Hellknight Hill: Bumblebrashers! (Inactive)

Game Master Joana

Hero Points: Darla * Des * Drake * Gellius * Gethric *
the Bumblebrashers' map


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Players selected for this campaign are:

  • Mark Sweetman (Gethric Orted, halfling rogue, local scion)
  • Iff (goblin cleric, haunting vision)
  • Steve Geddes (human fighter, Hellknight historian)
  • Ever_anon (Aronida, halfling ranger, emancipated)
  • Profession Smith 6 ranks (Darla Uskwold, human bard, local scion)


  • Either Gethric or Darla might consider changing to another background, since you're both local scions, if there's another that appeals to either of you. Backgrounds from the CRB are fair game, since you both already have a good reason to be in town.


    Yay! Thanks, Joana (and sympathies on your selection stress!)

    I'll get started fleshing out my character properly tonight - I've got a pretty clear handle on background and what he's doing and so forth, but haven't put much thought into the mechanics of it all.

    Are you happy for me to utilise the rolling-for-stats method? FWIW, this is really just a "see how it works" kind of thing, so I'm not hugely attached to method if it's just one more thing you'd rather not have to deal with.


    Male Halfling Rogue 2 (Thief) 26/26 HP

    Greetings one and greetings all - thanks be to Joana for the selection, and hopefully us Bumblebrashers have a good time :)

    With respect to Local Scion - I'm happy to either hold or change depending on what Profession Smith 6 ranks would prefer? Also Joana, would it be acceptable to have two Scions? or would you prefer only a single?

    I've worked half-a-way through the character creation, however have noted that Joana wanted to walk through creation here. Did you have a particular presentation in mind for that?

    Current Choices:
    Ancestry: Halfling, Heritage: Gutsy, Feat: Halfling Weapon Familiarity
    Class: Rogue, Racket: Thief, Feat: Nimble Dodge
    Skills: Stealth, Thievery, TBC
    Skill Feat: Snare Crafting? / Terrain Stalker?


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    So glad you're here, Steve! Everyone else who's checked into the recruitment thread so far wasn't selected, and I'm feeling terribly guilty for disappointing them. :(

    Let's go with the dice-rolling option as listed in the book (4d6, drop lowest) and see what you end up with. If it's notably higher or lower than the standard method yields, we might go back to ABC character building to keep the party roughly on the same page.


    Hey, Mark! Steve is a fellow Aussie, so say hi!

    I don't mind having two local scions; I just wanted to give you the option of switching if you'd like to cover more lore ground. I guess this gives the party two chances at Breachill lore rolls so you'll know all the town secrets. Unfortunately for him, the truth seeker is in the other thread. ;)

    You don't have to slow down for me, if you know what you're doing in character creation. I just still find it confusing so I didn't want to deal with going over the numbers for 40 PCs in the recruitment thread.

    I'm not really sure why I get point buy but balk at ABC. I think it's because if I want to make, say, a sorcerer, I know I can buy my Cha up to 18, then pick my next most desired stat and my next and see how high I can get them, but with the new method, I can't go in order of priority but have to work in several steps and figure out which abilities I can raise when.

    Just let me know, I guess, where your free boosts are going at which level so I can follow along.


    Thank you for wanting to run two tables. I'm really happy to be selected. Will have the framework for the character drawn up later today.

    Did you mean dice rolling for all of us, or just Steve since he asked about it? (My personal preference would be the standard method from the book for my character, but I don't mind others rolling the dice.)

    Edit: just to say that I would go along with dice rolling, if that's what you/we want for the entire group.


    Male Halfling Rogue 2 (Thief) 26/26 HP
    Joana wrote:
    Hey, Mark! Steve is a fellow Aussie, so say hi!

    Heh - I can go one better and even break out a g'day :P

    G'day Steve! - I am currently frigidly frozen down/up in our nation's capital.

    I kinda like the ABC stat gen, so will walk through it later tonight (when I've got my PDFs open and ready) and make sure to show the trail of crumbs for each of the stats.


