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Hello, everyone! This will be the discussion thread for the new Cradle of Night game I'm running. We'll use this place to ask out-of-character (OOC) questions and discuss any rules questions that arise. Players can also use it to strategize around various encounters and to encourage one another to up their roleplay. Lurkers are also welcome to read along, both here and in the actual gameplay thread, though it's probably best if only the players post here to keep things organized and free of clutter.
For now, this is just my initial post to get the thread started. I'll be back later to talk through some further game setup details, including a few tweaks I'd like to make to the backstories of some of the PCs. Nothing too major. Just minor things to more easily integrate you into the adventure's opening scene, and to also build some existing links between your characters (i.e., some of you will have a bit of history with one another before this tale begins). Additionally, I'm going to do one more pass on everyone's character sheet to see if there are any further recommendations or concerns on starting gear, spell/feat/skill selections, etc. I'll probably put up an individual post for each of the PCs, and I'll spoiler them so you can decide which elements you want to share with your fellow players in-game.
In the meantime, thanks again for applying for the game. Now, let's get this thing started!
A brief rundown (with embedded links) to the active characters (and their players) participating in the game. I'll be posting up some individually addressed posts for each.
Ailis Slagdam – LG female dwarf bard (dwarven scholar) 7/unchained rogue 1 (played by )
Bastian Garmont - NG male human fighter 8 (played by )
Daehalya Shadowsun - LG female elf wizard (shadow illusionist) 8 (played by )
Lesska Thrice-Shamed – NG female human samurai (Yojimbo) 8 (played by )
Lydia “the Liberator” Dalton – CG female half-elf inquisitor of Desna 8 (played by )
Suetonius Voltaire – NG male human cleric of Black Butterfly 8 (played by )
Ailis & Lesska:
Following a few more adventures, Ailis was eventually drawn home to the Mindspin Mountains when her mother passed away, and Lesska accompanied her grieving friend for support. Lesska also yearned to return to the Atteran Ranches in Nidal in hopes of seeing her own family again, as well, but was still somewhat hesitant to make an appearance there for fear of how her arrival would be received. In the meantime, Lesska supported Ailis's own difficult reception among her dwarven kinfolk, commisserating over their shared estrangement from their families. Shortly thereafter, a messenger arrived from Nidal with a request for the up-and-coming Pathfinder's assistance in exploring an old Kellid barrowmound in the Atteran Ranches. Because Lesska already knows that region quite well, she encouraged Ailis to take the assignment, while also using the opportunity to see her homeland again, and possibly her own family.
As the adventure opens, the two of you have left the dwarven clan holdings in the Mindspin Mountains and you've headed south into Nidal for a small town called Almere where an Atteran horselord named Gioret holds sway. While Lesska has never met him, she knows he's quite wealthy and respected. She also suspects he knows her family, and she's curious to see if he has any news she can learn about her mother, Reeva.
Bastian & Daehalya:
First and foremost, you met under spur-of-the-moment circumstances, almost as if fate willed it that way. As a hired sword, Bastian had just joined a caravan out of Molthune headed into Nidal via the Umbral Basin. Daehalya and her native-Nidalese husband Mathion were also traveling with that same caravan on their way back from Absalom after getting married. On that trip, Bastian impressed Mathion when he helped defend the caravan from a bandit attack. As a result, Daehalya's husband invited Bastian to accompany them to Pangolais, Nidal's capital.
It was around this same time that Daehalya and Bastian started to have some misgivings about Nidalese culture, as they were both exposed to a whole new level of tyranny and cruelty in Pangolais. It was almost with some relief that they agreed to travel further north with Mathion on a "dream hunt" in the Atteran Ranches, where the wealthy nobleman kept his "summer estate." Unfortunately, the "dream hunt" proved to be a major turning point for both Daehalya and Bastian, as they discovered it was a full-blown manhunt for capturing Desnan heretics trying to escape Nidal, or, as Mathion described it, subvert Nidalese culture.
In that moment, Bastian turned on his benefactor as he realized his sympathies lay with their quarry more than Mathion. He injured the shadowcaster's Kellid bodyguard, Boss Dolok, and attempted to help the Desnans flee into the wilderness. Unfortunately, Mathion's prowess with arcane magic allowed him to summon multiple shadowy allies, and Daehalya watched in horror as they tracked down Bastian, subdued him, and recaptured the Desnan heretics, taking all of them back to Mathion's estate for torturous punishment. That's when Daehalya found her own defining moment, making the choice to abandon her fledgling marriage, free Bastian and the Desnans, and use her own magic to help them escape and avoid pursuit.
