One would think that having ended the Urgathoan threat to the city, our heroes would be granted more time to rest. But alas, that is not the case. For Queen Ileosa herself has condemned Old Korvosa to a slow death, and is forcing the Korvosan Guard and Sable Company out in favour of a military force loyal to her alone--her Grey Maidens.
She must be removed from the throne, and the man who has the authority to unite the Peerage in doing so is trapped somewhere in Old Korvosa.
GM Who Must Be Feared & Obeyed (Or At Least Bribed With Cookies)
And here's the discussion thread!
It'll be a while before I start the gameplay thread up, so why don't you take some time, introduce yourselves, and perhaps work out how your characters know each other?
Halfling Alchemist 7/Swashbuckler 1 / HP 56 of 56 / F+6 R+13 W+2 / AC 21.17.15 (-1 AC vs. same size or smaller)/ Init. +3 / Perc +14
Hello all! Checking in.
@Dragoncat - if it's not too late, I was thinking of taking the chirurgeon archetype. I think it fits nicely, considering Lyla lives with a healer, and it will help the group in the next levels since we don't have a dedicated healer. Plus, I'm glad to swap out the poison abilities from the alchemist class; I don't picture Lyla specializing in poisons at all.
Let me know if that works for you, if not, that's ok too. ;)
Marissel checking in. I'm excited to be a part of this with y'all.
@Dragoncat: I probably should have asked this before, but I just want to make sure that it won't be a problem if I've played part of this before. We didn't get very far in, so I can't see it being a huge problem, but I'll leave that up to you . . .
How far we got:
We had just killed Lamm and found Zelara's(sp?) head when our GM quit on us.
Anyway, if that is a problem, I would be happy to let someone else take my spot.
Cool. Didn't think so, but some GM's might have a problem, so I thought I'd check.
Anyway. With a quick glance through others backgrounds I see a couple places that Marissel might know the others beforehand.
@Lyla: Marissel could have taken his brother to Althea for healing when he had overdosed on Shiver.
@Ortik: With a couple quick changes the shopkeeper could have been Marissel's employer/friend who your father figure had been framed for killing. Maybe you interviewed Marissel in your search for the truth? Maybe he helped you a little with your investigation? It would end up giving Marissel extra reason to hate Lamm.
Init +2; Perception +4 AC 15, t 12, ff 13 hp 12/25 (1d12+3) Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +3
Jakob slips in quietly.
Some of you may know him. He's a quiet young man, a laborer from Old Korvosa, who would have lived and died and been forgotten in the same few blocks he grew up in if his little sister Hannah hadn't been taken by the notorious Gaedren Lamm. The last few months, Jakob has been asking around, looking for her. Not the stuff of legends, exactly, but those that look for such things agree he'd be a good one to have on your side in a scrap.
Anyone who's spent time in the city has a chance to have seen Ortik, but unless they actually spare the extra effort to pay attention to the vagrants, they probably didn't pay him any mind.
@Marissel: I can't think of a good reason why our backstories couldn't be related, so consider it done!
Also, no worries about using player knowledge in this campaign - I know a few of the broad strokes (who the eventual Big Bad is, for example), but I have not read this campaign, so I don't know anything about what's going to happen.
Also, since it looks like I'm the healer, I'll be changing around my prepared spells to make sure we've got a few heals.
Init +2; Perception +4 AC 15, t 12, ff 13 hp 12/25 (1d12+3) Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +3
Looking at everyone's background, it seems likely that Jakob would have at least heard of almost everyone else (with the possible exception of Karri?) by virtue of the asking around that he's been doing. I can see him finding out about other people looking for Lamm and reaching out.
Halfling Alchemist 7/Swashbuckler 1 / HP 56 of 56 / F+6 R+13 W+2 / AC 21.17.15 (-1 AC vs. same size or smaller)/ Init. +3 / Perc +14
@Dragoncat - usually I choose the avatar picture first, based on an idea, so to some extent I kind of build the character around the picture. This said, that's pretty much Lyla there (only that's a night picture, so she's not really grey hehe): shoulder-lenght, staight dark hair, light skin, skinny and wearing goggles to protect the eyes from the fumes of her work. She's in her late teens, so not fully developed yet, and her face still has some girlish features. A little shorter than the average halfling.
@Marissel - I think that would work. Lyla helps Althea, so she could've met Marissel and tended to his brother for a few days while he recovered from the OD.
@Quiet Jakob and Karri - Lyla is always running errands for Althea, and she likes to keep herself well-informed about what goes on in the city and in the neighborhood. If Jakob has been spending time in the Shingles, it is very likely that Lyla has heard of his sister's disappearance, and maybe even hinted at the possibility of her having been taken by Lamm - though she wouldn't have revealed that she was a little Lamm a few years back. She is sorry about his loss, and about her situation, but has not done much besides feeling sorry - at least up till now. I think that same thing could apply to Karri - I mean, Lyla behaves pretty much as a local who "knows how things work", so it wouldn't be surprising if people pointed to her as source of information - as long as she can keep clear of Lamm's man, she is willing to speak to all these folks that seem to have lost their loved ones to the crime lords of Korvosa.
@Colt - If Colt is a street performer on the poor side of town, Lyla has probably seen him around, and knows him by sight, maybe.
