The Last King of Ireland

Game Master Amergin the Wise

Roleplaying > rollplaying, always!

Awesome, well I'll pick up a second trait and consider a drawback but it shouldn't make any significant difference to my character.

I'm working at the moment,but I will piece together something soon.

Traits and drawback added, I think they all fit rather well!

So here goes: Storyteller Shadow is our skill monkey rogue. And Kevin O'Rourke 440 and CampinCarl9127 have submitted respectively a bard and another rogue. But I need a fighter type... Anyone care to submit another character?

You know, being the one who brought most of you here... I won't lie, I'm glad I'm not the one picking! XD
It'd be terrible!

Tadhg McCarthy

I like the background story, but I am going for something far more low/no magic. Mundane, normal characters in extraordinary circumstances. That being said, that does not exclude a touch of superstition!

Conall McCarthy

I like the backstory, and respect the research and work that went into it. I like the love story. There is something there. In fact, I think that that could be the meat of the backstory.

A few things... First, to be clear, the campaign started with the death of the High King, and at most a week has passed since then. So backstory needs to predate the death of MacLochlain.

Also, I am not looking for "life of crime" characters. Aside from Dublin and a few agglomerations, Ireland is pretty much rural. And this campaign aims at exploring the lands.

Finally, the characters are from Cavan, and presently aligned with the King of Breifne. So a Leinstermen would be unlikely to be anywhere near there, unless as a slave or a prisoner.

Food for thought.

Thanks DM.

I appreciate all the feedback!

I like the backstory, and respect the research and work that went into it. I like the love story. There is something there. In fact, I think that that could be the meat of the backstory.

Thank you! I saw the amount of work you had put into the campaign and thought it only fair that you expect the same amount of dedication from your players.

A few things... First, to be clear, the campaign started with the death of the High King, and at most a week has passed since then. So backstory needs to predate the death of MacLochlain.

Ah, I was a little unsure of some of the timeline. I should be able to move some stuff around and make things work.

Also, I am not looking for "life of crime" characters. Aside from Dublin and a few agglomerations, Ireland is pretty much rural. And this campaign aims at exploring the lands.

Well since the rogue position seems to be taken I won't have to worry about that anymore. More on that below.

Finally, the characters are from Cavan, and presently aligned with the King of Breifne. So a Leinstermen would be unlikely to be anywhere near there, unless as a slave or a prisoner.

Ah, indeed. Well I think I should be able to keep the core identity of the character intact while re-situating his backstory elsewhere.

So here goes: Storyteller Shadow is our skill monkey rogue. And Kevin O'Rourke 440 and CampinCarl9127 have submitted respectively a bard and another rogue. But I need a fighter type... Anyone care to submit another character?

Hmm. Since I'm going to have to do a significant revamp of my character anyways, I can revamp his build as well. I'm going to keep the heart of the character the same, keeping the love story intact. As for the rest, I'm going to have some big changes to the political background and upbringing, and going to change into a barbarian. I don't play barbarians very often and think it could be a lot of fun in this setting.

However I am going to be mostly unavailable this weekend with work, so most likely I won't be able to get any significant work done on the character until Monday.

I'm going to keep the heart of the character the same, keeping the love story intact. As for the rest, I'm going to have some big changes to the political background and upbringing, and going to change into a barbarian.

Good idea. Perhaps PM me your ideas before putting in the work? Also, two thing to bear in mind:

Good idea. Perhaps PM me your ideas before putting in the work?

Will do, thank you!

Also, two thing to bear in mind:

1) Irish men were traditionally allowed two wives, at the time. Undoubtedly, many priests in the church were against the practice, as were many more devout commoners, but the practice remained common

Fascinating. I'll keep that in mind while I'm brainstorming ideas.

2) the Danes (Vikings) were mainly on the coast, and mostly in Leinster. The Irish themselves did not have a tradition of berserkers, so bear that in mind when developing a barbarian...

Hmm, I hadn't originally considered an actual viking character, that would be interesting (albeit a bit more difficult to tie in). Would you be open to the idea of a more traditional warrior that has a history of a fiery temperament? Kind of along the flavor of the "not his choice when he rages", similar to something like Logan Ninefingers (First Law trilogy).

Although a fearless screaming Viking could be a lot of fun as well! Since they're mostly in Leinster I could brew up a betrayal or traitor angle to his backstory.

Would you be open to the idea of a more traditional warrior that has a history of a fiery temperament? Kind of along the flavor of the "not his choice when he rages", similar to something like Logan Ninefingers (First Law trilogy).

Although a fearless screaming Viking could be a lot of fun as well! Since they're mostly in Leinster I could brew up a betrayal or traitor angle to his backstory.

Either could work! So long is the flavour fits the campaign...

Tadhg McCarthy
I tweaked the background to tone down the supernatural side so the person giving him his geas really could just be a level 1 commoner with skill focus bluff and have no supernatural connection at all. But people believe there is a ban on him. I only put those bits in after a quick look and seeing the PCs had come across supernatural stuff. Still I like it enough that with a bit of toning down I think it should work.

