The Darkest Day (Inactive)

Game Master JCServant

Any news on the new player recruitment front?

So, yeah...we're heading to a direction with this.

Basically, long story short, a lot of things recently changed. The good news is that I'm going to be able to kick this off fairly soon. However, I want to go another direction with this. In reviewing the module more closely, I'm not convinced it would be a good fit in PBP. So, I decided that I would like to run my Homebrew, "The Darkest Day," instead. I've wrote to the webmaster to see if this one can be changed, or if we need to start a new thread. I'll handle official recruitment after that.

Campaign name and url is now changed, as you can see. Recruitment starts soon :)

So far we have...

Tare-elf/rogue going into arcane trickster
Daneil-Looking to play a Dwarf paladin (stone lord)
Swashbucklersdc - (I'm thinking healer, LOL)
Bane88 - Human/Half-orc Barbarian/Rage Prophet, or Half-Elf Magus
Algar Lysandris-Human sorcerer.

At this point, feel free to discuss party mix and how you all feel about it. After that, let's work on backstories a bit to make sure we're all on the same page. I realize my campaign guide is brief, at best. I can help fill in blanks as questions come up.

One thing to keep in mind... To work well in this campaign, you generally need to be a character that values 'good' above all else (in other words, if you're lawful good, the good tends to outweigh the lawful aspect when there's conflict...as that may be an issue in this campaign. If you're going to be neutral, you need to be a neutral character who doesn't mind risking their life for the greater good (especially by 'greater good' it means 'we better stop this or everyone might die, including myself and those I care for').

Oh, and as a friendly reminder for those who might have missed it somewhere, please make sure you read the houesrules if you have not done so earlier (They are linked in the recruitment thread). Pay particular attention to the posting time requirement which are very important. Consistent failure to meet posting times, regardless of the reason, will be a problem.

Now, Discuss away!

hehe 1st up:

As a cross blooded human sorcerer Esther penycoat will have just one spell for the few earlier levels so don't expect much. Her major contribution will be in social skills / and animal companion.

After looking at the idea of good, do we think a paladin would be a good choice? I do not want my character to become a load stone to the rest of the group due to his beliefs. Also I was thinking he might be a follower of one of those 'eldar' gods that you spoke of in the background, aligning the the LG deity, of course. That would be a good reason why he is out in the Human lands and not back protecting his own people. What do you think?

If it helps my trickster is chaotic good and isnt really the scoundril type of rogue if that was a concern daniel

Not so much the party, but situations that we might find ourselves involved in. As I understand the GM, he should take the GOOD over LAW when push come to shove. I am not a fan of people playing lawful stupid paladins, and try and make a good balance between law and good (the letter of the law vs the intent). Just want to make sure I am not going to be a moral anchor around the neck of the group is all.

Healer it is! Cleric type, will work more on the character and post by tomorrow...

One thing about Pathfinder Paladins...they really soften them up a lot. No matter your calling as a Paladin, you are no longer forced (or even encouraged) to ask your friends to follow your code of honor. And no where does it say that you have to stop them when they do wrong, or force your creed upon them. For example, if you are a paladin that believes that people should not torture for information, and the party (or some party members) want to torture someone for information, you may say something against it...discourage them, etc. However, you are not required to actually stop them or threaten to leave.

According to the rules and letter of the Paladin law, you are only to abstain walking with evil characters. The rules and codes do not forbid you from traveling with others who disagree with your creed, even if some of the acts they commit are evil from time to time. (Torturing for information my or may not be an evil act, depending on the situation, but it rarely makes the party member evil).

Think of it this way... Paladins and Clerics in Golarion believe that they can inspire others to their way of thinking by living as good examples, rather than shoving their beliefs down other threats via threats (Such as threatening to report their friends if they break the law, threatening to leave if they continue, etc., etc). In fact, you know that if you simply leave an adventuring groups whom fall short of your deity's standards, then you leave them without an example that might cause them to change their mind down the road :)

lol, I remember having a similar discussion about paladins with you before JC

It's a very common misconception brought over from older editions...and I've actually had people argue this with me to the ground, even though the few pages written on it are actually very clear :) Just don't want people to put unnecessary restrictions on themselves.

