Hello everyone! Please post here to verify your participation in the campaign. We'll be using this thread for out of character discussion going forward.
Reporting for duty, commander.
"'Ere I be, bandyin' words with yens."
It is my pleasure to be afforded the place.
It is fitting that those who have earned positions have received them.
Innocent, I'd be happy to chat with you about your retribution/redemption concept.
Thanks, Ulciscor. Hoar's a badass.
I think Dargrim and I are going to have a lot of fun, when I compare our alignments and notice his Headstrong drawback. :)
Fun times indeed. The dwarf espousing freedom and the Zhentilar expatriate—what could go wrong?
@DM Locke: Would you be open to allowing Dargrim to take this trait as a replacement trait?
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@ Dargrim: sure ... but what trait would it be replacing?
@ Everyone: we're still missing check-ins from three party members. I would like us to start considering how and why this group has assembled.
Important points which everyone should know:
- The Orcish tribes have awakened in the past several months, emerging from their dark holes in the Sword Mountains and waging war against the free folk of the north - and against each other. This has made land travel dangerous. Those few caravans that do risk the trip to and from Neverwinter are heavily guarded.
- Leilon is a mining town of less than 4000 people, mostly humans and dwarves. It has seen its meager resources stretched thin as refugees stream in from surrounding farming communities, fleeing the roving bands of Orcs.
- Leilon exists because of the rich mines to the east, which - even after decades of mining - are still rich in copper, nickel and silver. Every week a crew returns from the mines and another departs to take its place. The incoming mining crew is three days overdue, and many fear that they have been taken captive - or worse - by Orcs. A local ranger, Lyanna, departed two days ago to scout out the situation but has also not been heard from since.
-Leilon's forces are stretched thin. Normally numbering around 200 men, most departed two weeks ago, under the leadership of Mayor Filmyra, in order to support Neverwinter's offensive against the bulk of the Orcish forces at Old Owl Well, north and east of Leilon. Only a few soldiers remain on station in Leilon itself. There was a detachment at the mining camp as well, but they are also M.I.A.
- Malfell, Mayor Filmyra's deputy, has finally been pressured into taking action. Not wanting to place Leilon in any further danger by risking his own troops, Malfell has put out a call for volunteers willing to investigate the situation at the mining village and - if possible - to set the situation right and bring back the miners. For a reward, of course!
That's the set-up for the first adventure. How do you guys see your characters fitting into that?
Depending on some of the details of what Yossarin and I work out for Innocent and Ulciscor, it's probable that we'll be there for some variation on the theme of "Ulciscor was called to be there, and it seems a good opportunity for Innocent to engage in some penance."
We still have to hammer out those details, though.
I was thinking Zest for Battle. For some reason I had it in my head that there was a Bard in the lineup, but I was mistaken.
As to being in Leilon and the troubles with the mine, you'd have to physically restrain Dargrim to keep him from trying to help. I would maybe slate him as arriving only just as the notice is going up that they're taking volunteers. Otherwise he may have well ended up being one of the persons that went to check on the miners only to go missing himself.
So...
We have a dwarf and a half-orc who both like to drink hard, live large, party hearty, and rush into melee. Oh, and a gnome barbarian who will probably be right beside them ("he even has a little earth-breaker that matches the dwarf's! Isn't it cute? Ack! Arggg....*burble*")...
And an elf with a dexy-sword, and Innocent, the human Magus, with a slightly less-dexy style, but a wickedly sharp scimitar - those two probably are securing the flanks (they're kinda like un-mounted cavalry, really).
Which leaves the cleric and the sorceror looking at one another, and sighing, as they bring up the rear, and clean up the mess. ;-)
Sounds like fun. Also, like I should be petitioning the DM to reconsider his dislike of CLW wands. ;-D
Lioslan is very interested in the mines, but not foolhardy enough to go alone into a hotbed of orc activity. Strange times lead to strange companions; any adventurer knows the truth of that. If there are orcs to be slain on the way to his objective, so much the better, and he has nothing against rescuing some poor, helpless humans, and gaining the allegiance of the dwarves, who he respects (and would like to owe him a favor for reasons of his own).
One note: he is really more of a bow-aligned character than a dexy-sword one (much as I'd like him to be both; there are never enough feat slots!), though that won't become as apparent until a few levels from now.
So, for some reason, didn't realize until now that the Inspired trait is, effectively, a half-strength, self-only, extra use of one of his Domain powers. Rather than do that, I replaced it with Outcast's Intuition, which fits the concept better, anyway.
Well, this is the time for everyone to work out the bugs before taking their characters live!
I've not heard from Kevkas or Dorn yet - and Gyro reports he should be online tomorrow-ish. I'm probably going to push the adventure start date back one day to this Tuesday, March 3rd, as Monday looks like it might be a bit of a special day at work.
