If you think of the Tower of Light in video game terms, the "vendors" and "inhabitants" of the tower are NPCs, staff members hired by the King or magical constructs created by his agents and glamoured to look human. Taking from "NPCs" is fair game, taking from "other players" (the other adventurers) is what might get you in trouble (with the players in question, that is.)
Always keep in mind that the common folk of Westervale are watching the adventurers' trials in the Tower of Light as a massive reality blood sport, a form of ultimate escapism. Watching you lot stealing willy-nilly from the vendors at will, or performing other similarly outrageous acts, is unlikely to get you into trouble with your Agent.
You know this would not be a bad end of session spot.....
(he said aware that Xha only needs 1 more xp to level.)
Absolutely! Let's do it.
When you reach the end of a session, choose one of your bonds that you feel is resolved (completely explored, no longer relevant, or otherwise). Ask the player of the character you have the bond with if they agree. If they do, mark XP and write a new bond with whomever you wish.
Once bonds have been updated look at your alignment. If you fulfilled that alignment at least once this session, mark XP. Then answer these three questions as a group:
Did we learn something new and important about the world?
Did we overcome a notable monster or enemy?
Did we loot a memorable treasure?
For each “yes” answer everyone marks XP.
Level Up
When you have downtime (hours or days) and XP equal to (or greater than) your current level+7, you can reflect on your experiences and hone your skills.
Subtract your current level+7 from your XP.
Increase your level by 1.
Choose a new advanced move from your class.
If you are the wizard, you also get to add a new spell to your spellbook.
Choose one of your stats and increase it by 1 (this may change your modifier). Changing your Constitution increases your maximum and current HP. Ability scores can’t go higher than 18.
Xha end of session one
Bonds: none are resolved.
Current bonds:
*Cappy is puny and foolish, but amusing to me.
*Galadin’s ways are strange and confusing.
*Father Jarad is always getting into trouble—I must protect them from themselves.
*Qadir shares my hunger for glory; the earth will tremble at our passing
Alignment already marked. Kvak
Group questions.
1, yes. We learned the king in a fink!
2, yes. Between the clay men and the drakes and the trolls one of them had to be notable.
3, no. drat.
so it looks like 2xp +bonds & alignment each correct?
Indeed it does look that way! Looks like I need to start being more open-handed with the loot, eh? ;)
My end of session:
Bonds:
Xha who considers death so valuable - he has some important role to play in the challenges to come.
Galadin is a great paladin, I'll support him in combat, he has my respect and I trust him.
Be on watch for Cappy, he brings danger to him.
None of the resolved.
Alignment:
We helped the elf and the halfling.
Group questions.
Yes,
Yes,
No.
2 + alignment + 5 I alredy had = 8 lvl up.
Oops error
Alignment XP not marked. I have not eschewed a convention of the civilized world
Race xp was marked.
Leveling done
+1 con
Advanced move: What Is Best In Life
At the end of a session, if during this session you have crushed your enemies, seen them driven before you, or have heard the lamentations of their kinfolk mark XP.
The name was just to good to resist.
Waiting on actually using the new level until downtime/contemplation requirement has been met.
Leveling done.
+1 Wis
Advanced Move: First Aid
By the way, Xha, since we're "beginning a new session" after our End of Session move, I need to ask you a question about your homeland.
How do you respond to direct challenges to your intelligence in your home country?
I do not understand what you mean by "direct challenges to your intelligence". Do you mean an insult or belittling based on a perceived weakness of intellect? {"Isn't he stupid nursey?" gotta love Blackadder} Or are you talking about an intellectual challenge like a riddle or puzzle?
Good question. I meant to tie my question in to the current events of the gameplay thread - basically, the caved-skull warrior is saying that people from your country are reckless and charge into danger without thinking, implying that thinking isn't their strong suit. Thus he is challenging your intelligence and the intelligence of your tribe. How do you respond?
Head is too full of Jack Nicholson's Joker right now. All I can see is Xha headbutting the annoying man and saying "Good question."
I just don't have anything to follow that which would be a problem.
Let me ponder a sec.....
Bonds:
It's clear to me Galadin has a troubled spirit.
Quadir and my spirit are bound together.
I have heard the spirits speak of Hakonyr's power.
Father Jarad must learn to respect the spirit realm.
Resolved: As it turned out, Hakonyr did happen to have a lot of power. Unfortunately, this was proven by the poor man exploding into a vortex of electricity when the Drakes caught up with him.
New: Xha has a mind for combat, but seems to spurn puzzles. He needs to see that not everything in this place will be straightforward.
Alignment: No dice here. In hindsight, I probably should have tried to catch the mage's soul...
I agree with the question assesments.
4xp + 1 bond + 2 questions = 7xp. Well darn.
I think I broke the gm.
