Darn, I just realised I wrote I would go sorcerer if I had to choose my second favoured class now, I actually meant wizard, Evenor would be a crappy sorcerer with his Charisma 10.
EDIT: one thing I have been considering are the creation of "standing orders" - directions for what your character would do in several situations, if you happen not to be available. I'll try and develop the idea better before the game breaks out;
[humor]
STANDING ORDERS:
Plan A) Bluff - "Don't look a me! I'm just an innocent widdle hooman child!"
Plan B) Diplomacy - "Ok fine, not a kid. Can we walk away from this without violence? I have truce cookies."
Plan C) Hide
Plan C-2) Stab
Plan D) *zooooom*
By the way, how much do you think a Stuffed Saurial plush toy would cost? And would it give me a bonus to my Childlike bluff checks?
[/humor]
Saurial dolls are all sold out, sorry. We do have some dragonborn "action figures", though! Complete with built in "f*ck up your favourite campaign setting" action!
Seriously though, mocking my ideas MAKES MIGRAINE DM WANT TO SMASH PUNY HALFLING!!!!!!!!!111one11
We'll talk of standing orders more later, maybe :-)
Evenor would go with
A) Shoot arrows, accompanied of witty one-liners.
B) Attack with the adequate melee weapon, accompanied of witty one-liners.
C) Self-sacrifice to give the others time to escape, accompanied of grandiloquent soliloquy about duty and moral, accompanied of witty one-liner.
D) Feel frustrated if no witty one-liners cross his mind.
Lockjaw would go with:
1. Hit it with his axe
2. Hit it harder with his axe
Okay, okay, I get it. Thanks for the useful feedback, guys! My migraine and I are off to plan a really awesome TPK ... I mean, adventure for all of you!
@ Keddah - just a thought - regarding your melee capabilities - you could always go ancestral arms for one of your racial traits, and take elven curve blade for some hand to hand action. Might make you a bigger factor when the fighting gets up close and personal. You could take power attack and really lay low some baddies!
Found the Feat I mentioned yesterday.
@DM Locke: I was thinking more of getting a greatsword, I like finesse melee but to make it work I would have to dispose of my Skill focus and then get Weapon Finesse, two feats to get a +2 to hit in melee... I have 14 Strength I think my Constitution is what keeps me from being really useful in melee.
If what worries you is my ability to deal damage I intend to get Deadly Aim and make good use of it. If you're alright with it I may even take it now instead of Point Blank Shot since I intended to take it as my Lvl 2 Combat Style Feat but was wrong in thinking it was an option.
@ Keddah - sure, if you think it makes sense, this is definitely the time to make changes to characters. I think deadly aim is pretty much a necessity when taking down minions of evil (at range, that is).
@DM Locke Since it's alright and to be fair I think it fits the character better AND is more optimized I'll do just that.
A question if you don't mind, do you intend the game enviroment to be mostly urban? forest? or a bit of everything? Just asking, right now Evenor would be overwhelmed in a big city but it would be an interesting challenge for him.
At this stage, I'm not envisioning much urban adventuring, but rather a fair bit of rural and wilderness, and maybe even a ruin or dungeon or two. An early storyline may even involve the escort of a trade caravan from Calimshan along the trade road in Tethyr. In short, plenty of wilderness, at least for now.
Evenor smiles I think this adventure will be fit for me
I guess it's possible the Inwe knows of her sister...informed by the church, and it's infamous gift for prophecy, but Alendrethala is not aware of her. Kind of works with the spoiled brat, vs the wise worldly sister thing.
Any thoughts?
Since i wrote that Alendrethala had a general idea where to find Inwe while the sister was informed by the church it may simply be possible that the two sisters meet along the way, maybe working with different parties.
It may even be possible that they are initially enemies :S
If it's important to your character background that the sisters meet in advance of the beginning of the campaign (That's where I imagined them meeting), then let's have the DM come up with a previous meeting spot, and maybe do a little RP'ing Vignette. I think this role-playing of the first meeting is too priceless to not play out. Inwe could always decide not to reveal what she knows...according to how this all plays out.
