[RPG Superstar] Doom Comes to Dustpawn (Inactive)

Game Master Mike Kimmel

Man, this seems like it's going to be an awesome group of characters! How close are we to getting started?

Pretty close. I'll take a look at each of the characters in more detail soon. Please make sure everything is accurate (hp, skill ranks, prerequisites for prestige classes and feats are met, correct number of spells, etc.) so that we don't have to spend too much time making adjustments as we're getting started.

Roger, I put some updates on. If I don't have everything I need, I'll claim that's the sort of stuff my compatriots should have brought, or something we don't need underground!

I did leave a 2nd and a 4th level spell free, so we can grab a spell or two as we go.

A Brief History of the Dustpawn Twins

......Their father died when they were but 42, and mother followed ten years later. Thus orphaned, and long since identified as Dwarf Blooded Oreads, the two lads followed their parents abiding faith in Abadar, renamed themselves with more Oreadish names (including the earthlike sounding name of their birth town, which they had used informally for years), and signed on with some dwarf explorers......

Chagh adjusts his eye glasses down to the tip of his nose and gives Chug a stern look.

Chug you ALWAYS gloss over the details! You forgot the 3 years we spent scrounging around town before we met the dwarves, or even the reason we HAD to sign on with them.... Or maybe you were a little embarrassed. Well I can't blame you if that is the case. Anyway, My brother and I are staunch believers in laws and order. However as a youth I was a little more liberal in my interpretation of who the law applied to. My penchant for learning sometimes outweighed my better judgement. Unfortunately for Chug, he often was caught in hte wake of my youthful missteps. I got it in my head that I must read all of the books in town. So to facilitate that need I learned a few tricks from some shadier individuals and began to "visit" some of the local nobles' personal libraries at night. Of course we were eventually caught. The magistrate realized we really meant no harm however to pacify the nobles, he "exiled" us to "serve" the dwarves and their exploration team. We really should thank the man. He may be the shrewdest man I have encountered. With one act he quelled the ire of the nobles, put two misguided orphans on the path to a good life and earned the eternal gratitude of the dustpawn clan."

Crenn? Crenn? Mother used to speak of a kindly woman named Mavis Crenn who had three sons in Dustpawn. She kept up communications with Mavis until she died. Let me check here,...

"I can't believe you forgot Mavis! She was the one who gave Mother the recipe for the oat cakes you love so much! And also the blood sausage recipe. For Abadar's sake those recipes are some of the few items we have left from mother!

*Grawwwrrr!!!*

[Kumador's ready!]

Hmmm, yes brother, but we are not Paladins to need to divulge our entire history, including every misstep. While I am not ashamed of our lives, there are certainly chapters of which perhaps I am not quite proud.

I have oft wondered what a fantasy world would look like with such creatures as Oreads and Half Elves, when the progeny would have much longer lifespans than their parents. Indeed, the youth and adolescence of a longer lived child could easily be longer than their parents lifespans in instances, which is somewhat true of the Dustpawn twins. When writing their history, I looked at the age tables (which don't actually give an age for adulthood, but do give starting adventuring ages), to determine when we could/would have started. And then figured we needed years to make 9th (although in some campaigns it might seem like a matter of months). Backdating from the current year, got me a year or two away from when Molthune broke away, so I said "eh, what the heck, we'll use that." As the group was already Dwarf heavy, and Oreads and Dwarves go together like peas and carrots (there is even a Feat for it), I dove in completely. It looks like James didn't completely hate what I wrote up, so let's play ball!!!

"I trust you implicitly, brother!

I just wanted to add a little bit of flavor RE: the dynamic between the two of us. I am all on board with what you wrote. I was rally happy with the dwarven connection which makes a ton of sense with the build we chose.

Alright! I have finished posting Chagh and all of his stats and gear. I may have forgotten one or two things. If that is the case, let me know and I will go in and make appropriate adjustments. I think I might have forgotten to add his age so I will check that shortly.

There are a couple of questions I do have on gear choices and whether you will allow them or not. I was looking at Holy Symbol, Tattoo and instead of a tattoo, I made a Holy Symbol, Fleshgem seated in my left palm. I hope that is ok. If not let me know.

I also chose several mithril mundane items. Since we have been traveling with dwarves, I thought that would be appropriate. They don't add anything from a mechanics standpoint and are totally flavor, same thing with the fleshgem, although I wouldn't mind having the ability in the past, present or future of enchanting the fleshgem to be a greater holy symbol.

Mike, I will add a spell list for you this evening as well as the total gold spent on my items.

Changed your profile picture I see. You take ranks in disguise, because you're not that old, although you are that ugly. I like that you added our last name as well.

We ummm, we doing this?

I hope so.

Is this one better?

Yes, much!