@Ortik - I'd say Lyla has heard the stories about the death of Maxis Opertung and that the man known as Old Man Hartelby is said to have killed him. Too bad, Maxis had a nice selection of goods at fair prices... and who would've thought Old Man Hartelby had it in him? Well, these tragedies happen all the time around here...
Female Human Sorceror (Tattooed) 6 / Black Fire Adept 1 | HP 44 | AC 14 FF 12 T14 | Saves +6/+6/+8 | Init +6 (+10) | Percep +2
Sorry for the delay! I was unexpectedly restricted to phone internet only :)
@Ortik, Karri spent some time pretty low so there is a fair chance that we might know each other. Also, if he is known for investigating murders... Karri would be most interested in getting closer, regardless of the odor ;) Especially when he can offer sound advice for not dying of exposure!
@Lyla, Absolutely! Ties Karri into two other PCs, and with your local knowledge, would be a great guide :) "Oh, no, don't go to that tavern without someone guarding your back!" lol
Halfling Alchemist 7/Swashbuckler 1 / HP 56 of 56 / F+6 R+13 W+2 / AC 21.17.15 (-1 AC vs. same size or smaller)/ Init. +3 / Perc +14
I was checking the map of Varisia and I realized it makes more sense for Lyla to speak Orc (due to the proximity with the Hold of Belkzen, there are probably some half-orcs in the underworld of Korvosa, ain't that right?) than Goblin. NOW I'm good to go.
Oh and I have CLW as a spell and I'll learn the other Cures too so I can take some of the healing responsibility, so Lyla and Ortik can do other stuff.
GM Who Must Be Feared & Obeyed (Or At Least Bribed With Cookies)
Alright!
First order of business:
Combat & Initiative
Play-by-post games, by their very nature, are different from tabletop games: you're not constrained by a 5-6 hour time limit, and you can put your move up whenever you have a chance to.
By that same token, however, combat has an entirely different flow, especially when it comes to initiative. If you're too rigid on initiative, it'll have the same effect on game flow as a cup of sugar does on your gas mileage: kills it stone dead.
With some consultation, I've decided on the following in order to arrive at a happy medium:
-I'll add up the initiative modifiers for each PC and average them all together to get an average initiative modifier. That will then be used with a die roll to determine Party Initiative. Players will be allowed to post their actions at any point in their turn, and actions will be taken in the order they're posted in.
-I'll do the same for the enemy combatants the party will face. Whichever team gets the highest initiative will go first. I'll also post the vital stats (AC, HP & Saves) of the combatants in an end-of-round summary to speed up the flow of combat.
-For Casters: I would really appreciate it if you could post running tallies of your spell durations & spell slots used with your actions taken.
Treasure & XP
What I plan to do with treasure & loot gained is: post a list of what you find, then allow you to decide who gets what.
XP earned will be posted at appropriate resting points.
Posting Frequency
I'll likely be available whenever you need me to:
-a) Move the plot forward
-b) Need an NPC for character interactions
-c) Answer a question you have.
I plan to settle on a once per day posting rate for myself. For the rest of you, I can work with whatever posting rate works best for you.
Player Comfort Level
Here's the 2nd big one.
I'm comfortable with whatever level of gore/sex/violence the rest of you would be comfortable with. My question is:
What level of the above would the rest of you be comfortable with?
This level can & will be adjusted to suit player taste if objections are raised at any point.
GM Who Must Be Feared & Obeyed (Or At Least Bribed With Cookies)
Demitri Severin wrote:
So how does Party initiative affect my Tactics Domain ability?
With regards to that ability, I'll rule it as follows:
Whenever you and your allies roll for initiative, you can grant one ally within 30 feet the ability to add his initiative modifier to the final Party Initiative result. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Init +2; Perception +4 AC 15, t 12, ff 13 hp 12/25 (1d12+3) Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +3
1. Cool. Daily posting shouldn't be a problem. Except on vacations and such, but I'll have plenty of notice there and will simply hand myself off to whoever seems least likely to kill my character.
2. I'm OK with gore/sex/violence of any level, from Disney/G-rated to rip-out-my-eyes-that-have-seen-such-horrors. I expect we'll find a happy medium somewhere within that range.
Female Human Sorceror (Tattooed) 6 / Black Fire Adept 1 | HP 44 | AC 14 FF 12 T14 | Saves +6/+6/+8 | Init +6 (+10) | Percep +2
Gore: Keep it in theme. Horror movies=Good; Saw 1-? = Bad!
Violence: We are murder hobos. Just not purely for it's own sake :-)
Sex/Sexuality: One man's kink is another's vanilla. However, let's use the fade to black if needed. Homo, Hetero don't care. Just keep it classy... "Joe takes Jane in a passionate embrace. Jane returns the affection with an ardor verging on lust." *Fadeout*
Having only seen approximately half of the original Saw, I'm not sure how gory that one actually got. I thought it was a much more psychologically horrific story than most horror films, and was actually pleased that it went for the far more gratifying slow build of dread, rather than the incredibly cheap and easy jump scares.
Which is why I was a bit upset when subsequent Saw films seemed to decide that was too much work, and went classic slasher. Never saw 'em, had no interest to do so.
So, anyway, back to the question at hand - I've got no problems with any of the above, really. As long as we're not wallowing in violence and gore, I don't have an issue with it. Stephen King, not Clive Barker. No issues with sexuality either, but, well, given the constraints of the public forums, I think anything beyond the FtB is a really good way to get the posts removed!