I think ours was about paladins adhering to the code of the gods they follow. Isn't there some source that explains how paladins of specific deities might act or what they would or would not support action wise?

The "Faiths of Purity" book is an excellent resource. It has two pages that detail the typical oaths a Paladin might take. If you tell me what deity you're looking into, I can type those up here for yas. Regardless, you'll see that they are very cool, flavorful and in on way make you force your ethics on other players thereby 'ruining the party.' To the contrary, I find that clerics and paladins (or any 'faithful' character), when played well, can add a LOT of flavor to a party.

BTW...it's REALLY important that everyone has read the documents linked on the opening post of recruitment.

Ok then, I will go forward with my paladin. I will have his character sheet ready for you to check asap, and then make up his alias here on the boards.
Ok..I am actually done (I think). As I use herolab, I sill spoiler the export for you.

What deity does your Paladin follow? I can give you the typical oaths for that if I know which one.

Everyone...if you have not done so already, I'll ask you to please join dropbox with this link here. If you are already on dropbox, please email me the email addy associated with your dropbox account (your log in) so I can get you added onto the account.

Switching to a Halfling Oracle (Community Guardian) with Life Mystery, should be fun. Working on the character today...

This is my char stats, starting rogue as stating on her path into arcane trickster. I have a rough background in my head but I was hoping to see other backgrounds and see if there was any openings to sync them up at all? ^_^

Gonna go half orc barbarian, will work on character soon.

Ok... a few things.

First, if you don't have it already, please write down my email addy... jcservant at cyberlightcomics dot com

Next, if you have a dropbox account, please email me your email addy that's used in association with your dropbox account. If you do not, please sign up for a dropbox account using this link.

Regardless, email me above with the following information. Make sure you do it from an email address you check regularly.

Your full name
A little about your gaming history
What you're looking forward to most out of this campaign
What you like most about Pbp
What you like least about Pbp
Your characters name, gender, race, class.
Description of your character background. Or, if you need help, questions for me that will help fill in blanks.
All stats if you're ready with them

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On another note...
My skype handle is jcservant7 . Feel free to add me. I text a lot through skype, and I'm available some evenings and weekends for voice chat. If you email me for it, I'll send you my cell number.

As I mentioned before, posting times, and by extension, participation, are required. I can't stress this enough. This is a campaign for those who are willing and able to post often and keep things going.

Next, keep my contact info handy. If, during the course of the game, you are feeling cranky towards me about a ruling or something, the idea solution would be to message me in Skype, or email...and if that doesn't resolve it, be willing to discuss it via phone or skype voice. Arguments over email/texting rarely work out. Just sayin.' If you're the kind of person that can let something go without being angry about it on a move forward basis and stuff, that works as well. If you can't, then call. I'll talk anything out...I just won't spend all day emailing about it.

With all that being said, I'm looking forward to this. Since it's my own creation, running games in Forzega is on my favorite things to do. I do spruce it up with pre-written stuff from time to time, but most of this stuff is original, and I believe will 'run' well in a Pbp. I think it will be a lot of fun.

Info sent to your email addy, and I got and accepted your dropbox invite.

Thanks.

Everyone, in play by posts, it's important to read things slowly, and sometimes to read it twice. In my experience, a lot of mistakes are made when people rush through.

Please make sure you *email* the requested information above. Oh, and as a general rule, please email me purchases, questions, requested info, etc. I often don't see the private messages.

Well i am just about ready

Awesome. We might take the full next week to get everyone knocked out, or we may start earlier. We'll just have to see how fast we can collaborate information, answer questions, etc. It would be a good idea to stick to posting guidelines starting Monday, even if we have not started the game. Let's just bounce ideas back and forth here. If you got questions about Forzega, my houserules, etc., ask them here so everyone can benefit from their answer.

