sorry. Open to ideas (up to a point - we're already playtesting a fair bit!).
Not really sure. Simplest things I can think of would be to either replace it with some alternate racial trait that is supposed to replace something else or to replace it with a Race Builder racial trait that costs the same amount of RP.
In d20psfrd I see
Fey Thoughts (1 RP): Select two of the following skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Fly, Knowledge (nature), Perception, Perform, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Swim, or Use Magic Device. The selected skills are always class skills for the character. This trait replaces multitalented. Source Heroes of the Wild
Seems perfect for a skilled unchained rogue. Though you have so many class skills already that there's probably only two there that you don't already have. Maybe you could get an extra bump?
Swap the terrain type from Jungle Affinity to urban terrain?
Also, Evelyn has a decrepit shanty set up in the Grey district that gives her a place to sleep but that's about it.
Swap the terrain type from Jungle Affinity to urban terrain?
Hmmm... I'd allow the +4 to Stealth, but giving immunity to difficult terrain in a city seems a bit over-powered so I probably would say it's just the Stealth bonus.
Are we okay to read everybody else's sections? Some really great stuff here. Awesome start.
Agreed. Nice setup, UDM, and nice writing, everyone.
I'm in Saint Louis, Missouri, CST. We've got quite the international group here!
Swap the terrain type from Jungle Affinity to urban terrain?Hmmm... I'd allow the +4 to Stealth, but giving immunity to difficult terrain in a city seems a bit over-powered so I probably would say it's just the Stealth bonus.
So, basically this from the Race Builder (it is under the Feat and Skill Racial Traits category) where the terrain in question is (Karl) Urban:
Camouflage (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Choose a ranger favored terrain type. Members of this race gain a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks while within that terrain type.
So, basically this from the Race Builder (it is under the Feat and Skill Racial Traits category) where the terrain in question is (Karl) Urban:
Camouflage (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Choose a ranger favored terrain type. Members of this race gain a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks while within that terrain type.
Sounds reasonable. Go for it.
Agreed. Nice setup, UDM
*blush*
I threw in the Combat Stamina Use for each of my combat feats in the profile. The only way to keep it manageable I think is to find out what the stamina power is for a combat feat when it's picked and note it down for easy reference.
Great idea, which I totally just stole. It also begs a question, UDM:
There is no stamina use for Fencing Grace, but there is for Slashing Grace. I took the text for slashing grace and swapped the word "slashing" out with the word "fencing" or "piercing." Original and altered text below:
Is this OK with you?
Sounds reasonable. Go for it.So, basically this from the Race Builder (it is under the Feat and Skill Racial Traits category) where the terrain in question is (Karl) Urban:
Camouflage (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Choose a ranger favored terrain type. Members of this race gain a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks while within that terrain type.
Will do. Thanks. :-)
It's EST for me as well. Michigan.
Digging what I've read so far, but I have to head out for the night. I'll be keeping an eye on the thread when I can.
Great idea, which I totally just stole. It also begs a question, UDM:There is no stamina use for Fencing Grace, but there is for Slashing Grace. I took the text for slashing grace and swapped the word "slashing" out with the word "fencing" or "piercing."
Is this OK with you?
Sounds perfectly reasonable. Added to the rules list.
I know that none of you is getting to interact with each other at present - that will change shortly. Bear with me :)
Really enjoying what I've read so far, keep it up!
More information on the Campaign tab, by the way - nothing vital, just keeping track of things. I will update as we go along.
May I say, this has gone off to a good start. Here is to many more fun and interesting posts! :-)
Edit: Also, would you like me to come up with ages for my NPCs? If yes, here you go.
Caledrin - 161, Alina - 56, Timmor - 12, Petronicus - 59, Kieyanna - 28, Davor - 37.
Edit 2: Speaking of ages, Vaen is 32. Sounds young-ish, but not too young, for a half-elf.
Man I have a really hard time figuring out when I should switch from present tense to past tense when writing on these boards. Sorry if it makes my post confusing.
I tend to use the present tense, but past tense works OK here too - all of this is essentially a prologue, leading up to the 'how we all met' scene that I'm currently preparing.
I haven't run a PbP from scratch before, so I'm experimenting with the setup. Hope it's not too confusing from what you're used to.
