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I'm recruiting PCs to fill roles for a story/campaign set in 1880s Jocassee Valley, South Carolina. As a player, you will fill the shoes of one of the main characters in the story. This is a low-magic, low-fantasy, mystery setting with alternative build rules.
Your Job: Give the character a first name and a build, draft a backstory, and enter the world of RP.
Cole - The local bartender from out of town. A hulk of a man, Cole is full of stories of his mighty exploits and adventures out West. There is no animal in the American plains that Cole hasn't claimed to kill with his bare hands.
Wilkens - A well-educated doctor from up North, Wilkens moved to Jocassee Valley to retire. He still practices, but mostly prefers to stay in his cabin and read.
Richardson - Of English descent, Richardson is said to be of royal blood in his distant ancestry. Yet his life now seems far from noble. Relegated to the small town of Devil's Fork, Richardson's paranoia and obsessive vigilantism have earned him the title of de facto sheriff.
Smith - Smith was in Devil's Fork before anyone else. Most assume he named it. Nobody is quite sure how old he is, but he seems to go on forever, still tending the church and graveyard with methodical bitterness and aged indignation.
Madman - Tended by Smith, the Madman has been locked in the church tower for almost a decade. No one knows his name or his story, just that one day a man from the city brought him and left him in the church, bound from head to toe and raving mad.
*Every class gets 3/4 BAB progression, d8 HD (1st full, 1/2+1 after), and 4+Int skill ranks. Starting gold, save progression, and class skills based on character chosen.
*Your choice of class provides class features, such as Fighter's armor/weapon training, bravery, and bonus feats, or a cleric's domain powers and channel energy, or a Rogue's trapfinding, evasion, etc, etc.
*There are no spells in this setting, regardless of class. If you want a spell-like feel, go with a magic class for the class features.
*Spellcraft will be used in place of UMD.
*The Human racial bonuses apply. You may select one trait. Starting character level is 3.
*No metal, wooden, or stone armor are available in this setting. Also, no two-handed melee weapons (with the exception of improvised weapons).
*Firearms are available in both early and advanced forms, at 5% list price for early and 10% for advanced. They may not be readily available for purchase after character creation, however. You may have to travel to a larger town for some firearms as well as other items.
*Custom items allowed in the campaign are as follows -
- Stiletto - 1gp, 1d3, 18-20/x2, 0.5lb, +4 to sleight of hand to conceal.
- Derringer - 75gp, 1d6, x4, 10ft, misfire 1, capacity 1, 1lb, +2 to sleight of hand to conceal.
- Remington Derringer - 150gp, 1d6, x4, 10ft, misfire 1-2, capacity 2, 2lb, +2 to sleight of hand to conceal.
- Morphine - 50gp; grants 1d8+1 temporary HP. Requires DC 10 Heal check (fail = half). DC 10 Fort save or become fatigued.
Cole - 50gp - Appraise, Bluff, Diplo, Intim, Climb, Handle Animal, Kno(local), Kno(nature), Profession. 2/0/0 saves.
Wilkens - 200gp - Heal, Kno(geography), Kno(history), Kno(local), Kno(religion), Linguistics, Profession, Sleight of Hand. 0/0/2 saves.
Richardson - 100gp - Acro, Climb, Disable Dev, Disguise, Esc Artist, Kno(arcana), kno(dungeoneering), kno(geography), kno(local), kno(nobility), Percep, Ride, Sense Motive, Stealth, Survival. 2/2/2 saves.
Smith - 25gp + firearm + 5 rounds ammunition - Bluff, Craft, Heal, Intimidate, kno(arcana), kno(engineering), kno(history), kno(local), kno(religion), Percep, Profession, Sense Motive, Survival. 2/0/2 saves.
Madman - 50gp - Appraise, Bluff, Diplo, Disable Dev, Disguise, Escape Artist, kno(arcana), kno(nature), kno(planes), Linguistics, Percep, Perform, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Stealth. 0/2/2 saves.
In 1880, there was basically nothing there. There was no town of "Devil's Fork". Some Native American tribes lived vaguely thereabout, but by sometime between 1880-1900 a German immigrant family by the name of Whitmire had moved in to build "Attakulla Lodge", named after a local historical Indian chief whose daughter, princess Jocassee ("Place of the Lost One"), was fabled to have drowned herself at news of her lover's death.
