This will be the discussion thread for a Play-by-post attempt at the Rise of the Runelords AP. We're starting with 5 characters, and we'll be working through character creation and backgrounds here before starting to post in an actual Pbp thread. I think we have:
Dwarf Fighter
Shoanti Druid
Elven Ranger
Some kind of Rogue (rumor has it this might be a half-orc)
And Pam, who hasn't decided anything yet.
I think the first thing we want to do here is to have each of you create a Paizo account if you do not already have one, and then to create an alias for your character. Once that is done, you can navigate to your alias's profile page by accessing the "My Account" link at the top of the page, selecting your alias from among the aliases appearing in the box, and clicking the link to create a profile. This will allow you to enter the particulars for your character. If we keep those up to date, I won't have to constantly ask for bonuses and whatnot.
So...you five know who you are. Complete these steps and lets start talking (posting?) about why you've come to the fair sea-side town of Sandpoint!
Pamela has decided, and I'm now Sari, a Varisian sorcerer, so watch your butts!
Splendid! Here's a couple of ground rules for starters. Keep yer grubby eyes away from the Messageboards on this site dealing with Pathfinder or the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path. And Pam, Chuck, and Melissa are also forbidden from looking in the Savage Tide area since we're still in the middle of that one.
As you post, you'll see a button at the bottom of the screen that says "BBCode tags you can use". If you click "show", you'll see a bunch of escape codes that can be used when typing to lend special emphasis to parts of your posts. Two are particularly useful.
First is the spoiler button. You can hide things from certain players (provided they are honest), by placing them in these tags. For example...
This spoiler is only for Valerie
And this one is for Chris
The other useful one is the out of character tag. If you want your character to say or do something in game, typing it in the standard color is fine. If you want to say something out of character, use the ooc tag like so.
Alright. Enough pointers for now. Get those characters created and profiles made, or I'll smite you with Mummy Rot! (those of you playing Savage Tide know I'm not kidding!)
Decide I must many things, but I am here.
If I'm to game with you, shouldn't you reveal your name, o ugly one? Or shall I call you anonymous user 214?
User most anonymous, let me know if you have any questions on the character creation side. You're free to put as much or as little as you want into your background. Just know that if you make it up, I'll feel free to mix it into the plot. At minimum we need to know why you're in the town of Sandpoint on a festival day. You can be local, or from far away. You can also associate yourself with other characters in your background.
If you want equipment other than what comes in the standard package for your class (at the end of the class description in the Player's Handbook), you can swap that equipment at full price and buy anything in the Player's Handbook equipment tables that you can afford.
I'm in. I did pretty well in getting my character set up until Luke sent me that five page email on Feats and Abilities...everything went foggy after that. I'll try and get it back on track tomorrow evening.
Obfuscation is one of my talents. You need merely ask, and I promise your question will be confundicated.
Seriously - there are many choices for feats. If my email is too much, just pick a couple and roll with it. After I kill your first couple of characters, you'll have a better idea of what feats might have saved your life.
Sorry, new to this area I am. Ugly in what way?
Methinks it's your fanged avatar.
Money for braces my parents had, a good dentist in Riddleport not so much.
So it's a half-orc rogue from Riddleport? You guys are quite the melting pot. An elf, a dwarf, a half-orc, and a couple of humans. The racial harmonies bring a tear to my eye.
Excellent avatars so far. So where's Melissa and Valerie?
I'm trying to bring my elf friend along, but alas, she is slow-witted and runs with scissors. Me on the other hand, I am in Sandpointe for the festival. A great time for the family to gather and to amaze the crowds with some dancing and flashy trinkets. I think I'll hang around the local pub looking for some fun. I'm bound to run in to some interesting people to travel with for awhile. Anyone else?
Ok, I'm in. I'll fill in the history shortly.
I'm in this town for a little R & R. I'm planning to meet up with my friend Sari. We met a while back when we were both incarcerated, me for drunk and disorderly, her for peddling her wares. I helped her escape and she has been indebted to me ever since.
Welcome Green Ranger! (sorry, too many hours playing Gauntlet).
I'm afraid the ride can't start until your entire party has arrived. We're still missing one vertically challenged meat shield.
I'm trying to bring my elf friend along, but alas, she is slow-witted and runs with scissors.
And apparently hermaphroditic as well, or possibly you're confused? You must fill in the details about this little rendez-vous you had.
