The Mwangi Expedition

Game Master TerraNova

N'gawa walks over to see how the shelter and the boat are coming. He's tearing off pieces of oily meat from a large hunk in his hand. He peers out to the ocean. "Tide's out. If the boat is fixed, we should take it out now to see what we can salvage."

How many can the boat hold?

"N'gawa is right, we should do this now while we have the opportunity, and if there is any healing potions to be found Alton needs it without delay."

Henry volunteers for the exploration of the Jenivere, with N'gawa and Siera that makes three of them for the short boat trip.

Varg, eyes still on the edge of the thick jungle, ran a thumb along his axe handle. "I'm not for small boats like that. I'll stay here and guard the lot that stays behind to care for this Alton fella. Oh, check for me pipe if'n ye have a chance!"

"If there's room in the boat for one more, I'll go," Misha volunteers eagerly, finishing fixing some broad leaves to to the top of the shelter with her twine. "Seems like a good job for an explorer, right?"

"Now that shelter seems to be taken care of courtesy of Misha, I'd like to go as well," chipped in Zababa.

The Varisian receives his bird back to him with a sigh of relief. After hearing Una's report, he turned around and told the rest. "There is some water on the island, although that doesn't seem to be as big of a deal with Raff. There are a lot of shipwrecks around, so if we don't find what we are looking for on the Jenivere, we might be able to find useful things in those as well. There are a few more predators in the south, so we need to be wary before we venture there."

"I'll stay with the injured man, I can do a better job protecting him than I can in the surf.

The group split into two factions. Vargbrandr and Tshilaba joined Sasha, Aerys and the others on the beach, while N'Gawa, Henry, Misha, Zababa, Rafflesia and Siera made their way to the rowboat. The low tide made the journey shorter and altogether less perilous. They had little trouble setting their fixed boat to water, and rowing the deceptively placid waters. Siera's years of experience warned her, though - as soon as the small pool of water was swelling again, the channel would become dangerous - as Alton so tragically had learned.

Boarding Party

You reach the derelict husk of the once-proud ship Jenivere. Her shattered hull could be seen even ashore, where even a cursory glace would have told anyone she'd never see the open sea again. Now, on the awkwardly-tilted floor, that notion becomes a sad reality. The stern is at least halfway secure, wedged between two sharp rocks that dug into the wood. The bow, previously almost broken off, has seemingly been washed away during the storm, leaving the ship-corpse bisected. Even now, at low tide, each wave sends a shudder through her remains, and it is a matter of little time until Gozreh claims the last remains of the Jenivere.

Percention, DC 10

Perception, DC 15

Shore Party

The second half of the survivors settle into their makeshift shelter, with the strange smell of the centipede meat still heavy in the air. Ishirou takes time to examine the construction, muttering silent phrases. "We're not half done here. This will hold the night and some rain, but a real storm, as our midday downpour and then some, will still be trouble. We got at least another day of work ahead of us." His comment is not well-received, with both Gaelik and Jask rolling their eyes at the estimation of the Tian.

Aerys pensively approached Tshilaba. "I'm sorry, but out of us misfits you seem one of the few with a captain's head. We need to talk, in private if possible." The half-elf seemed a bit too thoughtful of the conversation to be of any pleasant topic, but Sasha, in her trademark loud mouth, helpfully suggested "Sand's pretty dry, and you'd not find softer pillows anyway, so feel free. We're staying where we are, and try not to eat the entire centipede before you return." It gained her a withering look from Aerys, but no further comment.

Gaelik muttered something to himself, and his clothes shed their small tears and signs of wear, returning to a pristine state even here on this forsaken island. For the first time since they woke up ashore, the gnome smiled.

Misha looks about, generally trying to be on the alert for both trouble and anything (or anyone) of value.

Perception 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

But there is far too much going on for her to be able to take note of any one thing.

"I don't think we're going to be able to salvage much out of her, Siera..." comiserated Zababa to the crew member of the now-shattered ship. "We should keep an eye out, all the same, for whatever may still be left."

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

N'gawa looks over the side of the boat to see if he can see anything lying below the water. "Anyone think they can swim in these waters?"

Perception 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

Zababa lookst N'gawa with a mischievious look in his eyes.

"Well, N'gawa - there's only one way to find out!" At this, Zababa jumps over the side of the boat in a splash.

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Coming up with a grin, "Well, my friend, it appears someone can indeed swim these waters!"

Henry searches about the Jenivere, hoping that anything useful still remains and that the efforts with the rowboat were not in vain.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

"I've some skill swimming, but this surf looks to be more than an amateur like myself can handle safely. Maybe with a rope tied around my waist I could give it a go, but we better have spied something worth the risk before I plunge into those waters."

Tshilaba smiled at Ishirou, "Don't worry too much my friend, palaces are never built in a day. We will have something serviceable soon. If you feel energetic enough to complain about it, go ahead and work on it. I will be back in a minute to help, although you will have to tell me what to do, because I'm pretty clueless about such things."

The Varisian smiled back at Sasha and comically stuck out his belly. "I've got a pillow right here if you need one, it will stay softer if you leave me some food." Before she had time to respond, he laughed as if it was all a big joke on everyone's part and not some vitriolic mess. Last thing they needed was people turning on each other. Who knew what was actually on this island?

He led Aerys across the beach out of earshot, which wasn't very far considering the surf. "I don't know about the head of a captain, but my ears work fine. What's your trouble?"

Varg turns to watch as Aerys and Tshilaba move away and begin to talk quietly. "Oi, all in or all out! Secrets will kill us." he bellows, making absolutely sure his voice carried up and down the beach.