While "enemy" might be a strong word, perhaps 'competitive' or even 'at odds' might be possible.
Greetings all! Over the next few days, I'll be posting brief descriptions of some of the notable NPCs' you'll be encountering in Tethyr. Hopefully they will help fill in some background and provide some insight into this corner of the Realms.
Brevet Field Marshall, High Watchknight Bertram
As with many of the divine guardians' followers, Bertram was an orphan taken in by the temple of Helm; in his case, the Temple of the Vigilant Eye in Zazesspur. His parents murdered by the infamous Nightcloak ripper when he was but four years old, Bertrams' earliest memory is his delivery to the temple, with naught but the clothes on his back, still stained by his parents blood.
Being raised in the temple is, as a rule, a disciplined and loveless life; Bertrams' natural physical gifts, along with his keen eye and gift of simple wisdom, led to his training as a warrior priest and his ascension to the role of adept at the age of eighteen. In the thirty years since, he has distinguished himself in the service of Helm both within Tethyr and beyond its borders. Twelve years ago, he led all three Tethyran regiments in the Helmish crusade to eradicate the demonic corruption at Helm's Hold, in the distant north. His actions there earned him a solid reputation as a tactician and a strategist both; though the absence of those forces in the three years of fighting that followed allowed the situation in Tethyr to deteriorate and the final eradication of the remnants of the royal family to occur.
With the death of his predecessor under an assasins' blade just weeks ago, Bertram has ascended to the role of church leader for the grand temple in Zazesspur and, due to that temples' size and influence, has nominal control of all Helmish forces within Tethyrs' borders. Less cautious than more traditional Helmites, Bertram wants the church to take a more active role in pacifying the wild and lawless areas of his country: a position popular with the common people, but one that has drawn uncomfortable attention from some members of the nobility, who fear their own ambitions may be stymied by a more active church. Though constantly vigilant, Bertram cannot watch all the shadows that surround him....
In his middle years, Bertram is tall and lean, his brown hair cropped short in the fashion of the utilitarian church of Helm. His green eyes are piercing, the most distinctive feature of an otherwise unremarkable face, and few have stood in his presence without feeling that Bertram has taken their measure in a cold and dispassionate manner. He is stern, in the manner most associated with his God, but not unmoved or unkind when confronted with the plight of Tethyrs' people or the suffering of the innocent. Few have seen him laugh, or even smile, since the death of his lover, the valiant paladin Arteris, under the claws of Gethharis, a mighty green dragon. Though it was five years ago, the dragon has never been brought to account for the young man's death and Bertram ceaselessly pursues any good lead as to the monster's location. When danger is afoot, Bertram wears his full plate armor and open faced helm, devoid of any rank or insignia, and bears a gleaming adamantine shield and his mighty obsidian mace, named Guardians Fury, known to be a holy weapon and the bane of the great demon Jarguth, who fell beneath its blows during the cleansing of Helms Hold.
Greetings all! Over the next few days, I'll be posting brief descriptions of some of the notable NPCs' you'll be encountering in Tethyr. Hopefully they will help fill in some background and provide some insight into this corner of the Realms.
**A background worth of a PC**
Cool, is the background of these VIPs common knowledge or should we keep it strictly Player Knowledge?
Bah! I, Ruhk know the tiny men of Calimshan, they fence with words because they cannot swing an axe properly.
They sleep on gilded beds and make love to jewels because they cannot pleasure a real woman.
They drink weak palm wine because they cannot stomach a proper stein of stout.
They eat boiled meat served on rose petals because they cannot digest a properly cooked boar!
The info presented in the NPC profiles is info that your characters should know, either through idle tongues at the local tavern, or from dossiers that your faction may have amassed. They are also heavy with potential plot hooks and background flavour.
Also, I hope you enjoy them :-)
Plot hooks you say? I can't wait to slay that green dragon... well I can wait, but just because the slayed would be Evenor.
@Ruhk: Evenor is quite partial to a glass or two of weak palm wine
Bah! I, Ruhk know the tiny men of Calimshan, they fence with words because they cannot swing an axe properly.