DM question:

-is there methods, actions that raise the DC of a spellcraft check in order to identify spell being cast?

such as casting in weird language ? different somatic gestures ? etc

-per your house rules sorcerer get bonus spell known bast on casting stat. How many do i get?

-are there still medium size dino about? if not would it be possible to re-skinned one into an animal that exist in your world (i would like a Spinosaurus for AC)?

Okay well I made the alias and sent all my stuff in as far as I know I am ready?

Angus, Spell Bluff will add +4 to the spellcraft identify dc if someone is trying to counterspell your spell.

i knew that feat tare but it only help when someone tries to counterspell.

Well all I can think of otherwise is one that Mystic Theurge's get for having both divine and arcane spellschools.

Ok, made up the alias for Jarkralzak, Stonelord Paladin.

DM question:

-is there methods, actions that raise the DC of a spellcraft check in order to identify spell being cast?

such as casting in weird language ? different somatic gestures ? etc

-per your house rules sorcerer get bonus spell known bast on casting stat. How many do i get?

-are there still medium size dino about? if not would it be possible to re-skinned one into an animal that exist in your world (i would like a Spinosaurus for AC)?

1) I would be OK saying that the before mentioned feat applies to spellcrafting what you are casting, period. Of course, the best way to stay uncover is to not cast in front of blackguard or high ranking members of the mage's guild. Magic is really its only language of weird sounds and syllables that transcend language, so of a feat or staying out of sight, I cannot think of too many ways around it.

2) Basically, look at the ability score table where it says "bonus spells per day." You get that many extra spells known except for your highest caster level. For example, a level 6 sorcerer with 24 CHA would have 2 extra level 1 and 2 spells known, but not level 3 since that would be his highest casting level.

3) Hmmm...I need to look at what you're building. I should have put it in the house rules, but I'm not a huge fan of summons and pets in Pbp because Pbp is already bulky and clunky enough without having to keep track of extra stuff. Keep in mind, the way I run combat, I have to track hero and enemy HP, AC, buffs, Debuffs and more. Pets and summons only add to that workload. I'll take a look at what you're trying to build along with what everyone else is doing and see if it's too much for me or not.

But, to answer your question, typically, for hunters/druids with pets in my normal games, I reserve the right to carefully review what pet they want to use. It's interesting you mention dinosaur...but one of my first local games, the druid had a somethingsaurus...and it was KILLER. I don't mind players being powerful, but he was handling bosses on his own while the party watched, LOL. I wrote Paizo, and they admitted that the somethingsaurus was too powerful for its CR has written and that I was probably in the right to want to nurf it, LOLz.

Well all I can think of otherwise is one that Mystic Theurge's get for having both divine and arcane spellschools.

The idea that someone could master both divine and arcane spellcasting is pretty much unheard of on Forzega. The wizard's guild prides itself on the idea that intelligence = moral righteousness (How many times have you heard someone say that if everyone was educated that there would be a lot less crime?) Conversely, the churches maintain that faith and loyalty to good deities encourages civic behavior and good moral values. Understand, this isn't just the stand of the leaders of these organizations, but also the viewpoint of most of their students/followers. It's part of the culture of the middle and upper class. The lower class on the other hand...well, let's just say they fear what they don't understand, which is quite a lot.

The mage's guild, a separate arm of the military, tolerates the church, the clerics, and the paladins of 'good' deities because ultimately, those members with power DO draw their powers from deities that clearly do withdraw their power when their members go outside those precepts.

However, they absolutely hunt down any diving gathering that worships a deity that could and is likely to stand against civilization, their authority, etc.

alright no no bonus 1st level spell until i hit 4th level got it.

don't overwork yourself i will take a big cat then: (i like panthers :) )

It's not the animal type that works me (though the dinos may be OPd), it's the animal in combat.

Another player I was talking to in Skype was thinking you had it to try and fool people more that your a druid. Keep in mind, that druids may arouse suspicion...form the campaign guide... ". Certainly, a few druids leave their groves for a variety of reasons. These are few and far between. Those who do usually do not spend much time in the cities where they might arouse the suspicion of the local guard or the Black Guard."

