Strange Aeons

Game Master YoLlama

Welcome to the Strange Aeons Campaign! All out of character discussions go here!

The first order of business is for everyone to post the voice actor or actor that best fits their character, if they haven't yet. It's not obligatory but just for fun. Second order of business is to discuss whether we should use fear and/sanity rukes. Anyone have any insights on their usage. Please post any questions or comments here! I'm very much looking forward to playing with all of you!

As far as your memories go, other than your powers, abilities, skills, feats, and names you do not remember many concrete details about your past, especially The past few years. Stuff for their back in your backstory is much more likely to not interfere with anything in the game. I know the concept of having a patchwork backstory is antithetical to most real playing games and it's a shame as many of you had incredible ones, but now it's difficult for your character to remember them! :) You will slowly begin to know more throughout the campaign and I plan to incorporate anything that you have done already.

Minidot before I disappear for work!

Lara Croft from the newer games fits for audio. Otherwise the picture in my mythweavers profile works. :)

For Fear/Sanity rules - it can be rough. Just glancing over them, they're very much for more veteran players willing to give up more character control (or newer ones who just don't mind adding more mechanics). If we have any of the occult psychic spellcasters, those rules are -nasty- in relation to them, though. They really don't play well together, which is a real shame and poor design, in my opinion

Minidot before I disappear for work!

Lara Croft from the newer games fits for audio. Otherwise the picture in my mythweavers profile works. :)

For Fear/Sanity rules - it can be rough. Just glancing over them, they're very much for more veteran players willing to give up more character control (or newer ones who just don't mind adding more mechanics). If we have any of the occult psychic spellcasters, those rules are -nasty- in relation to them, though. They really don't play well together, which is a real shame and poor design, in my opinion

The emotional effect on characters with psychic abilities is definitely crippling, you were right. I don't want to leave any one in Macomb or at a specific disadvantage. Found the rules very interesting and somatic but I will wait to hear what everyone says. If we did choose to play with them, it would be a group decision and I would probably only advice picking one or the other.

Hmm, I think I'll stick with Travis Fimmel.

And I'll think I'll pass on the sanity rules (we're not all that there to begin with :3) unless everyone else wants to use them, they tend to be better for short games rather than whole APs.

I would love to use the Fear/Sanity rules. It fits thematically for the AP, and it adds an interesting dynamic. And of course, I already posted that the VA for my character would be Karen Gillian doing the Amy Pond accent.

EDIT: After reviewing them, I believe that no, I do not want to use either fear or sanity. That would be a bad idea, considering that many of us are psychic and depend on the emotion component to get our spells working.

XD

I don't know the name of my voice actor and it seems they kept her name hidden for some reason so does this work?

As far as the rules go I'm fine either way so it's up to the others.

EDIT: This work?

Uh, got a YouTube link or something? I try to click on those and the files don't agree with me :3

Regina reporting! o wo/

I genuinely don't know who might voice my character, but I'm happy to entertain suggestions. XD Let's see, a few things of note...

1) I added a link to the wiki with Ethermancy information to Regina's profile - it's under Homepage URL at the top left. You can check her class, the various manifestation lists, and the feats I'll probably be picking from there.

2) For all of the other players... hi. XD Regina here is built using a third-party class from Interjection Games, the Ethermancer. Functionally, she's a ranged blaster type of character who uses a regenerating pool of energy to fuel her abilities. She's not limited solely to damage - I can also entangle foes or scatter little spheres to make it harder for them to move, and next level I plan to take an option that will let me deal nonlethal damage in case we fight something we don't want to kill. I can also swap between different damage types, which ought to be handy. For utility, she can turn invisible - can't do anything except take five-foot steps, but hey, it might be useful if we need to sneak to a lever or something.

3) Since I was picked, I'm probably going to expand her personality soon. Just gotta wrap up a few things first.

Beatrix checking in! At work, so this will be quick. Absolutely ecstatic to get in, really I have no words.

And I am in such good company! Really excellent spread of characters here.

Edit: Also vote "no" on sanity rules. If I were the only psychisch caster, I honestly wouldn't mind shouldering that burden for some extra flavor, but as we are the sanity rules could easily nerf a third of the party. I think rolling with no healer is tempting fate enough.

I don't know the name of my voice actor and it seems they kept her name hidden for some reason so does this work?

** spoiler omitted **

As far as the rules go I'm fine either way so it's up to the others.

EDIT: This work?

Ah, just now saw the edit. And yep, it worked :3

Also, gameplay threads for dotting are good. XD

Guess nows as good time as any to talk about team comp?

future Quinn not set in stone but it's what I'm aiming for.

From what I can tell we've got:

2 melee dps
2 casters
1 melee tank?

And dauds got a harem

Guess nows as good time as any to talk about team comp?

future Quinn not set in stone but it's what I'm aiming for.

