Thanks for the kind words guys. The story got a bit away from me when I had to include all of the pantheon but I'm glad you enjoyed it. My free time is a bit random so no promises on others. Except for one I've promise the GM already :).
I'm looking forward to it!
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Alright, as we head into act 2 of the prologue, this is where you should change the mechanics of your character, if there's something you'd like to switch out.
You've all got 200 "gold" to spend on outfitting. This can be anything in the equipment section from the CRB that is not a mount or mount related, and you can pool money together if you wish.
I'm still not 100% sure how I'm handling potions, etc. in interaction with the SoP ruleset, but for now let's say that specific magic potions as listed in the CRB are available as well.
Otherwise, you've got the day to follow what you want to do (but I'll need those fort saves if you're not going to rest).
@ Imix, I'm trying to figure out how the alchemy skill will relate to the blood on the arrow. I want to encourage skillful use of skills, but I also don't want to obsolete the knowledge skills as well (in this case).
Do masterwork weapons still have the fragile trait?
Nope. MW weapons are not fragile.
I think there's an obviousness part of the check: subtypes etc.
Other than that, I'm happy with "you don't have time here, but preserve it."
Alright: Oios, are you changing to Life?
I'd like to buy a better weapon but seeing as that isn't going to happen with 200 I'll blow it on enlarge potions.
Purchases-
100ft of silk rope 20gp
6 torches 6sp
5 trail rations 5gp
1 potion of cure light wounds (50gp)
2 potion of mage armor (100gp)
We'll see if I think of anything else, but Istiel doesn't need much.
Rogues' kit (backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, caltrops, chalk (10), flint and steel, grappling hook, iron pot, mess kit, mirror, pitons (10), rope, soap, thieves' tools, torches (10), trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin) - 50 gp
Courtier's outfit - 30 gp
Assorted jewellery - 50 gp
1 potion Cure Light Wounds (50 gp)
1 Flask Alchemist's Fire (20 gp)
Imix's list is going to depend on whether he's rescuing pre-orphans, and how many there are.
Hey Rigel, no metallurgy so flint and steel is just flint, and the iron pot is more like a clay pot.
Ha - good point; I just copied and pasted from the Rogue's kit! Presumably 'flint and steel' is 'two sticks to rub together to make fire'...
^ They're pretty fancy sticks though...
I'm on vacation tomorrow through Thursday, with no Internet. I'll get us started out on the road to Cornucopia today.
I'll be able to post again Friday afternoon/evening.
If you have other business to do in town, feel free to spoiler it and we can work backwards when I get back.
Post of the morning of 3 Gozhran coming up soon...
Rigel are you taking the package from Thom's?
Rigel are you taking the package from Thom's?
Absolutely - that's my next bit of business! But the penance stuff took up too much of the earlier post so I'll wrap up the rest of my day in a spoiler.
^ The penance stuff was great, btw.
Bertram Hamfatten, arriving in a huff with four of his junior magistrates, strides through the procession, Bertram’s face flushing red as he passes Rigel. Stopping, he towers over the girl and gives her a leer - part anticipation, part scowl. ”Seems the wife needs some alone time. Thought I’d give it to her, and make some other woman miserable for the next many days.”
Oh, you gotta be kidding me... That made me laugh aloud AND cringe, all at the same time! Good stuff, DM.
Think I'll stick to Protection. Armored Magic should come in handy as we have quite a few unarmored fighters.
Sorry - I can't seem to make the gameplay post work.
Tried to leave it with him unsure if Chukix would be able to find apprentices.
Obviously Suriname don't normally take apprentices, he hasn't really thought through what he's going to teach them. He's currently planning to just let them go later.
I'd like Imix to go Nature (Plant), I think.
Equipment wise...
Campsite Kit x2 (24) = 24
Grooming Kit (1) =25
Medium Tent (15) =40
Sling x7 (-)
Boar Spear x7 (35) =75
Laborer Team x1 (70) =145
Backpack x7 (14) = 159
Canteen x7 (7) = 166
Rations x30 (15) = 181
Blanket x10 (5) = 186
Grooming Kit x 5 (5) = 191
Components x9 (9) = 200
This is working on the theory Imix can get his 'apprentices'. Be under no misapprehension that I (or he) thinks they can fight, but someone with a boar spear is a pretty formidable looking target to charge.