Karl (Kevkas) isn't usually active on weekends, so I wouldn't expect to hear from him before Monday.
And as far as bug-out-working, I think I want to go ahead and flip his Str and Int scores (12 and 13 - just gives him a bit of extra carrying ability).
I'll probably make a minor adjustment on the Perception skill front, but otherwise I think I'm pretty happy with what I put together. I mean, it is a first level magus, so, pretty straightforward. :) Unlike the weird magus I made once who used a scythe...
To answer your question about fitting into that, yes, Innocent can fit into that well enough. If he has chosen to make a home even temporarily in Leilon, it is in his best interests to make sure that home is comfortable and secure. He does not lie about his past, but he doesn't advertise it, either; he has a personal motivation in making sure he is viewed favorably in the town when the inevitable reckoning comes.
And yes, doing something that puts himself at risk for "the good of the people" is a solid step towards redemption.
hello people!
Okay, GM is there anything i need to add?
Gyro,
Your profile page shows two sets of stats. Is one Rage vs not-raging?
EDIT: Nope. Just looked closer. The numbers don't add up.
2 sets?
I did not add the rage stats, i will ad it as a spoiler though
I think you left a different set of stats in the little boxes that show up when you click "Edit My Profile." Left side of the screen. That set says 14,14,18,13,16,14
ah. okay, will change that. thanks :P
No worries. Welcome to the game, by the way. :-)
thanks :)
I will probably update my Hero Lab CS tonight and give the character the quick stat reference treatment. Ulciscor and I have been talking back and forth a bit about a history and I think it is coming together well, so I would be ready to start whenever.
What I'd like - by end of day tomorrow - is for us to have the following set and ready to go:
1) Character stats finalized
2) Reason for being in Leilon at this time
My first post should be Tuesday morning. It will be a quick set up then a cut to your characters meeting for the first time in the Drowning Delve, one of the fine waytaverns in Leilon. I'm hoping for some roleplaying and interaction between everyone before your characters are asked to meet with Malfell, the deputy mayor, who will give you your marching orders.
Congrats to the new players. I'm looking forward to this.
I personally like the idea of Dorn being in the area for "Guild Business" that he'll keep purposefully mysterious. He was sent to investigate some rumors of an artifact, but the trail has gone cold.
That being said he's fully aware that his task is meant to basically keep him out of his Guild's hair. The DM could have the item be some McGuffin or other. That being said, DM, is there a local famous wizard of note in the area? Preferably a dead one.
"Ah, yes, I'm seeking the famed brooch of the wizard Abracadamus." - that kind of thing?
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@ Dorn Kindleheart: The ruins of Iniarv's tower are about 50 miles south and east of Leilon, skirting the edge of the Mere of Dead Men. He's long dead, arose as a Lich, and was put down by the Company of the Howling Wolf thirty winters ago. His ruined tower and the vast dungeon below are said to still contain many powerful magical items and sought-after spellbooks.
The Mornhaven towers - said to contain numerous magical artifacts - is in the Mere proper. It was the home, once of three elven sisters, all powerful mages. Their names have been lost to antiquity, as has their reason for fleeing their home.
How is this idea:
He is a smith. So what if he came to this place to learn more smithing? maybe track down some rare metals/minerals to make himself a weapon that will go down in his family's history?
Okay, I'm here. I'll keep it simple- Kev came down as a caravan guard with the last merchant caravan from Neverwinter. But being a caravan guard is boring and doesn't pay much, so he'll jump at the chance for a reward.
I'm a little worried that he'll tick people off just by being a half-orc in an area beset with orc raiders, but that what his Diplomacy is for, I guess. And after checking out everybody's sheets, he's definitely the face of the team, with the best Diplo and Intimidate skills. Plus he speaks Orcish, which might be helpful.
Okay, then, Dorn is supposed to find a certain spellbook of Iniarv that supposedly turned up recently. But Dorn can't find anything about it, so now he's down to his last coins, bored and desperate for a lead.
Ulciscor's stats are final, I think. Still pondering one or two minor equipment additions, but will have those done by end of day today.
Still hammering out the final details of the Ulciscor/Innocent partnership, but as for being in Leilon, I think it's pretty-much that Ulciscor woke up one morning and told Innocent, "we need to go to Leilon." Since that's pretty-much how Ulciscor lives his life, they headed out to Leilon. I think they arrived (possibly catching a ride with a trade caravan coming to collect ore from the mines?) about a tenday or so ago (give or take a couple days).
Yes, that works. I don't worry at all about my IC motivation because if I ever feel that it is lacking in any situation, I am good at inventing reasons for it for the sake of party continuity and good storytelling. Shouldn't ever be much of a concern for me. :)
If they came down with a caravan, that would let Kev at least be familiar with them. A caravan guard wouldn't have socialized with passengers or whatever Ulcisor and Innocent were, but they'd know enough to recognize each other.