Patience, dear victims. Patience.

(It takes a while to look through so many PCs.)

Patience, dear victims. Patience.

When the GM starts the smack talking even before the opening tavern scene, that's a bad sign right?

Nah, means he's full of bluster. We got this one. Piece a' cake.

Yeah, you'll be fine. I promise.

Yeah, you'll be fine. I promise.

You forgot to add the Heh, heh, heh. after the promise.

Did I ever tell you fellas about the time Chagh and I joined up with Crick Deadfall to clear some underwarrens of the deep gnomes that were encroaching on the locals?

Chug looks around for interest from his audience. Not seeing any, he takes a sip of beer, and continues on anyways, so there we were, three against a thousand.

Pause for effect

Toughest three we had ever faced! ...

Nice work there, Mr. Fancy Pants

(So you've seen that movie too?)

(So you've seen that movie too?)

I am unfamiliar with any movie that uses this particular gag, which in itself is odd, as I do a pretty good job of quoting movies. I am, however, aware of several variations on this theme relative to stories told by members of the military.

Q: What's the difference between a "fairy tale" and a "sea story?" (or a "war story")

A: Fairy tales start out "Once upon a time" and sea stories start out "Now this aint no $#!+." (for war stories it's "so there we were...")

Tex "Arcana" Johansson wrote:

(So you've seen that movie too?)

I am unfamiliar with any movie that uses this particular gag, which in itself is odd, as I do a pretty good job of quoting movies. I am, however, aware of several variations on this theme relative to stories told by members of the military.

Q: What's the difference between a "fairy tale" and a "sea story?" (or a "war story")

A: Fairy tales start out "Once upon a time" and sea stories start out "Now this aint no $#!+." (for war stories it's "so there we were...")

It's probably an old vaudeville bit, but I saw a long monologue version in the movie Fancy Pants with Lucille Ball and Bob Hope.

"And then a spear pierced me through the chest, but I kept hacking away at them."

"Didn't it hurt?"

"Only when I laughed."

Q: What's the difference between the United States Marine Corps and the Boy Scouts?

A: The Boy Scouts have adult supervision.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled drivel:

I notice that we're loaded with dwarves, and oread wanna be dwarves. Anyone not speak dwarf? Always nice to have a "battle language."

Tex speaks Dwarven as well.

You folks are silly.

Final check of PCs commencing soon, and then we'll be under way. Next stop: DOOM!

Next stop: DOOM!

Perhaps this is a nuance of the common tongue (Taldane, correct?), but I had assumed that when the module was named "Doom comes to Dustpawn" that it was particularly appropriate, since our adventuring group is called "Doom." However, I now suspect given that my brother and I are involved, that what is meant is actually "The Dustpawns come to Doom," and thus "Doom" is the name of a town. I get it. Silly Taldane tenses, and indefinite articles and such!

Hmm. I apparently never picked languages. But I get 10 of 'em, so I suppose I can fit dwarven in there.

Hmm. I apparently never picked languages. But I get 10 of 'em, so I suppose I can fit dwarven in there.

Pick Spanish! You can't go wrong with Spanish!

We should all learn D'Ziriak.

We should all learn D'Ziriak.

I would need to spend a whole skill point just to learn to pronounce the name of the language!

I updated Tex, because I remembered I could use a beneficial bandolier. Rejiggered his gear a bit (swapped out my arcane bond from a Ring of Protection +2 to Ring of Grit Mastery, replaced Dex Belt with Bandolier and Cracked Pale Green Prism Ioun Stone, dropped the Amulet of Natural Armor, and picked up Cracked Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone, plus traded in paper cartridges for regular ammo). Also swapped Rapid Reload for Improved Initiative, and traded a couple of spells.

I updated Tex, because I remembered I could use a beneficial bandolier. Rejiggered his gear a bit (swapped out my arcane bond from a Ring of Protection +2 to Ring of Grit Mastery, replaced Dex Belt with Bandolier and Cracked Pale Green Prism Ioun Stone, dropped the Amulet of Natural Armor, and picked up Cracked Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone, plus traded in paper cartridges for regular ammo). Also swapped Rapid Reload for Improved Initiative, and traded a couple of spells.

I made similarly superficial "updates" to Chug, and added 3 more levels, and a cloak of the dragon (which is similar to other shapechanging cloaks, but also gives breath weapons, and wingbuffet, wingbuffet, tailslap attacks).

Introductory gameplay post likely to arrive this weekend.

Excellent. :)

Looking forward to it. I'll add in Aurelian's languages at that point. Just working on some freelance stuff in the meantime. :)

The gameplay post cometh.... later today!

At long last, the gameplay thread is up! Let's do this.

YES! I'll fill in the few missing details on my char sheet shortly.