Imix - sorry, I (the player) completely forgot about it when we went to the new Gameplay page! Was going to post something to fix that, but actually it works this way too: Rigel's said she'd do something, she did it, nothing to report so she didn't report back. I imagine that Imix might not see it that way though: if it hasn't been reported to him, it hasn't happened...
Totally fine!
I see Imix being a bit spoiled about people making an effort to include him. Given the stress she'd been (was) under, I can totally see why Rigel might not mention it.
But yeah, Imix is probably going to assume it was the mayor acting through Rigel. He's honestly clueless about why the mayor seems to dislike him so much when he keeps trying to help!
He's honestly clueless about why the mayor seems to dislike him so much when he keeps trying to help!
Hahaha! Imix makes me smile.
You all gave me some really great stuff to work with. I'm going to start on it tonight, but I may not get to everyone this evening. Thanks for your patience, and I'm looking forward to getting things going again!
Welcome back BP!
I actually thought of it after I made the post and wasn't able to include it, but I figured that Suhua would have regularly bothered the shyte out of Istiel while she's in the cleaning room in the past- all she CAN do is listen, after all. Or he's messed with her by putting out the heater fire, etc.
Will be slow until Monday at my end.
I actually thought of it after I made the post and wasn't able to include it, but I figured that Suhua would have regularly bothered the shyte out of Istiel while she's in the cleaning room in the past- all she CAN do is listen, after all. Or he's messed with her by putting out the heater fire, etc.
Well, I figure Istiel would have the good sense to lock the door when she bathes, so he can bother shyte out of her on the walk instead. You're welcome?
*splutters*
"Rigel-hips"?!
*splutters*
"Rigel-hips"?!
Drazan will put the hurt on that man.
I actually thought of it after I made the post and wasn't able to include it, but I figured that Suhua would have regularly bothered the shyte out of Istiel while she's in the cleaning room in the past- all she CAN do is listen, after all. Or he's messed with her by putting out the heater fire, etc.Well, I figure Istiel would have the good sense to lock the door when she bathes, so he can bother shyte out of her on the walk instead. You're welcome?
Hahaha yes but I mean just standing at the door talking through it.
I'll try to get a post up tonight.
Some bits about Takayah's monks, broken into knowledge tiers.
Common knowledge
-They wear masks and cover their entire body in cloth with the exception of hands, feet, and eyes.
-They are professional soldiers and resemble commandos or modern-day special forces.
-They follow the chain of rule in Takayah and enforce laws.
-They live in monasteries under the orders and tutillage of a Master.
Uncommon knowledge:
-Each monk has a different name and appearance, given to them when they graduate from being trainees.
-They will not purposely expose their body, especially their faces. Their mask is considered their face for all intents and purposes.
-In comparison with Buddhist or Christian monks: They do not marry or produce children, with some rare (sanctioned) exceptions. They have a normal diet. They are allowed to own property, but having too much material wealth is heavily frowned upon. They can lie. They can kill another citizen if within the law. They can use intoxicating substances, but excess is frowned upon.
Rare knowledge:
-All monks aspire to godhood.
-After training the monks consume a hallucinogenic drug called The Journey. They are sick for over three days, and receive visions of their new name, mask, and a tenant for achieving godhood.
-At this point hey are considered Reborn. They are not allowed to speak of their past life before their rebirth, and are encouraged not to think of it either. All that matters is the monk they have become, and their tenant. They begin counting their age from the date of their rebirth. Their body, now covered in cloth with a new face, is merely a vessel for the spirit inside to ascend.
-The tenant they follow to achieve godhood is normally kept a secret, as the monk will do anything to follow it. This could allow them to be exploited by others. The monks believe if they follow the tenant throughout their lives they will ascend to minor godhood on their death, taking over the domain of their tenant. Some mundane tenants, such as "become the greatest woodworker" will be freely shared. Others, such as "Never break the law" or similar would be kept a secret. Some tenants that conflict with their monastic lifestyle or the law, with one example being "Produce as many children as possible" are ruled on by the masters.