I'm not sure if they would have come "down," or "up." Not sure what directions are to the places that would be buying that ore.
But yeah, they could have come in with a caravan, Innocent might have paid for their passage by working as a guard, or Ulciscor might have received free passage in exchange for blessing the caravan before and during the journey (or possibly he sat in Judgement of someone on behalf of the caravan's leader, and the guy is repaying him with passage - or his client could have been anyone in the last town, and paying to get the two of them out of town could have been part of the price of the Judgement). There are any number of reasons for them to have been on that caravan together.
^ Neverwinter and Luskan to the north, Silverymoon to the northeast, and Waterdeep to the south.
Dargrim initially meant to just pass through Leilon on his way to a life of adventure and luxury in Waterdeep. After hearing of the town's plight, however, he can't pass through in good conscience. When he learns of the call going out to willing persons to investigate the missing persons, Dargrim would be the first in line.
Hmmm...
It would probably make more sense for us to be coming up from Waterdeep. We've been traveling a lot over the past six months, and since it's just now coming up on Spring in the North, I think there wouldn't have been a ton of travel going on up there.
So, if Kev came from Neverwinter, we probably weren't with the same caravan.
Okay, so I think everyone has a pretty reasonable rational for being in town; honestly, all I have left to do is check your character sheets and we'll be ready to go. I may even have the first post up tonight, depending on how I feel when I get home; certainly no later than tomorrow morning.
Hmmm I should probably go over style issues while I have the chance. I adhere to the following points rigorously:
- in character speech should be done in bold; which is [b][/b]
- if you want to give us an insight into your characters thoughts, they should be in italics; which is [i][/i]
- if you want to say something out of character, use the ooc tag; which is [ooc][/ooc]
- if you want to privately say something to another character, say for example in a language you both know, indicate the character and mode of communication, and use the [spoiler=] tags; note, we're going on the honour system for their use, but be warned that I'll be reading the spoiler, cuz I'm the DM and I need to be in the loop
- and of course, we're going to be using the message board's built in dice roller 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18; which is [dice][/dice]
- most of the time, I'll post my rolls in public, but on occasion, I may roll privately, if I think it serves the story/narrative/mystery/whatever
- as noted earlier, I will be rolling initiative and sometimes perception rolls for your characters; if you want to take an action that requires a dice roll, such as a diplomacy check, then please include it along with the description of what you're doing.
- likewise, in combat posts, if you're attacking something, please include your attack roll, possible critical confirmation (if needed) and damage roll
- I run combats on google spreadhseets; I'm not certain if you need a google account to access and modify the sheets or not. But that's what we'll be using.
- I do initiative rolls for everyone and arrange you into initiative groups ("tranches"). You can post in any order within your own tranche. It's a good system that helps make combat go just a bit smoother.
thanks GM =^^=
Hmmm... if Kev came from Neverwinter, we probably weren't with the same caravan.
Eh. Kev's direction of travel isn't really important. He can have come north just as easily as south.
Hmmm... if Kev came from Neverwinter, we probably weren't with the same caravan.Eh. Kev's direction of travel isn't really important. He can have come north just as easily as south.
Well, Waterdeep would have been a more "tolerant" place for a half-orc to be hanging out, and also a "civilized" place that it could become very easy to get bored in for a guy like Kev. Signing up to guard a caravan going North just after the winter breaks might be just the thing he'd do - especially if he's heard rumors that there's fighting going on up there.
Gameplay thread is now active!
Yayness!
Any bets on the over-under for how many posts it takes us to start a bar brawl? The line is at 8.5. ;-)
No starting fights, pal! The barmaid has a +5 skillet which she uses to maintain order, and the rule of law.
Sorry. I should have said "inadvertently start a bar brawl." Ulciscor would never disrupt the rightful rule of skillet-bound law. You know, unless it was the right thing to do. :-)
Gameplay thread is open - mingle, or I'll mangle :-)
Lioslan isn't used to anyone not intimately familiar with elvish expressions having the potential to read his, despite his efforts to remain more or less stone-faced. Ulciscor is going to freak him out. ;)
Gyro is making me laugh at work. The exclamation points! I keep hearing him shouting out loud like no one can hear him. Taking declarative to a whole new level.
Thats the plan. Hes loud. Hes a barbarian smith. :P hes use to loud. Now add a gnome like voice to the loud stuff!
Anywho. I plan on taking feats in crafting. So 3 feats. Its a bit of a dip but its his character idea. So in the end. He will be able to supply the party with weapons and armor
Weapons first. From level 7 weapons. From level 9 armor.
-Posted with Wayfinder
I'm going to be AFK a good chunk of tomorrow, but I should be back in the evening to resume posting.