    Iff wrote:
    Did you mean dice rolling for all of us, or just Steve since he asked about it? (My personal preference would be the standard method from the book for my character, but I don't mind others rolling the dice.)

    No, not at all. Steve, in particular, wanted to try the optional dice-rolling method (he PMed me about it earlier), but no one else has to do it.


    Hi folks! Checking in briefly before heading off to bed.

    First, thank you Joana for selecting me! I'm also excited to be playing with a group of new players, several of whom I recognize from my 3+ years on these forums. I'm pretty sure Mark's the only one I've played with previously (currently piratin' throughout Freeport and the Shackles) and I look forward to learning the new rules with you all.

    To be honest, I created my submission mainly from the Hellknight Hill Player's Guide, so her backstory is heavily dependent on the Local Scion background. While I have the 2E CRB pdf, I'm getting a hard copy delivered later today, so I'll sit back and flip through the bard stuff to see if there's another background I might switch to.


    Male Human
    Joana wrote:
    I'm not really sure why I get point buy but balk at ABC. I think it's because if I want to make, say, a sorcerer, I know I can buy my Cha up to 18, then pick my next most desired stat and my next and see how high I can get them, but with the new method, I can't go in order of priority but have to work in several steps and figure out which abilities I can raise when.

    Weird that I post in this thread before the one that I am actually in, but an Android app called Pathbuilder 2E might give you a hand with ability bonus distributing. I find it pretty neat.


    Gethric Orted wrote:
    Joana wrote:
    Hey, Mark! Steve is a fellow Aussie, so say hi!

    Heh - I can go one better and even break out a g'day :P

    G'day Steve! - I am currently frigidly frozen down/up in our nation's capital.

    I kinda like the ABC stat gen, so will walk through it later tonight (when I've got my PDFs open and ready) and make sure to show the trail of crumbs for each of the stats.

    G'day Mark. Quiet, little Adelaide here - seems cold to me, but we have nothing on Canberra. :p


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    Male Halfling Rogue 2 (Thief) 26/26 HP

    Nothing wrong with the spiritual home of Farmer's Union, the Balfour's custard tart and Giant Twins. When a wee lad I was also partial to a can of Fruita... though I realise my folly in older age.


    Joana wrote:
    Iff wrote:
    Did you mean dice rolling for all of us, or just Steve since he asked about it? (My personal preference would be the standard method from the book for my character, but I don't mind others rolling the dice.)
    No, not at all. Steve, in particular, wanted to try the optional dice-rolling method (he PMed me about it earlier), but no one else has to do it.

    Just a comment on that - I know it bugs some people and this was really just an experiment (my instinct is that stat discrepancies between PCs in PF2 won't matter as much as in PF1 and I'd kind of like to see if that's true). If the other players would rather I go with ABC, I'd be happy to go that route too. (I'm just something of an old fuddy-duddy - I find the injection of some randomness spurs my character concept somewhat. It's hardly essential though).

    I'll roll them up when I get home to begin thinking, but please do let me know if any of you would rather I play a bit more normal. :/


    Rolls:
    4d6 - 3 ⇒ (3, 4, 3, 5) - 3 = 12
    4d6 - 4 ⇒ (4, 4, 5, 6) - 4 = 15
    4d6 - 3 ⇒ (3, 4, 3, 4) - 3 = 11
    4d6 - 1 ⇒ (6, 5, 5, 1) - 1 = 16
    4d6 - 2 ⇒ (2, 2, 2, 6) - 2 = 10
    4d6 - 3 ⇒ (4, 3, 5, 5) - 3 = 14

    That gives me a total stat array of 82 including the two boosts to come (although the two odd numbers are probably of no effect, so I guess it's effectively 80).

    Compared to the ABC method of 78.

    My Ancestry is human which grants me one free boost (to dexterity, which will receive the 16 roll, ending at 18).

    Background is Hellknight Historian which will grant a boost to intelligence (I'll allocate the 12 there, ending at 14).