In time, they found their way to a small town called Almere, where a Desnan sympathizer and horselord chieftain named Gioret took them in. He swiftly made arrangements to smuggle the Desnans out of the country, but Bastian and Daehalya stayed behind, forever changed by their shared experience in opposing Mathion, and vowing to do what they could to aid others in escaping the shadowcaster. Gioret has occasionally turned to them for assistance in safeguarding other heretics, even as he provides a place for them to stay in Almere. When the adventure begins, he'll approach them with yet another opportunity, but a much different one that may just be far more suited to their talents.
Lydia & Suetonius:
First and foremost, the two of you have become allies...much like the divine powers you follow (i.e., Lydia is an inquisitor of Desna and Suetonius draws power from the Black Butterfly as his divine patron). You've corresponded enough to know a bit about one another's history. Suetonius has lived his whole life in Nidal, but discovered Desna's doctrine in his youth and sympathized with her followers, serving as a go-between for passing their messages along to one another. On the other hand, Lydia's family paid the ultimate price for their beliefs, and she lost her entire family to agents of the Umbral Court. They killed her parents, abducted her brother, and caused her to flee the country. She moved north across the Mindspin Mountains into Varisia (rather than Cheliax), where Desnan supporters took her in. From there, she took up her calling as a "Liberator", joining the Bellflower Network, and helping halfling slaves escape Cheliax smuggled aboard ships bound from Westcrown and Kintargo to Korvosa. Occasionally, her maritime travel also brought her to Nidal's port city of Nisroch, where she was always careful to keep her distance from the priests of Zon-Kuthon.
That's how she met Suetonius. The native son of Nisroch had already experienced his own "Damascus road" moment. Inspired by the Desnan doctrine and what he believed to be a divine messenger (his butterfly familiar), he too had become more active in helping the persecuted in Nidal. His travels as a merchant's son allowed him to venture into the Atteran Ranches from time to time, where he made contact with a Desnan sympathizer and horselord named Gioret Almere. The Kellid rancher needed help establishing a secure route through the Mindspin Mountains so he could smuggle Desnan "heretics" out of Nidal and into Varisia--the same dangerous path Lydia had taken long ago. As a result, Suetonius was able to proffer a meeting between Gioret and Lydia. Together, the three of them have formed a potent team to subvert the Umbral Court and their "dream hunters." Suetonius helps Desnans inside Nidal find safe passage to Gioret's holdings in the town of Almere. From there, the horselord keeps them hidden until he can make arrangements to take them into the mountains where Lydia then meets them and helps take them the rest of the way to Korvosa.
As a result of this arrangement, both Suetonius and Lydia have made a real difference in safeguarding the lives of those who would otherwise be tortured and killed by their oppressors. They know they're playing a dangerous game, but they're confident it's what their faith demands. When the adventure opens, Gioret has asked them to meet him in Almere for yet another mission--one which he believes will require their proven talents and dedication.
Okay, folks. I've posted my initial tweaks to your shared backstories. Please read the spoilers attributed to your characters, and feel free to ask any questions or share more of your PC's backstory with your initial "partner-in-crime" as you wish. I'm going to do one more check on character sheets to determine if I've got any concerns about starting gear, spell/feat/skill selections, etc. If I've got any recommendations, I'll reach out to you. And, once I've got that squared away, I should be able to get an initial post written for the game thread tomorrow to serve as an introduction.
That certainly works for me. I definitely thought Bastian's story (among others) would work well with Daehalya's
If anyone's got thoughts on my crunch, I'm certainly open to hearing them. I saw someone else has haste, so I may prepare a different spell as part of my standard loadout.
Neil, I did want to add a couple of my favorite disposable magic items if you don't mind, which I forgot about earlier: one poltergeist knot (650 gp) and one cathedral pit stone (600 gp). That shouldn't upset my funds disposition too much (it's a little off because a good chunk of money went to filling out my spellbook, but I can check exact specifics of what I have when I'm home).