Siera looks down on the water, her eyes scanning the depths for hidden perils and tracing a safe route to the wreck. She seems deeply concentraded, but suddenly shouts out:

A gulp of my leftover ale for whoever reaches the 'vere first!

She jumps from the boat and pierces the surface of the water like an arrow, emerging a good 15 feet away with a smile on her face.

C'mon, we don't have all day!

Swim check: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

N'gawa allows Siera and Zababa to dive into the water and waits for them to examine the wreckage.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

I am not sure why you'd want to swim to the wreck when you have a now-servicable rowboat... but be that as it may.

Boarding party

Siera and Zababa jumped into the trecherous surf surrounding the Jenivere, and immediately found out just how bad an idea that was. While the old salt Siera could hold her own (though not make any progress) against the eddies surprisingly-strong and swiftly-turning currents, Zababa just barely avoided disaster. His head went under several times, but both of them managed to climb back into the boat none the worse for wear... shaken but not really hurt.

Those not fighting for their lives in the treacherous waters had more time to examine the wreckage. There would no major trouble getting on deck. The lower decks had probably caved in on the rocks, with most of them sliced off. The crew quarters, most of the cargo hold... gone. That explained the generous helping of flotsom and salvage. The captains cabin, the larders and the ship's supply room held out, though. More relevant was frantic knocking and smashing sounds, as if someone or something was trying to batter down a door. The sound emanated from below the deck (tilted about 30° away from the rowboat as it was), and close to the new waterline.

Shore Party

Aerys sighed, and took a long sip from her bottle. She turned back towards the group, and let out another sharp breath. The alcohol-smell was vile, as if the rotgut she consumed had been brewed inside an old boot. "If you say so. I've been at sea a few times. Never shipwrecked or marooned, Besmara be praised. But I've heard my share of stories about either. I know a thing few know, and die because of. We're a large group, but we're still our own worst enemies. Sooner or later someone will crack. Bawl. Scream. Demand to go on a fool's errant. Hang herself" she shot a glance at Sasha, who answered with a pointed *who-me* gesture. "Being stuck in company not of your choosing is harsh. Being somewhere with no hope is harsher. Idle hands are the worst. So we'll need to keep everyone busy. Make sure people speak their minds, and make the hard choices without looking back. Backbiting and power plays are suicide."

Jask made a short, dismissive hissing sound. "Well, lady. I for one just missed my gallow's dance, and am not entirely in a hurry to catch up." He declared, quite abruptly. The tensions immediately began to rise.

I think I missed the "deceptively" in the "deceptively placid waters" description above!

Soaking wet for the third or fourth time today, Zababa squelched across the main deck towards the ship's supply room - reluctant to approach again the unfortunate experience with the dangerous waters surrounding the ship.

"Siera, is there anything in particular from the ships' supplies we should be looking for? Anything from the Captain's cabin? I'm sure he kept some of the better spirits for himself!"

"Let's move together. We don't want anyone to fall into the water and not know about it." He gingerly steps onto the deck of the ship, trying to keep his movements light.

"The captain's cabin, the larder, and the ship's supply room were more than we could have hoped for, this is good luck indeed. Let's start with the captain's cabin, any thing that may help Alton is likely to be stashed away among the captain's personal gear." Henry suggests to the others.

The knocking sound below deck keeps Henry on edge. Still unsure of what caused the wreck, he's torn between thoughts of stowaway monsters or were-captains and possible survivors from the wreck still trapped on the ship.

"Let's load up the rowboat with all the goods that we can before we check on that knocking sound. I've got a bad feeling about this."

Henry moves along with N'gawa across the ship's deck, heading for the captain's cabin.

I thought we approached the wreck by rowboat, only going into the water to close the small gap between the boat and Jenivere.

Tshilaba smiled at Aerys, but his face was pained a little as he was trying to explain things to her. Talking to a drunk was often like this. He kept his voice low to address her concerns.

"Leadership requires either respect or fear to work. I'm already trying the former even though my drunken escapades last night have surely worn that thin. It's a better option if only it allows me to sleep at night. If that doesn't work, I can go the other route if necessary.

I appreciate your concerns, and I will do my best to address them. In the meantime, why don't you go and help Ishirou with the shelter? Keep our hands busy? Hmm?"

Diplomacy:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Somehow Jask had followed them over to their "private" meeting, and the Varisian addressed him as well. "Crazy situations make people crazy. No telling what they might do. It's a good reason to make friends instead of enemies. No one here is at fault for our perdicament, let's throw that passion of yours into something useful. I know your story, but what are your talents? Besides paperwork, that is"

With a hissing slither Varg's waraxe was yanked from it's sheath and launched through the air, spinning end over end before burying itself three inches into the side of a tree. The dwarf stomped over and ripped the axe out, ignoring the shower of bark and wood that followed. "This is what I do. I kill things. I defend things, defend people. I accomplish the mission no matter the odds. I mean to get off this forsaken rock alive. Help me and I'll die for you. Hinder me and I'll leave you to die."

Misha shakes her head at Henry. "Let's check on the knocking sound first. If it's a crewman alive, we need to pull them aboard first, and if it's something waiting to eat us, I don't want to invite it to catch us unawares."

She takes one of the oars, ready to row toward the sound, trying to hone in on it.

Perception 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Rafflesia nods at Henry's notion of the captain's cabin being the best prospect, though she gazes back at the island - she knows Gozreh has planted something in the jungle that will help Alton. Not like this..., she stares back at the tottered ship, this... dependance on man's forethought to pack properly. A wry grin at the double meaning.

Though, a small side glance, I am curious about that sound.