    That will give me:

    Str - 14
    Dex - 18
    Con - 15
    Int - 14
    Wis - 10
    Cha - 11


    Just for fun, I'll go through the ABC process:

    ABC:
    Ancestry boosts - Dex and Int
    Background boosts - Dex and Int
    Class Boost - Dex
    Four Free Boosts - Str, Dex, Con, Wis

    Str - 12
    Dex - 18
    Con - 12
    Int - 14
    Wis - 12
    Cha - 10

    Interesting - it didn't make a lot of difference - by rolling I could concentrate my scores a little more.

    Let me know, Joana. I'll continue using the rolled numbers but, to be honest, I'd be just as happy with these "normal" ABC stats if you want to keep the experimental stuff as minimal as possible. It didn't seem to matter to me in PF2 the way it does in other games.


    Male (He/Him) Human Fighter: 2 | HP: 32 (32) | AC: 19 | F+8 R+10 W+6 | Perception: +6

    Steve Geddes's PC - Gellius Tauranor of a famous trading family in Correntyn. Here are the choices I've made during character generation. I'll begin populating his profile shortly.

    Ancestry - Human
    Ability boost to Dexterity.
    Languages – Taldane, Dwarvish, Infernal (Uncommon)
    Skilled Heritage - Lore (Castellan)
    Ancestry Feat – Natural Ambition granting a 1st Level Fighter Feat – Double Slice

    Background – Hellknight Historian
    Ability boost to Intelligence.
    Trained in Society Skill
    Trained in Lore (Architecture)
    Courtly Graces Skill Feat

    Class - Fighter
    Trained in Acrobatics
    Trained in Stealth
    Trained in Athletics
    Trained in Arcana
    Trained in Occultism
    Trained in Religion
    Feat – Exacting Strike


    Male (He/Him) Human Fighter: 2 | HP: 32 (32) | AC: 19 | F+8 R+10 W+6 | Perception: +6

    The only "ask your DM" things I took were:

    1. Infernal (Uncommon) as a language. He was from a Hellknight Order before basically dropping out to come here and try to found a NG equivalent. Infernal seemed to be an obvious side effect of his training with Hellknights. Let me know what you think.

    2. I took a second Lore skill - Castellan as it kind of ties in with the direction he's looking to go. Namely, finding someone to be the head of this new order he plans to found in the Citadel while Gellius keeps the castle and estate running in the background. This is presumably going to be mainly useful during Downtime. Let me know if this sounds okay.

    I also took a bunch of "knowledge" skills but he still has stealth, acrobatics, athletics, so I don't think he's going to be useless - just more bookish than the average fighter.


    Here's the basic choices for my goblin character, and the thought process behind it. My primary choice still to be made is between Cloistered Cleric and Warpriest. We have a fighter and a rogue already, and we're a bit light on casters. That means I'm drawn more to Cloistered cleric. The lack of armor is a bit scary (especially when I view her as being the slightest bit careless), but I think that's manageable. I want a good Wis and Cha, so I wouldn't have a lot of points to put in Str/Dex anyway for melee.

    Stats
    - I want Wis 16 and Cha 14. The rest should go to Dex for defenses and some others to round out the character.
    Ancestry: +2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Wis, +2 Wis.
    Background: +2 Dex, +2 Wis
    Class: +2 Wis
    Free: +2 Con, +2 Int, +2 Wis, +2 Cha.
    Result: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 14.

    Ancestry choices
    For my heritage, I initially looked at Charhide, to tie in with the Haunting Vision background. However, it seems more fitting to have fire be something of a weakness for her, rather than something she's learned to deal with. Instead, I'll go with Razortooth goblin, giving me a decent backup weapon that works with my high Dexterity.
    For my ancestry feat, I'll pick Goblin lore. I like having a good selection of skills, and having Goblin Lore seems especially fitting for the adventure we're going on.

    Background
    No choices here, besides stats. I get Trained in Religion and Dahak Lore. (Religion overlaps with the skill Training from cleric, which means I'll have an extra free choice at that time). Also, I get the Student of the Canon skill feat.