From what I can tell we've got:

2 melee dps
2 casters
1 melee tank?

And a Magus, so melee/caster.

And a Ectoplasmatist (I have no idea about them, up there with Magus I guess?)

Tank with smite and self-healing :3

And dauds got a harem

?

...

HOLY SHIT!

Also, gameplay threads for dotting are good. XD

I second this :3

Hey everyone, been at a job interview this morning so only just seen the thread. I'm delighted to be picked, Fifteen doesn't care one way or the other! :D

Concept inspiration is here. Voice actor wise I'm going to go for Summer Glau as Cameron in the Sarah Connor Chronicles. Those two make up the sources of my inspiration for the character so it seems appropriate.

Regarding the fear rules I worry they'll make the game more complex and slow things down more. I'm willing to play with them but I'm not sold. I was also hoping to play up Fifteen's lack of feeling as a character issue (not knowing to run away from Great Old One's etc) and the fear rules make that harder...

and Daud's got a harem...

Fifteen can swing any which way - if she knows/remembers what 'swinging' actually involves.

Also - I'll put it to the party since I'm in now. Someone (Daud?) suggested that my familiar (Sixteen) should be a sage, more in the Cortana line. Having thought about it I think it could be fun, particularly if Fifteen and everyone else have no idea how Sixteen knows any of it. What do people think? I'm not going to vote so there's 6 players and a GM to give their opinions. :) I'm good with either so don't let me sway you.

@GM - I've invested a point in craft cybertech with the intention of using it at least a bit in future, for cyber art as a minimum. Are you ok with me looking to build some serious cybernetic enhancements in or shall I keep it as mostly fluff?

Works out fine for you regardless, as they're 5 other beautiful ladies here for you ^w^

Don't know anything about Familiars, so it wasn't me, will investigate.

Hmm, looking over the Familiar Archetypes, Sage would give it all Knowledge Skills, but take away Alertness and halve its Natural Armor, which the EG Fighter might need as one of it's abilities is sharing Combat Feats with its Familiar.

If you weren't planning on using Sixteen for combat that much I'd say go for it though :3

Hmm, looking over the Familiar Archetypes, Sage would give it all Knowledge Skills, but take away Alertness and halve its Natural Armor, which the EG Fighter might need as one of it's abilities is sharing Combat Feats with its Familiar.

If you weren't planning on using Sixteen for combat that much I'd say go for it though :3

Sixteen will never be a force for attack in combat. 1d4-3 damage does not a strong combatant make. As a protector it will spend its time keeping Fifteen safe - which obviously helps with the DPS thing. Knowledge skills could be useful but that depends in part on how much knowledge we have spread around the party.

Oh yeah, we might want to list Knowledges off. Saturday has Knowledge Planes and Lore (Ustalav).

Were you wanting Sixteen to go Protector originally or another archetype? Or just vanilla Familiar?

Yay! Gameplay thread open!

Gameplay thread is up!

Excited to see everyone posting so adamantly! You guys are probably has hyped as I am about this game. A small concern regarding everyone's comfort level towards violence. Comfortable is everyone with descriptions of gore? Post an example of what's to come, if necessary just to gauge everyone's stance on the matter.

And after the nearly unanimous decision to keep the new sanity and funerals out of the game, I hardly agree. As much as I would love to add them, it's a hindrance to the party but we can probably neither afford nor enjoy.

And Saturday definitely has a "harem". :) I was looking for the most part for a large female group as I think it provides an interesting theme.

Regina

How about Lily Collins? She seems to fit somewhat the character art you have provided. :3

Fifteen

I am not opposed to you making upgrades. We can explore it more in depth later but I was also curious if you wouldn't mind if your character was comprised internally more of clockwork then straight super cyber technology. Just wanted to pass the ideayour way.

EDIT
Somehow I missed putting this in my post, I am definitely for the Cortana-Sage/style familiar. I've always been a fan of that style of A.I. I can still see that working with a clockwork theme as well, if you decide we go that route.

Excited to see everyone posting so adamantly! You guys are probably has hyped as I am about this game. A small concern regarding everyone's comfort level towards violence. Comfortable is everyone with descriptions of gore? Post an example of what's to come, if necessary just to gauge everyone's stance on the matter.