Obscure Knowledge:
-When a monk believes they have fulfilled their tenant to the best of their ability, they take a second dose of The Journey, become comatose, and to try and ascend their spirit to godhood. The Journey always kills a monk that has ingested it a second time. The period of their ascension, which lasts until their body's death, can last hours or months. The success or failure of their ascension is interpreted by priests.
-There are monks whose tenant has been deemed too dangerous or disruptive. If they are deemed too dangerous (such as "Kill as many people as possible"), they are executed. Smart monks that know their tenant is too dangerous to society will not reveal them, discreetly fulfill their tenants, and try not to be caught. If a tenant is deemed too disruptive or against the laws of society/the monastery, they are banished from civilization. The latter are considered rogue, and typically live in the wilderness trying to fulfill their tenant, still hoping to achieve godhood.
Also kind of important- maybe uncommon knowledge. All monks take a vow to protect the citizens of Takayah, and uphold its laws.
Lawful neutral monks like Istiel are more concerned about the greater good and making sure society runs smoothly.
I'm guessing this is Kn:Religion? Could you put a DC on that? Would be fun for Oios to try his luck. On Monday.
...wow. Some of the detail you guys are putting into this is great. Makes fantastic reading.
I believe common knowledge is DC 10, uncommon 15, rare 20, and obscure is 25. Ancient/forgotten knowledge is DC 30.
Another tidbit I thought of: Monks that decide to desert and flee are considered a disgrace and are banished. Of course, if they no longer wear the identifying mask or robes, it's hard to recognize them other than by voice. This is rare, but the monasteries take reports of disgraced monks or those practicing the unarmed fighting style without a master very seriously.
Teaching a non-monk the unarmed fighting styles is forbidden and punishable by death. It is easy to tell a monk apart from a normal person- in a way, their outfit shows they are "armed".
...wow. Some of the detail you guys are putting into this is great. Makes fantastic reading.
Agreed! You all are coming up with some really great stuff. It is keeping me on my toes, that's for sure!
Istiel, what about monks that are disgraced, not because they desert or flee, but because they are not up to being a monk?
What about a monk that has his or her mask stolen or destroyed? Is there a punishment.
I, uhhhh, don't ask for any reason. No reason at all.
Istiel, what about monks that are disgraced, not because they desert or flee, but because they are not up to being a monk?
Trainees are selected to take The Journey by their masters when they believe they are ready. Training typically takes 5 or more years, in which the trainee is taught martial arts and a trade- both in the style of their master. If a Master were to give their blessings for a trainee to become a full-fledged monk, they survive The Journey, and then are observed to be not fit to be a monk/soldier, it would bring great shame on a Master. Those deemed not fit for the Journey are released from their Master's tutelage and encouraged to go back to their old lives, and use the tradeskills they learned (but not the martial arts, unless in self-defense).
Now, what about monks that are crippled in the line or duty? Typically they are given another job within the monastery, or they continue to follow their trade/profession if they can. Ones that know they can no longer strive for their tenant will often take the second Journey and attempt to ascend when it is obvious they will not recover from their injuries.
One of Domhnall's accomplishments as an herbalist is creating a safer form of The Journey, resulting in less dead/crippled trainees. Of course, there are some that protest the fact he messed with a formula that had been used for centuries... but couldn't argue with the results: Moar monks.
What about a monk that has his or her mask stolen or destroyed? Is there a punishment.
There is no punishment, the monk simply has to send a request for a new mask to the main Monastery in Cornucopia. Or if they're desperate, have a local make it. (Imagine some amateur trying to make your face though... you'd be really picky!) When a monk's mask is destroyed or lost they will wear a full bunraku, which is the same garb as a trainee. It's humiliating, which is kind of the point- they shouldn't have let their face get destroyed in the first place. Some will wear broken pieces of the mask until they get a new one, or otherwise improvise, to avoid looking like a trainee. Most Masters have a spare mask or two (made when they are granted the rank of Master) to avoid this humiliation and keep their dignity.
