Discussion thread!
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PARTY QUESTIONS!
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Barbarian
Willam, what drives you to wander so far from your home at the Great Maze and how did you come to join this tribe of Minotaurs living in the Endless Marshes?
Thief
Stybar, being in charge of trap-making and defenses means you understand what the tribe was trying to defend. Besides the tribal treasures that were stolen by the adventurers, what valuable object did you manage to preserve from the sack of the tribal lands, and how?
Fighter
Ozmus, you explained that you were thrown out of your home when your shifter nature was revealed, so we know that shifters are treated the same as other monstrous races like orcs and goblins by "civilized" society. Tell us more about shifters and how they work in this world, and their relationship to other races.
Druid
Wek, from what you've said so far, it looks like the lizardfolk have entered into a sort of symbiotic relationship with the Minotaur people. Do the two races share very similar cultures or was there friction there when the two groups merged? Does the friction remain now that the tribe and the crops have been destroyed?
Immolator
Shattertooth, were you a religious leader in the tribe, or were your religious views on The Flame only tolerated and largely ignored by other Minotaurs? What was your status in the tribe, as a fire-bender? Were you revered for your connection to the fire, or looked down on for your physical weakness compared to the tribe's fighters?
I also want everyone to be looking at the Bonds on their character sheet for inspiration. You are not limited to just using the ones on your character sheet if your backstory gives you access to a different one that fits better.
From the SRD:
Bonds
Bonds are what make you a party of adventurers, not just a random assortment of people. They’re the feelings, thoughts, and shared history that tie you together. You will always have at least one bond, and you’ll often have more. Each bond is a simple statement that relates your character to another player character. Your class gives you a few to start with, you’ll replace your starting bonds and gain new ones through play.
Resolving Bonds
At the end of each session you may resolve one bond. Resolution of a bond depends on both you and the player of the character you share the bond with: you suggest that the bond has been resolved and, if they agree, it is. When you resolve a bond, you get to mark XP. A bond is resolved when it no longer describes how you relate to that person. That may be because circumstances have changed—Thelian used to have your back but after he abandoned you to the goblins, you’re not so sure. Or it could be because that’s no longer a question—you guided Wesley before and he owed you, but he paid that debt when he saved your life with a well-timed spell. Any time you look at a bond and think “that’s not a big factor in how we relate anymore” the bond is at a good place to resolve. If you have a blank bond left over from character creation you can assign a name to it or write a new bond in its place whenever you like. You don’t get an XP for doing so, but you do get more defined bonds to resolve in the future.
Writing New Bonds
You write a new bond whenever you resolve an old one. Your new bond may be with the same character, but it doesn’t have to be. When you write a new bond choose another character. Pick something relevant to the last session—maybe a place you traveled together or a treasure you discovered. Choose a thought or belief your character holds that ties the two together and an action, something you’re going to do about it. You’ll end up with something like this:
Mouse’s quick thinking saved me from the white dragon we faced. I owe her a boon.
Avon proved himself a coward in the dungeons of Xax’takar. He is a dangerous liability to the party and must be watched.
Valeria’s kindness to the Gnomes of the Vale has swayed my heart, I will prove to her I am not the callous fiend she thinks I am.
Xotoq won the Bone-and-Whispers Axe through trickery! It will be mine, I swear it.
These new bonds are just like the old ones—use them, resolve them, replace them.
I will answer as soon as I can, but I have an outing planned tonight, so they will probably get done sometime tomorrow.
well, they aren't really treated like the "savage" races, not generally. most of them just hide among the races whose faces they usually wear. but if you get outed... well, you look like a monster.
Shapeshifters don't form communities. there aren't enough of them, and if there were, they still probably wouldn't. natural loners and all that.
Also, most shapeshifters tend to think in two mindsets, and in one of them, most things are food. they tend to develop a sort of sociopathy, at least to the other races. they just... think of them as food mostly.
they can change at will, though the full moon, and a few things individual to shifters, force them to assume the animal form. they have heightened senses in both forms (as a spider, he has thermal vision, which allows him to target veins very easily, and see people in darkness. Theres have smell.
Most of us get restless in one shape.
DruidWek, from what you've said so far, it looks like the lizardfolk have entered into a sort of symbiotic relationship with the Minotaur people. Do the two races share very similar cultures or was there friction there when the two groups merged? Does the friction remain now that the tribe and the crops have been destroyed?