I'm in this town for a little R & R. I'm planning to meet up with my friend Sari. We met a while back when we were both incarcerated, me for drunk and disorderly, her for peddling her wares. I helped her escape and she has been indebted to me ever since.
Wishful thinking on his part...he must be suffering from sunstroke.
I'm trying to bring my elf friend along, but alas, she is slow-witted and runs with scissors.And apparently hermaphroditic as well, or possibly you're confused? You must fill in the details about this little rendez-vous you had.
It happened many years ago....a horrible Varisian razor scarf incident. It obviously wasn't as bad as I had thought. "It got better!"
Ouch. I take it back. This is a part of your backgrounds you should definitely keep to yourselves.
Hello......anyone there.....I feel so small and alone.....
Here'a a staus so far, since lots of this stuff is going on in emails behind the scenes. Some of you are slackers - you know who you are. If you don't want to be saddled with changing your aging Dwarven grandmother's diapers, you might want to get on the stick!
Rafa, Elven Ranger - missing background.
Sari, Human Sorcerer - missing opportunities to endear herself to the DM.
Yod, Half-Orc Rogue - missing profile and background, though I hear a rather nice one is in the works.
Cha tuk (would like to know how this is pronounced), Human Druid - missing a background.
Melissa the Dwarf - AWOL, though I know a character sheet exists.
Here'a a staus so far, since lots of this stuff is going on in emails behind the scenes. Some of you are slackers - you know who you are. If you don't want to be saddled with changing your aging Dwarven grandmother's diapers, you might want to get on the stick!
Rafa, Elven Ranger - missing background.
Sari, Human Sorcerer - missing opportunities to endear herself to the DM.Apparently didn't get enough of the mummy rot in the current campaign.
Yod, Half-Orc Rogue - missing profile and background, though I hear a rather nice one is in the works.
Cha tuk (would like to know how this is pronounced), Human Druid - missing a background.Cha(as in chalk) tuk (as in stuck)
Doing good to get a character sheet at this point. I'm on it.Melissa the Dwarf - AWOL, though I know a character sheet exists.
Hello......anyone there.....I feel so small and alone.....19!? Are you even old enough to come on this adventure? You certainly can't be in the tavern. We may need to see a signed permission slip.
First my mother and now you! It was actually her idea in the first place....I seem to be wise beyond my years, at least in the wise-ass department. Don't worry, I'll keep up my end of the spear.
What's all this talk about. Let me know when something needs to be killed.
I arrived just yesterday in the town of Sandpoint. I have been slowly making my way South from the Churlwood forest over the last few weeks with my loyal dog Ishah. I have been trading healing for passage, to nowhere in particular, focusing on the journey not the destination. That we arrived during a festival was a complete surprise. We travelled in with a small wagon train and we're looking for more travelling companions for when we set out again.
Well, well. Aren't we all just rootless and mercenary. Does no one have vision? I seem to smell a lot of teen angst here. Oh, woe is me, I'm wandering through life with no purpose!
Checking in from work and all of a sudden we have a full house! Sweet. I'll try to get the opening scene typed up in a new thread in the Play-by-Post section tonight (one section up).
Well, well. Aren't we all just rootless and mercenary. Does no one have vision? I seem to smell a lot of teen angst here. Oh, woe is me, I'm wandering through life with no purpose!
Ahh the grand life...young and no ambition.
Seems the fates have sent me in your direction. Maybe you and your doggie friend need to learn how to have a little fun? I hear it's no picnic growing old.
You humans are clueless. Life does not get fun till you have reached the century mark.
Hey there folks.
For those of you who need D&D 101, you'll need to start the game with a skill check. That means you roll d20 and add your bonus for the skill asked for in the first post. If you miss one, and another is offered, try for that one as well (unless the spoiler description notes otherwise). Sometimes I won't allow you to make a check unless you have at least one rank in the skill (and thus have qualified as "trained" in that skill). In those cases, I'll tell you that the check is trained only.
To qualify to read the spoiler, you have to tie or beat the number I give as the DC (Difficulty Class). Skill checks are going to be a common occurence in the game.
Chris - remind you of MERP?
I started the main thread here. See ya there...
So now this thread is officially for all the shit-talking, table-talking, rules clarifications and sundry that goes on at the table. You know, the first 2 hours of your average D&D session. No slipping notes to one another or playing footsies (well, co-habitating folks are excluded from that last bit. C'mere Pammy...). It looks like everyone already has the right idea, so I'll shut up and let you folks be the players. I'm just going to play with my figs over here behind my virtual DM Screen...
