Henry sets his soup aside and idly flicks the wallet. It's little more than a scrap of burlap with a drawstring, and the edges are blackened with soot.
"Would you believe what the watchman at the town gates said to me?" Henry asks. His voice climbs an octave as he imitates the watchman. "'There's nae work fer mercenaries 'round these parts.' Ah. I'd say that he's an idiot or he thinks me one, but everything else I've heard backs him up. Even the merchants aren't looking for protection, and they're always a reliable source of work. It's unnatural, is what it is."
Nme'an feasts on his roast, blissfully too far away to hear any specific bits of conversation.
Henry Southgard places a small wallet in the center of the table and drives a knife through it, pinning it solidly to the wood. A few coins can be heard clinking together.
"Sit down, have a conversation. Let's see if the coins are still in there when we're done talking."
"Well now", says Themp while he rests his elbows on the table."Is that a threat, a challenge or an offer?"
Beorae pulls the worn note out of her pocket and checks it again, glancing up at the wooden sign above the door. “The Pickled Boar.” Well, this is the place. Apparently. The warm glow from the windows and the sound of wailing pipes above the murmur of the patrons seems inviting enough, at least. I suppose it could be worse.
Not knowing what to expect, she draws in a deep breath and gives a light tug on Shark's leash, striding toward the door. She pauses a moment to tie the heavy leather strap around the pillar furthest from the horse post, and lets Shark know that she'll be in for a while, “Down, buddy.” The grey tiger plops himself onto the stone pavement, making himself content watching the courtyard with his golden eyes.
Pulling the heavy door open, the young druid takes in the scene while slipping over the threshold, being mindful to close the door quickly. She immediately notices another half-elf sitting near the door, wondering why he doesn't seem to mind the draft, and there appears to be some sort of commotion happening in the middle of the room; a couple of humans appear to have pinned a coin-purse to the table with a hunting knife in some sort of game. Huh.
She catches the barkeep's eye and decides on a table near the corner, facing the room to keep an eye out for whoever—or whatever—summoned her here.
Finished with the main course of his meal, Nme'an is glad to have another hour or so to sit and do nothing before the start of curfew. He begins to carefully cut into his just delivered apple pie when a low to the ground, gray and black shape off to his right catches his eye. He looks on in wonder as a female half-elf ties a tiger, of all things, to the hitching post outside. The animal seems remarkably well trained, as it appears to lay down upon her command. Careful to continue eating normally, so as not to drawn undue attention to himself, Nme'an watches the tiger's master with interest as she enters the tavern.
Huh, here for something more than the food, good as it is, Nme'an notices as he observes the younger half-elf keenly take in her surroundings. He continues to watch her for a moment, more out of curiosity than anything else, as she takes a seat on the opposite side of the room. Clearly, she is looking for someone, but as it is not him, Nme'an soon returns his full attention to his pie. It's not often he gets to treat himself in such a way, and the newcomer doesn't seem to pose any sort of immediate threat, tiger not withstanding.
Bah! I read Shark's backstory, but not the stats below where the color is listed. Fixed.
"It would be a challenge. I got nothing to offer, and a few copper pieces aren't worth killing over. Though that begs the question of how much a man's life is worth."
Henry Southgard reaches under the table and pulls a bag out of Themp's reach. He then weighs it down with a crossbow.
The crossbow stock is made of an unfamiliar lacquered wood, scarred and worn but well taken care of. The bowspan is wider than Henry's shoulders.
"I was training to be a watchman in my hometown of Lucien. Never finished the academy, but I do remember my lessons on how to watch a rogue. So, we have an hour until curfew, it's somewhat well lit in here, and I'm sure we both got stories to tell. Let's see if you can't distract me long enough to make a profit tonight."
He turns as the half-elf walks by and inhales briefly. Unsure of what he just smelled, he turns back to his dinner mate and rubs the bridge of his nose.
"You first."
Seeing a serious weapon emerge into the open, Nme'an sits up and turns to take full notice of the two men sitting near the center of the room. The chair that had been holding up the more fatigued of his legs screeches against the wood planked floor as Nme'an pushes it slowly, but firmly away with his foot.
Perhaps their's is only a lively discussion on the merits of the crossbow, but Nme'an wants them, the crossbow wielding human in particular, to know they are being watched. Though not as well armed for a fight as he would like, Nme'an has no intention of letting ANYONE wreck his favorite establishment.