    Class
    I had already picked Desna as a deity, and decided on cloistered cleric. This gives me Acrobatics, a healing font (3/day), and Domain Initiate. Desna gives a choice of four domains, with focus spells of various nature. At this moment, I'm drawn to the dream domain which gives the Sweet dream focus spell.

    Skills
    So far, I'm trained in Nature, Stealth, Goblin Lore, Religion, Dahak Lore, and Acrobatics. To round out the list, I have four extra choices. I'd like to pick up Medicine and Diplomacy. Craft seems worthwhile as well. That leaves one open, depending on what we're lacking as a group. I could see Deception and Intimidation working, as might Thievery, or additional Lore skills.

    Spells
    I can swap spells around on a daily basis, but it seems useful to have a list of go-to spells for getting a grip on the character.
    Cantrips (5): Daze, Divine Lance, Guidance, Light, Prestidigitation, Shield, Stabilize.
    1st level (2): Bless, Fear, Sleep, Ray of enfeeblement, Heal (free from healing font), Create water (possibly on scroll, due to her relation with fire)

    Thoughts?


    Male Halfling Rogue 2 (Thief) 26/26 HP

    Attributes:
    Str: 10 -2 Anc = 8
    Dex: 10 +2 Anc +2 Back +2 Class +2 Free = 18
    Con: 10 +2 Anc +2 Free = 14
    Int: 10 +2 Free = 12
    Wis: 10 +2 Class = 12
    Cha: 10 +2 Back +2 Free = 14

    Str: 8, Dex: 18, Con: 14, Int: 12, Wis: 12, Cha: 14

    Skills: Stealth, Thievery, Crafting, Lore: Breachill, Deception, Diplomacy, Society, Survival, 4 more...

    Looks like we're shaping up to be a pretty stealthy / Dex focused lot. Gethric will be focusing on going toe to toe in melee if Aronida wanted to go ranged? - or we can have three dexterous frontliners :)

    Reference Bits:
    Ancestry: Halfling
    HP: 6, Size: Small, Speed: 25ft
    Ability Boosts: Dex, Wis, free = Str
    Ability Flaw: Str
    Languages: Common, Halfling + Elvish
    Keen Eyes: +2 circumstance on Seek action to find hidden or undetected creatures within 30 feet of you. When you target an opponent that is concealed from you or hidden from you, reduce the DC of the flat check to 3 for a concealed target or 9 for a hidden one.
    Heritage: Gutsy - success on a saving throw against an emotion effect, you get a critical success instead.
    Feat: Halfling Weapon Familiarity - trained proficiency with the sling, halfling sling staff, and shortsword. Gain access uncommon halfling weapons. Martial halfling weapons are simple weapons, and advanced halfling weapons are martial weapons.

    Background: Local Scion
    Ability Boosts: Con or Cha, free = Dex
    Trained in Crafting skill and the Breachill Lore skill.
    Gain Specialty Crafting skill feat - woodworking

    Class: Rogue
    HP: 8 + Con mod
    Key Ability Boost: Dex

    Proficiencies: Expert Perception
    Trained Fortitude, Expert Reflex Expert Will
    Skills: Trained Stealth Trained Thievery. Trained 7 plus Int mod
    Attacks: Trained simple Trained rapier, sap, shortbow, and shortsword Trained unarmed attacks
    Defenses: Trained light armor Trained unarmored defense
    Trained rogue class DC
    Rogue's Racket: Thief - with finesse melee, add Dex mod to damage instead of Str mod.
    Sneak Attack: +1d6 damage to flatfooted targets with finesse weapons.
    Surprise Attack: On first round of combat, if you roll Deception or Stealth for initiative, creatures that haven’t acted are flat-footed to you.
    Rogue Feat: Nimble Dodge - Reaction - get +2 AC against a single attack.
    Skill Feat: Terrain Stalker - undergrowth


    Thanks for having me GM! I'll work on the character build in a couple hours.

    Aronida was planning on archery, which works since having at least one ranged fighter is probably a good idea.