[EDIT due to Misha's post:] Rafflesia turns to Misha, the wry grin turning mischievous, and places a hand on her shoulder. Be it support, back-getting, or friendship, one couldn't necessarily tell. "Yes, let's." Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

"I agree with Misha. Let's check out that knocking sound. It could be someone still alive or it could be something coming loose. Either way, let's tend to that first and we can come back for the goodies in the Captain's cabin."

Henry stops in his tracks, recognizing the wisdom of Misha's words. "Yes, good thinking Misha, lets find what's making that racket first, then we'll explore the ship."

Seeking out the sound, Henry makes his way toward it with weapon drawn.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

if needed, Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Boarding party

With what you remembered from the time spend aboard the Jenivere, the captain's cabin should be the easiest accessible, without going even close to the knocking sounds. The supplies would mean descending below deck, potentially meeting whatever was making the ruckus, and the larder was closest to the sounds.

Shore Party

As an explanation: When Vargbrandr voiced his objection to "secrecy", Aerys turned around and held her little speech in full view of everyone. Had to make a choice, and including a player usually beats excluding ;)

The dwarf's thrown axe had the dramatic effect he had been hoping for - all eyes were upon him.

Rolling Intimidate for Vargbrandr
1d20 ⇒ 4

A small stiletto appeared between Sasha's fingers scarcely after the the axe had met its mark. "Good to know where we all stand, Sir Dwarf. I for my part offer you a different deal: Threaten me again, and you'll die for me."

It was Gelik who seemingly had the coolest head. "Stop this nonsense. I'm sure Alton would spit on the lot of you, had he any water to give. Throwing weapons and threats around like it's the Taldan mating season." He announced, stepping between the quarrel that was forming. "I am a gnome. Used to be laughed at. Pretty good at entertaining the right crowd, too. But this is the worst joke I ever heard. Listen to yourselves, both of you!"

"If that knocking sound means someone's here, it sounds like the larder is the closest we can get. And, if there is someone down there, you should be close at hand, Rafflesia."

Zababa - confident that a pantry, at least, should be unlocked - headed below to try the door.

Henry follows Zababa to the pantry, weapon still at the ready, just in case any lurking creatures attack. Quietly, to Zababa and the others making their way below deck, "Something made this boat veer of course and wreck on the rocks, I hope whatever is knocking about didn't have a hand in that."

Straining his senses, Henry tries to determine exactly where the sound is coming from, hoping to catch faint cries for help and not something sinister or crazed.

if needed, Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

N'gawa follows after Zababa and Henry, stepping lightly. "Watch out, Zababa. Be careful."

Quietly to his companions, "Huh, hadn't thought of that, Henry. You're right, of course...."

Perception (take 10): 10 + 6 = 16

Siera inhales deeply and holds her breath, leaning her ear against the wood of the pantry's door, trying to discern what kind of creature or object is producing the sounds:

Perception check: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

Shore party is inactive, it seems... so I'll merely update for the boarding party

Zababa, Henry and Siera eagerly attempted to discern what was going on inside the Jenivere, listening intently on the stairwell that led towards the supplies and larder. The sounds were loud, they were uncontrolled, and they were hard. Not like someone knocking for help or trying to batter down a door, but like rock hitting on wood.

A hissing, chittering sound could be heard between knocks, angry and intense, soon joined by another, overlapping one.

"That's no trapped passenger and if it's what caused this ship to wreck I'm not sure we need to meet it, but if we want to get anything from the supply room or larder we'll need to get past it. Seems unlikely that something in with the food would have caused a ship to go off course, more likely it's a local creature investigating the wreck."

Henry looks about at the others for their thoughts on the plan of action?

"On the other hand, if we find something in the captain's cabin to help Alton maybe we skip this fight and get back to shore with haste, making sure we don't need to use any healing on ourselves, or get ourselves caught by the tides out on this wreck. I'm thinking we should check the captain's cabin first, then decide on the larder and supply room."

"The larder doesn't concern me too much. It would be nice to have the food, but we can find food on the island. But the supply hold, that could be useful." N'gawa looks at the others. "But that doesn't mean we need to go there now. I'm fine with checking out the Captain's cabin first."

"Should we just leave whatever is back there to ambush us when we're not paying attention? I think it would be better to deal with this now, on our terms."

Sorry for the delay, I had a rough weekend, including a 15 hour workday today.

Tshilaba groaned in exasperation. A vein on his forehead began throbbing. "What the hells is wrong with you people? Do you need to ridden with a whip to cooperate? Acting like uncivilized brute beasts tearing at each other for scraps of what? Do you need your mothers to shipwreck here and come and twist your ears and tell you to at least pretend to be nice? Let us not resort to cannibalism on the first day!"

The Varisian straightened out his shirt and cleared his throat, trying to gain composure. "Varg, you want to get off of this island, so do I. Sasha, leaving someone behind if they hinder them from leaving the island alive is hardly a threat unless you plan to do so. Why you would have a problem with him leaving the island alive? Or anyone? I can guarantee you this, if anyone attacks anyone else unprovoked like this, it's not going to be a one on one fight."

"And everyone, we seem to have gotten into the bad habit of butting into other people's conversations. I ask Aerys a question and Jask answers. I ask Jask a question and Varg answers. And then Sasha interrupts. Would anyone mind if I actually finish a conversation with anyone? Or if I decide to step into the woods to poop, will someone else want to wipe?"

"The only way we are getting off the island is if we find a boat that can get us off. None of us can build one. So either we find one that we can salvage, or we find some way to signal nearby boats. If this place is as out of the way is we have been told, then salvage looks like the best option. But if all of you can't just sit there and let people see what can be done about that, maybe you should spend your energy building a big signal fire instead?"

"So at the very least, let's at least pretend to cooperate for a week or two until we find out more about our situation and how dire it actually is, and maybe we can try not to kill someone who might be useful later at least as a decoy, okay?"