As far as general times, the 1880s were generally before automobiles (though some educated or cultured individuals might be aware of their existence). Firearms have been closed-cartridge for 40+ years, but flintlocks still exist. Medicine was pretty crappy, largely consisting of morphine and aspirin.
The town's buildings were made from the surrounding forest, yet somehow even for all the trees felled for construction the forest seems to be always pressing inward, choking the borders of Devil's Fork. It rains at least 6 months out of the year, mostly in the fall and spring, with some snow in the winter. There are no paved roads in or around the town, no telegraph lines, and not many ties to the outside world. As a result, most news comes from the newcomers in town, usually every spring, or from supply trips in the fall. The town seems stuck in the past, decades behind the rest of the world. As a result, flinklocks and crossbows are more common than modern firearms, though some hunters may have more advanced firearms as well as compound bows.
Everyone in town knows Cole, Wilken, Smith, the Madman, and Richardson, for obvious reasons. Though Cole is from the West, he's been serving drinks at the Crusty Cup long enough that he's considered a town insider. Wilken and Smith are household names, though Smith isn't known to be actually friendly to anyone. Richardson, in his late 20s, has only been in town for 3 years. Being a relative newcomer as well as self-appointed sheriff makes most view him with suspicion and distrust, and his constant paranoia is a well-known annoyance to most. However, he does keep a tidy town, and there hasn't been any significant crime almost since he arrived, for which he is respected. And finally, the Madman is the topic of many a late night tale over brews at the Crusty Cup.
Monsters and magic are generally discounted as mythical to most people of any education by this time. But of course, Devil's Fork is stuck in the past, and its population is not the most educated.
Other planes exist, as well as perhaps rare magic items and other supernatural abilities as described in the character creation possibilities. But magic deities or arcane masters are non-existent. For the most part, this is a world of hard reality, guns, knives, and wit.
Of course, I offer Cole Younger for consideration as the bartender role.
And I offer Peregrine Smith, the long-lived groundskeeper. (I apologize for being absent the past day and a half, will finally get to write up the background now)
No problem. I thought putting all the information in once place and making a more descriptive title would be an intelligent move.
Either of you notice any details I missed?
Two questions for my version of Smith, with the deal with "Asmodeus" and being trained in Kn(Arcana), would he be aware that the myths do hold some weight? What year will this begin in (Like to be able to give exact birthdays in my BG's when I can)
And I believe you got everything that I can recollect for all of the campaign info. Creation is all there, character descrips/starting stats, a great comparison between real and campaign Jocassee.
It does not appear as if anything was missed, and the additional info about the town is great!
@Padawan - The exact start date is August 20th, 1880. I'm not sure I understand your question about Kn(Arcana). What is it that you want to know if Smith would know? And what is your "deal with Asmodeus" specifically? I believe when we discussed that previously I was under the impression you were building for Madman.
Nope, I've been building for Smith the Shovel wielding groundskeeper.
And I had asked about having possibly made a deal with Asmodeus as an explanation of why he had lived for so long, which you said there wouldn't be any specific gods, but it could be some minor being masquerading as "Asmodeus" (Hence the quotation marks) So I was planning to have him fight in the war, and be mortally wounded but "miraculously" recover, the deal giving him a much extended lifespan (to reflect the age penalties being shifted), but once he died, there was no way to keep him out of the false god's clutches, which led to him doing anything he could to increase his survival chances (Endurance, Die Hard, etc.
For the Knowledge(Arcana), I'm wondering if smith would know that the townsfolk calling monsters "myths" was wrong, even if just a little bit. Sorry, I didn't quite explain that one very well XD
Ah, I see. That all sounds fine. If Smith has contacted another plane, he'd definitely be aware of at least that. Beyond that though, Kn(Arcana) would represent half-truths and mysterious lore about things that not even Smith can be sure exist. Think more of a mythology enthusiast than an actual expert on what is and isn't real.
Ok, can do! :)
Why do I keep getting an image of the opening for "SPAAAAACE GHOOOOOOST"?