The tweaks sound good to me. I will alter my profile in the morning to reflect those changes.
I still have a lot of gold to spend on equipment. I will confess to not being very good at equipping higher level PCs, so if anybody has suggestions as to what to spend my money on, I'm all (pointed) ears. :)
Hey! I'm excited to be among you, your submissions were pretty much the ones I hoped would get in, and there's a really nice pile of melee folks that I can do a good job enhancing with my ancient dwarven wisdom.
Looks like I'll be mostly the one covering the rogue skills, then? Perhaps Lydia can be my Stealth buddy?
As for Lydia's equipment, with only 5,000gp left to spend that leaves room for one minor wondrous item and perhaps some consumables. I'll take a quick look through the equipment and see what I can dig up.
The background adjustments look good. I'll wait for Lesska to show up before I go over it with her, but I think we should work out some kind of adventuring shorthand language and shared jokes?
Motteditor, good to be playing with you again :)
Lydia - I would take a ring of spell knowledge I and a selection of situational 1st-level inquisitor scrolls so that you can learn niche spells on demand.
Example niche spells: burst bonds, comprehend languages, detect the faithful, hide from undead, vocal alteration, and sure casting.
I would also make sure that you actually have the mundane gear that you'd like to have, like rope and a backpack and bedroll. That kind of thing.
Speaking of that, I need to buy a tent!
You too, Lein. :)
Re: general tweaks. My thought would be maybe someone (obviously with Neil's OK) wants to switch from melee to ranged? Right now it looks like we've got four folks who primarily fight in melee, which seems like a lot to me. It's not a big deal if no one wants to, it just leaped out at me a little as unusual.
Lydia, maybe consider slippers of spider climbing? That's actually a little too much considering the breakdown Neil wanted, but perhaps if you trade back the starknife and/or bow to just be mundane and/or bump the cloak down to just +1? Otherwise I might look at things that work well with Dazzling Display to see if you can maximize that a bit? Dazzling radiance could be a fun weapon quality, though that would mean you'd have to change your other weapons (as it would be +2 total, which would take almost all your weapon allotment). I suggest trying to find things that are a bit more fun/interesting instead of ones that just give you a bigger number (though I didn't really do that with Daehalya).
Oh, also, do we want to introduce ourselves a bit? I've played in games run by Lein and Brainiac, and Jacob T. and I know each other since competing in Superstar, but I don't think I've played before with OSW or Luke...
I'm a newspaper editor in Bethlehem, Pa. I'm actually soon becoming our business editor after 16 years of working second shift as a copy editor, which is a change that's both exciting and a little scary. I also do freelance game design, with some stuff for Paizo and a number of 3PPs.
I'm a big dog lover. For about 9-10 months now, I've been volunteering with a group that trains service dogs who will work with veterans who are suffering from PTSD or other injuries, which is really cool and rewarding.
I'm married (no children), though my wife is in med school, which means I don't see her much. (Literally, she spent much of the first three years of our marriage in a different country/continent than this one!) She's almost done now, and we'll find out in March where she'll be doing her residency. We're really hoping we're not going to have to move because of that (two of her possibilities are literally 10-15 minutes from our house).
Ailis' abilities are better the more people she has to work with, although she doesn't really need more than a reach wielder and a normal wielder, which is both of our fighters.
I bought a waterskin, an efficient tent, a coffeepot, two weeks of dwarven trail rations and a bottle of mead (for special occasions).
I suppose if we're introducing ourselves - I do TEFL at a kindergarten in a small city in China. I studied music education in school and I'm just barely an adult. I'm also a partner dance instructor (Blues and West Coast Swing) and an amateur writer - for example, I've written and DMed several of my own campaigns, but never published anything.
I've only previously played with motteditor here. I've struggled on and off with playing and GMing games on these boards since around 2012.
@ Neil - do you want us to add your backstory tie in whole cloth/directly to our background?
@ Ailis - some bonded in-jokes and adventurer's shorthand sound like a great idea. IRL my dad and his brother built and raced boats as teenagers/young men and they named a lot of their maneuvers after people they beat or members of their crew etc...might work for us. Also, please bear with Lesska and her relations with Ailis - it'll take some warming up to in my first few posts - I'm not only coming to grips with higher levels but also some dwarfobia...
Is Ailis prinounced Ee-lish?