Um, violence doesn't faze me, neither does in-combat blood and gore. Kinda desensitized to it -_-

@DM: Works for me. ^^ Also, two questions. One, have you read Painlord's guide here on the forums? And two, do you plan to have a set advancement speed? (I suggest posting every 48 hours or so, myself. Larger groups - like this one - can really slow down and falter otherwise. *Speaking from experience*) As for blood and such... I'm fine with what works for the game, although I'd probably avoid intensely detailed descriptions. Basically, it should still be suitable for this forum, y'know? XD

@Quinn: Regina is ranged damage with a side of utility (she'll get better at this once she unlocks her Genesis line of powers, and before that, her Bestow line will give her buffs to affect others with). Notably, she can pump out different types of damage pretty easily - she's already got Bludgeoning, Piercing, Fire, and Cold, and I can pick up Acid, Elec, and Slashing relatively soon. XD The only thing I'll really have to worry about is Spell Resistance, but a later talent can help with that, and I feel like the damage on this team will be quite satisfactory regardless.

@Daud: Speaking of harems... Regina tends to want to follow people who make her feel safe, and Paladins can be good at that. XD So... definitely a contender for that part of her personality.

I will do my best!

Fifteen

I am not opposed to you making upgrades. We can explore it more in depth later but I was also curious if you wouldn't mind if your character was comprised internally more of clockwork then straight super cyber technology. Just wanted to pass the idea your way.

Clockwork is one way to go, although instinctively its not my favourite concept, some of the class features have nanites so I need some sort of bloodstream. I'm thinking something Terminator style - flesh and blood (possibly donated from some dead person earlier in the story?)

Basically I imagine Fifteen started out looking like Sonny from I Robot, very definitely a robot. This caused trouble in zenophobic Ustalav so at some point she was given a 'skin suit' (possibly from the Count as payment for services - an ex-girlfriend he hated but couldn't bear to give up completely?) so she's now a terminator style machine who looks like someone that none of us can remember... :D Nanites could be the magic used to graft the skin on automatically healing things?

As to exactly what is inside her I'm happy to leave it vague. Cyber art could easily be tattoos made from something slightly toxic so that there is a constant glow from the nanites/healing effect working against it. Enhancements could be something like forging sigils into the mechanical skeleton underneath the skin to improve it, or gradually building in more useful components (like metals with trace amounts of adamantium to explain a strength upgrade...) - the sigils might be the best way if we don't mind blurring the magic/technology boundary a bit, particularly if they use weird ingredients like powdered adamantium, mithril dust etc to explain the construction costs.

Department of Expectations Management: for those who were interested in intimate healing, Tortured Crusaders can only use Lay on Hands on themselves or to fry Undead.

Sorry.

EDIT: still get my spell list so I can still cast CLW and use wands.

DM Czernobog wrote:

Fifteen

I am not opposed to you making upgrades. We can explore it more in depth later but I was also curious if you wouldn't mind if your character was comprised internally more of clockwork then straight super cyber technology. Just wanted to pass the idea your way.

Clockwork is one way to go, although instinctively its not my favourite concept, some of the class features have nanites so I need some sort of bloodstream. I'm thinking something Terminator style - flesh and blood (possibly donated from some dead person earlier in the story?)

Basically I imagine Fifteen started out looking like Sonny from I Robot, very definitely a robot. This caused trouble in zenophobic Ustalav so at some point she was given a 'skin suit' (possibly from the Count as payment for services - an ex-girlfriend he hated but couldn't bear to give up completely?) so she's now a terminator style machine who looks like someone that none of us can remember... :D Nanites could be the magic used to graft the skin on automatically healing things?

As to exactly what is inside her I'm happy to leave it vague. Cyber art could easily be tattoos made from something slightly toxic so that there is a constant glow from the nanites/healing effect working against it. Enhancements could be something like forging sigils into the mechanical skeleton underneath the skin to improve it, or gradually building in more useful components (like metals with trace amounts of adamantium to explain a strength upgrade...) - the sigils might be the best way if we don't mind blurring the magic/technology boundary a bit, particularly if they use weird ingredients like powdered adamantium, mithril dust etc to explain the construction costs.

Oooo, or you got pumped full of whale oilweird Aberrant blood and you run on that?

I'm personally fine with violence. I actually got banned from running horror campaigns for my group because of my descriptions :P

Oooo, or you got pumped full of whale oilweird Aberrant blood and you run on that?

Interesting... blood from something that powerful could work, and lead to fun stuff if we ever met the creature that 'donated' the blood.

*nods*

Hmm, looking it over... we're definitely going to want to pick up some healing and condition curing as soon as we can. XD

As far as backstories go, I've literally written nothing. I figure it might be more fun to come up with that once we start remembering things better, so it'll be a surprise to me as much as anyone. I might use some random tables for it...

(Edit: And also, fair warning, I may get a bit dark when deciding how she got to the asylum. XD It seems appropriate for this game.)

*nods*

I got a few key bits but other than that, nada.

Curious, Android lingo for I WAS TALKING TO HIM.

:3

I've got a rather sizable headcanon for who she was, but also know a lot of it is kinda made obsolete by the requirements of the story. :)

I figure she'll very likely follow in her own footsteps, at least for a time.

