Downtime stuff I forgot:
Lifestyle: Rich. -2 gold crowns.
Purchasing fine clothing and new weapon: -5 gold crowns
Disease!
Helps others
Old Faith
Average
High cheekbones
Common, Boatman
Prostitute??? trying again...
Wilderness, Prospector
Poor
Bag of marbles
I may be unavailable to post tomorrow.
They searched the town, bursting into the condemned buildings and burning them down. After they'd burned most of the stricken buildings, the search team started to spread out. Shen remembers being called to an old cave outside of town, where several of the villagers had already been struck down by the creature they'd found inside. It resembled a goblin, but one hunched over with weeping cysts. As it saw the fresh arrivals, the creature let loose a gargling cry and lunged at the villagers. Shen clobbered the creature once with his club, but was struck down by it's scythe-like claws.
He survived, and the creature was killed, but its effects were felt by all it had injured. Reed was bedridden for six months, barely able to move. Phlegm filled his lungs and sores closed his eyes for longer still. Some of the townsfolk claim it was a miracle he survived, and Shen was one to believe them.
Level 1: You fought to protect your community from an outside danger. You received a shiny medal worth 1 ss for your efforts.
The Spine, a nearby mountain, provided exactly the kind of thrill Reed needed. It was there, in those hills that the fisherman found gold! He had been exploring the old riverbeds that had long since dried up and amongst the worn river stones was tiny flecks of gold. He studied the rock and found a likely dig spot.
As they dug into the earth, they discovered a vein that was rich with enough gold to make the villagers wealthy indeed! But, they were not alone. Drawing by the constant clamor of their picks, a great burrowing lizard erupted from the surrounding rock. Shen and several of the miners attempted to slay the beast, but its sturdy hide and sharpened teeth cut through their bodies with ease.
Reed managed to catch his pick in the creature's maw, narrowly avoiding the loss of his arm. In a fit of desperation, the fisherman punched the creature in its side, unknowingly sinking his fist into its eye. As the monster reel in pain, Shen took the opportunity to grab it's weak point and begin pulling. With a horrid squelch and a veritable cascade of blood, the newly born warrior ripped out the creature's eye. It fled then, gravely wounded, tunneling back into the earth as Reed stood there holding the remains of the creature's ocular organ. He was hailed as a hero then and presented with a medal of prestige from the oldest house in the village.
Level 3: You started a business related to your profession.
Filled with all kinds of ideas, Shen Reed took an excursion into the mountains. He trained his fists against the trunk of trees and performed a routine of exercises whilst living off the land. Weeks turned into months which in turn, became years. He had almost entirely abandoned the village, seeking instead to refine his techniques. His practice had borne fruit, calluses formed upon his hands and feet and striking a tree no longer hurt. Through a variety of aches and pains, Shen learned about the various joints and muscles of his body as well as how to worry loose those sticking points.
He trained as such for thirty years, rarely appearing in the village, usually to solve some dispute or another. The villagers began to view him with a mix of distrust and awe, which Shen paid little mind to. Until thugs appeared upon his doorstep. They had heard he was squirreling away gold from his earlier years asa prospector and were keen to make it theirs. Not long after they were sent packing did the new Master Reed receive his first student.
Level 7: You died in a fight. You can either create a new character or be returned to life by some stroke of luck (your choice). If you return to life, you start the game with 1d6 Insanity. If you’re using Tombs of the Desolation and you are of an appropriate ancestry, you can become a revenant or a vampire.
He found that sparring with his students furthered his own abilities as well, for having true opponents allowed him to see the flaws in his own techniques. After being thrown by a particularly adept apprentice, he began to train upon his old fishing boat. The boat's footing was precarious, and in trying to stay atop the vessel, he found the essence of balancing his body. With this breakthrough, Shen continued his teachings with renewed vigor.
Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain. One night, Demons in human form descended upon the village, slaughtering indiscriminately. The students heard of this travesty first and raced to the temple, but they were not alone. As they burst into their master's chambers a demon of cruel curved horns leapt upon them. All of them died before their master, who in a fit of rage, attacked the creature with everything he learned in his years. But the horned one proved too powerful for the late Shen Reed, and the master was disemboweled within his own temple.
But... that is not where the story ends. The oldest of Gods, Father Death, looked upon a mere mortal who tried to defy him. He needed more time, the mortal said, the demon must pay for what it did to his students, to his temple. The Father looked upon mortal with eyes of pale fire and spoke, "No mortal, that temple is mine. You shall curate it in my stead. Then, and only then, shall you have your revenge." The mortal seemed to struggle with this ultimatum, but in the end he agreed to the Father's terms. It was then that Shen Reed rose again.
LEVEL 10!!!
Characteristics Health +4
Magic: You learn one spell.
Anticipate Outcomes: Your Gift of Foretelling improves.
When you would use an action, you can use two actions. Resolve each action, one after the other, but do not apply the results of any roll you make. Once you have used both actions, choose one of them as the one that actually happened and then apply any results from using the action in the chosen way.
For example, say you take a fast turn and decide to use this talent on that turn. For one of your actions, you decide to cast an attack spell that requires you to make an attack roll. For your other action, you decide to retreat. You make the attack roll and get a success on the roll. You must then choose between expending the casting and taking the result of the roll or using your action to retreat. You can use this talent a number of times equal to your Power score. Once you use this talent, you must wait 1 minute before you can use it again. You regain expended uses when you complete a rest.
Level 10 Champion
Health +5
Champion's Resolve: When you would become incapacitated, you can use a triggered action to make a Strength challenge roll. On a success, you heal damage equal to your healing rate and, for 1 round, your weapon attacks deal 1d6 extra damage.
Level 10 Acrobat:
Characteristics. Health +3
Mobility. When you take a fast turn, you can use an action and move. Your movement, on any turn, never triggers free attacks.
Level 10 Weapon Master
Health +5
Weapon Specialization: Attacks with your favored weapon deal 1d6 extra damage.
Level 10 Trickster
Characteristics Health +2 -> 31
Magic You learn one spell.
Bramble Hedge (OP p29)
Nasty Tricks
When you use your Confounding Tricks talent, you impose 1 additional bane on the triggering roll. In addition, when a creature triggers your Pratfall talent, the creature also takes 1d6 damage.
Phasing, Faerie Grace, Panacea
Purchasing a growth potion.
Gain: 18 GC and 10 SS
Spending:
4 GC on wealthy lifestyle
5 ss on growth Potion
1.6 GC on incantations (oak hide, Thorn skin, consistency)
Apologies for delay. This week has been tricky for me getting to update pbp.
Level 8 Rogue
HP +3
Roguery Talent: Magic II
+1 Power
You touch the target, which becomes invisible for the duration.
Level 9 Assassin
HP +3
Level 10 Sharpshooter
HP +4
New Totals:
HP: 42
Healing Rate: 8
Power: 2
Insanity: 7
Corruption: 3 (+1 one for level in Assassin)
I will be out of town without internet access from Saturday 2/29 until Friday 3/6. It may take me until the following Monday to catch up on everything.
Cheers for the heads up, Brainiac. Take care.