This is a long one, sorry about the large read. Good thing we're waiting on a build or two still!
Peregrine and Sarah-Ann lived happily on the family ranch helping run it with his father and mother. In 1835 they had a son named Jacob. For a long time their life was uneventful until Peregrine's parents both died from natural causes in 1850. Peregrine was suddenly the oldest man in the house and had to take care of the groundskeeping with only the help of his son. They managed for a long time, until around 1858, but began to fall on hard times. He sent a letter his sister asking her to move back in with them if only for a short time to help with the work. He was surprised when even her husband, a simple banker, came too. It turned out the man had grown up on a ranch and actually did know something of hard work. The new team of two fathers and two sons were extremely successful, and Jasper enjoyed it so much he decided to give up his job as a banker, though Peregrine wasn't sure why, he thought it was awful work.
The success was short lived however, as two years later a massive war between the northern part of the country and the southern part of the country erupted. Every able bodied male was drafted from the small town in Virginia, including all four men from his family. At first they tried to fight it, but after seeing a man executed for not obeying his draft, they quickly changed their minds. The fathers kissed their wives and the sons kissed their sweethearts goodbye.
When they arrived they each received their uniform, which offered a very small amount of extra protection against the bullets that would be fired at them, and their own two guns. A musket and a At first, the four were stationed together at a fort, but a month after they arrived, Jasper was sent with the 72nd Confederate Regiment, Marcellus with the 54th, and Peregrine and Jacob were sent in a small platoon to meet up with the 68th. Along the ay their platoon was ambushed and two men were mortally wounded, Peregrine and Jacob were unscathed however. They fought in many battles, until one day Jacob took a bullet straight into his heart, Peregrine knew the doctors couldn't do anything for him, but it still added to his hatred for doctors being unable to save his family. Later that day while he was still grieving in the small amount of free time he had, a messenger delivered a letter to him from his sister that said jasper had been killed two days ago and asked him to find a way to protect Marcellus the same way he protects Jacob. It took him a while to cease sobbing again after that second blow.
Later that evening he went to his commanding officer and asked for the transfer to be with his nephew who had just lost his father. At first he was hesitant, but after seeing the fire of vengeance burning in Peregrine's eyes, he agreed. After all, what better weapon then two family members who lost someone dear at almost the same time? When asked how he would defend himself if ambushed in close-quarters, Peregrine looked around and found the perfect answer, as he picked up a shovel. Many of the men began to laugh, but backed down as they saw the look in his eyes. “I'll kill them with the same tool I used for the first forty-five years of my life.
He and Marcellus made an extremely deadly pair, but while tragedy had focused Peregrine into a sharp killer, Marcellus had become bitter and confrontational, until one day he mouthed off to the wrong Colonel. The Colonel pulled his officer's revolver and aimed at Marcellus. Peregrine hollered out, “NOOOOOOOOO!” before leaping in front of the gun, taking the bullet square in the chest and collapsing on the spot.
Peregrine Found himself standing in front of a shadowed figure in an area of what seemed to be fire and lava. The shadowed figure pointed at Peregrine and said, “You have been an astounding warrior in the name of vengeance and fury and have impressed me. I am here to offer you a deal. I am always looking for new warriors after they die, but it is hard to convince them. My offer is simple,” Peregrine wanted to talk but his vocal chords wouldn't seem to work for some reason. “I will restore your body to life, and even grant you an extended possible lifetime, but in return, the next time you die, you are mine for good.”
Peregrine thought about it for a few seconds, not wanting to waste time before getting back to Marcellus, “Deal.”
Peregrine woke up slightly behind the Colonel who was pointing the revolver at Marcellus. “I was saving this for a Union soldier, but you can have it instead.” And swung the shovel with all of his might, connecting with the Colonel's head, who crumpled to the ground. The company stood in total shock, and Peregrine didn't miss the opportunity, knowing he had just committed treason. He grabbed Marcellus's arm and said, “Run!”