Thanks for the submission, Kevin. However, I really am looking for a warrior type...

CampinCarl9127 submitted a barbarian, who is now the fifth player in the group. We have quorum. Welcome Thorun Madsen!

Thanks to all of you for your interest, and do keep an eye on the thread as you never know!

This looks like a great concept. Annoyed that I missed out timewise. I will be following with interest. Good luck.

This looks like a great concept. Annoyed that I missed out timewise. I will be following with interest. Good luck.

Next time, perhaps! :)

Indeed, and in the meantime I can read this as a story. The annoyance was purely at myself for only just checking the recruitment pages, I hope it came across that way. Good luck

Recruitment is open! We are looking for one more player to join our ranks!

LEVEL: 3
ABILITIES: buy 20
RACES: human
CLASSES: fighter, ranger, cleric, bard, barbarian, rogue * Presently, we have: fighter, barbarian, priest, fighter/rogue
WEAPONS AND ARMOR: limited (historically accurate)
MAGIC: while magic will play a part in driving the story forward, this remains a low magic campaign. Spell casting must be role-played, and choice of spells will need to be approved

Preference will be given to those who have expressed an interest in the campaign in the past.

I would love to give this a shot...what type of character are you looking for? I have a character based on a Jewish mystic I used for another game, or I could make something appropriately Irish if you did not want to draw in that kind of mysticism.

Aoife pointed out that this had reopened, which is exciting. Thinking of putting together a ranger type with the skirmisher archetype to avoid any spell casting awkwardness and then possibly falconer or horse lord (going for the hobelar type).
A toddler and a baby means I won't get much done before Tuesday, but I will crack on.

GM is gone for a weekend guys but we've been given leave to help out and answer question. Please feel free to ask and I'll try to answer.

@Daniel: I find with this the less magic the better. Also I would avoid the Jewish mystic, and to for something more Irish based as right now... Well it's kinda all internal stuff. I mean we do have a Norseman but I think his story has him here from a young age.

@Wilhelm: GM will be back Monday! So if you've questions I cannot answer or want his opinion on this, not being able to do much till Tuesday works!

Ok, that is fine, it was just an attempt to re-use a character that I had created for another historic game. His magic was quite low and very low key, as he did not wish to be thought a witch, but I can work with an Irish-based character.

Interested, was thinking:

A) barbarian brutal pugilist. Irish hothead, "punch first, ask later"

B) human bard, tries to always see the "silver lining" of things.

Aoife pointed out that this had reopened, which is exciting. Thinking of putting together a ranger type with the skirmisher archetype to avoid any spell casting awkwardness and then possibly falconer or horse lord (going for the hobelar type).

A toddler and a baby means I won't get much done before Tuesday, but I will crack on.

A skirmisher would work. Our last ranger was a falconer, so maybe a horse lord, for some variety? That being said, if you prefer a falconer, I'm ok with it...

Ok, that is fine, it was just an attempt to re-use a character that I had created for another historic game. His magic was quite low and very low key, as he did not wish to be thought a witch, but I can work with an Irish-based character.

I would imagine a mystic to be some sort of hermit priest, an aesthetic who has taken a vow of poverty and retired from society... That being said, we have a priest in the group and given that prayers are a very rare miracle, one will suffice.

So back to the drawing board?

Interested, was thinking:

A) barbarian brutal pugilist. Irish hothead, "punch first, ask later"

B) human bard, tries to always see the "silver lining" of things.

We have a barbarian, so I would tend to go with the bard...

I have been having a play with character build (I find that helps me nail down the character's personality and history) and have decided to try and put together a proper target, short sword and darts wielding Kern. Not that I am trying to minmax, but it seems that to make him viable I am looking at a 1/2 ranger(skirmisher), 1/2 rogue (waylayer) if that works.
I haven't really found much about life expectancy in that era, what sort of age would you suggest for the following sort of character? Basically I am looking at him having once been a warrior of some small renown, perhaps serving in a lord's guard. Having settled down to a farming type life with his wife and had a family, he has later lost his wife to disease or childbirth. Depositing his kid with family in town he has started to serve as a mercenary returning regularly to see his kid from afar. As a result he is still getting his old skills back and his physical fitness (he probably still has a reasonable gut at this time). I thinking late 30's early 40's but then again life spans were shorter.
I will try and get a proper backstory and character concept up tomorrow. I was quite up for a bard, but unfortunately I don't have the depth of knowledge of Irish history or the time to research it thoroughly enough at the moment.

I have been having a play with character build (I find that helps me nail down the character's personality and history) and have decided to try and put together a proper target, short sword and darts wielding Kern. Not that I am trying to minmax, but it seems that to make him viable I am looking at a 1/2 ranger(skirmisher), 1/2 rogue (waylayer) if that works.