You see, the Mage's Guild tolerates (and occasinally works with) cleric types of modern deities because, for the most part, they recognize that those who walk with deities are ultimately controlled by them...or at least their power is. And generally, the good deities and the such don't have you questioning government authority, tearing down civilization, etc.

However, the Guild has always been wary of druids. After all, protectors of the forest could always turn on civilization in the name of the tress. Because civilization has not gotten that far in Frozega, there has not been any conflict. And, the Guild has its hands full with other matters, that they have not gone looking and hunting down druids who are elusive at best, hiding in the thousands of miles of forests.

But make no mistake, any known druid caught in a larger town, especially, is asking for trouble. Walking around with a large panther into, let's say Silverfall, will certainly get you questioned for a few days, at best.

In other words, the pet doesn't really cast aside suspicion, just raises other suspicions that, whlie not as bad as being a sorcerer, can result in unwanted attention.

To summarize, there are two concerns. First, Sorcerer + Cat...just understand that if kitty follows you in town, its possible to gain extra suspicion. If you cast in town (or under observation of the wrong people), you might get suspicion. None of the above is banned... and chances are you'll be find if you are really careful (though life is never gaurenteed)...but you do need to understand the challenges completely so you don't feel like you've been set up for any sort of failure or whatnot. The 2nd concern is a combat pet in Pbp. I'll need to evaluate how many and what kind of players we have... but pets and summoned creatures end up being nearly as difficult for me to track as extra players, so I generally discourage them. The longer it takes me to resolve combat, the higher that chance I may miss a combat posting. I'm not saying no...but I do need to evaluate. Again, my bad for not making that clear straight up in my houserules.

And this is why I said it might take a week. :) My campaign notes are not completely thorough...normally at the table, I talk a lot fleshing things out for players as they discuss concepts. So, I think you'll see a lot of that going on this week.

Whelp, I am ready to go and looking forward to it.

While I'm interested in the campaign setting and working with you JC as you seem dedicated and fair, I'm already in the middle of 4 PbP campaigns plus running my tabletop session once a week so respectively I'll bow out, thank you for consideration and I hope I have a chance to game with you in the future.

Hum
question since in your players guide you mention that there are many more other gods available (but that players have to create them)

i wonder if there would be one with the animal domain? (i could then masquerade as one of them)

now if the animal is that much of a problem i will remove it and find something else then

Well, we're losing Bane, Angus, so the idea of having a player with an animal companion becomes less of a concern. I still need to crunch some thoughts, but that idea is looking up. Right now, there are four players in dropbox...Adrianne, Steve, Dan and Gregoire. Is that all? Four players? Am I missing anyone?

I moved a .por copy of my character into dropbox. I had noticed that there were other people's characters there, so I added a copy of mine. Hope that was ok.

Yeah, I still need to work on those....let's racap what we have...

Dwarf Paladin
Human Sorcerer
Tare...Something...Rogue/Arcane Trickster
Toriel... Elf Rogue

Did I miss anyone? Is everyone OK/Happy with this party make up?

Angus...sorry I didn't answer your question earlier. I'm OK with an animal deity.

Halfling Community Guardian Oracle

another meat shield might be nice...lol

Dwarf Paladin
Human Sorcerer
Tare..Toriel... Elf Rogue
Halfling Guardian oracle...

Hmmm...look well rounded enough. Any other thoughts?

then angus could try and pass for a cleric of an animal deity since normal cleric would have the animal domain and in turn an animal companion.

and to make myself a bit less scary i will go with a small cat (panther AC. that could pass like a reallly big black cat) ? :)

do you want everyone to put their status in like angus has his? for tracking purposes?

Hmm...something I should add to the PBP houserules. It is handy for me at times...especially if its kept updated. A typical one looks like

Male Chelaxian-Human Ranger 4 | HP 44 | AC 18 FF 15 T13 | Saves +6/+8/+3 | Percep +10

Since we have characters established, let's discuss backgrounds today. Each of you post what you've worked on thus far, and we'll tweak as a group. :)