The adventurers smashed many eggs, killed warriors and older druids, and yes, the lizardfolk are upset at the minotaurs. They were supposed to defend the land. Previously it had been a fairly amicable relationship. Now, with both groups full of wounded and slaughtered, some fraying has occurred. The lizardfolk feel the minotaurs did not uphold their end of the bargain. Wek is trying to keep the peace. To be fair, the minotaurs were slain as well--the force of the adventurers was fairly overwhelming. It was as if they were....people without homes, brutally murdering everything in sight. That is blasphemous to lizardfolk, to be without a home.
Btw, I'm not sure how the minotaurs are visualizing their land--if it's desert, savannah, or whatnot, and I'll leave that up to the mino-players. Also, dunno if they have underground labyrinths, and if they have darkvision in this game. (do monsters often have darkvision in DW?)
In any case, if we have to pursue the adventurers overground in a burning desert, it will be hard for Wek, but hardships can be fun. If it's through an underground labyrinth, bonus for minotaurs. I don't think lizardfolk would have darkvision buuuut I would love it if they can essentially 'see' in murky or lightless water, similar to the way that crocodiles can use peripheral sense organs to do so. A niche but fun ability. If it's overland trekking, Wek will probably just turn into a vulture or tiger for periods of time, though.
They took the gold, they took the ancient scrolls and they took the enchanted weapons. Worst of all, they took that thing that our forefathers promised the Dark One to keep hidden.
Fortunately they overlooked the mask!
A long time ago in the Great Maze beneath the sands, there was a pit fighter like no other. His name was Arnold Blackhorns. Not only the strongest, but also the most entertaining fighter ever to pick up an axe in the great pit. For three decades he enthralled the audience with his catchy one-liners and creative killings. The gods of war were pleased.
When Arnold died, the skin of his face was turned into a mask of simple design. Resembling a standard theater mask with a smiling mouth painted on. Blessed by the gods of war, the mask has magical powers. When put on, the mask opens a link to the gods of war, and they will look down upon the wearer and expect to be entertained. If they are pleased the wearer's actions will be magnified, if not he will fail in the most humiliating way and are forever banned from wearing the mask again.
These could be my bonds.
Shattertooth has my back when things go wrong.
I do not trust Ozmus to be a true friend of the tribe.
Wek is interesting. I want to learn from him.
William knows incriminating details about me.
Shattertooth, were you a religious leader in the tribe, or were your religious views on The Flame only tolerated and largely ignored by other Minotaurs? What was your status in the tribe, as a fire-bender? Were you revered for your connection to the fire, or looked down on for your physical weakness compared to the tribe's fighters?
The Flames is a highly prominent and revered religion among minotaurs. Because of their location underground in a less than verdant area good wood for fires is hard to come by. Most commoners use the dung of the lizard herds gathered every evening for daily cook fires, but such is considered ritually unclean and therefore unacceptable for the priests of the Flame. In fact, all flame save for that produced from stones like coal or by their priests is considered unclean.
As one who can produce ritually clean fire, Shattertooth was on the fast track of temple seniority, though still mid-tier. He was mostly responsible for the lighting of sacrificial fires and forging of metal implements.Unlike in many religions, the priesthood was not supported by the general population by offerings or tithes or alms. Everything given went to the Flame. The priesthood earned its keep as high quality metal workers and blacksmiths. The high number of fire-makers in their ranks meant that they were sometimes the only ones who could get large amounts of metal forged quickly without hauling in impractical amounts of forge fuel.
This power was held in check by their relative physical weakness. They generally stood apart from tribal politics mostly based on brawn, and were not considered a threat to the establishment in spite of their economic influence.
I have completed by profile. You may find it under my alias. :)
Stybar Halfhorns has felt the hellish touch of fire, now they know my strength.
I will teach Ozmus the true meaning of sacrifice.
I cast something into the fire for ????? and still owe them their due.
Most commoners use the dung of the lizard herds gathered every evening for daily cook fires
yeah... Ozmus is really glad he doesn't need to cook his food.
also, poor Ozmus, what did the sociopathic mercenary with a human form do to earn all this mistrust?
His bonds
Shattertooth owes me their life, weather they admit it or not.
I fully intend to protect Wek
Stybar is Soft, but I will make them hard like me.
hey, for class, can I CW this? Specifically, I think for the character I'm making, Blade dancer, bounty hunter, and Wielder are the proposed specialties
. It was as if they were....people without homes, brutally murdering everything in sight.
I laughed at this. Pretty good description of our typical hero parties :)
Quote misattributed, though! ;)
The spirits of the marsh have warned me that a dark fate follows Shattertooth.