Oh, and on an aside, I really like the idea of an Iomedaean inquisitor. "Sometimes, doing right gets in the way of doing the right thing. That's where I come in."
Init +2; Perception +4 AC 15, t 12, ff 13 hp 12/25 (1d12+3) Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +3
My backstory (such as it is) alludes to a Chelish girl - one of Gaedren's Lambs - being captured by the guard. If Demitri is looking for his daughter in a way that Jakob could have noticed or heard of as he searches for his own sister, he'd certainly seek Demitri out. Of course, I'm not saying it was the same Chelish girl - Lamm probably has quite a few.
Halfling Alchemist 7/Swashbuckler 1 / HP 56 of 56 / F+6 R+13 W+2 / AC 21.17.15 (-1 AC vs. same size or smaller)/ Init. +3 / Perc +14
Demetri is 29, so I assume he worked for the guard for nearly a decade before quitting, is that right? If so, Lyla might know him from her time in the streets dealing drugs and doing other work for Lamm. Maybe he patroled the area where she worked… in that case, what kind of guard was he? Bad cop or good cop?
Demitri was definitely a good cop once. Yea, he's been with the guard for most of his adult life. I like the idea of previously arresting a fellow PC like Lyla.
GM Who Must Be Feared & Obeyed (Or At Least Bribed With Cookies)
@Anyone who wishes to own property
Here's a listing of ownership & rent costs for various property types in Korvosa, courtesy of the Guide to Korvosa. This is a big one, so I'll split it into 2 posts.
Guide to Korvosa wrote:
Manor: These largest of all private dwellings belong only to nobles and relatives of the king. They typically rise to at least two stories and contain no fewer than five rooms (bedrooms and studies), two privies, a bath, a large kitchen and pantry, and a cellar. Most have large family or living rooms. Large, usually well-manicured yards surround these free-standing structures. Manors are never for rent.
House: One of the more uncommon types of dwellings, houses look like small manors, with one or two floors holding up to four rooms, a privy or two, a bath, a kitchen and pantry, and usually a cellar. Many have either a family room or a living room, but not both. Houses have their own yards, usually consisting of narrow strips of hardy plants. Houses are rarely rented out.
Townhouse: Most people in Korvosa live in townhouses. A townhouse is a narrow dwelling that abuts another building on at least one side. Most townhouses begin on the second floor of a building, rising above a shop or other business of some kind, which is also usually owned by the resident. Townhouses otherwise resemble small houses and always belong to those who live in them. This ownership usually extends to the ground-floor spaces meant for businesses.
Apartment Suite: Some buildings do not have ground-floor businesses and instead contain nothing but living spaces. The largest and nicest of these buildings contain apartment suites, one-story dwellings with one or two bedrooms and all the amenities of townhouses. An apartment suite never fills a floor on its own and usually opens onto a common hallway. Apartment suites can be purchased or rented.
Tenement Flat: Tenement flats lack their own privies, baths, and kitchens. Instead, they share communal rooms dedicated to these purposes. Two or three of them can squeeze into the space of a single apartment suite. Tenements are only available for rent and cannot be bought by their residents.
Studio: The smallest of all dwellings, a studio consists of a single open space, often with just enough room for a bed and one or two other pieces of small furniture. Studios share communal privies, baths, and kitchens. They are only available for rent and cannot be bought by their residents.
You know, people sometimes say that things are never so bad that they can’t get worse.
Those people, more often than not, are right.
It’s not enough that the king of Korvosa is on his deathbed. It’s not enough that his ‘beloved’ wife is poised to succeed him. Those aren’t things you’re in a position to change. Yet.
Still, there’s something you can do to start putting things back in order in Korvosa.
The crime lord Gaedren Lamm has finally gone too far. He kidnaps children to serve as his pickpockets, pushes drugs on innocent people, and generally will stop at nothing to ensure he gets ahead.
This time, he decided to torment you.
That was foolish of him.
Hello everyone! I’m looking for a team of 5 PCs who are willing to begin taking back their home city of Korvosa from the criminal elements so deeply entrenched in its streets.
RULES
Party Size: 5 PCs
Alignments: Any Non-Evil
Race: Any race from the Core Rulebook is guaranteed to get a fair examination. Other races from the Advanced Race Guide will require a good backstory. Human characters should specify what ethnicity (e.g. Varisian, Shoanti, Chelish, etc.) they are. If they’re Chelish, should specify whether they’re part of the nobility. If they’re Varisian, they should specify whether or not they’re Sczarni. Shoanti PCs should specify which Quah they hail from.
Class: Any except Ninja or Samurai. Archetypes are allowed.
HP: Max HP at 1st level, and you can opt to roll for HP on level up or take an average roll and add your CON bonus on level up.
Gold & Equipment: Average starting gold for your class. If you have access to the Guide to Korvosa, you may purchase property, assuming you can afford it.
EXP Track: Fast
Traits: 1 Campaign Trait for Curse of the Crimson Throne from the Player’s Guide, (conversions here) and 1 other trait. You may take an additional trait, but you must take a Drawback as well. See here for a good list of traits and here for a list of drawbacks to pick from.
Character Generation: 20 point buy.
Background: Make use of the Player's Guide & the Guide to Korvosa! Give your characters ties to Korvosa, be they friends, family, or even a really good tavern.