A playful frown flashes on Themp's face. "And just what sort of story will keep you interested? The poor, wild boy, living from rooftop to rooftop, bullied by the guards and the" now he raises his voice "half-elven street kids?" A proud, even more playful smirk briefly crosses his face.
Themp suddenly slumps his head on his right hand in mock boringness. "Now, while that story certainly has its thrill, it bores me profoundly to talk about it." Presently, he lays back and prop his feet on the corner of the table, hands crossed behind his head. "The gallant street rat, seducer of the ladies, master escapist every father in town... That is an interesting story to tell! Would you prefer the tale of the scorned baker or the disgruntled blacksmith and his devious daughter? Perhaps" he raises his voice yet again, the biggest smile yet displayed on his face "the collection of tales of the not-so-intent-on-work waitresses, much to their barkeeper's chagrin?"
Now focused on the central table, Nme'an was able to hear a good portion of the fidgety thief's brief monologue. He seems rather unconcerned, Nme'an notes. The fact that the thief, not so subtly, acknowledged that he was being watched and still took up such an open position as propping his feat up on the table put Nme'an a bit more at ease.
Still, a large crossbow was no laughing matter. Nme'an decided that the best course of action, for the moment, was to stay at the ready and wait to see what the other human would do. And to take another drink. All that unnecessary movement on the thief's part made Nme'an again wish he had his armor. Not for the protection, this time, but for the rigidity of movement it imposed.
"The half-elves are the ones doing the bullying, are they? That's a change of pace."
As Themp props his feet on the table, Henry's eyes briefly flicker to the wallet.
"The blacksmith one, that sounds the most interesting at the moment."
Give me an hour or so, this one will be very long by my standards. :D
You have fifteen minutes.
Themp tenses up for a split second and returns to a regular sitting position. "Out there in the streets, the half-elves are the worst. There aren't many of us human street rats, so they easily claim territories. As a kid, I wasn't wise enough to notice how to avoid them, so I was quite an easy target."
He shrugs it off and again rests his elbows on the table. "Now, you want to hear the story of the disgruntled blacksmith, huh? Well, this particular story calls for a little caution, so I'll just mix up the names a bit."
After looking over both his shoulders and positioning his chair in a way to keep the door in sight (and, subtly enough, his elbows a full hand-span closer to the bags), he continues. "Well, a few seasons, maybe two winters ago, I decided to explore a bit further into the half-elf turf. The Guard is a lot more present now, not to mention my extra nimbleness compared to my little kid days, so the suckers wouldn't be able to do much harm. Anyway, as I made my way around the blacksmith's house (you just don't expect me to let all that blast-furnace's heat go to waste mid-winter, do you?), I hear a calling from above.
"Now, I'm probably the last guy you would hear religious talk coming out of, but when I looked up, if the window's frame were not there, I would've believe it an angel from the heavens above calling. Her smile, however, would suit a lot better on a creature from below. The shiver down my spine did nothing to quell my sudden... er... let's say 'thirst'. Nor did any of these two stop my gallantry to automatically engage in pleasantries, of course. I'm a romantic, after all!" At which point, half the waitresses at the barkeep snort. The waitress from earlier, however, Belinda, if you remember right, just flushed a bit. "Heh, they snort now, do they? I won't retort, they remember me as well as I remember them." At which point, now, all of them blush, some extensively more than others.
"Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes, Mary. I had not courted her for 3 minutes before her father noticed a 'filthy bum in my propriety!' (his words) and chased me out with his hammer. I'm pretty sure he didn't notice me courting Mary, though, because she was still devilish tempting from the second story the next day. Now, I did not survive these many years in Thaleniel's streets by acting solely on impulse, so I forged" *chuckle* "several plans in mind on how to get Mary's... er... let's go with gift, without getting promptly killed by the blacksmith. Naturally, I couldn't simply leave my post under her window unattended, for a woman like her would most definitely find someone else to occupy it in a blink of an eye."
Themp coughed a bit. "Well, excuse me, I need a drink, my throat is all dried up. You see, I'm not used to talking for this long to anyone but a lady, and I hardly need to speak anything other than soft with one. Would you be so kind to pay me a drink? I'll surely pay you later, my good sir!" At which point, the barkeeper snorts. "Can't a man have a private conversation is this wretched place? So, what say you?"
Nme'an huffs and shakes his head in mild disbelief. He finds the thief's tale inventive, if not completely factual. It seems the human is more interested in stirring up his audience, myself included Nme'an notes, than relaying any sort of accurate account. Perhaps the loudly spoken story was cover for some sort of daring scheme, but Nme'an doubted it. That doubt did not prevent him from resolving to stay a bit longer though, just in case. Time, however, was moving steadily forward, and Nme'an was all too aware that he would soon need to head for home. One such as himself did not achieve the noteworthy if merely mid-level rank of Knight Apprentice without being punctual.