They ran for weeks, sometimes avoiding troops, other times not having to worry about anything. By the time they reached their house back in Virginia, they found it burned to the ground. The local innkeeper came out and told them they had been trapped in the fire, and no one had lived. Both men fell to their knees and slowly came to look at each other and simply nodded. “You never saw us.” Marcellus said with an extremely serious gaze to the innkeeper, who simply nodded back.
The two ran and ran for many, many miles. Eventually finding their way to South Carolina and entering a large valley with a single Victorian era house, and a church with an empty graveyard. Peregrine began digging five graves in an almost circular pattern, but leaving two spaces for future graves, one in between Jacob and Jasper, and one of two in between Jasper and Hannah, and told Marcellus to find four rocks suitable for tombstones. They placed the stones in the center, so the family would be connected in death.In the first he put his pistol from the war, marking it as “Jacob, died a warrior's death.” In the second he placed a letter from his wife, marking the tombstone “Sarah-Ann, loving mother, aunt, and soul mate.” In the third he placed the letter from his sister, and let Marcellus engrave this one, which he wrote “Hannah, kind to all, a loving mother, wife,” He then looked up at Peregrine's tear streaked faced and conitnued, “and the best damn sister this side of the Mississippo.” In the last grave he asked if Marcellus had anything from his father, and Marcellus produced two letters and a pocket watch.. “Well that pocket watch is much to nice to throw into the dirt, but the letters will do fine ki... Marcellus.” Marcellus laid the letters into the grave and marked the stone as “Jasper, never abandoned his family, even in the worst of times.” The last grave was Jenine's, the second one in between her and Marcellus' parents. Marcellus looked up and said. “I know it's a beautiful pocket watch, but I stopped in the moment I found out she was dead... and we don't have anything else of hers. I think we should use it.” Peregrine agreed and they set the watch in the grave. On the tombstone they wrote, “Jenine, taken too soon from this world, and she will always be loved.”
“What'll you write for me when I die Uncle Perry?” Marcellus asked. The question made Peregrine laugh for the first time in years. “I don't think you'll have to worry about that young one, I've got twenty-five years on you. So I think it's you who better be thinking!” But secretly he knew that he needed to know what he'd write. They stayed in the church for a few months, talking, grieving, and playing random games. Peregrine taught Marcellus many of the things he picked up during his life time, and Marcellus kept him feeling young with different contests and games. “What should we call this place Uncle?” Marcellus asked. Peregrine thought for a second, thinking about the deal he made and how nearly their entire family was dead. “Devil's Fork” he said, and Marcellus agreed.
One day while out hunting, Peregrine heard Marcellus scream, but couldn't reach him in time. A bear was over Marcellus' lifeless body, and when it saw Peregrine, it growled a warning. Peregrine walked further, ready to accept his fate with no family left on the earth. He closed his eyes in acceptance, but saw the shrouded being and opened his eyes just in time to level his rifle and shoot the bear before it reached him. He brought back Marcellus' body and laid it in the grave between his parent's, along with his army equipment. He brought a stone back from out near the river, laid it in the now almost complete circle and began to write, “Marcellus, he was a second son to his uncle, and through his actions saved his uncle. May he find peace with our family.”
A week after the death, new traveler's began to come through the town bringing news of the South's defeat. Peregrine met it all with an upper lip of iron, and asked if they needed a place to stay. Throughout the years, the town built up and soon about 200-300 people were calling the place home for at least part of the year. The first traveler's were long since passed, and one mystery that still lives today is that once a year on the same day (the anniversary of Peregrine and Marcellus' arrival), flowers appear on the five graves of the family, and a single flower is placed on any child's grave. Peregrine has so far not seen reason to let the town know it is his family, and continues this work in seret as best he can.
Interesting story Padawan. Looks alright to me.
Haha, woops... Mississipo. I've invented a river it seems XD
Are we close to ultimate selection and gameplay, or do we still lack a submittal?
We're missing a Wilkens and a Richardson. I've also not seen Madman in this thread yet.
this may seem like a silly question, but you get class powers, yes? does that mean if you choose Sorcerer, you get the bloodline power(s)?
Yes, that's correct.
how are you doing stats? Are you using the low fantasy 10pt. build? I'm a bit confused.
Did I forget that?
I opted for a 15-point buy. I was reconsidering this (potentially dropping it lower), but people seem resistant to a low-fantasy game in the first place.
