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Right - intro' posted! Just in case anyone hasn't twigged, the 'ragged, filthy, etc., etc., slaves' are the player characters...
Once I give a final all-clear on your character feel free to start posting with your 'turn' at defending your worth to the crowd. Some may want to play along, some may prefer defiance, but (also in case anyone hasn't twigged) it's kinda' doubtful that any of you would survive sparking off at right this moment... If ya' wanna' have a character struggle, only to be beaten into line, then go right ahead - as long as it's descriptive (rather than actual rules-based combat) and you get whupped before inflicting any serious harm on your captors then go with it. After all, it's time for your dramatic character-defining entrance, so getting a little purple with the prose is fine.
A little extra background on recent experiences for the characters: you were all led here with hands bound (as described) and sacks over your heads. None of you know where exactly in Katapesh you are right now... although anyone with ranks in Knowledge [engineering]:
... the characters have also just received a large (palm-sized) brand in the crude shape of a spider on one of their shoulders - this happened on-stage only moments ago - after which the sack blindfolds were removed, and the characters beheld the scene. Technically you're all down 1 hp already 'cos of that... :) And yes, the brazier and branding iron was removed from the stage area before the 'un-sacking' ('cos we wouldn't want anyone getting any ideas now, would we...).
So yeah, all in all, your characters are having a bad day so far...
Don't worry, it can only get better from here... right... right? (Do I smell stew..?)
Just posting to let you know I'm here. About to go post over in the the actual PbP.
Dotting here as well.
I know my post was insolent and rather dumb, but hey it fits my character. I can role a intimidate if need be but he was trying to be matter of fact, not threatening.
I just looked at your character sheet. It looks like we are going to have an intimidating group with you and me.
saying hi. trying to bookmark to phone now. been having problems with my top sights today so had to reboot. so will be slow at first, because still cant upload to tops. no engineer but prof miner if this helps to see spoiler
I just looked at your character sheet. It looks like we are going to have an intimidating group with you and me.
Yeah, if I didn't have a negative charisma, I might really have a high intimidate. +14 verse any non humans isn't bad.
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Good to see you guys getting started!
I know people put (great) character descriptions on their sheets, but feel free to describe in the game thread what your characters look like at this moment - after all, it's the first time any of them will have seen each other (plus it does make it easier for people who want to read the thread to get a mental image of who they are and what's going on).
What the characters say is important, but you'll also want to get across their personas via how they stand or move (e.g. do they cringe or stand tall despite the circumstances), their reactions to what's going on around them (and to what other PCs say and do too), that sort of thing. For example, they've each just been branded with a hot iron - they may grit their teeth and try to ignore that, scream in pain, or curse that their flesh has been defiled... but they're not likely to ignore the fact it happened!
A simple rule of thumb I like is: if by your description of your character's appearance and mannerisms others could have a pretty fair chance of guessing their good and bad Ability Scores, and the sort of background Traits they took, then you're probably hitting the mark.
This is (literally!) each character's chance to take center stage for a few moments - embrace that!
I know my post was insolent and rather dumb, but hey it fits my character. I can role a intimidate if need be but he was trying to be matter of fact, not threatening.
Saul's an interesting beast stats-wise, with a low Charisma, but a massive Intimidation skill - which tends to imply that either he's just scary all the time, or he sort of just fades into the social background until he exerts himself to be intimidating (a 'don't poke the sleeping bear' situation). I'll be interested to see how you play it with him.
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no engineer but prof miner if this helps to see spoiler
Not the spolier as such, but his sheer dwarfiness does tell him that the 'citadel' is an impressive example of stonework - made by master masons and designed to stand the test of time. At the very least, he'll know full-well that no stinking gnoll-paw had a hand in its construction.
Saul's an interesting beast stats-wise, with a low Charisma, but a massive Intimidation skill - which tends to imply that either he's just scary all the time, or he sort of just fades into the social background until he exerts himself to be intimidating (a 'don't poke the sleeping bear' situation). I'll be interested to see how you play it with him.
He is awkward socially, not afraid to step in but stepping on and in things when he does step. He is a unique character as I usually play paladins.
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(Read the game thread to make sense of this bit...)