After ordering a plate and a pint, and seeing as there's nothing else of interest happening at the moment, Beorae sits back and folds her arms while listening to the odd conversation taking place across the room. Despite her excellent hearing, the rogue isn't taking particular care to keep his voice low—somebody has a reputation to maintain—so most of his “story” comes across loud and clear.
She learned early on to not let negative half-elf speech bother her, so their initial comments glance off without a second thought. At the mention of “being a romantic” she starts to roll her eyes, but gives a start at the odd outburst from the waitstaff. Apparently this guy's a “regular”. What's up with the ladies in this town? Either he's telling the truth and they're desperate, or they're just used to him spinning stories for coin.
The druid's feels her wicked sense of humor start to tingle and she decides to have some fun while she waits. Rising from the table, she picks up her glass and, with as much feminine grace as she can muster, saunters over to the two humans, making sure they can see her approach. Taking time to unshoulder her shield and backpack, she grabs an empty chair from the next table and flips it around so as to sit backwards in the chair with her legs straddling the chair back. She finishes by setting her glass down on the table near enough to the coin purse to cause some discomfort but not so close as to warrant a verbal complaint.
Almost in shock at her own forwardness and vaguely aware of the entire room watching her every move, she takes an extra moment to regain her wits. What are you doing, Beorae? Doesn't matter, too late to jump ship now… just go with it. Glancing first at the older fighter, she then locks eyes with the younger one, holding his gaze before jumping into the conversation.
“A drink, eh? Tell you what. Have mine,” she says, nodding toward the glass. “Finish this bawdy story of yours with an ending that the ladies here and I actually believe and you'll have more drink than you know what to do with. If we don't buy your story, then you get to buy me a drink. Fair?
“Please, continue!”
Nme'an chuckles to himself as all the other chatter and commotion in the tavern is instantly hushed. More than a dozen pair of eyes focus intently on the thief, leaving him in quite the uncomfortable position. Maybe a bit more attention than even you were hoping for? Nme'an muses as he awaits the thief's next move.
Henry absorbs the rogue's story without comment. At the thief's prompting for a drink, he raises a half-empty mug and waves in the direction of the barmaids. At no point does he shift his gaze from Themp's face, not until Beorae sits down at the table.
"Good evening, ma'am," he says as he sets his drink down and offers his hand. "I don't believe that I've yet had the pleasure of your acquaintance."
His eyes settle on her ears, and his smile grows. "And I doubt that this young ruffian has had the pleasure either."
Haha! Very good, all of you! The Thaleniel Throne game is ready to begin!
Also, pardon the messy first few posts. It looks like all the posts I attempted were logged but not actually posted until this morning :P oh well.
Nme'an, Themp, Beorae, and Mot: you are free to post! (Henry, I'll get your game going here soon)
If you want, you can count this exchange in the bar as previous experience, as in, "hey, you're that rascal from the bar!" It could make for a little more fun (and then Themp doesn't have to repeat himself)
Hmm...
We could finish up introductions in this thread while Nme'an, Themp, Beorae, and Mot are starting in the other thread.
And are we going to cross paths at some point? Because I was going to have so much fun playing alongside a Paladin.
Path-crossing is a definite possibility, but I haven't planned it, yet.
Re: Themp's Knowledge (Local) roll, I think it's supposed to be just +5 for a total of 11. We're discussing rolls in IM right now… :)
Getting the hang of it... slowly
@Themp: here's the numbers behind your Knowledge (local):
Knowledge (local): +1[Intelligence modifier] +1[skill point] +3[favored class] = +5
There you have it. Any questions?
Getting it. I think I'll need to revise a few of my skills with you, though. Whenever you see me on GTalk/Hangouts, would you please hit me up?
Specifically, we were looking over Themp's stats earlier and wondered why his Sleight of Hand is +7 instead of +8 (should be +3 [class], +1 [rank], +4 [Dex], right?) And skills per level should be 10 (8 [class], 1 [human], 1 [Int])?
And just a general reference recap of our conversation earlier about calculating the rolls:
Skill roll = 1d20 + [Ability Modifier] + [Skill Points] + [Favored Class Bonus] + [Other Bonuses]
Each Skill has an associated Ability Score, as seen in this table (right-hand column). That determines which modifier to use (Int, Str, Cha, etc.). From there, you look up the "Modifier" on this table by finding the row in the left column that matches that particular Ability's number, then select the matching Modifier from the 2nd column.