They sleep on gilded beds and make love to jewels because they cannot pleasure a real woman.
They drink weak palm wine because they cannot stomach a proper stein of stout.
They eat boiled meat served on rose petals because they cannot digest a properly cooked boar!
Mmmmm... jewels....
@ BoggBear - I didn't know your character was such a rabid anti-calishite! What prompted his outburst?
Why, they live in a desert! They sail the seas, but on gilt ships! They bathe in warm water! There is a reason my people call them "milkmen".
Haha mostly just joking, but of course, Ruhk is going to start out pretty narrow minded, seeing differences from his own people as weaknesses until he learns better.
Just imagine what he would think about the Turmish! "As square as a Turmish beard" indeed! Haha.
At this stage, I'm not envisioning much urban adventuring, but rather a fair bit of rural and wilderness, and maybe even a ruin or dungeon or two. An early storyline may even involve the escort of a trade caravan from Calimshan along the trade road in Tethyr. In short, plenty of wilderness, at least for now.
Not a problem, i know a lot about wilderness, nature and dungeon alike.
@ Gandal - I hope my answer earlier about your wizards' spellbook was satisfactory?
I guess it's possible the Inwe knows of her sister...informed by the church, and it's infamous gift for prophecy, but Alendrethala is not aware of her. Kind of works with the spoiled brat, vs the wise worldly sister thing.
Any thoughts?
Since i wrote that Alendrethala had a general idea where to find Inwe while the sister was informed by the church it may simply be possible that the two sisters meet along the way, maybe working with different parties.
It may even be possible that they are initially enemies :SIf it's important to your character background that the sisters meet in advance of the beginning of the campaign (That's where I imagined them meeting), then let's have the DM come up with a previous meeting spot, and maybe do a little RP'ing Vignette. I think this role-playing of the first meeting is too priceless to not play out. Inwe could always decide not to reveal what she knows...according to how this all plays out.
While "enemy" might be a strong word, perhaps 'competitive' or even 'at odds' might be possible.
Yeah, i would like to play thru it too. Only i was thinking that usually mages don't wander alone since they need a tank in front of them. From Athkatla to Tethyr Alendrethala surely searched someone to travel with, maybe a caravan with guards, or another adventuring party in need of a mage.
Yes, this definitevily makes for an interesting beginning.
Ruhk will also use a spellbook, and as long as we sometimes capture enemy spellbooks, scrolls or just simply have time to expand our own by buying spells and such it's ok if the occasional bandit get's wise and grabby.
@ Gandal - I hope my answer earlier about your wizards' spellbook was satisfactory?
Perfectly :-) as i figured.
Of course i'm the first one to take in account that the spellbook may be targeted, that is part of the role of my char.To think that back then (when my wizard could not manage to hold his book more than few hours at the time) the GM kept saying "Non è colpa mia, se tu non giochi in modo da proteggere il tuo libro io faccio agire i PNG di conseguenza" (from Italian "Not my fault, if you don't care about your own spellbook i just make NPCs act accordingly")
Edit: already bought a backup spellbook (still blank of course)
Ok, gear fully purchased and ready for review.
@ Balodek - he looks ready to go! I feel a bit bad that you can't take advantage of the armored swiftness feature at 2nd level, as dwarves already move their regular land speed in armor. We should talk about that.
We should also get a prologue going for this guy. Amidst all the talk of your upcoming nuptials, I had made a comment about roleplaying your characters funeral - a common trope in real life and fantasy warrior subcultures, where one "dies" upon induction so they don't have to worry about it later. However, given your characters possible outcast status, I'm not sure if that's really where we'd want to go. What are your thoughts?
He'll still get up to 30 feet eventually, so normal Dwarf Barbarian speed only with heavier armor, which is nice.
I think role-playing his funeral would be perfect. My idea is he got inducted into the Battleragers and at some point lost control and killed somebody close to him. I was picturing him being given one last chance to remain in Dwarven society as a Battlerager, and this was the last straw that saw him thrown into exile.