    Male (He/Him) Human Fighter: 2 | HP: 32 (32) | AC: 19 | F+8 R+10 W+6 | Perception: +6

    Still getting used to the way things work - I will be amending my PC slightly. Turns out exacting strike doesn't work so well with TWF (I missed the significance of the press trait).

    I suspect I'll swap out my Human Ancestry feat (which gave me an extra class feat) and actually take a general feat instead.

    Sorry about that - I'll live with my choices once we get going, but there are some new traps to avoid and some keywords to internalise. :)

    It feels to me that there's a good mix of choice/restrictions. Having chosen TWF there's kind of an "obvious" class feat and then lots of possibilities for where to go next. Consequently, I feel like I could build two similar fighters and end up with them feeling quite different.

    Joana, I appreciate you're probably way ahead of me, but in reading the various ways Gellius may develop, it seems to me that knowing whether we critically succeed or just succeed is going to be significant and result in quite a delay in the slower, online format. I wonder if for PBP it's going to become standard to lift the curtain a little and provide the target number (both DCs and AC) from time to time. Certainly for attacks - unless the DM is going to take on the rolling of critical damage which will bring it's own memory problems given weapons have varying critical effects.


    Male Halfling Rogue 2 (Thief) 26/26 HP

    Excellent good Ever_Anon - I agree that having at least one bow savant would be a good mix.

    Equipment Spend:
    15 gp start
    Explorer's Clothing: AC +0, Max Dex +5, bulk L, Comfort - 1sp
    Buckler: AC +1, bulk L - 1gp
    2 x Filcher’s fork: 1d4P, Hands 1, Spear, Agile, backstabber, deadly d6, finesse, halfling, thrown 20 ft, bulk L ea - 2gp
    Sling: 1d6B, 50ft range, reload 1, bulk L, Sling, propulsive - 0 cost
    20 x sling bullets: bulk L for 10 - 2 cp

    Adventurer's pack: bulk 2 - 7sp
    Thieves's tools: bulk L - 3gp
    Basic crafter's book: bulk L - 1sp

    Minor healing potion: bulk L - 3gp

    Total spend - 9.92gp
    Bulk: 3.0

    Feels strange... but I think Gethric's going to be unarmored... which feels wrong to me but isn't a significant disadvantage by the rules.


    Female CG Halfling Ranger 2 | HP: 28/28 | AC: 19 | Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +5 | Perception +7 | Low-Light Vision | Speed 25 ft. | Hero Point 0/1

    I finished filling out my profile. Since our GM mentioned being interested in working through the character creation process together, in this post I've gone through it step by step. I'm only listing decisions here, (for example, in the 'record class features' step I've only listed skills/starting feat). The 'set in stone' stuff can be viewed in the profile. It's still long and overly detailed, so I'm spoilering it.

    Joana, I've set up my profile in a way that makes sense to me, but if you'd prefer a different format, have any questions, or just notice something I messed up, please let me know.

    Character Build:

    Step 1: Create a Concept:
    Spoiler:

    Done in the recruitment thread.

    Step 2: Start Building Ability Scores:

    Spoiler:

    Default of 10 to everything.

    Step 3: Select an Ancestry:

    Spoiler:

    Ancestry: Halfling
    Ability boosts/flaws: Boosts: Dex, Wis, Free (Int). Flaws: Str
    Heritage: Twilight
    Ancestry Feat: Halfling Lore

    Step 4: Pick a Background:

    Spoiler:

    Emancipated
    Ability boosts: Dex/Cha (Dex), Free (Cha)

    Step 5: Choose a Class:

    Spoiler:

    Ranger
    Ability boosts: Str/Dex (Dex)

    Step 6: Determine Ability Scores:

    Spoiler:

    Free ability boosts: Str, Dex, Con, Int
    Starting ability scores:
    STR: 10 (-2 ancestry, +2 free)
    DEX: 18 (+2 ancestry, +2 background, +2 class, +2 free)
    CON: 12 (+2 free)
    INT: 14 (+2 ancestry, +2 free)
    WIS: 12 (+2 ancestry)
    CHA: 12 (+2 background)

    Step 7: Record Class Details:

    Spoiler:

    Skills: Initially trained in: Acrobatics, Stealth, Halfling Lore (Ancestry feat); Stealth, Kintargo Lore (Background); Nature, Survival (Class); +7 Free Skills (4 + INT mod (2) + 1 to replace second stealth)
    Free Skills: Athletics, Crafting, Deception, Diplomacy, Medicine, Society, Thievery
    Hunter's Edge: Precision
    Ranger Feat: Hunted Shot

    Step 8: Buy Equipment:

    Spoiler:

    Adventurer's Pack: 7sp 1
    -Backpack: 1sp -
    -Bedroll: 1cp L
    -Belt pouch (2): 8cp -
    -Chalk (10): 1sp -
    -Flint and steel: 5cp -
    -Rope (50 feet): 5sp L
    -Rations (14): 8sp L
    -Soap: 2cp -
    -Torch (5): 5cp L
    -Waterskin: 5cp L

    Arrows (40): 4sp L
    Clothing (Ordinary) (3): 3sp -
    Dagger: 2sp L
    Healer's tools: 5gp 1
    Leather armor: 2gp 1
    Sheath (2): 2cp -
    Shortbow: 3gp 1
    Shortsword: 9sp L

    Remaining gold: 2gp, 4sp, 8cp
    Total bulk: 4 + 6 Light items

    Step 9: Calculate Modifiers:

    Spoiler:

    No decisions here, but all this is in my character profile.

    Step 10: Finishing Details:

    Spoiler:

    Alignment: CG
    Deity: Cayden Cailean
    Age: 33
    Gender: Female


    My hard copy of the CRB was delivered about an hour ago and I'm taking another look at things. I think now I might drop the Local Scion background but keep Darla a Breachill citizen, maybe by taking the Barkeep background instead; I wasn't overly fond of the crafting stuff in Local Scion to begin with.

    Still plugging along with character creation, and I hope to post something more substantial by day's end.

    @Joana: Is it OK to dot-and-delete in Gameplay so this game will show up in our lists of other games?


    Profession Smith 6 ranks wrote:
    @Joana: Is it OK to dot-and-delete in Gameplay so this game will show up in our lists of other games?

    I don't have a Gameplay thread open yet, but I hope to in an hour or two. At that point, yes, dot and delete.


    Male (He/Him) Human Fighter: 2 | HP: 32 (32) | AC: 19 | F+8 R+10 W+6 | Perception: +6

    Hi Joana

    Final tweak done - my profile should be complete now barring backstory, which is in process and likely to go up over the weekend. I'm also mulling over how best to track bulk and so on, but it's pretty much ready to go. :)

    As I mentioned, I changed out Natural Ambition as my Ancestry Heritage and took General Training instead - which gave me Uncanny Acumen and expert training in Will Saves.

    I then took Double Slice instead of Exacting Strike for my 1st level class feat - likely to be my main attack style.


    Gameplay thread is now open for dotting! Sorry for the delay.


    Profession Smith 6 ranks wrote:
    I think now I might drop the Local Scion background but keep Darla a Breachill citizen, maybe by taking the Barkeep background instead; I wasn't overly fond of the crafting stuff in Local Scion to begin with.

    Sounds great.

    Steve, access to Infernal is fine.

    I'll take a look at the mechanics of the characters tomorrow -- honestly less to check up on you than to go over it for my own benefit. Hopefully if I walk through all of your PCs, I'll feel more confident about making one myself. :)


    Female CG Halfling Ranger 2 | HP: 28/28 | AC: 19 | Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +5 | Perception +7 | Low-Light Vision | Speed 25 ft. | Hero Point 0/1

    Seeing your comment to Steve reminds me that I also wanted to take Infernal.

    My reasoning is that it's a language 'prevalent in your region', aka Cheliax, (which has Infernal listed as one of its two regional languages). However if that doesn't work for you I can take Gnomish instead.


    Male Halfling Rogue 2 (Thief) 26/26 HP

    Right... I think Gethric is squared away now. Only bit that I haven't potentially 'finished' is a last few equipment choices, though the major ones are in there.