For instance, if we want to Intimidate, we look it up in the first table and see that it uses Charisma. We look up our character's Charisma (let's say +14 for this example using Mot's score) and then look that value up on the 2nd table. The Modifier for the 14–15 range is +2, so that's the Ability Modifier for the Intimidate Skill.
From there, we look to see if we've purchased any Ranks/Skill Points in that particular Ability, then add those. Finally, if the Skill is a favored class skill (a 'C' on the first table) AND you have purchased at least one Rank in said Skill, then you add an additional 3 points as a "favored class bonus".
In this example, Mot is a Barbarian, so Intimidate is one of his class skills. His total roll bonus for Intimidate would be 2[Cha] + 1[Skill Point] + 3[Favored Class] = +6.
Therefore, his Intimidate roll might look like:
And finally, if you have any other bonuses (such as a magical shield or something), then you would add those to the [Other Bonuses] before rolling.
Hope that makes sense (and is correct!). :)
Interesting. So my Paladin who has one point in Heal would roll something like this:
1d20 + 1[wis] + 1[the point in heal] + 3[because heal is a favored class skill]?
Hmm... or maybe not. Surely my +8 listed for sense motive is 3[class skill] + 3[feat] + 1[wisdom bonus] + 1[uh???]... well that didn't work. Help! :p
That last +1 would be from the skill point you put into it! :)
Beornlake, your description of skills is correct. Well done!
There is one more thing that affects skills that is easy to forget: Armor Check Penalty. Let's use Themp's Sleight of Hand, since that was under question earlier:
Sleight of Hand 4[Dex] +1[skill point] +3[class skill] = +8
The above expression would be correct if Themp wore no armor. Most armor, even Light Armor, inhibits movement in some fashion, and weighs you down. This is represented by the Armor Check Penalty, a penalty that applies to all Strength- and Dexterity-based skills. Some classes, such as the fighter, feature class abilities that reduce the Armor Check Penalty over time.
Themp is wearing standard Studded Leather Armor, which grants a +3 Armor bonus, allowing a +5 maximum Dexterity bonus to AC, and -1 Armor Check Penalty. If Themp wears his armor, his Strength and Dexterity skill calculation looks like this:
Sleight of Hand 4[Dex] +1[skill point] +3[class skill] -1[armor check penalty] = +7
You are free to write out these equations on your character profile, but I would prefer a single number added to the 1d20, just to keep things looking neat. The only time I would ask for more than one number will be if you have a temporary bonus from a spell or some other ability.
As for Themp's skills per level, I wrote it poorly. The reason he has 11 skill points per level is the favored class bonus. Break down:
8 skills +1[Intelligence] +1[Skilled (human)] +1[favored class: rogue] = 11 skill points per level.
For future levels, Themp has the option to instead gain 1 hp instead of 1 skill point (as long as that next level is in the Rogue class).
Oh yes, the Armor Check Penalty! I had calculated Beorae's stats correctly when I did it originally (this is why I dropped Hide Armor), but totally forgot about it tonight!
Does everyone get a favored class bonus, then (providing that they skill-up in a skill related to a favored class)? I think Beorae's skills-per-level is 7, is that right? Maths:
4 skills + 2 [Int] + 1 [favored class] (or exchange that last one for +1 HP)
It's definitely tricky keeping track of all of these at first, but I'm getting the hang of it. Writing the formulas down long-hand on her character sheet is definitely helpful when trying to remember what's what. :)
Thanks, Nether!
So whenever I level up I can assign 10 skill points randomly and a single extra skill point in the skills set as Rogue skills, right?
I'm not sure if this is wrong, but as I've played it, it would look more like:
Whenever you level you can assign 11 spill points "randomly" or you could do 10 skill points, and then add 1 hit point.
Correct me if that's wrong though Netherfire.
For future reference, since it seems that I may be taking on many healing tasks, I'm curious about wands. Do I have to buy a 50-charge wand (as suggested on the wands page), or is it possible to purchase one with fewer charges (say, 15-20) for less money? 750gp just seems a little steep at the moment…
I know I've encountered wands with fewer charges, but it does say on that page that "A wand has 50 charges when created" so I guess it's up to Netherfires discretion.