All in character stuff, action descriptions, roll results, etc should go in the thread I just started. G'night now!
Do I have to tell you what my roll was, or do I just read what spoilers apply to me and then reply. That's what I did, so hope it was right.
It's probably better to tell both me and your compatriots whether you were able to read them or not (not in this instance, but once your friends are together and we can come out from behind the spoiler buttons). That way, if one of you passes but the others do not, the person that passed the check can share whatever part of what they learned with the rest of the group. If the person that passed the spoiler wants, that person can just give everyone else permission to read the spoiler by saying that she tells the rest of the party whatever she knows.
For most rolls however, you'll want to show something like this...
That way, I can apply any other modifiers and confirm the result for everyone. This is especially true for those in your midst that do not know the rules and will be initially leaning heavily on me to guide them through.
It's probably better to tell both me and your compatriots whether you were able to read them or not (not in this instance, but once your friends are together and we can come out from behind the spoiler buttons). That way, if one of you passes but the others do not, the person that passed the check can share whatever part of what they learned with the rest of the group. If the person that passed the spoiler wants, that person can just give everyone else permission to read the spoiler by saying that she tells the rest of the party whatever she knows.
For most rolls however, you'll want to show something like this...
That way, I can apply any other modifiers and confirm the result for everyone. This is especially true for those in your midst that do not know the rules and will be initially leaning heavily on me to guide them through.
Do I have Knowledge(Local)...not according to my sheet. Do I just roll and add my standard Knowledge box, it's not an untrained item?
Do I have Knowledge(Local)...not according to my sheet. Do I just roll and add my standard Knowledge box, it's not an untrained item?
That's what I was clumsily trying to say above. The Knowledge section of the char sheet is for whatever subset of the many types you want to improve. You haven't written it down, so you haven't taken any ranks in it (makes sense for your character). Most of the time, you have to have ranks in a Knowledge category to be eligible to make the check, but for some very simple things I will often let you make the check with zero ranks (this is called trying it "untrained"). I'm letting you do that this time. So this check is your Int bonus + 0 (ranks) + d20. If your total is greater than or equal to the entrance fee - you're in!
The relevant rules are here
The relevant rules are here
Okay, as for Spells: Detect Magic, Guidance, Flare, Cure Light Wounds, Magic Stone
On to the dog...I found maximum tricks...doesn't say anything about level of the druid. Dog has a Int of 2 and is entitled to 6 tricks plus a bonus (total of 7 and no rolling for the bonus). Also, my normal handle animal is a three (four ranks minus a -1 for charisma). With my animal companion I get to add four to this roll, now I'm looking at a 7. I rolled a 16 and a 14...mute point. I got Come, Stay and Heel. I'm also working on Guarding for the next four weeks.
So that means that getting him to do those three things is DC 10 Handle Animal skill check. As you say, you have a 3 (ranks) + 4 (companion) = +7 bonus to handle, so under most circumstances, you can take 10 on your check rather than rolling and automatically succeed and give these commands as a free action (since you have link).
If you try to give the dog a command it hasn't mastered, it is considered 'pushing' the animal, which is a DC 25, meaning right now you have to roll an 18. The good part is, it's still a move-equivalent action in combat, which means you can do this and attack, cast most spells, or move in the same round (much more on how that all works later).
So that means that getting him to do those three things is DC 10 Handle Animal skill check. As you say, you have a 3 (ranks) + 4 (companion) = +7 bonus to handle, so under most circumstances, you can take 10 on your check rather than rolling and automatically succeed and give these commands as a free action (since you have link).
If you try to give the dog a command it hasn't mastered, it is considered 'pushing' the animal, which is a DC 25, meaning right now you have to roll an 18. The good part is, it's still a move-equivalent action in combat, which means you can do this and attack, cast most spells, or move in the same round (much more on how that all works later).
Got it. Sent you a new character sheet. Were you able to open the first? On the sheet for the dog, it says Hit Dice 1d8+2 (6hp). I rolled an eight, so she maxed out with 10.
WTF? I must have had too much grog last night, I have no idea what you just instructed us to do. You will have to help the virgin player along.....
** spoiler omitted **
Wow. I feel like a Chevelle full of teenagers just skidded across my front lawn. The way these tags work << looking at Rafa and Yod >> is you preface the text you want affected with the opening tag and follow with the closing tag.
Val you might practice a couple as well, unless your license-to-markup comes from a different instition than Chuck's.