@ All - I'm in the same boat as Lydia re- being a bit new to equipping higher level characters - my staunch adherence to Lesska's Kellid background resulted in dropping 7500 gold on a zoic fetish and no cloak of protection or similar, AND I seem to have 14 potions. Seems a bit dodge to me - just where is Lesska keeping all those - are there metal hipflasks those magic liquids can go in?
***About me****
OSW is a terse poster most of the time "keeping folks honest" (read "being an opinionated ass") and opining heavily in the old RPGSS threads. Lots of opinions. Like LOTS. But I'm actually pretty chill in games - been playing since the early eighties when rules were rare and handwavium was the drug du jour. I'm a dad, I work mostly gardening and carpentry for funds when I'm not allowed to slack off and build geodesic domes or LEGO insects - I'm also in way too many volunteer organisations so between the school run, chaotically working for myself and going to a million meetings I'm stretched like not enough butter on too much toast.
Somehow I'm a 3PP all to myself even though I don't really sweat knowing all the rules if they stop me enjoying the game - so excuse me if I goof up through lack of rules-fu.
I'm in a bunch of PbP's at the moment, and three of those are in Greyhawk. I'm not generally a fanboy of published settings but I do try to get into the setting for verisimilitude.
Oh, and though both my folks are American, I grew up here in Australia. We're in the middle of a crazy stormcell/heatwave where we can't do too much between 9 AM and 6 PM yet we're getting afternoon hailstorms that are smashing everything just as it's fruiting. Yay!
Checking in with Bastian. I'll introduce myself OOC once I get the kids off to school and kindergarden.
Its AY-Lish!
Its a Celtic name.
Ailis, it looks like the ring of spell knowledge only works for spontaneous arcane casters, not divine.
Daehalya, the dazzling radiance property looks cool. GM, if I could, I'd like to make my starknife and bow mundane and add that to my curve blade.
That leaves me with just under 3k gold to spend. I think I'll get eyes of the eagle, since you can never have too high of a Perception check! I'll spend the rest on mundane gear.
As for introductions, I go by Brainiac on the boards. I've been playing D&D since 3rd edition debuted and transitioned to Pathfinder when it came out. I'm in my early 30s, married, with two young daughters (2 1/2 years and 6 months). I run and play in numerous games here on the forums. I'm excited to be a part of this one now!
All right, introduction time!
I'm 39 years old and live in Denmark, where I work as a communications consultant in a PR Agency. I'm married and the father of three lively boys, the youngest of which was born on Dec 29th, so I'm enjoying a few days of paternity leave here in January.
As my fellow Jacob mentioned, I competed in RPG Superstar and made it to Top 16 back in 2012. Since then, I've managed to get a few things published through 3PPs, mostly Raging Swan Press.
I've had the pleasure of gaming with Luke_Parry previously. He was a player in my Realm of the Fellnight Queen PbP game, which I'm sure all of you know was written by our esteemed GM. That game lasted three years and is easily one of the best games I've ever run. Neil was cool enough to not only offer tips and answer questions, but also ran one of the NPC's for a stretch.
Other than that, I've played Pathfinder for over 10 years and D&D before that, both offline and online.
Fun fact: This will be my second time playing in a PbP version of an official Paizo module run by the author himself. If it ends up anywhere near as great an experience as the first, we're in fora wild ride indeed.
I like Daehalya’s suggestion of switching one of our melee warriors to ranged. However, I’d prefer to keep Bastian focused on melee, since switching would mean a complete rework.
Also, we have two characters who have Dazzling Display. It affects all enemies in a 30 ft. radius and the shaken condition doesn’t stack. So that might be a good place to find the feats for better ranged combat.
I'm not keen on changing to ranged. I really wouldn't know how to play Lesska as anything other than the adjacent protector - her whole approach is as a bodyguard with Order of the Guard, Bodyguard from Yojimbo, buckler of arrow catching etc - I was thinking as the shield to our squishy caster until the backgrounds were laid out. My brother always plays range-rs, I'm afraid it's not a playstyle I can get behind.
Although I could swap out dazzling display for a ranged feat I guess. Lesska does have a +1 longbow...
Lydia has a much higher Intimidate modifier than Lesska does, so it might make sense for Lesska to swap Dazzling Display for something else.