I'd recommend using this website for building your character sheets. Please provide me with a link to your sheet if you use the site.
Recruitment ends December 2nd, 12:00 PM Atlantic Standard Time.
Ianthé Jack. Half-Elf. Varisian. Sorcerer(Destined).
Traits: Missing Sibling, Fast-Talker
Feat: Harrowed.
(Will aim for the "Harrower" Prestige Class)
There had been many names that they knew themselves to be called. "Wanderer", "Thief", "Scoundrel", "Good-for-Nothing". They were used to it. Often accepted it, as a matter of course. One thing that could not be said was that they were disloyal. Woe betide anyone who made an enemy of the caravan, because word could spread fast and linger long. Family was important.
This one had gone missing seasons ago, her cousin. Just young enough to get himself into trouble, and not old enough to have learned better. The Family searched for him but found nothing, and when the time to leave arrived, they went reluctantly. Unable to leave without him, and knowing that she would want someone to do the same if she were in his position, she stayed. A few stayed with her, but over time, they followed the caravan as well.
So she made her living while she searched, earning all the names that she had heard spoken about her kind. It was not too hard a thing to do, after all-- It was how she had been taught. There was one name she did earn, that made her smile: "Lucky". Gambling tables groaned when she sauntered into the room, but they could not keep her out. In the time she had spent in the city, she had found something, but not enough to find her cousin. Quietly, in the evenings before bed, on those mornings when she sees the dawn over Korvosa's streets, she prays to The Lady in the Room that her latest name would ring true.
I have a human (Chelish ancestry) fighter I tried to get into this AP previously.
I would be interested in working with the same background and trying a Slayer, should you choose to allow the previously linked free download test classes.
Build will come later if you want to see more. Will be an Archery Fighter (grossly underused Archery option in my mind) unless you choose to clear the playtest classes.
Background:
Growing up in the Shingles really isn't that hard. Lots of people do it. Escaping the Shingles, on the other hand . . .. As Savinus got older, and learned to understand more about power structures and relationships, he started trying to find the right relationships to get himself, his parents, and his younger sister (Aeliana) into a "real home". He started with some simple bodyguard jobs before working his way up into a caravan guard position, which is where he started getting most of his real training and equipment. A month ago, Savinus returned to Korvosa to find his parents and sister had vanished. Asking around, he was told that some of Lamm's men had come to collect a debt his father owed. Nobody has seen any of them since.
More investigation suggested that Aeliana was now a "Little Lamm," and that his parents had been relieved of their burdens. Since then, he's been trying to get the Korvosan Guard to do their job and deal with Lamm as the monster he so obviously is. His frustration at their continued apparent lack of effort is matched only by his frustration at his inability to find (and deal with) Lamm himself.
Appearance:
A young man of unimposing stature, Savinus' pale skin, hair so dark that only the highlights show any signs of brown and dark eyes display a nearly pure Chelaxian bloodline. His worn gear, armor and weapons suggest that he's not a powerful member of the Chelaxian ruling class. The look in his eyes is not the typical calculation or brooding look expected of a Chelaxian, either, but one showing concern, or even compassion. The few lines on his young face reveal no inclination to smile.
I tried playing this AP once before; the game lasted less than a week, unfortunately. I wouldn't mind playing a Cleric, formerly a "little Lamm"; I'll write up a full background shortly.
This is based on my CotCT character from a game that the DM had to put on hold. I had to adjust the point buy down to 20 but otherwise his backstory and character setup in general is what I'd like to use. His background is as follows, his stat block is in his profile.
Background:
Jarrin Fayne grew up in one of the nomadic Varisian groups that all place see from time to time. His parents were performers and Jarrin soon became fascinated with the art of fortune-telling (or as is father put it, "Guessing the futures of people you never met before and never plan to see again.")
Jarrin quickly became very successful though his father took most of te profit from his act. Eventually Jarrin decided he had outgrown the travelling caravan shows and eloped with his sweetheart, Vissa, and made his own path. Word of his "powers" spread over time and eventually led him to settle down in the city of Korvosa, performing his craft for parties, nobles, and even honed his "psychic" abilities for local law enforcement from time to time.
Things were going well in the confidence games Fayne was playing. He soon had a nice home and was comfortably supporting his wife and newborn daughter, Eleeva. He was generally respected by the common folk but always had a suspicious eye cast upon him by those who had sharper minds than the simpletons that were easily deceived. The more the masses were amazed by his predictions the more cocky and overconfident he became. His readings were more like shows, using his psychic/fortune-telling "powers" to make bold, brash statements about anymore he desired, in particular the beacon of hope of the people, “Black Jack”, expecting that no backlash would come to him due to the popularity of the underground hero (or that what he said might actually prove to be true).
One day, Jarrin was asked to help with locating the famous criminal Gaedran Lamm. Jarrin agreed and put on quite the show, gallantly claiming that Lamm and his associates were living on borrowed time. Fayne assured the masses that justice would soon be at hand and prosperity would return to their fair city as a result, filling the building once more. Foolishly he boasted that this future had been shown to him time and time again. Since Jarrin felt his standing in society was enough to protect him he was naive enough to think that his words would never fall on the ears of these villains, so what was the harm? For all he knew Lamm had escaped and left the town for good.