To help in your next posts:
If no-one makes any obvious rash moves, and everyone at least makes a show of working, then the gnolls will relax a bit, and start lounging around a short distance away as they keep an eye on the slaves. In any case they don't seem to mind the slaves talking 'gibberish' (i.e. any language which isn't gnoll) as long as they keep working.
Poor Lavender is in a bit more of a pickle, still bound and gagged, and with her own personal guard. However, even he soon gets bored if nothing seems to be happening and will wander off to observe some of the other guards playing knuckle bones (look to be fresh knuckle bones too...) giving Lavender the freedom to join the others (although the guards will notice if anyone moves to untie her).
There are several other slaves with the PCs: some unspecified (PCs left to join the game), some NPCs. I'll keep the exact numbers fluid until everyone who's gonna' join this little (chain-)gang has.
Hope that all makes sense?
Happy slaving all! :)
So, I want to post, but my character doesn't really know what he is supposed to be doing. Waiting on a translator to tell him what the gnolls said.
sence motive
knowledge(arcana)
is there tools to work with?
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No tools, no - just good ol' fashioned rubble-moving by hand, it... um... it builds character... yeah, that's it... :)
There is plenty of rubble and debris though, so bits of wood, random bones, etc., all littered about (in fact, it's part of what you're moving!). For those feeling frisky:
A DC 10 Perception check can find you something sturdy and managable enough to count as a 'club'.
A DC 20 Perception check can find a length of wood (maybe the broken shaft of an abandoned tool, or part of a collapsed roof structure) close enough to called a 'quarterstaff' in stats terms.
A DC 12 Craft check of an appropriate type (e.g. 'weapons' or 'leather' or some other sort of fabric-working) would be enough to rig up a crude 'sling' (with plenty of stones just lying about).
The gnolls on the other hand are armed with spears, battleaxes or scimitars, longbows, daggers, and are wearing leather armour (with heavy wooden shields to hand too). They're also well-rested, watered, and fed... Not saying don't try anything, just giving fair warning that it'll probably go better with a good (or at least co-ordinated) plan...
The head gnoll - Ugruk - seems to be the smartest by far and (judging by what you all witnessed in the main hall) you get the distinct impression that your guards would be a lot less organised if he were elsewhere.
The town itself seems fairly abandoned, with buildings in various states of disrepair. If one could get a good headstart it seems likely that hiding out somewhere would be a viable short-term option (not necessarily easy but certainly viable with some quick wits, a little luck, and a prevailing wind).
On the other hand, a DC 10 Perception check is all it takes to hear the occassional deranged inhuman scream echoing through the town from time to time. The gnolls just seem to ignore it...
Some great posts so far guys - keep up the good work!
Oh, and it's fine to have your characters talk among themselves right now - what I mean is, you don't have to wait for me to post before you post again, if you want to respond to someone else's post. Of course, if and when someone does decide to try something on, then sure, you'll need to wait for some adjudication (so no posting that you just killed all the guards and got the girl ;) ), but this is a good time for some back-and-forth to get to know each other, expound on backstories, make plans... all that juicy stuff.
Cheers all!
Keldar has been slave for while, so is cautius, seen rash etemps before fail.
Exactly how many guards are there? I know ugruk is there, but how many regular guards are there?
No tools, no - just good ol' fashioned rubble-moving by hand, it... um... it builds character... yeah, that's it... :)
Can I assume that there are rocks big enough to hit a gnoll over the head with?
You know, Catch Off-Guard.
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The half-dozen guards the dark-furred gnoll selects for the more 'useful' slaves seem a bit more organized as they form-up around their captives, spears at the ready in paws, and march them the opposite way out of the great chamber.
So six guards, plus Ugruk. The bit about Lavender's 'personal guard' may have thrown everyone a bit, but yes, he's one of the six.
Can I assume that there are rocks big enough to hit a gnoll over the head with?
Yes - feel free to assume there are big rocks! :)
As to the guards' actual positions - they're not completely static, moving about to find shade, check on the slaves' progress (usually at Ugruk's insistance), stretch their legs, etc.. However - generally they're about three or four paces from the group (a 'pace' being the ancient measurement of 'about 5 feet' in this case).
Thirst is a big issue for the slaves right now - since they're working in the mid-day desert sun and haven't been watered yet... the gnolls don't seem too concerened with their charges' health though...