I don't think it's terribly necessary that any of us switch to ranged, especially if nobody is really keen on doing it.
After all, wizards are ranged and we all have a bow with a decent bonus in it. Besides, won't we be in cramped underground caves for the whole game?
I don't think it's terribly necessary that any of us switch to ranged, especially if nobody is really keen on doing it.
After all, wizards are ranged and we all have a bow with a decent bonus in it. Besides, won't we be in cramped underground caves for the whole game?
I agree. We can all handle some form of ranged combat in a pinch, and Bastian has a potion of fly in case of elusive flying enemies. It would be a shame for anyone to feel pressured into a playstyle they don’t really fancy.
Lesska swapping out Dazzling Display still makes sense, but it doesn’t have to be a ranged feat. I recommend Combat Reflexes, to have more AoO’s available for her bodyguard ability. Bastian also triggers AoO’s every time he trips someone. And if you don’t need to intimidate, you could consider dropping your CHA and bumping your DEX up to 16.
Ailis has Combat Reflexes and can share it with the whole party for up to 57 rounds a day, so I doubt it'll be a really serious problem for Lesska to lack it.
I agree, everyone should play what they want to - the main aim is for everyone to have fun, after all! I also figure that our GM knew what he was picking when he selected us, and feels that we should (probably?) be able to deal with whatever is thrown at us :-)
Being mostly melee should (hopefully) not be a problem, but in a pinch, I can give someone Fly, and from next level, I will be running Overland Flight, which should help, as well.
In terms of consumables that I find useful, I like Lynx Eye Charms, since they are cheap, and can hand out (brief) See Invisibility, and I am a fan of the Elixir of Spirit Sight, for that moment when we get swamped by a pack of Incorporeals ;-)
Other cheap items that are always useful, are stuff like Bottled Sunlight, Acid Flasks, Alchemist's Fire, Antiplague, Antitoxin, Holy Water, et cetera.
Ailis has Combat Reflexes and can share it with the whole party for up to 57 rounds a day, so I doubt it'll be a really serious problem for Lesska to lack it.
Really? Awesome! If all goes well, there should be plenty of opportunities to use it.
Ailis has Combat Reflexes and can share it with the whole party for up to 57 rounds a day, so I doubt it'll be a really serious problem for Lesska to lack it.Really? Awesome! If all goes well, there should be plenty of opportunities to use it.
Ailis' archetype trades out inspire courage for a bardic performance ability called war chant, which allows her to share any combat feat she has with her allies, or two at a time with the expenditure of 2 rounds of her performance ability.
Her build is based around sharing either Combat Reflexes and Bodyguard (thus providing overlapping auras of +AC aid anothers) or sharing Precise Strike and Outflank (providing an extra +2 to hit and +1d6 damage when members of her party flank with one another).
She also has Arcane Strike, but no one in the party except her can use it. I mean, our wizard can, but she's probably not gonna want to be in melee combat.
No, she does not. :) she’ll take some of that body guarding from the rest of you, though. :)
Also just FYI, I know summoning is a big thing thanks to Treantmonm and others who’ve touted it, but with six of us players I don’t expect to use it much. I have SMIII in my spellbook and some scrolls just in case but I expect to not pull it out very often.
Wow. I go away for a single night and this thread explodes with lots of posts. That's always cool to see. And now, I guess it's Q&A time with a few opinions for your GM to share...
Neil, I did want to add a couple of my favorite disposable magic items if you don't mind, which I forgot about earlier: one poltergeist knot (650 gp) and one cathedral pit stone (600 gp).
That should be fine. Disposable, one-use items can have their shining moment at an appropriate point in the story, but let's not turn this into a Monty Haul kind of game where everyone loads up on every conceivable counter-item for specific niche situations in combat. As a Play-by-Post game, I want this to be story over crunch. So throttle back on the Swiss Army gear where you have a scroll, a potion, and a consumable wondrous item to deal with everything.
@ Neil - do you want us to add your backstory tie in whole cloth/directly to our background?
Yes. Please. It doesn't have to be word for word. Just alter or add to your background so it supports the general direction of what I laid out for you.
I don't think it's terribly necessary that any of us switch to ranged, especially if nobody is really keen on doing it.