Evidently harm found its way to Fayne. His home was looted and then burned to the ground with disregard to anyone that may have been inside. Jarrin was at a high-society function working his craft for the nobility that evening and had no idea of what had happened while he was away. Returning later that night, he found that not only his home was in ruins but also his life, as two small burnt corpses had been brought out of the rubble. Clearly his words had been heard and this was the vicious response.
Jerrin was devastated, he might be a con-man but he was as good as any home-loving man would be to his family. He was sure Gaedran Lamm did not approve of Jarrin’s forecast of the villain’s fate. Jarrin took to grieving over his wife and daughter full time, neglecting anything else for months. People in Korvosa felt his pain but they also knew that he had likely brought down this upon himself, perhaps even a message from the gods. Eventually Jerrin spent most of his nights in drink and self-pity, losing any faith he ever had in said gods, and his life spiraled downward fast.
Slowly over time Jarrin found that vengeance was growing stronger than the grief. That strength soon had Jarrin dedicate the rest of his life into finding a way, any way, to bring Gaedran Lamm to justice for all of his crimes, including the murder of his family, whether he had that proof or not. Jarrin had also grown to love this city, another reason that he had made up such stories was to give the people who looked up to him any hope that things would get better, no matter who was ruling the city.
But how Fayne would be able to locate a man that no one was able to pin down was still a mystery. Perhaps to track down the myth named Black Jack? Discover if there were any secrets within The Hellknights or the Korvosan Guard. Was evil truly even higher than that, for the young Queen Ileosa surely seems to crave the power of ruling the city.
Whatever that case might be somebody had to determine the truth and help rescue this once fine city from the burdens of its dire conditions. Surely a man with the talents of Jarrin Fayne could find himself to be valuable in times like these. But as this day drew up him, he had to wonder if his current investigation on trying to find Gaedran Lamm would ever bear fruit.
A soft-spoken urban barbarian from old Korvosa. (Sai Ling's submission)
Background:
"Any shiver?"
"Nah. Nobody has. You ain't heard one of Gaedren's Lambs got pinched?" the gaunt man said, speaking softly, gnawing on a bone he held delicately between two long fingers.
"Nope. Never heard that. Which one was it?" the other replied, watching the first, his eyes sunken and his shoulders shaking, though it was a warm night.
"New girl." Crunch crunch. "Forgot her name. Guard's all over now. Gonna be a couple of days til things quiet down."
"Days?" the shaker whined. "I can't make it that long."
"Can't help you. I can't sell what I haven't got."
The shaker stared at him for a minute, his hand slowly reaching behind his back, for the dagger tucked in his belt. The gaunt one dropped the bone on the street and licked his fingers.
"What did she look like?" a third man said, startling the first two. A big man, broad shouldered and tall, approached them, a massive hammer slung over his shoulder.
"What did who look like?"
"The girl that got pinched," the big man said. He was a local Varisian, a laborer from Old Korvosa by the look of him, but he had that big hammer. "You said you didn't know her name, but do you know what she looked like?"
"Maybe I do," the gaunt man said. "What of it?"
"I'm looking for a girl," the big man said. When the shaker giggled, the big man's face turned hard, but his voice stayed low. "Not like that. My sister disappeared. I've heard stories about this Gaedren you mentioned, and I've heard my sister had been seen with his 'lambs,' so I want to know what the girl you're talking about looked like."
"Easy there," the gaunt one said. "This one weren't no relation to you. She were Chelish, to look at her. I don't believe Gaedren's got any Varisian girls lately. You might ask about the harbor. You never know what a sailor might take on board when it comes time to weigh anchor." He snickered, stepping past the big man.
"I've asked. She's been seen at the market, not the harbor."
"You got a name?" the shaker said, a cold grin spreading across his face. "You know, so's if I see her, I can say you was looking?"
"Jakob," the big man said. The two thieves were on either side of him now, and they went for their knives. They knew there was no way this Jakob could bring that huge hammer to bear before they cut him. They hadn't seen the curved sword at his waist though, and the shaker's belly was slit open before he noticed it. He dropped his knife, trying to hold his insides inside, and Jakob turned to the gaunt one.
"A Varisian girl," Jakob said, softly. "Brown hair, like mine. Blue eyes. Missing one of her front teeth. You said you might have seen her?"
"One of Gaedren's lambs," the gaunt man. "Just like you said. I wasn't going to try anything. That was all him. You know what shiver does to their minds."
"I know," Jakob said, sheathing the scimitar. "Where do I find Gaedren?"
The man shook his head. Now he was starting to shake a little. "Please. I can't. You don't know what he'll do to me if I tell. He'll...."
Jakob never found out what Gaedren would have done to the thief. He smashed a fist into the man's face, and left him sprawled across the body of the other one. He walked out of the alley, looked up at the stars and whispered. "I'll find you, Hannah. With Erastil's help, I will."
Crunchy Bits:
Quiet Jakob
Human Barbarian (Superstitious, Urban Barbarian) 1
NG Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +4
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 15 (1d12+3)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +3
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee Lucerne hammer +5 (1d12+6/x2) and
. . Scimitar +5 (1d6+4/18-20/x2)
Ranged Longbow +3 (1d8/x3)
Special Attacks rage (6 rounds/day)
--------------------
Statistics
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Str 18, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Iron Will, Power Attack -1/+2
Traits Indomitable Faith, Missing Child (Sibling)
Skills Acrobatics +5, Climb +3, Diplomacy +4, Escape Artist +1, Fly +1, Intimidate +4, Perception +4, Ride +1, Sense Motive +4, Stealth +1, Swim +3
Languages Common
SQ controlled rage, controlled rage: constitution, controlled rage: dexterity, crowd control
Other Gear Studded leather armor, Longbow, Lucerne hammer, Scimitar, 20 GP
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Special Abilities
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Controlled Rage (Ex) May gain lesser bonus split as desired, but without normal drawbacks.