Their are plenty of potential 'exits': the circular citadel (the 'battle market') is behind the group (if they're facing the palace their meant to be excavating), which is on the top of a hill. The rest of the village seems to follow a road spiralling down that hill, but there are gaps between the buildings, and it's not an entirely 'planned' design (so there's no uniform distribution of buildings). It looks like the road is the easy (and long) way down, but you could go over the edge of the hill if you were feeling athletic.
since we are clearing a mansion, can i assume that we can take the rubble around the to the side. thus will put us out of site of gaurds for a short time. if so would like to use create water to help us. if no container per se, than could i use cupped hands to conjure the water into?
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Profpotts. When you have a conversation in another language, it might be easier to digest if you put it all under one spoiler, then just describe the body language in another paragraph.
Hmmm... you mean duplicate the entire thing, with one spoiler for those who can understand the language, and another for those who can't? I guess I could try that: although technically it'll double the amount of text the 'bit' takes up, it'll cut it down 'visually' to just two spoiler tabs. I'm guessing this forum has a pretty high text-size limit per post, right (at least I haven't hit it yet), so that'd be do-able. My only concern would be the dryness of replacing text with 'they growl, yelp, and snarl in the gnoll language' a dozen times, but I guess it's pretty much the same effect as an 'in gnoll' spoiler tab denoting they're speaking. Thank goodness for cut-n-paste! :)
since we are clearing a mansion, can i assume that we can take the rubble around the to the side. thus will put us out of site of gaurds for a short time. if so would like to use create water to help us. if no container per se, than could i use cupped hands to conjure the water into?
Can you assume the guards let you wander out of sight...? um... no, absolutely not! You're not in an enclosed compound, you (or rather your characters ;) ) are in a mostly abandoned town with plenty of nooks, crannies, and other little hide-ee-holes knocking about the place. Pretty much the last thing they'd let you do is wander out of sight. (Well, okay, turning on them and slaughtering them all is pretty much the last thing they'd let you do, but wandering off is up there in the top ten!). On the other hand, with a little co-operation from your friends in the Kelmarane slave's union you could cast the orison whilst the guard's line-of-sight was blocked by someone else - although that will take a Bluff check from the 'blocker' whenever it's tried to avoid looking completely shifty...
By the by, feel free to post your comments & impressions on the game so far - not being face-to-face it's kinda' hard to judge what people like and dislike without some feedback!
likig it, love the gritty arabian nights theme.
Thanks!
By the way, is it me, or is the on-line dice roller a really harsh mistress? Looking at some of the rolls people have been getting, if I'd have been using it for the gnolls actions I reckon they'd of... I don't know... accidentally chewed off their own feet or something by now! ;)
I think that it is that they are truly random vs real dice which can be slightly flattened and elongated I'd link the video for "Dice Science" by Precision Dice but Youtube is not cooperating with me right now.
[metagaming]I'm not the most experienced player, but there is no way in hell we can fight a group of gnolls as 1st level PC's. Am I right?[/metagaming]
Having fun... its taking all of my characters wisdom (which isn't much) to not go berserk and start clubbing a gnoll. He can't wait to catch one of those gnolls in a dark alley.
Of course, I figure his temper will flair up with in a day or so and it will be him or the gnolls... I'm just hoping it will be the gnolls.
Well, by the looks of things, we have five Gnolls + a boss-type, so I would say that as a party of 1st level PCs without any equipment, and without spells, we would get butchered if we tried to take them :-/
Maybe if the boss went away, and a few other guards went with him, we would have a chance, but as things stand, we have none.
Well, temper has officially flared... and it got us no where... talk about and EPIC fail.
not over yet, let us see...
not over yet, let us see...
True, but the odds are not good... Four equipped, CR 1 monsters + an unknown quantity (the human) Vs. an APL 1 party without spells or equipment does not bode well :-/
Well, temper has officially flared... and it got us no where... talk about and EPIC fail.
Crap. I read this before the in game thread. I hope you guys don't take offense at Yousef's seeming desertion. He totally wants to wait and help you guys somehow.
Well, temper has officially flared... and it got us no where... talk about and EPIC fail.Crap. I read this before the in game thread. I hope you guys don't take offense at Yousef's seeming desertion. He totally wants to wait and help you guys somehow.
Well, after our little stunt, I see one of three outcomes: We kill the gnolls, and run; we run; or we wind up in the cooking pot!