Good question. I meant to tie my question in to the current events of the gameplay thread - basically, the caved-skull warrior is saying that people from your country are reckless and charge into danger without thinking, implying that thinking isn't their strong suit. Thus he is challenging your intelligence and the intelligence of your tribe. How do you respond?
The big and pretty much unconscious question that Xha asks himself before he responds to a challenge is "Is this person in my tribe?" Here tribe can mean anything from family to clan to adventuring band even to nation. Tribe is also context dependent. Take the Greek or Italian city-states. They fought among themselves incessantly but let the HRE, Pope or the Persians stick their nose in and the former enemies unite to fight the outsider.
In this case Caved-skull is not a member of the tribe so Xha's response was dictated by Xha's immediate concern not to loose face before the tent group. The semi-violent response was calculated to silence the challenge and establish Xha as a person of consequence in this socially chaotic environment. The fact that Xha's response to Caved skull could be the first step in forging the scattered adventures in to a horde was pure gravy.
As far as challenges to his intellect specific Xha follows the Heavy's philosophy: "Some people think they can outsmart me. Maybe, maybe. I've yet to meet one that can outsmart bullet."
TF2 awesome.
"Outsmart this!" *greatsword cleave*
As fun as this is to 'watch', would now be a good time to interrupt with the info on the black garden yadda yadda? I've had something brewing in my head but I wanted to wait for a good time to step in so I don't completely kill any plot momentum.
You're all co-stars in this little drama, with equally important needs on "screen time". By all means, step in, and work with one another to enhance the fiction! I appreciate your concern about killing the plot momentum or stealing the spotlight, but more players participating in a given scene makes the scene better, not worse - even if your participation takes the form of describing how you observe from the sidelines.
Take the spotlight away please! I tried to steal some food and wound up with a mini-horde. Crap now I need to deal with logistics and personnel and AAAIIIIIEEEEE!
Plenty for Xha to do off screen for a bit besides all the scenery chewing is bad for his diet.
"I tried to steal a pastry and all I got was this lousy army"
Hey Frogfoot rules question can
*Appetite for Destruction
Take a move from the fighter, bard or thief class list. You may not take multi-class moves from those classes.
be used to take a fighter starting move?
more generally do the multiclass moves allow you to take the target classes starting, race or alignment moves always assuming you qualify for the specific move in question of course.
Yes, you may take any of the moves that you qualify for (so no 6-10 level moves, obviously). Starting moves are fair game if you want a signature weapon or something. ;) Racial moves are fair game...adding an alignment move would be unusual, but I see no reason to ban it if you want to invest an advanced move into gaining more XP faster.
Right well that made my next level harder.
Was planning on using the multiclass moves to get armor from the fighter and ultimately reach armor 3 with Unencumbered Unharmed.
Having Bend Bars on the table changes things.
Must ponder
oh and trading an advanced move for +1xp per session appears to be worth it. It is basically what the Barbarian does after all. Might not be worth it twice though.
Pity we do not have the 100 coins, this would be a great time for a carouse move!
You can still roll Carouse, you just gain a +1 modifier/100 gold spent!
Hate to disagree but...
Carouse
When you return triumphant and throw a big party, spend 100 coins and roll +1 for every extra 100 coins spent.
bolding mine. You need the cash to get in the door.
Unless you are changing the move in which case I nominate Galadrin or Zim'wa to roll the party bones.
Also do you accept my answer to the race move question for this session?
Oh whoops, you're right. Them's the rules, I'll follow 'em. Yes your answer was good.
Thank you Xp marked.
Carouse looks like a risky move anyway. Hey it occurs to me that a Barbarian with Mortal Pleasures as a hunger is the best party planner. So long as they are invited mind you.
I'm reopening recruitment for this campaign - we have room and this is a perfect spot in the story to take on another adventurer or two.
Xha raises a flagon to someone he can't quite see
Dealing with a bad head cold and I think I lost my lap top. So I might be absent a day or two while I get things straighten out.
Oh no! That's awful dude, I hope you find it.
I'm expecting less posting this week due to Christmas, so don't worry about that. We'll be picking up again when we're all done with family together time.
I'll be out next week and I don't think I'll have time to post, so feel free to bot me :)
All's well here. Had to drive back to my apartment where I'm going to school from, but I found the laptop hanging out on my bed...with all my sculpting stuff too. Can't wait till the days of Shadowrun and I can have my computer installed in my head or arm or something...
Hey guys! Sorry for being incommunicado these past few days; I've been on Christmas vay-cay with my family without any internet access since last Wednesday. I'm back with a vengeance today, though - posting from the airport. As soon as I get home I'll get caught up on everything.
Hey guys. I just received word that a very close friend and colleague of mine died last night. I may not be posting very much today, I'm sorry.
*Salutes*
Perfectly understandable man, sorry for the lose.