Ranged combat won't be a huge focus for this particular adventure. There'll be moments where it might prove a useful means of dealing with a creature or two, but a ranged specialist isn't a big need.
Also just FYI, I know summoning is a big thing..., but with six of us players I don’t expect to use it much. I have SMIII in my spellbook and some scrolls just in case but I expect to not pull it out very often.
Please don't, because lots of summoned creatures are going to potentially slow down the game in a Play-by-Post format at these levels. Because of the Shadow Plane elements in this adventure, your opponents are already going to be drawing upon summoned allies now and then, and if that gets magnified by having a full-fledged conjurer or summoning-focused character among the PCs, I worry the game will bog down too much.
Also, we have two characters who have Dazzling Display. It affects all enemies in a 30 ft. radius and the shaken condition doesn’t stack.
I noticed the same thing. And, in fact, a couple of you have other feats that overlap between your PCs. Doubling up on teamwork feats can be reasonable. But doubling up on Dazzling Display probably won't be necessary. It fit Lesska's bodyguard build to intimidate her foes, but a regular demoralize on an Intimidate check would suffice in most circumstances. She could probably benefit from taking something else...and keep in mind, it doesn't have to all be combat feats (even for the martial characters). This is going to be a roleplay-centric Play-by-Post game where I plan on featuring skills as much as (or even more than) combat. So, make any adjustments accordingly.
My two cents,
--Neil
lots of summoned creatures are going to potentially slow down the game
That's fair. :) I think I'll just swap out two of the scrolls for the two additional magic items I mentioned above. Then I'll update the back story and barring anyone else with any thoughts on my crunch, I'll be ready to go.
Yep, I can swap out DD. I won't be dropping Charisma though.
I had considered Combat Reflexes, but given Ailis has the sharing shtick I'll go for something else.
Alright, I have slightly updated Suetonius' background, to integrate the suggested changes :-)
I think dazzling radiance might be more of a hindrance than a benefit since so many of my allies will be in melee. I think I'll just go with keen instead.
Everyone lock in your final changes. I'd like to get the first game play post up this evening. Once, I do, I'd like to keep any further character changes to a minimum. Thanks.
Done.
I updated Arha, and changed my spell selection slightly.
Ready to roll.
Aside for some mundane adventuring gear, Lydia should be good to go.
Daehalya's ready to go.
I'll add the backstory bit to my character sheet sometime today, but mechanically I'm all ready to get goin'.
Same - mechanically I'm ready to go.
I swapped out Dazzling Display for Vital Strike. I considered a non-combat option, but Lesska has skills ranks across 14 different skills, so I'm pretty happy with how well-rounded she is.
Thanks for checking in, everyone. I'm struggling with a cold this weekend and hopped up on meds trying to battle it. Once my energy picks up a bit, I'll get our game thread started with an intro post.
Alright, folks! The gameplay thread is underway. I'm keeping the narrative a bit story-like from the NPC's view at the moment. So, to start things off, I've got Gioret leading Bastian, Daehalya, Lydia, and Suetonius on horseback to meet Lesska and Ailis in the distance. Feel free to roleplay a bit with one another, as you wish, but also with Gioret as an NPC. I'll respond and move the scene along again tomorrow.
Neil! I was thinking about you just the other day. I am so sorry I missed the recruitment thread. How's things? Sounds like the family is coming along fine.
Guys, I'm sure you already know it, but I think you're in for a great ride. Neil's creative and wonderful with RP.
I'll be lurking and expect great things from you all.
Thom! Good to hear from you! I missed the old PbP days enough that I thought I'd try my hand at GMing for a change. Thanks for stopping by, checking in, and lurking! The family is growing by leaps and bounds (4 kids now...2 in middle school, 2 in elementary/kindergarten). It's everything I can do to keep up with them these days. :)
Yow! I only had 1 and that was busy enough. Hats off to you and the missus.
Keep well, Neil.
I thought I'd take a breather and check in with everyone here in the discussion thread. I know there's a lot of exposition here in the early going from all the information gathering opportunities. How's everyone doing? Is the pace of the game okay so far? Any worries or concerns?
The pace is great! I enjoy moving quickly, especially through big info dumps. Not that the lore isn't interesting--on the contrary, it's quite awesome! :)
Lydia doesn't have much to say at the moment. She's just taking it all in.
Pace is good for me.