@ Balodek - It just concerns me that the archetype you chose now eliminates a class feature without giving anything in return - uncanny dodge is gone, and you move no faster with the replacement 2nd level ability. If you wish, you can take uncanny dodge at 2nd level; the rest of the archtypes' trade-offs will remains the same. Given that this is a special circumstance, I feel it fits the spirit of the rules for archetypes, where each trade-off is supposed to provide an equally useful new ability.
For my standing orders.....any chance Alendrethala can learn the Doragon Surave (dragon slave) spell of Rina Inverse (from The Slayers anime series-super huge manga/anime fan here) :D
@plan A - Dragon Slave
@plan B - Dragon Slave
@plan C - Dragon Slave
@plan D - think you got it by now
No no, something more humiliating for the enemy, like the fowl spell from NwN2.
@ Gandal, all - okay, okay, I get it, forget the standing orders. I'll make, let's say, more "interesting" choices for your characters should you miss a turn in combat :-)
Hey now, I was being 100% serious. :D
Or i'll be happy with just a spell version of the Modular Wave Motion cannon of the space-battleship Yamato (from Uchu Senkan Yamato)
Or spells like Helloween or Megadeth of Dark Scheider (from Kazushi Hagiwara's Bastards)
OK seriously now :P
When i'm GMing a table game i always ask the players to tell me what their PCs should do/act in case i have to run them when the player is absent, so i understand if you have the same need.
Awaiting more news about this idea.
I think that although we're joking about it Standing Orders are actually a good idea for a PbP. Once you explain us how you want them done we will probably come with a more serious alternative *wink*
There really is a spell version of the Yamato gun, those that have played Planescape Torment know what I mean.
A question on party roles.
Who is going to be the main "face" for this party?
Alendrethala is cute and curious, and she has some diplomacy, but she isn't a party animal, and usually she is lost in her thoughts to really influence others, but surely she can do something in this regard.
Evenor is out of his element when treating with people outside the traditional elven society so he would make a poor face for the party. That said, his direct and naive personality may endear him with good aligned NPC's
Just checking, we are suposed to have a Paladin too right? They make pretty good faces, as do Rogues and in a pinch, Clerics.
I'd say we have enough to choose from.
I think that although we're joking about it Standing Orders are actually a good idea for a PbP. Once you explain us how you want them done we will probably come with a more serious alternative *wink*
*Ditto*
It was jest, good sir, not mockery. And though an attempt at humor... not exactly all that different from my actual "battle plan"...
Fear not, friends and colleagues, I'm not actually that thin skinned :-) I would like to get a sense of what your characters would do in common combat situations, just in case I need to jump in to keep things moving, but overly formalizing it does seem a little silly in hindsight.
As for the party face, there's at least a couple of characters who could fit that bill, though I like it best when such things develop naturally during the course of the game. For my part, I like to try and make sure each character gets some social time with NPCs, whether it is their strength or not.
I'd say that staying at the back raining arrows over his enemies would be Evenor's preferred combat method, if he saw his allies being overwhelmed or any of the spellcasters threatened he would change to melee... right now prefering his longsword, in the future maybe with a greatsword or similar weapon.
Just checking, we are suposed to have a Paladin too right? They make pretty good faces, as do Rogues and in a pinch, Clerics.
I'd say we have enough to choose from.
Yeah I am the paladin, I am a paladin of Helm though, we are not known for our social skills. I do have diplomacy though if needed.
Argrum Blackspear, noted bandit chieftan
Little is known of Argrum Blackspear, though many rumours and tales surround this shadowy figure. First, the facts: Argrum is a half-orc, his mother taken against her will in an orcish raid on the small farming village of Heathervale, east of Zazesspur and south of the starspire mountains.
Unlike many known half breeds, Argrum can pass for human; notable features that betray his father's ancestry include a grayish cast to his skin, pronounced canine teeth and eyes that glow red in the dark. In combat, Argrum has proven to be a dangerous foe, felling several knights from Tethyrs' many noble orders with his black yew bow, which is said to be the bane of men. In hand to hand combat, Argrum favours his broadsword, wielding a poisoned dagger in his left hand. This poison, a paralytic, enabled him to defeat and capture noted cavalier Evantha Haresdown, known for her skill and courage in battle. Her order, the errant knights of the sacred aster, have posted a large reward for her return, though if she yet lives, Argrum has shown no sign of relinquishing his hard won prize.