Crowd Control (Ex) If 2+ foes adjacent, +1 to hit & AC. Unslowed by crowds & bonus to intimidate.
Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Rage (6 rounds/day) (Ex) +4 Str, +4 Con, +2 to Will saves, -2 to AC when enraged.
~SPECIAL ABILITIES
Adaptability (Ex) Half-elves receive Skill Focus as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Bloodline Arcana Whenever you cast a spell with a range of "personal," you gain a luck bonus equal to the spell's level on all your saving throws for 1 round.
Canter You grew up among thieves and scoundrels, and their unusual speech patterns and turns of phrase don't phase you in the slightest today as a result. Anyone who attempts to use Bluff to deliver a secret message to you gains a +5 bonus on his Bluff check. When you attempt to intercept a secret message using Sense Motive, you gain a +5 trait bonus on the attempt.
Cantrips You learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells. These spells are cast like any other spells, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.
Destined Bloodline Your family is destined for greatness in some way. Your birth could have been foretold in prophecy, or perhaps it occurred during an especially auspicious event, such as a solar eclipse. Regardless of its origin, you have a great future ahead of you.
Elf Blood (Ex) Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Elven Immunities (Ex) Half-elves are immune to magic sleep effects and get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
Keen Senses (Ex) Half-elves receive a +2 bonus on Perception skill checks.
Low-Light Vision (Ex) You can see 2x as far as humans in low illumination. Characters with low-light vision have eyes that are so sensitive to light that they can see twice as far as normal in dim light. Low-light vision is color vision. A spellcaster with low-light vision can read a scroll as long as even the tiniest candle flame is next to her as a source of light. Characters with low-light vision can see outdoors on a moonlit night as well as they can during the day.
Multitalented (Ex) Half-elves choose two favored classes at first level and gain +1 hit point or +1 skill point whenever they take a level in either one of those classes.
Skeptic Growing up, you were always around magical effects to the extent that you realized that much of it was smoke and mirrors. You gain a +2 trait bonus on all saving throws against illusions.
Touch of Destiny (Su) You can touch a creature as a standard action to give it a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and saving throws for 1 round. You can use this ability 7 times a day.
The old bartender looked over his spectacles at the bastard upstart. He continued to wipe a dirty stein with a grimy rag. “Where’s ‘who’, Jon?”
The young half elf was desperate. “You know who I’m talkin about, Eeny. She’s not at her Da’s and she ain’t here. And ye know what I really want to know.” Was she still working? Was she still OK? But more importantly, was she still off the Shiver?
The bartender put down his still dirty mug. Jon knew the answer even before the old human began to speak. “Sorry Lad, she stopped showing up to work nigh a fort night ago. I haven’t seen or heard a peep about her since.”
“A fort night?!” Jon shouted, slamming his fist on the bar, thusly killing the quiet conversation of the bars three patrons. The gnarled half-ork bouncer at the door shifted wordlessly, his attention on the half elf. “Why didn’t you call on me?”
“For what good, Jon? Huh?” Now it was Eeny who was getting angry. “Do ye not know who she’s getting her gear from? Do ye not know the man she’s runnin’ with?”
Jon knew the man. Knew his reputation. “I will find her and bring her back, Eeny.”
Eeny wanted to laugh in the flower eater’s face, but he knew that derision would only spur him on. The old bartender had once been of the adventuring sort. Once upon a time in a far off place he had fallen in love with an Elfish maiden, but, alas, it was not to be. Eeny Fletcher always had a soft spot in his heart for the half elf orphan. Bristled with pride as he watched Jon grow from a waifish boy to a man to a ranger with real promise.
“Look Jon, You know I hear things from times to times.” Eeny looked around to make sure no one was listening in. “If you really want to find Ellya you are going to have to find Gaedren Lamm,” he said from the side of his mouth. “I may know of a group of like-minded individuals.”
Jon listened intently.
Please let me know if there is anything else you'd like to see. Super stoked!
Unfortunately, as much a I'd like to see your character, I apparently don't have permission to see his sheet. Do you have your character sheet's permissions set to Private?
I'm drawing up a merchant cleric of Abadar. Thanks to the traits and drawbacks I don't even need to put a lot of effort into his background! It all fell into place as I picked them :)
Mind you, I just blurted this all out in a fit of creativity! I still need to 1) pick a second feat 2) pick his gear 3) fill in combat stats. Averys is a support character who can be the face, the knowledge-monkey, healer and divine caster. The one thing he cannot do is dishing out damage.
Averys' background:
Background
A notorious stickler for the rules, Averys Devero always makes sure he knows the rules of the game he is playing. He is the single child of a well-off merchant and his loving wife, but lost his parents before he turned six. The family’s possessions were handed over to his aunt Diana Devero, who refused to take care of her young nephew. The butler of the house, a halfling named James O’Lily, took pity on the boy and took him in. Unknowingly to him at the time, this meant that the boy now had a caretaker and so the aunt was relinquished of her duty to take care of him. So it happened that Averys grew up under the wings of his adoptive halfling parents.