Diplomacy check to improve attitudes: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22
Diplomacy check to make reasonable request to calm down and do something useful. 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

I am assuming Misha and Rafflesia are still with the rowboat at the moment

"You think there's a way to secure this?" Misha asks Rafflesia. "I don't want us to get too separated, but I don't want to lose our ride back to shore either." Misha leans anxiously toward the direction the other three left.

"You speak true Zababa, with all that thumping it's bound to get through the door. Let us deal with this menace on our own terms and not let it ambush us later. Prepare yourselves, I'll open the door, let's strike this thing before it can strike us."

Henry holds his weapon at the ready and prepares to open the door once his companions are also ready for the surprise attack.

once the door is open, Perception to see what's behind it: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

assuming it's a creature to attack, Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Attack (if animal +2/+2): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 191d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Zababa draws his dagger (I'm assuming a cramped ship's passageway doesn't leave enough space to use a sling) in cautious preparation for whatever lurks on the other side of the door.

In a moment of levity, though, he jokes, "N'gawa, you're bigger than me so you can go first!"

Perception for after the door is opened: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

"I use a bow for a reason, Zab!" The hunter chuckles. "I'll stand back here." He waits for the halfling to open the door with his bow ready.

Siera smiles, seeing a challenge where there is none.

Do not worry boys, I can take whatever sonnova$#@&* lurks in there.

She steps up, ready to open the door.

Rafflesia nods to Misha. "You go. I'll stay here with the rowboat. It's likely already getting cramped in there and I've never been one for tight quarters. You might consider dragging whatever it is up here on deck though."

Misha nods gratefully, eager to see what's happening. She climbs off and into the ship. "Give a shout if anything happens, and I'll do the same!"

Shore Party

Tshilaba's outburst put everyone in place at least to some degree. Vargbrandr steps back half a step from Sasha, who lets her weapons vanish as swiftly as they appeared, and turned her head somewhat sheepishly. It was Gelik, the gnome, who finally spoke. "Well said. We should probably all take a step back, and ask ourselves if the others feel not exactly as we ourselves do. Then, when we have realized we are only hurting ourselves, we put up guard shifts, have some of that centipede meat - i for one am starving - and discuss our options in a sensible, civil fashion."

Boarding Party

The door to the lower parts of the Jenivere came open with a shudder and a bang - a hinge had probably burst after that last bit of strain. Below, they saw a scene as if out of a nightmare. Blood and bits of flesh had stained the corridor, and two insectoid monstrosities were taking turns hurling themselves against a rapidly splintering door. Eurypterids from the look of it, or "sea scorpions", as they had been named all too fittingly. Clad in chitinous armor on par with some lower-grade metal ones, two sharp claws and a venomous stinger.

It seemed the smell of fresh air and the sudden movement startled them very little, since they rapidly abandoned their battering work, and turned on what they considered easier prey.

Rafflesia and Misha can join the fight on round 3, if it lasts that long. Everyone who hasn't already should roll initiative now.

Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

When the door banged open, Zababa recoiled at the sight of the sea scorpions.

"Eww, gross! Kill it, N'gawa! Kill it!"

Perhaps more unexpected than this less than machismic reaction to the scorpions, was his lack of reaction to the carnage in the room behind them.

Initiative 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

"Whoa! That's nasty!" At Zababa's encouragement, N'gawa nocks an arrow and fires at the nearest one.

Ranged Attack, Deadly Aim 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
Damage 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Initiative for if/when we get to round 3 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Alright, thank you all for staying with me despite the lengthy selection process. Here is what I have planned out:

You generate your characters, using either the heroic method (2d6+6, 6 times), or a High Fantasy purchase method. Feel free to talk to other players about your planned route, and mix and match as you like. Some of you will probably be quite similar in outlook, so these players should take extra care not to be exact copies of each other.

At the same time, I encourage you to expand your description. Since there is not a whole lot of "across the world" travel involved in this AP, most story "back home" will probably be going to waste, but you spend a (potentially very long) time in enclosed spaces. Did you interact at all, and if so, how did you fare.

I've decided to stick with the standard NPCs explained briefly in the Player's guide for starting out. If you want some history with any of them, or need further explanation, feel free to ask.

GM TerraNova, thank you very much for the invite! I'm really looking forward to participating in this game and getting to know all the characters.

In terms of coordinating character abilities and such, Zababa is basically a greedy, ruthless treasure hunter for the cause of purchasing his family out of slavery. I envision implementing this by having high bonuses in Perception, Survival, Knowledge (nature), Stealth, and Disable Device. I'm currently unsure of whether or not to take an archtype or go "vanilla rogue", or which method of ability generation to use.

I took Boarded in the Mwangi Expanse as my trait, selecting the town of Senghor. I don't recall just right now if that's the Jenivere's last stop, but most other characters should already have been aboard. I'd also like to say that if there are any other characters who'd spent a great deal of time actually in the jungle, I'd be happy to incorporate that into my background as knowing each other (perhaps small-time rivals, forced to put aside their differences?).

GM TerraNova, some questions:

How much of the UM/UC books are you allowing? I don't have anything from them specifically in mind, but it would make it easier to know to not include certain things from the beginning rather than find something and have to change it later.

Shall I assume starting cash is average?

Edit: Also, I'm totally taking Craft (hard liquor)... can't be wandering around the jungle without picking up exotic ingredients for some 'stills!

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 5) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 6) + 6 = 15
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 4) + 6 = 13
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 2) + 6 = 12
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 2) + 6 = 13
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 5) + 6 = 14

Not my usual array, but not too shabby either.