Completely random, totally out of left field, sooo not related to current gameplay question for you veterans, but just how noticeable is it when someone uses Detect Evil? Especially say a Paladin who innately has the ability. Is it a silent, invisible spell that won't bring any notice, or would using it on guards, monsters, other players, *cough*courtwizardsnamedmortimerdacius.*cough* bring about unwanted attention?
I mean hypothetically, if someone posing as a good guy is actually Jafar wouldn't it be best to know that sooner rather than later... hopefully without risk of embarrassment or insubordination.
For future reference, since it seems that I may be taking on many healing tasks, I'm curious about wands. Do I have to buy a 50-charge wand (as suggested on the wands page), or is it possible to purchase one with fewer charges (say, 15-20) for less money? 750gp just seems a little steep at the moment…
As we progress I'll be able to do a good bit of healing as well. Lay On Hands becomes fairly powerful after a while, especially when you see it can eventually cure poison and cursing and what not. Channel Positive Energy is pretty awesome as well for group healing / AOEing undead.
Since it includes both verbal and somatic components it's not impossible for someone to notice. But if you're quiet and unobtrusive it would be possible to cast it without people noticing. Probably.
The other thing is that I imagine detecting evil on a high-level character like a Court Wizard would probably have an unobtainable DC for us at Level 1, right?
Speaking of which, what is this DC and AC talk?
Not so much I think. Hiding your alignment is a pretty particular skill sub-set. He'd have to be taking active measures to prevent someone from determining his goodness. Or he could be evil. And exerting some effort to cover up his evilness.
At least this has been my understanding.
DC = Difficulty Class: How hard it is to do something.
For example, jumping over a pit might have an acrobatics DC of 10. Meaning you must beat a 10 with your roll to make it across the pit.
AC = Armor Class: How hard it is to hit something.
For example, hitting an enemy with an AC of 15 would require you to beat a 15 with your roll in order to damage your enemy.
DC = Difficulty Class
AC = Armor Class
If I equip a wooden sword and try to hit you, I need to roll a d20 die to see if I can, and that roll is checked against your AC to see if the hit lands. Things like Dexterity and armor raise your AC and prevent you from being hit.
I'm fuzzier on DCs, but it's essentially the minimum roll required for a Skill to succeed. For instance, if I want to push Shark into doing something that he's not trained to do, I need to beat his DC of 25 with my Handle Animal skill: Where I'm fuzzy is how a DC is determined in all situations. Sometimes there's a specific number involved, and other times it seems like "10 or more" is sufficient.
Got it
You might be able to find "used" wands sold for a lesser price. Whenever a wand is made, it starts with 50 charges. Potions of Cure Light Wounds are 50gp a pop too, if you're curious.
On Detect Evil: This spell does not require a saving throw, which means it will identify anyone who is evil, from puppy-kicking minions to genocidal masterminds, as long as they don't have spells or special abilities to block it.
However, as noted by Mot, Detect Evil is cast with Verbal and Somatic components, and requires a Divine Focus (see Components in the link). Verbal components require spell incantations to be spoken clearly and boldly. Somatic components require special movements with at least one hand to properly cast the spell. A Divine Focus is a clearly displayed holy symbol (which I don't think our Paladin has to worry about). Unfortunately, EVERYONE in the antechamber would notice a casting of Detect Evil.
I appreciate the in-game awareness, and the good questions! If Nme'an is suspicious about Mortimer Dacius, roll a Sense Motive on the wizard. Because of your position in the Order of the Dawnflower, you've seen Prince Titus in-person at least a few times, and it is common knowledge that the prince is in regular contact with Court Wizard Mortimer. In addition to the Sense Motive on wizardguy, roll another Sense Motive to weigh the prince's character, if he is vigilant enough to watch for evil in his father's own court.
Thanks for handling the AC/DC question, fellas.
Thanks, it's good to know how that works!
Nme'an currently has no reason to suspect anyone of being evil, and, as you say, these are people who he has been in some contact with. Besides, he has already shown himself to be highly respectful of the Court Wizard's authority, so much so that he is unwilling to exchange a few words of elvish with a potential ally while in the Wizard's presence. Blasting paranoid magic about is, of course, completely out of the question. He does reserve the right to investigate the possibility of evil should someone do or say something to tip him off to the possibility though. :)
I don't know what a kobold is... Just thought it'd be nice to get that off my chest.
Heh, it's kind of a smallish lizard dude. I think they might be descended from dragons. Not so bad, unless you're fighting a whole mess of them at once. :)
Or walking onto their territory. They're awful with traps.
I sent each of you an email to share a Google spreadsheet. That will serve as our grid map.