Era is good at K(Arcana, Architecture and Engineering, Religion), C(Alchemy), Spellcraft, Disable Device, and Stealth. Everything else is 4 or less.

I definitely intend to have her take points in Craft (mechanical), for what it's worth. :)

Meanwhile, I have a Valet named Tally, who happens to take the form of a pastel-colored owl. Tally will eventually help me to craft things. Down the line, I may pick up an improved familiar, but I'm not 100% sold. (An inevitable seems appropriate thematically. :P)

One of the core themes of Era is understanding. The 'why' can often be more important than the 'what'. She's the type to dig into the situation to look for a more ideal, more permanent resolution than stabbing it. Her primary role within the party will be buff/debuff, with the ability to not be absolutely horrid at blasting (though never good.) She is bad at Abjuration and Necromancy.

The Horror Theme I was trying to evoke with her is the Scientist - there's always that one episode, where you find someone with a 'zoo' of sorts, where a person has collected the monsters and shoved them somewhere for study. This almost always ends badly... for just about everyone. But the Scientist always did so with the best of intentions. :)

Oh, trust me, Evocation isn't going to be a problem in our party. XD

Oh, and here's Saturday's appearance in case you didn't want to dig through the profile :3

Tall and gaunt while possessing sharp, almost feral features and piercing red eyes indicative of the Daud family and preternaturally grey hair Saturday still carries a softness and calm about him, even as he bears the weight of a person's hate a hundredfold. Dark circles accentuate his red eyes, as many thoughts weigh on his mind, or lack thereof, or perhaps he enjoys dreaming more than the waking world (can you blame him?).

Going about he wears layers of dark and dull colors reminiscent of his homeland, in no so part accentuated by his right arm being almost completely covered in tattooed black smoky flames, or is that supposed to be fur, all save for the tips of his fingers, tattooed red. He has a wild mane of unnaturally early graying hair, he keeps it long but he has shaved the sides, leaving him with a feral messy stripe. Beyond the morbid art on his arm he wears the lower jawbone of a bear like a necklace, and his family's signet ring depicting a slumbering wolf with one eye on his finger.

Ah! So much activity! Tuesday is my Saturday (weird work schedule, yeah?), so it's a good thing I didn't sleep in for once!

Let's try to cover a few things being discussed:

Healing: Spiritualists get the cure spell line. It's stepping a bit outside of Beatrix's flavor, but considering the situation I would be fine with swapping my Cause Fear for Cure Light Wounds. I won't ever be a particularly robust healer, but it's enough to potentially avert disaster here and there.

What an Ectoplasmatist does: I'm basically a Bad Touch Magus (i.e. my "bonus damage" comes from y'all coup de grace-ing the daylights out of enemies I paralyze). I also make a decent skirmisher, as Beatrix is quite buff and my ectoplasmic lash eventually has a natural 15' reach. Oh, and the lash is one of the better "progressively upgraded weapons as a class feature", meaning I can sink a good chunk of my WBL into other, more esoteric magical gear to increase our problem-solving versatility.

On gore: I'm pretty much fine as long as it isn't, like, grand guignol 24/7.

Voice Actor: My in-brain IMDB is not nearly as good with voice actors as it is with live-action performers, so I don't really have a good answer for this. Sorry! :-/

Did I miss anything?

?

>_>

<_<

*shrugs*

I also see the gameplay thread is going. Wow, you all were going ham this morning! O_O

I'm meeting someone for breakfast, but I'll have something in Gameplay in about two hours or so!

Have fun!

Quinn has knowledge engineering and Lore shadow plane that's about it and I'm fine with gore if the party is

@Everyone: Yay or nay on whether I should pick up cure spells?

@DM Czernobog: Do you have an objection to me swapping Beatrix's Cause Fear for Cure Light Wounds? If you'd rather I didn't since we've already started, I don't mind. I can always pick it up at level 2.

I'm sure everyone else would appreciate it (I don't get spells till 4th) :3, but it's whatever you rather use.

@Beatrix: Yay. This team is definitely going to need healing at some point. XD

Loving everything discussed here so far and the play thread is starting strong.

Beatrix the Lost

No problem with it at all! I applaud your foresight and sacrifice.

Healing is always nice but we can go without if we're careful I think so up to you

Okay, I swapped Cause Fear for CLW. +1 to Party Survival!

...Except it's in the hands of someone who, as far as she can remember, has never had a reason to trust another person her entire life, hahaha. So maybe more like +1/2 to Party Survival.

Incidentally, since we're discussing Beatrix's personality, I do intend to roleplay an alignment shift within the first couple modules of the AP. Not huge, just to either LN, CN, or NG depending on how her experiences shake out.

Sorry I'm slightly lost who is all in a group and who is lagging behind? I think Quinn is behind since I haven't been able to post Sorry classes and tabletop