I will add my character in a bit with back story and crunch. Gotta put the kids to bed first before I can really get going with it. Out of curiosity, how adverse would you be to using a middle aged character? Also, when are we planning on getting things started?

@GM: Of the 8 you selected, are all of them playing at once, or are you splitting them into Primary and Fills?

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 1) + 6 = 112d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 4) + 6 = 132d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 5) + 6 = 122d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 1) + 6 = 102d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 3) + 6 = 152d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 5) + 6 = 15

Many thanks for the invite! Henry Walton is a shockingly bad archaeologist with good intentions and questionable means. Full character stat sheet and background will be posted by this evening.

I will be getting a profile and sheet up. Mechanically, I plan for Siera to go straight Monk (Martial Artist), mainly hitting with unarmed strikes. I could maybe also take the Qin Qong archetype to trade off some of the more "mystical" abilities that would be hard to explain naturally. Skill-wise she'll go for the more physical and perception skills (Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Perception, Sense Motive).

If anyone has any advices on monk characters I will gladly take it, since it's my first time playing one.

Siera, having escaped the shackles of her home, feels genuinely happy serving under Captain Kovack, and is generally of a festive mood. She lives in the moment, enjoying her freedom, and is curious. She has probably interacted with some of the characters, asking questions about the lands where they come from, etc.

Of the NPCs, I'd like for her to have a more personal relationship (although not a romantic one) with the ship's captain, Alizandru Kovack. I'm thinking he discovered her stowing away among the cargo and chose to care for her instead of just throwing her overboard. He taught her most of what she knows about sailing, geography, etc.

I'll give my shot at rolling the dice so I can get the sheet going:

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 1) + 6 = 12
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 2) + 6 = 11
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 6) + 6 = 16
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 4) + 6 = 16
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 6) + 6 = 16
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 4) + 6 = 13

Thanks for the invite, TerraNova! This is a nice surprise to come back to the holiday weekend some.

I will work on Misha. I will take the purchase method.

Misha is AN ADVENTURER and AN EXPLORER and I could finalize her build a few ways depending on what's needed. Current thought is multiclass bard/ranger -- I can actually go mostly ranger with a little bard for support abilities and knowledge (she's a scholar so I need those knowledge skills), or bard with a little ranger to round out her exploration skills. Not a classic sense of "optimized" but definitely will have a lot of Knowledge skills, Perception, Survival, maybe some Linguistics and even Use Magic Device (when you find that funny glowing thing at the bottom of the tomb, got to figure out how to use it, right?)

Ideally I'd like to take the archeologist archetype from Ultimate Magic, but if that's not available or would step on Henry Walton's toes, I will do vanilla bard or archivist.

As a "scholar of the Mwangi" I imagine she's traveled to many of the ports of call before, so may have had the opportunity to meet anyone from those areas -- if not even tried to recruit them for a mission or at least ply them for stories and information.

Is there anything else we need to know for character creation? Such as, do we take any traits besides the campaign trait?

Will post more tomorrow as am off to bed. Thanks agian.

Here's my first draft of crunch: http://www.disobey.com/d/2012/Rafflesia Iff.pdf. Remaining items:

• Figure out how to add the "Boarded from Varisia" trait on there.
  
• Pick a default set of prepared spells.
  
• Pick out my equipment.
  
• Doublecheck PCGen and add notes for anything missing.
  
• I know it didn't apply the +1s from my Devoted to the Green trait.
  
• Write up more back story justifying these crunch selections.
  

Hey Misha, the archaeologist archetype from Ultimate Magic is all you, Henry Walton will have archaeologist as a profession, but he'll be straight Ranger to level 6, then Horizon Walker after that.

Cheers, Adam

As a "scholar of the Mwangi" I imagine she's traveled to many of the ports of call before, so may have had the opportunity to meet anyone from those areas -- if not even tried to recruit them for a mission or at least ply them for stories and information.

If Misha's been to some of the Mwangi ports, it's certainly plausible she and Zababa would know each other as acquaintances. He's got loads of field experience, but nothing in the way of formal education which would be a hindrance when trying to decipher ancient languages, etc.

Good to be in the group! I plan for N'gawa Matije to be mostly Ranger, but I could see a level or two of Fighter in the mix. He's a big game hunter from the jungles of Mwangi itself. He's always looking for the next biggest or more exotic animal to bring down. He's going to have tanning skills, but also stealth and perception for him to sneak up on his prey. I see him as a local guide for the group.

I'm planning to go vanilla ranger with an archery focus. When it comes animal companion time, I see him getting a jaguar to continue the jungle theme. I would like to get the Jungle Fighter trait because it seem perfect, but I also could see a re-skinned Rich Parents trait to represent his past wealth from selling skins. His favored enemy is Magical Beasts since he'll be hunting them a lot.

As for connections to other characters, anyone spending time in Mwangi has a chance to know or have heard of him. He's not going to be subtle about his success as an up-and-coming game hunter. I would see him having met Zababa or Misha as he's selling his skins or if they come to consult on any local wildlife.

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 6) + 6 = 13
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 2) + 6 = 11
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 6) + 6 = 17
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 2) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 1) + 6 = 13
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 4) + 6 = 12

and now for some stats...

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 6) + 6 = 18
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 5) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 6) + 6 = 16
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 6) + 6 = 13
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 2) + 6 = 9
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 5) + 6 = 13

So, to recap:

Zababa- Rogue (vanilla?)
Tshilaba- Tattooed Aberrant Sorcerer
Rafflesia- Cleric Of Gorum
Henry Walton- Ranger/Horizon Walker
Siera- Martial Artist Monk
Misha- Archaeologist Bard
N'gawa- Ranger (archer)
Vargbrandr- Fighter?