So just to be absolutely clear;
BAB, Saves and Skills are set by Character last name, not by class and the ONLY things we should derive from class are special abilities.
Dotting for interest.
Either for Richardson or the Madman. Will have something up by my day's end. I live in Australia, so I hope the time difference won't pose too much of an issue.
@cat - Saves and skills yes, BAB is hard set at a 3/4 progression for every character.
And yes, the only thing you derive from your class are the abilities (including weapon/armor proficiencies).
Also, I'm not sure if I mentioned it above or not (didn't see it just now), but early firearms are simple weapons and advanced firearms are martial.
So much for getting it all in one post...
Doc Wilkens reporting for duty. Let me know if the character description needs cleaning up.
Interesting take on Wilkens. Seems alright to me.
I am interested in the "Madman" position.
Here are the bare bones of Laffer.
I will use the fey-blooded sorcerer template, as the laughing touch and the woodland stride abilities seem to fit for someone who is "touched".
I am in the process of fleshing him out, now.
Thanks for your consideration.
Some notes on the Madman:
He will actually be of sound mind for the campaign, it's just that for now, he is not. You need not play up the actual madness, though you are certainly welcome to do so.
This is my submission for the Richardson role. All the information is presented on the profile page. Let me know if any changes need to be made.
Thank you for your consideration.
I'm considering the Madman as well, but as an Oracle, will have background and crunch sometime tomorrow.
As per my PM, I may look at a different trait. If I do go ahead with it, I will adjust my sheet accordingly. Thanks.
Everything's done except back story.
I made him more eccentric and slightly unhinged instead of the near psychopath I originally envisioned.
As you can see from his equipment list, he's something of a pack rat.
Thanks. I'll go over these entries tonight.
Other entries for any character feel free to submit.
Zachariah Thistle was always a curious boy. While his brothers romped in the great green field and played pirates in the endless rows wheat of the family farm, Zachariah sat in the barn and watched bugs. It wasn't that he didn't socialize, he was friendly enough, but his attention seemed to wander.
At school he was attentive, taking copious notes, but they didn't always follow. As always, his attention drifted away, and he would focus on the oddest of things. A curling piece of paint on the wall, a single leaf on the floor, the little clouds of chalk as the children banged them together. Because of this, he never made good marks, and for a time, his parents thought him a dullard.
His father was not easy on him despite this, as the farm still needed to be worked on, and he would accept no excuses. When he was eleven years old, he was tending the horses and as it always was, his mind wandered.
Curious about a newborn foal, he disregarded the protective mother and was kicked in the chest. The force of the blow cracked his ribs and sent him across the barn where he lay for several hours. It wasn't till sundown that his mother came looking for him, and by that time he was near dead.
Although he recovered, that fool move was the last straw, and his father would no longer suffer the child, as he now as infirm as well as "dumb".
He was sent away (at the pleading of his mother) to stay with his uncle, who ran a import/export shop in town.
Life with his uncle was much easier, although he was left to mostly care for himself, as the older man was a gambler and addicted to opium. Curious about that as well, Zachariah soon found a taste for the stuff as well, and at fifteen, became an addict. He took care of the shop for a year, as his uncle was drawn further and further into his own vices, the young man had finally found a passion.
In one of the cases was nautical equipment, and he found an old telescope. He spent years of his life looking up at the stars (when he wasn't running errands for his uncle or cleaning the shop), and with what little money he had, he bought the precious opium to enhance the experience of gazing out at the universe.
He was surprised then, when he felt a sharp twinge behind his eyes and heard a voice in his head telling him to kill his uncle.
He fought the idea for weeks, but as night fell it was all he could think of. Over and over in his head it echoed, "it's the only way you can be free"
Finally he gave in...he could stand it no more. If that is what the stars demanded, he would give it to them. On a clear night, he snuck into his uncles room, and with a straight razor, he split slashed at his face and cut his eyes until he was covered in red. He was by no means an expert, so there was quite a commotion, and he fled.