    CG female goblin (Razortooth) Cleric of Desna 2 | HP 24/24 | AC 16 | F +5, R +6, W +9 | Perc +7 (Darkvision), Stealth +6 | speed 25 | Focus 1/1, heal 1/3 | Reactions: Recognize spell | Active conditons: -

    it's really nice to see the whole group shaping up like this. I've made an alias for my character. Picking a portrait wasn't easy, but this wil have to do.

    I've set up Revka's profile with her stat block. Everything should be done, including purchases. Besides that, I've added some personality quirks. Full background still to be done.


    Female Human (Taldan) Bard 2 | HP -12- 26/26 [0 NL] | AC 18 | Perc +6, Stealth +7 (+2 Init)| Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +6 | Speed 25 ft. | Spells: 1st 0/3 | Focus 2/2

    I don't want everyone to think I'm slacking with my character creation...it's just that there are so many choices and I don't want to make any big mistakes along the way.

    I still have to pick spells and equipment, plus a few choices I'm dithering on (ancestry feat, languages, and final trained skill choice). Below is a work-up of what I have decided firmly on:

    DARLA USKWOLD

    ANCESTRY
    Human (Taldan)
    HP 8; Size Medium; Speed 25; 2 free Ability Boosts (Dex, Cha); Languages Common, 2 more (Dwarven, Elven, Halfling?); Traits Human, Humanoid; Heritage Versatile Heritage—general feat (Incredible Initiative); Ancestry Feat ???

    BACKGROUND (Barkeep)
    Ability Boosts: Cha, 1 more (Dex)
    Skills: Diplomacy, Lore (Alcohol)
    Skill Feat: Hobnobber

    CLASS (Bard)
    Key Ability Cha; HP 8; Initial Proficiences: Perception (E), Fort (T), Ref (T), Will (E)
    Skills: Occultism (T), Performance (T), 4+1 add’l.
    Attacks: Simple Weapons (T), longsword (T), rapier (T), sap (T), shortbow (T), shortsword (T), whip (T), unarmed attack (T)
    Defenses: light armor (T), unarmored combat (T)
    Spells: occult spells (T), occult spell DCs (T)
    Spell Repertoire: 5 cantrips, 2 1st-level
    Composition Spells: counter performance, inspire courage (cantrip)
    Muse: Maestro (add Lingering Composition feat, soothe to spell repertoire)
    4 free ability boosts: +2 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Int, +2 Cha
    FINAL ABILITY SCORES: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 18

    COLLECTED TRAINED SKILLS:
    Diplomacy (background)
    Lore (Alcohol) (background)
    Occultism (class)
    Performance (class)
    1. Acrobatics
    2. Deception
    3. Society
    4. Stealth
    Int Thievery? Athletics?

    Collected Feats and Descriptions:

    HOBNOBBER FEAT 1
    GENERAL SKILL
    Prerequisites trained in Diplomacy
    You are skilled at learning information through conversation. The Gather Information exploration activity takes you half as long as normal (typically reducing the time to 1 hour). If you’re a master in Diplomacy and you Gather Information at the normal speed, when you attempt to do so and roll a critical failure, you get a failure instead. There is still no guarantee that a rumor you learn with Gather Information is accurate.

    INCREDIBLE INITIATIVE FEAT 1
    GENERAL
    You react more quickly than others can. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to initiative rolls.

    LINGERING COMPOSITION FEAT 1
    BARD
    Prerequisites maestro muse, focus pool
    By adding a flourish, you make your compositions last longer. You learn the lingering composition focus spell (page 387). Increase the number of Focus Points in your focus pool by 1.


    Male Halfling Rogue 2 (Thief) 26/26 HP

    Aronida and Gethric have Thievery covered - so don't feel a need to go there unless you really want to. Another Lore maybe?

    Seeing as how Aronida's got Lore: Halfling, I might change up Gethric's to a different topic... something to reflect the small business / shopworking background.

    Joana - would 'Lore: Business' be an acceptable choice?