No it's going really great so far. I don't think I can keep up with Juliet or Vaenathis though. Daaamn.
I haven't run a PbP from scratch before, so I'm experimenting with the setup. Hope it's not too confusing from what you're used to.
It is working really well, I think.
I don't think I can keep up with Juliet or Vaenathis though. Daaamn.
Thanks for the kind words! I absolutely LOVED your last post. It totally made Lorick this concrete person for me. I get him, through and through (and feel a little bad that my brother wants to put a dagger in Sia's back). Brilliant.
Loving what I'm reading from you all!
Quick question: do you want me to give you more time between posts for interacting with each other? Or do you prefer that I keep moving things along?
I'm easy either way - genuinely curious as to what you want.
I suppose at the moment I'm partial to move forward momentum, so that the characters can feel each other out through actions, as well as words, but either way is fine.
One possibility is to OOC a "ready check." When all 5 players have readied up (or haven't posted within a certain period of time) then move on.
I don't mind either way myself, mostly because I can't pump out huge posts like the rest of the group[ (seriously, kudos).
I think we've got the first impressions taken care of. Can't post much on weekends so I'd say best to move on.
Damn, but the description of Lamm is great! Is that really how he is in the adventure path proper?
Also, is that where Timmor got his swearing style and repertoire? :-P
He's an amalgamation of two characters (Lamm and Devargo Barvasi), plus my own fevered imagination, but yes, I relied heavily on some of the original source text.
Timmon and Lamm swear completely differently: Timmon makes words up ("chissing", "otyugh-crust"); Lamm takes existing words and corrupts them, just as he corrupts everything else around him. Believe it or not, I came up with Lamm's style of speech independently! Great minds... ;-)
I positively love both the way he looks and the way he talks. But then again your imagination concerning the appearances and speech patterns of NPCs I am already familiar with. It was actually one of the reasons I applied for this game.
On another note, a few posts up I have provided the ages of both Vaenathis and my NPCs. Just thought you should know. :-)
DMU, how would you like me to handle prepared spells? Should I declare them at a start of a day and update the alias profile, or make an in-game note?
Also, a question about esoteric components: With limited magic, can I only use esoteric components to gain the "Limited Magic Effect," or can I decided whether or not I wish to utilize the "Limited Magic Effect" or "Greater Component Effect?" The latter's effects would be more useful at lower levels, but would eventually be superseded by the Limited Magic Effect in usefulness.
Gehenna - according to page 152 (top of right-hand column), "A spellcaster can choose to apply either greater component effects or limited magic effects - but not both - on the same casting of a spell."
If you want to declare what spells you've prepared at the start of the day (maybe a note in the discussion section?) that will probably be easier than constant re-writing of your alias profile.
Gotcha.
Spells prepared for Toliday, 13 Gozran 4715 A.R.:
1st - Cure Light Wounds, Mage Armor
0 - Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Stabilize
For the avoidance of doubt: There will come a time when you get to confront Lamm with the possibility of surviving the encounter.
That time is not now.
Haha, yeah. Juliet actually had not intended to challenge Lamm, but just to remove a threat in Ladzlo from her life. A gamble, and unwise, for sure, but not meant as a challenge to the man's authority.
Meep.
Never mind, it'll be more satisfying when you kill him yourself!
I was sweating it! You've done a good job of making Lamm intimidating and very unlikable!
Due to certain events in my country and a general sense of nervousness, I find myself a little drained and with my focus diverted elsewhere. So, if my posting becomes a little erratic (i.e. posts may be coming as often as they should on some days and on others they may be sparse or brief), that will be the reason. Please bear with me for a few days. If my lack of posting seems to be holding up the game, please DMPC my character. Thank you.
Yeah, I've been following things a bit and it doesn't look good. Take care of yourself.
Good luck to you, yours, and your country, F. Castor. I'm greatly enjoying your contributions to this game and hope you're up to full speed soon.
That's a rough situation, Castor. All I can do is wish you good health. Take care of yourself over there.
I'm hopeful that Greece will bounce back stronger than before Castor. In the meanwhile keep safe.
I'm ready to go for the evening unless I'm forgetting something or someone wants to speak with me.
I'm just posting to keep things moving - fell free to keep the interactions going, I'm really enjoying what you're all coming up with!
Can you take a swift action during a surprise round?