I have showed Ozmus a rite to control shapeshifting. I don't think he was paying attention, though.
I defended Stybar's actions in front of the tribal elders, but they have commanded me to reprimand him if he fails again.
The sunloving butchers took the last, mummified egg of Kada-Koya; it is jet black, almost void-like, set in a cradle of dark jewels. If one lays down with the egg to 'incubate' it, the unborn dead dragon inside will whisper secrets of dragon lore to aid them. Unless, of course, the incubator rolls poorly, and then they will hear only whispered nightmares of draconic death and doom.
Looking good, everyone! I'll be formulating the first gameplay post on Monday, taking inspiration from this thread. Things are starting to come together.
Each of you got a good long look at at least one of the adventuring party. The first five distinct players to reply to this post get to describe their race and fighting style. GO!
Phew, the website was down for what seemed like forever, right? Glad it's back up, soon we'll be getting started!
Wek, you mentioned that there are wounded survivors. They were very few - the adventurers were shooting to kill. Who were they, and what will they do while the party members are seeking revenge?
Hey! Sorry for the late post. Last weekend was hectic.
Willem loves power, destruction, and gold. He loves it all waaaaay too much. When he sees gold, something inside him starts to burn. He tries to resist it, but it's so shiny and beautiful that sometimes he can't help himself. Willem isn't a rich minotaur, so usually when he sees gold, it's not his.
A certain amount of bullying is acceptable in minotaur society, the big minotaurs are in charge of the smaller ones, with the biggest minotaur as king. So the first few times Willem went crazy over gold, it was overlooked. But Willem gets caught in a vicious cycle. He sees gold that doesn't belong to him, so he tries to use his size and strength to bully the gold out of the minotaur that has it. But if they fight back, which they usually do, he fights them, and he causes way too much destruction when he does. So it ends up costing the minotaur government too much to cover these gold-induced rages. Usually, all the gold he "wins" in these fights are confiscated by the government.
The last time he went into a frenzy, he ended up collapsing a whole tunnel so he was banished from the Great Maze. He naturally found his way to the Endless Marshes because he can't collapse any tunnels there.
Each of you got a good long look at at least one of the adventuring party. The first five distinct players to reply to this post get to describe their race and fighting style. GO!
Oh, I completely misread this.
First, the backstory:
Shattertooth is a puny minotaur. Children quickly out grow him and most adults tower over him. This is usually a problem for the afflicted minotaur, but Shattertooth was given something to make up for his downright scrawny physique: Fire. It burns within him and behind his eyes. The first real fight he got into as an Acolyte of the Flame ended with three bodies and a good sized feast. Usually your Flame is proportional to your size. Not for Shattertooth.
To further compensate, Shattertooth was gifted with a voice that belongs in someone twice his size, It booms out of him when he puts some effort into it and echoes easily through the chambers of the Maze.
To mark his entry into the priesthood of the Flame, he was required to craft a symbol of his station. He elected to craft a metal mask to hide his puny horns. Now, all that anyone would see of him was the Flame, and all any one would hear was the Voice.
When the raid came they hit the Temple hard and fast. One in particular was very hard to pin down. It seemed to evade just about anything that was thrown at it, then one of the high priests recognized the creature: a Salamander! The priests of the Flame immediately fractured. Salamanders were the chosen of the Flame and some of the mundane fire weapons the priesthood used were useless against it. Only the Benders could harm it, and the minotaurs had precious few of those. To make things worse, nearly half the priesthood refused to attack the thing outright!
Shattertooth was knocked out in the middle of the fight when one of the Holy Beast's companions snuck up behind him. He has no idea where the sneaky lizard went, but by the ruin of the temple he left behind Shattertooth is pretty sure he wasn't as holy as the priests assumed.
They had a mage... of course they had a mage. you never want to be the Ambushee with a mage, you'll always get your arse handed to you (though, that isn't to say being the Ambusher is easy).
this one likes lightening, served him well against a group of people fond of waving around meter and a half condictive rods. could take down 5 or 6 with a well placed bolt,a nd he was a master of it.
teleported to, never stayed still long. I spent the whole fight trying to pin him down, and barely scratched the f~@#er. we'll have to work with a different angle next time.
Between Stybar and Shattertooth, one could easily forgive Willam if he thought that this entire tribe of Minotaurs was made of scrawny weaklings! :) Just kidding.
Looks great so far!
Last bond: William has fought shoulder to shoulder with me, I respect his prowess, and will make him respect mine.