Wow, that came out to a 37 point build! @TerraNova, I'm totally cool with scaling that back to keep things balanced, if I drop the 18 to a 16 that cuts 7 build points right there, let me know if you would like more of a point cut.

Stat rolls:

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 3) + 6 = 10
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 6) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 3) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 4) + 6 = 12
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 6) + 6 = 18
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 1) + 6 = 9

Here is the first draft of Henry Walton, I'll review this tomorrow for any mistakes and probably change up the gear a little, then I'll add an expanded description.

Some questions popped up, so here's the matching answers:

Yes, you really will be an 8 person party at first. If you remained throughout the adventure, I'd be impressed, though. Usually, you lose a couple of players for various reasons, so I tend to recruit very large groups, and add replacements rarely.

Everybody who has chosen to roll rather than buy his stats, feel free to use what the dice provided. You took a chance there, and should reap the benefits.

Please fill out your profile character sheets and keep them up to date - while a printable PDF is great for a table game, the pages will be my primary reference to your characters.

As for allowed books, I ask you not to absolutely cheese out - but I'm not going through single ability vetting. As long as its from a Paizo source, you can use what you have. If you plan to use 3rd party stuff, run it by me beforehand, and beware - i have little 3pp material, and would need to have access.

As for starting cash, yes. Assume average funds, but be aware that some of the more unwieldy items are probably going to be stowed in the hold.

You all get the campaign trait you selected, and may select another trait you are eligible for - but not another campaign trait

@Siera

Regarding starting age, I have no problem with middle aged characters - but I don't like adding a cheap +2 to mental scores while dumping physical scores even lower. So if you wish to have your first speckles of gray in the hair, feel free to add them - just don't apply aging modifiers.

Plain spoken straight fighter all the way. He was born a fighter, he is living the life of a fighter and he will die a fighter's death.

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 4) + 6 = 13
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 2) + 6 = 12
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 6) + 6 = 15
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 5) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 2) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 2) + 6 = 13

So, to recap:

Rafflesia- Cleric Of Gorum

Gozreh, not Gorum. Plant/Water domains.

Can anyone suggest 1st level feats for a monk? I've looked up and down, and most of the feats I wanted to get have a silly +1 BAB requirement (Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Step Up).

Tshilaba Vadoma wrote:

So, to recap:

Rafflesia- Cleric Of Gorum

Gozreh, not Gorum. Plant/Water domains.

Oops, sorry. I will get it right next time.

Can anyone suggest 1st level feats for a monk? I've looked up and down, and most of the feats I wanted to get have a silly +1 BAB requirement (Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Step Up).

I have always been a fan of Dodge. It may not be spectacular, but you will use it all the time, it's also a prerequisite for other things too. There are a couple of style feats that you can qualify for at first level too.

Thanks Oterisk, I had looked at the style feats but almost all need at least a skill at 3 ranks and I ended up dismissing them. Following your suggestion I took a closer look and found a couple that could be taken at first level (Crane Style and Snapping Turtle), but they are of a more defensive bent and I was looking for a little more offense. Will probably end up getting one of them, though.

I don't know if TerraNova has said anything about equipment, so I'll just roll my meager d6.

1d6 ⇒ 1 times 10 equals 10 gp.

Ugh that was cruel.

@TerraNova: Would you mind if I 'skinned' shuriken as throwing daggers? I'd like to have them as a backup option, but the eastern flavor seems a bit off with this character.

I previously said you could take average starting cash. And yes, I don't mind if your shuriken happen to have just one long blade. ;)

I've added to my profile, I think, a completed stat block. If another more experienced player (or the GM) could take a look and critique it for me, please do so. As mentioned in the Recruitment thread, this is the first time I've played in a good five or six years, so I'm pretty rusty on things. Will also be the first time I've played Pathfinder.

Still todo: finish up character description/background/AP NPC.

[EDIT: I'm Medium-Encumbered, it looks like.]

Seeing as I've already rolled the 1, it would only be fair that I keep it. Equipment won't be a big deal for me, most things will only be personal trinkets.

@Rafflesia: Seeing as you're a neutral cleric of a neutral god and you have Channel Positive Energy, you can also Spontaneously Cast cure spells. You could change that Cure Light Wounds spell into something else, converting it into a cure spell if the situation demands.

Can anyone suggest 1st level feats for a monk? I've looked up and down, and most of the feats I wanted to get have a silly +1 BAB requirement (Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Step Up).

In addition to Oterisk's suggestion, you could swap your Con and Int scores to qualify for Combat Expertise which leads to various Improved Combat Manoevers.

Siera, he said you could have average cash before you rolled, so my advice would not be to punish yourself for no reason. Take or leave of course.

Here's a rough draft of Misha. Since we've got 2 rangers and a fighter I think I will forego the dip into ranger and focus on her jack-of-all-trades-knowledgeyness. I also may redo some feats and have her with sword and buckler instead of two swords, but I like the image of her hacking through jungle with 2 blades.

I still need to finalize equipment. Right now she is a tad overladen, but that is actually about right for her. :) She's the type to want to carry everything. But I may think about ways to lighten her load. I don't imagine a ship or jungle is a good place for a mule. Maybe a hireling porter... ;) (I played an earlier version of Misha in a sadly very short-lived Eberron game many years ago and her neverending quest for a porter was part of her story.)

Her alignment may be N or NG, but either way she will certainly be sociable and a team player (I just don't necessarily see her as self-sacrificingly altruistic).

Zababa--she'd certainly value Zababa's practical know-how, so we can definitely say they're acquaintances at least.

Likewise, yes, Enchanter Tim, I can see her having N'gawa as a local contact.