I haven't really found much about life expectancy in that era, what sort of age would you suggest for the following sort of character? Basically I am looking at him having once been a warrior of some small renown, perhaps serving in a lord's guard. Having settled down to a farming type life with his wife and had a family, he has later lost his wife to disease or childbirth. Depositing his kid with family in town he has started to serve as a mercenary returning regularly to see his kid from afar. As a result he is still getting his old skills back and his physical fitness (he probably still has a reasonable gut at this time). I thinking late 30's early 40's but then again life spans were shorter.
I will try and get a proper backstory and character concept up tomorrow. I was quite up for a bard, but unfortunately I don't have the depth of knowledge of Irish history or the time to research it thoroughly enough at the moment.

A kern would work.

You have to differentiate between life span and life expectancy. Life expectancy was low on account of war and childbirth mortality, but a healthy person from a so-called good family could expect to live into the 50s and 60s. Also, my assumption is that "real" life started early, and that in your mid-30s your character could easily have been married and have had a number of kids.

PM to discuss family and origin...

In order to avoid wasting anybody's time, I am going to quickly close current recruitment. Wilhelm had expressed in interest in participating in previous rounds of recruitment, so I will invite him to join and discuss the details with him in PM.

Thank you to @Daniel Stewart and @Gilthanis. Keep an eye on the thread. If ever another spot opens up, you will have priority, as will the others who previously expressed an interest and submitted characters.

Ok, cheers will do. Sorry yes I meant life span, but you got what I meant at least.

Ok, well thanks for the offer, and I will try to keep an eye on this one...best of luck and happy gaming!

Recruitment is open once again! We are looking for 1-2 players...

Currently 4th level... We have a barbarian, a fighter, and a ranger/rogue. We could probably use a cleric, keeping in mind that prayers are veritable miracles and should be treated as such. And/or a bard, noting that magic is a rare thing indeed, and should be discreet for fear of serious repercussions. And/or more fighter types!

This is first and foremost a roleplaying campaign, so the focus needs to be on backstory and how the character fits in the campaign. That being said, I don't want/expect a novel: a simple and concise chapter will do!

For more information, I invite you to have a look at the initial recruitment post and the campaign tab as well.

Hi, I'm Aoife one of the players here! I'm the one that's been here from the beginning so if you've any question I'm willing to help!

I have notions for a bard. A compulsive teller of "tall tales" who had to hotfoot it out of Largay after he was caught in the bed of a nobleman's wife, and has recently wandered back. The brazen deceiver archetype seems perfect for the idea.

Do ye think that could fit in? Or back to the ogham stone?

I have notions for a bard. A compulsive teller of "tall tales" who had to hotfoot it out of Largay after he was caught in the bed of a nobleman's wife, and has recently wandered back. The brazen deceiver archetype seems perfect for the idea.

I think that Brazen deceiver works quite well! The choice of spells will be key (and subject to approval).

Ah good! I'm thinking Daire Ui Briuin for a name. A scoundrel, but a very talented one. He relies on his silver tongue to get him into and out of hot water. And he's lucky, and can bring luck to those around him (i.e. has spells). He legged it out of Largay a while back, and is now hoping the heat has died down a bit and he can sweet talk his way back in. He was never technically expelled from the title of bard, which could work in his favour. Would Fili be a suitable rank given his level?

Mechanically, I'm thinking a big focus on social skills. I'm not sure what weapons would be most appropriate for bards here (the social class, not the character class).

What's in a name... The O'Brian play an important role in the campaign. Potentially very cool, but we would have to think about why he would be so far from home. Perhaps he has hot-footed it to Largay, rather than away?

If he is from Largay, which would make creating bonds between him and the locals a whole bunch easier, we would have to consider another name. I can do some research in due time...

Fili could be do-able, but you would have to take the title into account in the background as it was usually a family affair, and the studies and training lasted many, many years. Fili is an important title, one that requires respect.

As for weapons, think spear/javelin, short sword, axe, etc. Traditional weapons.

While hot-footing it to Largay has a certain appeal, I'm happy to change the name to something more local. I've had trouble finding names specific to the area and am open to suggestions.

I'll bear Fili in mind. I'll hopefully have something written up in the near future.

Reading more about Fili's, I'm thinking that Daire may have done some of the training but then was dismissed. Or if that would be too much of a social blow, that he wasn't accepted in the first place. He would definitely have the natural talent for a high position. He likely doesn't have the temperament or discipline though.

With DO's bard, we'll probably have room for one more!

I'm up for a divine spellcaster. I'll get you particulars later today.

Hello again. I can get back to plotting out my character after the Easter weekend. Would another name besides ni Briuin work better for the story?

Presenting Daire McKiernan. A bard by training, a rogue by inclination. I'm not sure about equipment or exact names in his background. I'll be happy to take suggestions on that or anything else.

http://paizo.com/people/DaireMcKiernan

Looks good! And useful! :P

So we have our two new recruits! I'll have a look at the characters over the weekend, and if all goes well we'll introduce everyone to everyone at the beginning of next week!

Welcome!

PS: you are more than welcome to DOT in the Gameplay thread. Simply then delete the post as is customary, if you please. Thanks!

I'm looking forward to introducing Daire to the party. :)

Soon! They will make their way out of the cave, and everyone will come together for Beltane! :)

For better or for worse! XD

Grand job!

How does the Church handle Beltane celebrations?