This could be quite a short campaign :-P
No, I have faith we can win, I was saying Epic Fail about the Natural One on a surprise round. Play Yousef they way you want to... I am going to play my character... not metagame. Your character has no reason to join the fight yet... If I was playing a similar character I would do the same thing.
There should be 4 gnolls + the mistery man, unless he's gone with Ms. Leaf. All hope is not lost.
There should be 4 gnolls + the mistery man, unless he's gone with Ms. Leaf. All hope is not lost.
Oh, I am not abandoning hope; I just hope the gnolls roll as poorly as we do :-/
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[Holds up hands to ward-off player fury]
In my defence... you started it! :)
Gotta' love the spear... But that dice-roller is seriously nasty! The self-appointed 'non-combatant' is the only guy to land a (1pt) hit! Wow. Now I'm twice as glad I skipped the pugwampis...
Still, it's early days yet, I'm sure you'll all be fine... ahem... honest... ;)
[frantically looks at notes: maybe these are... um... one-legged gnolls with faulty weaponry... or that's a +5 vorpal piece of rubble the PC grabbed to fight with...]
Yeah, should have known better than to charge at something with a spear. Oh well.
[metagaming]I'm not the most experienced player, but there is no way in hell we can fight a group of gnolls as 1st level PC's. Am I right?[/metagaming]
Looks like your right, especially with the dicebot on the other team. Sorry we had to find out the hard way, would have been quite heroic if the dices were with us though....
one-legged gnolls with faulty weaponry...
Lets hope not... were going to need that weaponry if we survive...;P
looks like my first pbp is going to be short. should have thought of that readied spear. what i get for changing tactics and not going with firebolt at distance. if druid,cleric,wizard, and sor all have a ranged touch than wouldnt have been too bad.
Noone has a per day ability so this was our only option. That or wait and hope for better treatment so we could memorize spells and refresh our per day abilitys.
But hei! Your not dead yet, you might make a save yet :)
Yeah, you never know, maybe mysterious guy has a potion of dues ex...er I mean cure light wounds...
In the worst case someone could probably stabilize you!
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Just waiting on Saul and Rashid's actions... but it's a weekend, and traditionally (and understandibly) post-rate does slow down.
While I'm at it though, a bit of crunch: you can't use Bluff to conceal spellcasting any more than you could use Bluff to conceal hitting a guy round the head with a piece of wood.
While it may seem pretty innocent now, allowing that is one of those classic 'genie out of the bottle' calls DMs (and often players) live to regret. Not only would it reduce the relative utility of Still and Silent Spell Metamagic, it'd turn spellcasters (especially Sorcerers who get access to high damage spells, usually have a high Charisma, and get Bluff as a class skill) into the world's most deadly assassins. Picture your characters taking a strole through a crowded Katapeshi bazaar... only to be besiged with spell after spell with little to no chance of being able to spot who's casting them! You'd at least want a guy using tactics like that to be blowing higher level spell slots to do it, right?
Besides, as per the core book (page 213): 'Verbal (component)... to speak in a strong voice...', 'Somatic (component)... measured and precise movement of the hand...' - not the sort of thing you can conceal. Looking at Mage Hand as an example, not only does it have these two components, but it requires pointed directly at the thing you're moving as well!
So, while I admire the 'thinking outside of the box' on the attempt, I'm gonna' have to say no, sorry. You can still try to trip the guy though (I'll assume Bahram tries to wedge the stick between some rubble across the gnoll's path just it approaches him - 'cos 5 lbs of force ain't gonna' do much to trip a full-grown gnoll by itself).
Anyhow... hope that all makes sense?
*looks brow beaten*
yup. worth a shot...
That is why a lot of my actions get the "if I can cast unnoticed" tag along with another option. I figure the Dm has a better understanding of the action, so if there was an opportunity he would of had me take it.
so...
july 4th keeping you guys from the messageboards?
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Sorry for the typos in my last game post... I read somewhere that editing a post resets the dicebot rolls, is that correct ('cos I wouldn't want to rob Saul of that sweet 19!)? Anyway, hopefully it's all understandable.
july 4th keeping you guys from the messageboards?
Is that the 'good riddance day' holiday when we finally got rid of the damned colonials? ;)
Heh, didn't know you were waiting on a post from me.
Sorry.