Final stat block is in my profile, sans encumbrance modifiers and CLW (thanks @Siera). I've also finessed the original recruitment bio to justify some of the crunch I chose. Given that Rafflesia has been on the Jenivere the longest (I think?), it's likely that most of the PCs have met her once or twice. Here's a cut and paste of the finessed bio:

It's time to move on. I've wandered from settlement to settlement for years now, this tattered map guiding my way, with the goal of establishing new temples and shrines to Gozreh wherever I can. I'm one of his more outspoken servants, yet I've met nothing but indifference and scorn -- even the most meagre of hovels strives for an ever greater and more intrusive "civilized" niche in these wilds.

For nearly four months I've been traveling on this ship, the Jenivere, and I've seen boarders come and go. I can't say I've made converts of any of them, but even the smallest seed can grow into an all-consuming kudzu. I think I'll speak to the Captain again tonight - he seems the most receptive to Gozreh's teachings [he's just being polite to a paying passenger]. If he's unavailable, I'll try Mr. Aberwhinge again... I think he's coming around to my plans about an annotated version of the Hymns [to the Wind and the Waves].

Rafflesia prefers to use "all natural" equipment (hide not chain), but her beliefs are ultimately steered by her deity Gozreh, justifying her use of the metal-tipped trident. She's been known to get a little ... "fervent" in her missionary status, and her level 0 Entangle and Command spells have been used more than once to restrain a fleeing non-believer.

Still, she's not willing to deceive for her cause, though she so deeply believes in her faith that those who don't know her might be swayed solely from her exuberance [TRAIT: Boarded In Varisia - Mind-Affecting Spells]. Those who have encountered her in the past (a relatively common occurrence given her repeat visits to settlements) have often treated her in kind: barring her from local inns in a not-so-subtle attempt to get her to move on a little more quickly [FEAT: Toughness; SKILL: Survival].

Here's N'gawa so far. GM, what languages other than Polyglot would a native of Mwangi have been exposed to?

Without checking deeply, I'd say he'd probably have a decent shot at encountering some Elven, goblin or draconic (from jungle kobolds). Abyssal is also a sadly very real possibility, with the gorilla king's expedition spreading wider and wider.

I'll have the intro post up tomorrow night if all goes well. :) Don't sweat tying down the last details, we can start without knowing exactly how many oil flasks you own.

Tshilaba is a pretty smooth operator. I am going to run him as a CN character, but not in the insane nutty way that a lot of people like to run them. He is like molasses, a little sweet, a little bitter, fits into any container, but stains and is hard to get off. Most any time you talk to him you feel like you won, and when he leaves, you feel like you might have lost. I hope I can do the concept justice in the thread.

It looks like Rafflesia, Siera and I are going to be on the boat the longest together, with possibly Vargbrandr joining us earlier on, perhaps in Cheliax as he has a long way to go from the Five Kings Mountains. (My geography is a little hazy, so bear with me.) I'm certain Tshilaba would have talked to both of the ladies, mostly because he is personable and also because he is a young man with questionable morals.

Rafflesia he would probably patronize when she was feeling forceful, but otherwise would avoid her a bit. Deep down, he feels like he doesn't belong to nature, although he does respect it's power and it's beauty. He would eventually tell her that truth, knowing that it would be the best way to aim her enthusiasm at other possibilities. He would probably even steer her toward other members of the crew which he thought would be easier marks.

As far as Siera is concerned, he would probably do his best to befriend her. But after a while he would probably try to woo her if she were unattached to any other of the crew. Her enthusiasm about fitness would remind him of the dancing girls among the Varisians at home. Feel free to reject him as violently as you like, I just think it would add some interesting spice to their dialogue.

My statblock is about done, I am having a dilemma about picking my second first level spell. When are we starting? A deadline always helps.

When are we starting? A deadline always helps.

"Tomorrow" seems likely, given TerraNova's last comment.

Tshilaba Vadoma wrote:

When are we starting? A deadline always helps.

"Tomorrow" seems likely, given TerraNova's last comment.

I didn't see that earlier. Of course its probably because he is a ninja. Either that or he edited his post after he saw mine. I'm hoping that is what it is because the other options are scary.

For all: Siera runs a nightly game of cards after dinner on the common room. All who have coin are invited, but no weapons are allowed after the great fight two years earlier. Those with puritan outlooks check them at the door; when sailors gamble the words out of their mouths ain't pretty.

@Tshilaba: I'd rather have a "will they?" situation. She flirts back and teases but hasn't yet fallen to his charms (she has some control issues and doesn't like to put herself in a situation where she might have to relinquish that).

@Rafflesia Iff: Siera might seem fertile ground for your teachings. She respects the sea a great deal (as all sailors do) and is generally curious and attentive. The two might have spent one night or two discussing aspects of the different gods or details of natural environments (which she isn't all too familiar with). You might have glimpsed that she pays respect to Desna mostly because she values too much her freedom.

About the others: If you're willing to give a detailed narrative of your great hunts, tricks, cons or even hands of cards, Siera will probably listen to them wide-eyed and offer a foul-mouthed compliment ("So the jaguar jumped at your back and you wrestled it down? Ya're a f****in hard cookie to swallow huh?").

@Rune: On an entirely unrelated topic, why do you link to d20pfsrd.com instead of the PRD hosted at Paizo? I've no opinion about either, being newbish and ignorant, so it's more of an innocent curiosity than the accusatory tone my text likely implies ;)

No idea, probably because that's the site I use. I know how to navigate it better and have been doing that for some time.

d20pfsrd.com is, in my opinion, better organized than the real PRD. It also tends to keep up with FAQs and developer posts better than the real PRD. So you tend to get the most up-to-date, most agreed upon errata. It also has 3rd party items, which can be useful too.