While his childhood is unknown, Argrum first came to authorities' attention five years ago as the leader of an organized, swift striking bandit group which terrorized the trade road between Sarahkhan and Marakir. His actions have shown him to be both intelligent and cunning; his choice of targets also lends credibility to the rumour that he is well connected to the thieves' guild in Saharkhan, and is being provided with good information as to which caravans are rich and which may be traps. His attempts at bringing the Zazesspur thieves guild into his pocket have failed, however; the guildmistress has repeatedly rebuffed his attempts, and has actually provided authorities with information as to Argrums' whereabouts and activities.
Argrum is also said to be trying to expand his rule to other bandit groups as well; a dangerous development that could further destabilize Tethyr. Other rumours claim that Argrum has made connections with the orcish tribes in the starspire mountains, and that his skill at arms and proven cunning have won him many supporters in the vicious orcish tribes of the region. He remains at large and is exceedingly dangerous.
Yeah I am the paladin, I am a paladin of Helm though, we are not known for our social skills. I do have diplomacy though if needed.Just checking, we are suposed to have a Paladin too right? They make pretty good faces, as do Rogues and in a pinch, Clerics.
I'd say we have enough to choose from.
Poor Helmites! I'm not sure where they got this reputation as having poor social skills from. Forget the screwjob done to Helm from the Maztica series of novels; they're not going to be canon to this setting. I don't think dealing with a Helmish paladin would be any better or worse than a Tormish or Tyrran one; in fact, given that the followers of Tyr are known for their inflexibility (and for their nickname "tyrants" used behind their backs) they may actually be worse.
Still, play him as you want him, keeping in mind you've got a pretty good charisma and some points invested in diplomacy. Just don't be surprised if the Helmites you encounter aren't the least socially aware characters you are likely to encounter.
Poor Helmites! I'm not sure where they got this reputation as having poor social skills from. Forget the screwjob done to Helm from the Maztica series of novels; they're not going to be canon to this setting. I don't think dealing with a Helmish paladin would be any better or worse than a Tormish or Tyrran one; in fact, given that the followers of Tyr are known for their inflexibility (and for their nickname "tyrants" used behind their backs) they may actually be worse.
Still, play him as you want him, keeping in mind you've got a pretty good charisma and some points invested in diplomacy. Just don't be surprised if the Helmites you encounter aren't the least socially aware characters you are likely to encounter.
I think it is because they try to be like Helm. Now from what I have read Helm is not the most social guy around.
Inwe has a pretty good charisma, but her sect comes across as more mysterious, and "out there", so I'm not sure how good she'd be speaking with people in a normal situation. With her god's gift for prophecy, and foretelling, she would probably just confuse whoever she was talking too. Still if a pretty smile, and whimsical attitude would help she would be the girl.
I think it is because they try to be like Helm. Now from what I have read Helm is not the most social guy around.Poor Helmites! I'm not sure where they got this reputation as having poor social skills from. Forget the screwjob done to Helm from the Maztica series of novels; they're not going to be canon to this setting. I don't think dealing with a Helmish paladin would be any better or worse than a Tormish or Tyrran one; in fact, given that the followers of Tyr are known for their inflexibility (and for their nickname "tyrants" used behind their backs) they may actually be worse.
Still, play him as you want him, keeping in mind you've got a pretty good charisma and some points invested in diplomacy. Just don't be surprised if the Helmites you encounter aren't the least socially aware characters you are likely to encounter.
He's a ... little withdrawn, true. Keep in mind that a cheerful, happy fellow can be just as effective a guardian as a sullen, quiet chap. Both can follow Helms' ethos and be in good standing with their God.
Still, from what I've heard, get a few drinks into Helm and lets say, "the vault doors open" if you know what I mean. (Seinfeld reference, sorry to any who never watched that great show)