At first, the battle was going quiet well. The minotaurs hold their ground, trading blow for blow.
Then, out of nowhere, he emerged. No armor, no shield no magic. Just a sword, a red cloth and a ridiculous outfit.
A touch of panic went through the ranks of the minotaurs. They brought a f@%@ing Matador!
The minotaurs gathered themselves and charged the skinny human, horns first, but he was like a ghost. Stepping to the side just as they passed him, killing two grown warriors with the swing of his blade. This was not just some Matador. This was Legendary Manolete!
Shattertooth, your HP uses your constitution SCORE not MOD. I think your max HP is a little more than 5. :)
And I love that one of the Five was a matador.
So far we have:
A vicious Salamander wielding fire magic
A trickster Mage that teleports and shoots lightning bolts
An elusive Matador that is nearly impossible to strike in battle
and two Adventurers that have yet to be fully defined...
The great druids and hulking warriors had faced many adversaries before, but none as powerful as Kurtemos, the Templar of Purity. With his scourge-hammer, blazing light, he smashed through their front lines like a scythe through summer wheat. "Idolators and worshippers of false gods need to be destroyed," spake Kurtemos through his ornate helm, his deep voice carrying fearsome authority.
'Uek and Huul attempted to bring him down, but he smashed Huul's pelvis almost contemptuously and flung 'Uek into the marsh like tossing a pebble. As the druid lay there, unmoving, he could see the Templar, surrounded by what seemed like vicious angels and cherubs, storming through the main village, killing man, woman, and child alike. 'Uek lay there as if dead, then flickered into the shape of a water serpent, coiling about Kurtemos' legs, but the templar peeled him away once again and stomped him into the mud. Only a quick transformation into a giant flatworm saved the wily druid from total destruction. His vision grew hazy and blurred as the blazing holy light continued to destroy the huts of the Ksiih...
Awesome choice, 'Uek.
Bonds for Willam:
Stybar Halfhorns owes me their life, whether they admit it or not. This ties into his Willam knowing incriminating details about him. I'm going to message Stybar and we can come up with what that is together
I have sword to protect Wek. Wek stood up for Stybar when he didn't have to, and to Willam, who hasn't seen many honorable things in his life, such an action is astounding and remarkable. He'll protect a good person like Wek, even if Wek is a puny lizardfolk
I worry about the ability of Shattertooth to survive in the dungeon (or in the barren plains as the case may be). Shattertooth is a tiny minotaur, and everyone knows he hides behind his little mask. It is a weakness.
Ozmus is soft, but I will make him hard like me. Willam and Ozmus have fought side by side, and Willam knows Ozmus is a brave fighter, but he's weak compared to Willam. Ozmus has skin that is easy to cut and bones that are easy to crush, and he's very squashable when he's a spider. If he sticks with Willam though, Willam will make him strong and hard as a minotaur.
Oh, Willie, one of these days, you'll recognize the role skill and finesse play in fighting.
Greetings! I'm Arathoth, a.k.a that one orcish werefox with the robo-fox suit.
Anything to do, or should I just head straight to Gameplay, Plume?
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Uek: Love it! Goblins Comic is a work of art, and Kore the Paladin is a fantastic villain. In point of fact, Goblins Comic was actually a huge inspiration for this campaign, given that the entire comic is about a group of goblins banding together for revenge after their village is destroyed. Some small parallels there. :)
Willam: Great job on bonds. Care to describe the fifth member of the Five? Wek has suggested an alchemist or an artificer, or perhaps something entirely different; it's up to you!
Arathoth: The discussion thread so far has been used for two things: worldbuilding and Bonds.
First, worldbuilding. You're the first character in the party that uses technology of any sort. You were probably viewed as an oddity by the Minotaurs of Laogo for that reason, not to mention your feral fox form. Explain what role high-technology magitek like your suit plays in the world. You're also the party's first Orc, so that gives you creative liberty over that race to some extent.
Also just realized I didn't answer a question that was asked in the thread earlier, posed by Uek:
Minotaurs have weaker eyes compared to some other species; good enough to see by, but they rely more heavily on smell and sound than vision.
Darkvision isn't a thing in this world UNLESS you are a race that can detect heat at a distance. The only race that everyone knows has this form of "darkvision" are dark elves, though other, unknown races may possess this ability as well. It's very rare and powerful and is normally signified with eyes that are a deep red.
Lizardfolk can see in poor conditions underwater and are amphibious in general (can hold their breath a long time, swim as fast as they run, etc.) This is counterbalanced by the fact that they are far more vulnerable to the cold than other, mammalian races.