What he said way better than me :)

Do we have a 'tanky' character? Someone with high defenses who can take some damage? The reason I ask is because if we didn't I could take the Crane Style feats or other defensive stuff.

Vargbrandr is probably a damage soak, but I don't want to say for sure. It couldn't hurt to have another character capable of taking hits. Looks like both Rangers won't be geared for melee damage.

I would be careful of being too defensive with a monk. You risk losing any offensive power and just get ignored on the battlefield and can't affect much. One or two defensive feats/powers should be fine. Just don't go whole hog. I haven't used any of the style feats with a monk, so it's hard for me to say how Crane Style will play out. Dodge is a boring, but solid feat.

If it becomes an issue, N'gawa could probably transition into a switch hitter role later. And at level 4, he'll get an animal companion.

For all: Siera runs a nightly game of cards after dinner on the common room. All who have coin are invited, but no weapons are allowed after the great fight two years earlier. Those with puritan outlooks check them at the door; when sailors gamble the words out of their mouths ain't pretty.

@Tshilaba: I'd rather have a "will they?" situation. She flirts back and teases but hasn't yet fallen to his charms (she has some control issues and doesn't like to put herself in a situation where she might have to relinquish that).

That works for me, he will be a regular at the table. Siera, you will know him to be an excellent bluff, but not any better than anyone else when sniffing out one. (You, likely the opposite, will find him a good match and will probably break even.)

I like the "will they" angle. Haven't really done it before in role play. Hidden crush, unrequited love, but not that. It should be fun.

Despite wearing light armor, Henry will have an AC of 17 and the ability to dish good melee damage with a plethora of weapons, so although not a tank, he'll provide a solid front line fighter for the party and allow more specialized characters to do their thing. He'll be using the two weapon fighting style and feats will center around the whip to start allowing it to be used in melee without provoking AoO and providing the ability to occupy foes that threaten the spell casters.

Boarding in Port Peril, Henry has only been on the Jenivere a relatively short time. Aerys Mavato boarded at the same time, but for all appearances they have no history with each other and their interactions are short though cordial. Respectful of Captain Kovack’s strict leadership, Henry passes the days in study of the nautical charts and swapping stories with crew members and passengers. Often he can be found in the common areas discussing geography and history with Gelik Aberwhinge, lately Sasha Nevah has joined their discussions and their boisterous, mirthful banter can be heard across the deck of the Jenivere. When not picking at the knowledge and stories of the crew, Henry seeks out the wisdom of the other passengers. Rafflesia’s teaching interest him greatly, although a follower of Desna he appreciates her insight and encourages her lessons. Likewise, N’gawa’s expertise with the jungle and hunting stories are impressive. The wide eyed and foul mouthed Siera reminds Henry of himself and his first voyages into the world. Misha, Tshilaba, and Vargbrandr seem an interesting enough group, clearly they’ve spent some time together on this voyage and have bonded. Always welcoming banter, Henry encourages Misha to share her knowledge and Tshilaba to spar with wit, while the stout, fire haired dwarf’s tales of battle are a welcome diversion from the monotony of sea travel. Not quite sure what to think of the newly arrived halfling rogue, Henry keeps one eye on Zababa and one hand on his money pou...hey! where’s my gold!

"Aye ye' chatty Kathy's, ye be talking about me without a proper greeting!" a deep voice roared from the top of the stairs. Heavy footsteps began to hammer on the narrow wood stairs and the owner of the voice could be heard grumbling under his breath at the narrowness of the stairwell. A moment later the figure stepped into a few, a powerfull looking dwarf with flaming red hair dressed in a plain white tunic, leather breeches and large leather boots that went up to mid-calf. "Vargbrandr of clan Ironheart, hailing from the great city of Highhelm! Where's the mead!?"

Sorry to interrupt the RP, but I've done a few tweaks with Misha--upped Str, reduced Dex, still TWF though, swapped a few skills. She's got a bunch of gold left to spend and no ranged weapon. If it's reasonable, I might have her just buy last minute supplies when they hit port, when it's easier to determine what they might also need. If it looks like I've messed anything up please let me know. Misha has a couple items from the Adventurer's Armory, namely a waterproof bag and a hammock.

On an entirely different subject, I generally prefer the PRD myself. I find d20pfsrd hard to navigate and am frustrated by all the source materials they cite--if you could sort by source materials that would be one thing, but they list all PRD materials, other Paizo content, and fan and 3pp content in one lump list, so it takes forever to sort out the stuff that I will actually use in a campaign from the stuff I'll never use. To each his own, eh?

IC
Misha is sitting below decks, idly rotating a pair of marbles in her hand while recounting a tale to any who will listen about how she single-handedly fought off two, no five, no seven! burly sailors in a bar in the Shackles once. It has become evident to anyone who listens that her stories are about 2% truth to 98% fluff, although she is good-humored when people call her on it.

She looks up at the dwarf's hollering. "Don't drink the mead here, it tastes like fish oil in sweetened rat piss. Fact, I'm pretty sure it IS fish oil in sweetened rat piss. And welcome aboard." She flashes a smile. "Misha the Explorer here, and this is..." she trails off, letting those present speak for themselves.

"Hehe, Misha! I bet you found out the hard way how the mead tastes," pipes up Zababa with a teasing voice, emerging from his cabin. "And too bad for you, I just finished off the last of my Zababa's Famous Jungle Spirits Grand Reserve Private Collection 4652," waving a small, empty bottle.

Seeing the rest of the gathered passengers, Zababa bows with an elaborate flourish. "Zababa, most recently of the Mwangi Jungle, pleased to meet you all and, for a price, at your servce."