His father would often take young Averys with him to the market and there, tell him all about the foodstuffs he bought. The man was a halfling, so a love of food came naturally to him, but he soon came to realize that he was not teaching Averys about food, but how to appraise goods and how to bargain. When the boy was old enough, James O’Lily brought Averys to the Bank of Abadar and applied for an internship. His family name was used on the application and that, and only that, resulted in him being approved. So the boy was enrolled in the rigorous education system of the church of Abadar.
Surely the events of his youth happened while he was still very young, but it filled him with a drive that was unmatched by most of his peers. Averys’ new parents never spoke to him of the riches his family once possessed and it wasn’t until his teenage years that he felt the need to rebel and go against the advice of his parents. He dug into his own history and uncovered more dirt than he could handle. Shutting the door to this terrible past, Avery instead focused on the future. He had a knack for making money and his father introduced him to a relatively untapped market – the spice trade, fueled by the many halfling sailors who frequented Korvosa. He was a friend of the halfling community and could name plenty of upstanding halfling citizens who would vouch for him. The result was that Averys could buy small packages of spices and then resell them in larger quantities. Through a system of pooling and then distributing, he turned small profits into larger profits. The tall man helped the small men and all benefited. It goes without saying that Averys ensured a sizable part of the profit went into his own pockets.
Now he had his starting capital and the know-how and drive to take the next step: turn an even bigger profit. But fate once again crossed his path and pushed him onto a different road. One day, he stumbled upon a locket of pure gold, inlaid with rubies. Inside this locket was a magically enhanced painting depicting a field of flowers and an ancient oak tree. In front of the tree stood a couple, each resting a shoulder on the shoulders of a boy. Old scars were ripped open and an anger he thought he had buried seeped through the walls of his carefully constructed world.
The tide of the past was rolling in and he couldn’t withstand it any longer.
The crunch.:
Averys De’Lily
Human (Chelish) Cloistered Cleric 1
STR 10
DEX 10
CON 14
INT 14
WIS 16
CHA 14
HD 1D8+CON = 10HP
BAB 0
SAVES F2/R0/W2 > F4/R0/W5
Feats
H Skill Focus Diplomacy
1
Skills
1 Diplomacy
2 Sense Motive
3 Appraise
4 Profession Merchant
I Knowledge Local
I Knowledge Religion
H Knowledge Geography
Traits & Drawbacks
T Love Lost (Orphaned: +2 profession merchant.)
T Helpful (Aid Another gives a +4 instead of a +2.) - (Through the Adopted trait.)
D Avarice (When treasure is divided, if you do not end up with at least 10% more treasure than any other individual companion does, you have a hard time being helpful to your allies. You become irritable, and can’t take the aid another action for the next week.)
Special
LANGUAGES
-Common, Chelish, Halfling, Varisian.
HUMAN
-Focused Study (Skill Focus @ 1, 8 and 16)
-Silver Tongued (+2 bonus on Diplomacy and Bluff. Shift three instead of two steps when using diplomacy.)
CLOISTERED CLERIC
-4 skill points instead of 2.
-Diminished Spellcasting: Only one domain and can cast one less spell per level.
-Breadth of Knowledge: Half level (minimum 1) to knowledge checks and can make them untrained.
-DOMAIN: Travel with the Trade subdomain.
-1 Floating Disk, 2 Locate Object, 3 Fly.
-+10 feet movement speed.
-Silver-Tongued haggler: Free action to get ½ level (minimum 1) to diplomacy, bluff and sense motive, 3+wis times a day.
-Channel Energy: 1D6 positive energy.
-Orisons: can cast prepared lvl0 spells without limitations.
-Aura: Lawful
-Spontaneous Casting: can spontaneously cast spells with ‘cure’ in the name.
Notes:
-Can cast Abadar’s Truthtelling (1) and Blessing of the Watch (1).
-Can prepare Word of Recall as a 5th level spell.
I'm working on a Human Cavalier (luring cavalier, musketeer). He's part of the Porphyria noble family, coming back to Korvosa after his family was ran out of town a couple generations back to reclaim his House's rightful place of prominence in Korvosa.
A CG Half-Orc Inquisitor of Sarenrae with the unhappy childhood(religious) background trait.
Background:
Grune's first memories are of the streets. Scavenging for food among the refuse heaps and living in a state of constant fear. In such a desperate situation, the offer of regular meals and a roof over his head in return for what was said would be “a little light work” had been too good a promise to pass up and that's how Grune ended up spending most of his childhood as one of Gaedren’s enslaved orphans.
Salvation had come in the form of a worn and battered holy symbol of Sarenrae that Grune had stumbled upon. Sarenrae was a well know deity among the city's less fortunate inhabitants and curious, and more than a little desperation, cause him to seek out a local temple. When Gaedren found out, his rage was enormous and beaten within an inch of his life and his limp body and broken holy symbol were tossed onto the trash heap, like so much other garbage.
Somehow Grune, survived and in a half conscious state made his way back to the temple where the clergy took him in. He never left.
Now a grown man, Grune serves the church as an inquisitor, helping to spread justice among the poorer quarters of the city. He has a soft spot for the street urchins that still infests the streets and often provides them with safe lodging for the night. He has also devoted his life to saving those poor unfortunate children like him, who are still in the clutches of Gaedren and over the years he has helped more than one escape. He hates that old man and would give much to see his filth swept from the streets.