He was easily caught. But fortune favored him it seemed, for almost everyone in town had a beef with his uncle, either for unpaid gambling debts or inappropriate actions towards their wives and daughters and rather than kill him outright, they thought it best just to tie him up and forget about him. Zachariah was barely a man when he was throen in the church...much time has passed since then.
Zachariah Thistle aka "The Madman"
Classes/Levels Male Human Oracle/3
Human Oracle (Dark Tapestry) 3
N Medium Humanoid (human)
Age: 25, Height: 5'8", 165 lbs.
Init +1; Senses Perception +4
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Defense
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AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 armour, +2 Dex, +1 dodge bonus to AC)
hp 21 (3d8+1)
Fort +o Ref +4, Will +3 (+5vs illusion/phantasm)
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Offense
Club +3 (d6+1 bludgeoning)
Shard of glass +3 (d4+1 piercing)
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Speed 30 ft.
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Statistics
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Str 12 (+1), Dex 13 (+1), Con 9 (-1), Int 14 (+2), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 16 (+3)
Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 14
Feats: Stealthy, Skill Focus: Stealth, Extra Revelation
Trait: Lucid Dreamer
Appraise 0(+2), Bluff 1(+7), Diplomacy 1(+7), Disable Device 2(+6), Disguise 1(+7), Escape Artist 1(+7), Knowledge(Arcana) 1(+6), Knowledge(Nature) 1(+6), Knowledge(planes) 2(+8), Linguistics 1(+6), Perception 1(+4), Perform (strings)0(+3)(, Sleight of Hand 1(+5), Spellcraft 2(+7), Stealth 2(+11).
Languages Common, Latin
Revelations: Brain Drain, Cloak of Darkness, Many Forms
Curse: Tongues (Aklo)
Equipment: smashed chair (club), rope, shards of glass, 3 nails, 1 empty can, worn clothing
let me know if you'd like me to adjust anything.
Thanks!
@cat - You can use your starting gold on actual equipment. It is justified in-story. But thanks for trying to keep it thematic!
@Laffer - Looks good.
@Richardson - Looks good.
I'll try to pick some appropriate shwag then, :)
howsthis?
I'm thinking he may have scrounged a number of things from around the church, maybe some books as well, but I'm not sure what the value of those would be...
(It's shrodingerscat) here's my icon for the madman
Inventory looks good.
If you can enumerate the scrounged items you'd like to include and estimate cost, I'd provide feedback. But it just sounds like extra work to me, so whatever you want to do.
Do we have everyone we need?
We have 6 submissions for the 5 positions, by my count.
Richardson - Henry Richardson
Cole - Cole Younger
Wilkens - Doc Wilkens
Smith - Peregrine Smith
Madman - "Laffer", Zachariah Thistle
I'll leave recruitment open for now and start the campaign on Monday, if that works for everyone.
Thanks! That works for me! Looking forward to it.
Works for me. Looking forward to it, as well.
am excited, looking forward to this.
Sounds good to me. Thanks for running this.
Haven't heard from Smith in a while...
You out there Smith? If not, perhaps I could take the spare madman and ask him to rebuild into Smith.
Of course, if anyone new is hitting the thread, submissions are still open until Monday.
Did you send him a personal mail through his alias?
If he no-shows, I will be willing to play Smith instead.
I'm here, apologies, went on a last minute trip and my phone died. But I'm back with a charged phone for when I'm not able to use a computer ;)
Since I unfortunately have to choose one Madman or the other, Thistle gets the spot this time around. Apologies to Laffer, who had a solid submission.
First gameplay post is up. Feel free to get organized in the discussion thread before posting in gameplay.
Ah, well. Can't win 'em all.
Re-opening recruitment on this as it seems we lost Doctor Wilkens.
Several questions you might have were addressed after the first post. For any further questions, feel free to ask.
I'd be willing to step in as Doc Wilkens. I've read through the recruitment thread and half way through the gameplay. I could get up to speed tonight after work. Try my best to keep the characterization the same and the transition as seemless as possible. Also shrodingerscat playing the mad Mr. Thistle is my roommate irl.
Sounds alright to me. Should be easy to replicate the profile. But if you want to make changes or even recreate him entirely that's fine. All I ask is that you keep up a good character to maintain the story. So far I'm quite satisfied with it.