Given the monks are active soldiers and enforcers, the destruction of masks happens enough that the Monastery's expert woodworkers and bone carvers (also monks and trainees) are quite busy. They keep sketches and diagrams of every monk's mask, first made after a monk works with one of the artists to design it post-Journey, in case a reproduction of the original is needed. These records stretch back centuries in the monastery's long history and serve as a record of every monk that has been part of the order. For better or worse. (in the past there have been some... non-ideal masks... and some non-ideal monks...)
Repeat offenders for losing/destroying their mask would probably run into some trouble with the Masters, or at least piss off the artists/get moved to the back of the queue a lot.
Also, when a monk dies, their physical remains are cremated but their most recently used mask is briefly kept. Copies are destroyed. If the priesthood declares them ascended, the mask is kept as a holy relic. If they are not ascended (their spirit passed on to the afterlife), it is ritually burned, sometimes at the same time as the cremation. At that point, holy symbols similar to the original mask or the like can be produced. The Monastery's artists are not allowed to re-create the exact mask of a dead monk, under penalty of death, unless they are ascended. The Monastery Elders consider it akin to necromancy, and just plain bad mojo, mon.
I, uhhhh, don't ask for any reason. No reason at all.
Mmmmmhmmmmm. Not suspicious at all.
The point of the mask is that they are a new person, one striving for godhood, and the mask is their face. This new face will be their representation should they ascend (that's what's believed anyway), just like every god as a holy symbol.
Each monk, being a person under all that cloth, reacts differently to losing their main outward identity. Some may become depressed, distressed, angry, or not bothered much- imagine what you would do if you didn't have a face anymore. Really though, worst case scenario people get confused who you are, or your monk friends endlessly make fun of you.
Great stuff, Istiel!
@ Imix: the procession is moving at a slow rate, probably 15' (especially the laborers, who are pulling comically oversized hand-carts). It takes 5 loooonnng days to make the journey with the excise, but only three if fit and not weighed down.
I'm enjoying what you've done with the apprentices, by the way, and am interested to see where this goes.
I'm glad to hear that, I was a bit worried!
If I write a few things up, would you mind making a subpage for them under NPCs in the wiki?
I'm glad Imix recruited us some little damage sponges, we saw how hard those mountain men hit.
I'm glad to hear that, I was a bit worried!
If I write a few things up, would you mind making a subpage for them under NPCs in the wiki?
Of course! You can add them to the spreadsheet too.
I've got to run - will follow up on Istiel's post later.
Ok, now frantically trying to work out what's really happening (oh, and avoid the WYSIHYD problem)... great solo adventure, am hoping I get to share it with the rest of you (assuming I avoid the aforementioned problem).
Good stuff, DM!
I'm not familiar with acronyms. What's WYSIHYD?
I hadn't expected you all to split up, so I'm winging it a bit. Which is the fun part of GMing for me.
I'm glad Imix recruited us some little damage sponges, we saw how hard those mountain men hit.
I don't know what will happen for sure if they get into combat, but I suspect they'll be more scared of a ton of mountain men than Imix (though Imix is pretty awe-inspiring in his own right).
Plus, I don't want to kill of a bunch of tweens. Yet.
EDIT - Oios: fabulous post, again!
Thanks :). On phone again and put my knowledge roll in the wrong place. Hope it's still good DM. It's a pretty good one.
How lame is Iseult? As per the oracle curse?
*Wonders idly what sort of character Drazan's replacement will be*
The religion roll was for talking animals btw.
*Wonders idly what sort of character Drazan's replacement will be*
I'm missing the context to this. Is there done reason Drazan is going away?
You were about to go and single-handedly confront a pack of talking wolves ;-)
You were about to go and single-handedly confront a pack of talking wolves ;-)
Could still happen :)
So there seems to be three schools of thought here:
1) Move on, leaving the wolves and the bodies;
2) Attack the wolves;
3) Talk to the wolves, ask them to let you view the bodies, come back for the bodies for proper burial at a later time.
I'll let you all hash it out a little since there seems to be no firm consensus, before I move things forward.
@ Oios, I'm thinking over what your roll would tell you, and will get a post up in the interim.