The fifth of the Five was short, so Willam thought he would be weak. But as Willam got closer, the creature became broader and broader, with hulking shoulders and legs like tree trunks. The massive dwarf was covered in scars, but not from blades or claws. They were burns.
Willam charged this dwarf with a group of minotaur and lizardfolk. The dwarf threw a large black rock into the center of them, a string of smoke rising from its short wick. With a deafening boom, the rock exploded, scattering all but those in front.
Willam was first to the dwarf, who carried no weapon. He charged with his horns out, but the dwarf, strong as a hundred minotaur, heavy as a mountain, stopped his charge with his bare hands, grabbed Willam by the head, and threw him into a tree. Stunned, Willam could only watch as the dwarf unstoppered a keg and poured a deep green liquid over the two remaining lizardfolk, dissolving them in seconds.
Willam was first to the dwarf, who carried no weapon. He charged with his horns out, but the dwarf, strong as a hundred minotaur, heavy as a mountain, stopped his charge with his bare hands, grabbed Willam by the head, and threw him into a tree. Stunned, Willam could only watch as the dwarf unstoppered a keg and poured a deep green liquid over the two remaining lizardfolk, dissolving them in seconds.
Horrifying. I love it!
Lovely. How's this?
These things are just better than soldiers and siege weapons, and they involve far, far less risk on your part. It's no wonder they're the choice tool of destruction if you can make them. In some cases, nobles with money to throw around will even get private servitors and golem bodyguards for security and busy work.
Arathoth's mech is unique though, in that it's designed to be manned. It's something the Sunlovers wouldn't dare to do, not only because nobody wants to go toward the fight, but because it's hard enough to prevent the commoners from gaining control of one of these things as it is. A version you could just climb into and wield as a weapon?
The last thing anyone needs is to give the insurgents toys.
I'll have to think a little on Orcs.
As for Bonds...hmmm. Well, here's a first draft. Tell me you have any objections, or suggestions.
"I let Ozmus pilot my old suit once. Never again."
I figured Ozmus would be the most likely to actually try the thing out, but anyone who's interested could slot in.
I just love the bond. You just know something went horribly wrong, and it's fun to imagine what might have happened.
"I still owe Shattertooth for my latest set of parts, and I'm not sure I can get him what he wanted now."
If you're happy with this - Shattertooth, what did I promise you before adventurers wrecked the place?
"William thinks he can outperform my suit, and it's absolutely hilarious."
Again, if you're happy with it. I'm sure William wouldn't be, but it could be a fun thing to play out.
"Stybar is my personal assistant!"
Note: Stybar is probably not my personal assistant.
Arathoth: "Stybar is my personal assistant!"
Ron Howard voiceover: He wasn't.
Damn, that’s the scariest alchemist ever!
Definitely looking forward to combat with this group of players we've collected. I have a feeling it will be very...cinematic.
Can i add the bond:
I will impress Arathoth and he will teach me the secrets of magitek.
Absolutely.
Huh. Maybe he really IS my personal assistant.
Hey GM, should we have as many bonds as there are players? I need to update me bonds if so (and it feels like a nice idea to me...)
If there's a bond that makes sense with another player then add it!
If I remember correctly, you're supposed to have a bond cap equal to the number of pre-written bonds that your playbook has on it to start...
Though they do a terrible job making that clear at all.
I don't know how you prefer to do things, Plume, but I believe that's the RAW. Just so long as Aid/Interfere bonuses don't stack to the heavens with everyone, because then nothing happens.
On the lines of RAW, there's an interesting quirk about Aid/Interfere if you look at the trigger, but it's not exactly a detail that is even worthwhile to most groups.
I'm not really that impressed by that rule, seems arbitrary.
Player discretion - if a relationship with another player merits a bond, write one down and use it; but don't make up weak-ass Bonds just to make your Aid rolls better. Use your judgement and don't be a munchkin.
Hey, i've kinda realized I'm spread a little too thin... and this is fairly early, so no-ones stories really rely on Ozmus... soI think I'm gonna flake.
sorry guys, this did look like fun, but... well, Calculus is calculus
It happens, thanks for trying to participate.
Sad to see you go. The leeches need at least one casualty, right?
Aw, sorry to hear you poof, Oz! And yes, red in tooth and claw they are. or tendril.
See you about, Ozzy.
Something occurred to me. What do you want us to do regarding any bonds with Ozmus?