Well, I have to say I'm quite surprised by how many applications I have after only about one day! At this point, I'm seriously considering allowing 6 PCs instead of 5 like I originally planned...
Time to get 'em organized:
Martial Classes Adoros Porphyria: Human (Chelish (Nobility)) Cavalier of the Cockatrice (Luring Cavalier, Musketeer): Drug Addict (Personal)
Jon Fletcher: Half-Elf Ranger (Urban Ranger): Drug Addict (Friend)
Quiet Jakob: Human Barbarian (Superstitious, Urban Barbarian): Missing Child (Sibling)
Arcane Classes Faey Vallidorn: Elf Alchemist (Grenadier): Drug Addict (Friend)
Lyla: Halfling Alchemist: Unhappy Childhood (Tortured)
Alessio Cooper: Human Witch: Framed (Dropout)
Ianthé Jack: Half-Elf (Varisian) Sorcerer (Destined Bloodline): Missing Child (Sibling)
Karri Chouk: Human (Chelish) Sorcerer (Tattooed Sorcerer): Love Lost (Orphaned)?
Divine Classes
Averys De'Lily: Human (Chelish) Cleric of Abadar (Cloistered Cleric): Love Lost (Orphaned)
Skill Classes Colt Warwick: Human Rogue (Acrobat): Missing Child (Sibling)
Jerran Fain: Human (Varisian) Bard (Detective): Love Lost (Widowed)
Demitri Severin: Human (Chelish) Inquisitor of Iomedae: Missing Child (Daughter)
Grune The Scarred: Half-Orc Inquisitor of Sarenrae: Unhappy Childhood (Religious)
@Chris Parker
I haven't put your character up on the list because I do not have access to his sheet. If you could create a profile for him (or at least a statblock for me to look at), I'll put him up.
@Colt Warwick
Which campaign trait are you using for your character? Resolved.
@Karri Chouk
I await your fully-formed backstory & campaign trait with bated breath.
P.S. Hi Vanya! :)
*facepalms* Not only did I set it private, I forgot to actually save the bleeding thing. Anyway, the idea was an Oracle of Flame with a quarterstaff. I'll get that sorted out in just a few minutes.
Edit: It's now public and finished. Now to get the background written up.
In essence both, though for the decision on the trait I'm going with friend. My thoughts are Faey and a friend got into shiver years back and while Faey didn't get strung out, and eventually quit, her friend didn't...so not only is Faey pissed at Lamm but she's pretty upset with herself for abandoning her pal.
Joseph Malson isn't sure how he become one of the Little Lamms; his earliest memories involve his being expected to earn his keep with all the other children. The thefts were fairly simple, really; no one notices a child wandering the streets, and a even for someone as young as he, he was fairly nimble. He even took some pride in successfully picking people's pockets, and seeing as it was all he had ever known, he didn't see anything wrong with it.
Temples have always been good places to pick pockets; lots of people making donations, paying attention to the priest during service and not to their belongings. Joseph preferred not to return to a given temple after a successful visit, but one time, when he was eleven years old, he entered a temple of Sarenrae, and his life changed forever. He'd only ever gone in to pick the pockets of a few inattentive worshippers, and maybe swipe some coin from the collection tray as it was passed around, but the priest's sermon made him think.
He could appreciate the morals being preached, and he liked the idea of people helping each other to improve, instead of the dog eat dog world he was used to. So he went back the next weeks, and the week after, and the week after that. He started taking far less pride in his pickpocketing, and prayed in the silence of his heart for the chance to leave this place and never return. And almost half a year later, his prayer was answered.
In the middle of one night, Lamm stormed into the room where Joseph slept and kicked him out of his blankets. Joseph scrambled to his feet, only to be kicked back down.
"So what's this then?" the man asked, holding up Joseph's Ankh. "Well? Don't tell me you've gone and got religion on us! You're coming with me."
That night was one of the worst of Joseph's life; he was beaten so badly that he was blinded in both eyes. When his sight had only barely recovered a week or two later, he was thrown out into the street; deprived of the food and shelter that had been the only good part of his life under Lamm's control. So he prayed. When he awoke the following morning, his belly sore from lack of food, he heard a woman's voice whisper in his ear, "I will protect you, Joseph Malson, if you will protect my followers. If you will aid those who need it, and bring my wrath to those who have earned it."
"But I can't even see; how can I do as you ask?" Joseph asked, too confused to wonder how this woman knew his name.
"Then open your eyes, and let my light show you the way," the woman whispered. Joseph opened his eyes, and gasped. He could see again. He couldn't see very far, certainly, but he could see the people walking past. Even the dark alleys hid nothing in the pre-dawn light.
"Go to my temple, Joseph Malson, and explain yourself to my priests," the woman whispered. "You know which temple I mean. Explain to them everything, and do as they tell you. You have escaped Lamm, as you asked for; it's time to prove yourself worthy of my gift to you."
I'll edit the formating tomorrow and decide on whether I want to go cloistered cleric or a normal cleric. Dumping a domain and a spell per level in return for skills and a bonus to knowledge is all good and fun, but I'm afraid my character as it is won't contribute much to combat situations :)
The core will remain the same: a merchant priest of Abadar who is in it for the money! .. and who will be a support character who boosts the performance of others.