    Male Halfling Rogue 2 (Thief) 26/26 HP

    Trying out a Combat Actions Block:

    Round 1 Actions:
    Stride (1): move to square X/Y
    Feint (1): Deception vs Perception DC: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25 S: flat-footed against next attack CS: flat-footed until end of my next turn
    Strike (1): Fork: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13 for 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 - deadly 1d6 ⇒ 3 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 if flat-footed
    Reaction: Nimble Dodge (+2 AC - for 19) against first attack he is aware of

    Round 2 Actions:
    Feint (1): Deception vs Perception DC: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13 S: flat-footed against next attack CS: flat-footed until end of my next turn
    Strike (1): Fork: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16 for 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 - deadly 1d6 ⇒ 6 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 if flat-footed
    Raise Shield (1): +1 AC - to 18
    Reaction: Nimble Dodge (+2 AC - for 20) against first attack he is aware of

    Well... there are indeed a few modifiers and conditional bits and pieces to be aware of. Gethric will be Feint-ing quite a bit in combat, which affects his follow on rolls. His weapon has critical modifiers as well, plus extra damage from sneak attack, etc.


    Aronida wrote:

    Seeing your comment to Steve reminds me that I also wanted to take Infernal.

    My reasoning is that it's a language 'prevalent in your region', aka Cheliax, (which has Infernal listed as one of its two regional languages).

    Are you getting that from Pathfinder Wiki? I thought it might have been in the Lost Omens chapter in the CRB, but I'm not seeing it there. I suppose we'll have to wait for the World Guide to ship to know if that's still canon.

    Yes, I'll say you have access from your background in Cheliax and evading Hellknights.


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    Gellius Tauranor wrote:
    Joana, I appreciate you're probably way ahead of me, but in reading the various ways Gellius may develop, it seems to me that knowing whether we critically succeed or just succeed is going to be significant and result in quite a delay in the slower, online format.

    Yes, that's one of the things that has me concerned about how 2e will run in PbP. There seems to be more interactivity between turns, which is great for keeping interest around a RL table (as opposed to, "Okay, I'm going to watch TV, call me when it's my turn again") but which could bog things down in PbP. I'm hoping we run into some workarounds and new conventions that will prove useful.

    Mark's combat block is ... wow, wordy. But it is at least clear, which we may need as we get used to the new system. After a while, maybe we'll find some ways to abbreviate without losing the clarity.


    Male Halfling Rogue 2 (Thief) 26/26 HP

    It is dense isn't it? - I don't mind it, and at least the three actions a turn rule means that it shouldn't get that much worse as levels go on...

    Though I echo Gellius' suggestion of including the AC / Perception DC of our foes so that we can determine critical successes ourselves during active combat and take some of the edge off you as the DM.


    CG female goblin (Razortooth) Cleric of Desna 2 | HP 24/24 | AC 16 | F +5, R +6, W +9 | Perc +7 (Darkvision), Stealth +6 | speed 25 | Focus 1/1, heal 1/3 | Reactions: Recognize spell | Active conditons: -

    Don't worry about it, Darla. I recognize this from making my first PFS character. I think humans are the worst 'offender' in this regards, because their heritage and first ancestry feat give a lot of options.

    I don't think the combat actions block is too bad. Part of that is information that will eventually become known by heart (the effect of Deception, and that it is compared to target Perception DC). Part is the conditional damage. That might be done just a bit clearer I think, by using the dice tags.

    Strike (1): Fork attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22, damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2.
    (on crit, add deadly for: 1d6 ⇒ 6, flat-footed, add sneak for: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5.)

    If possible, I would like to avoid us knowing ACs and DCs in advance. It's just part of the charm to figure that out during the fight, and tweak tactics based on the information you learn.


    Female CG Halfling Ranger 2 | HP: 28/28 | AC: 19 | Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +5 | Perception +7 | Low-Light Vision | Speed 25 ft. | Hero Point 0/1
    Joana wrote:
    Aronida wrote:
    My reasoning is that it's a language 'prevalent in your region', aka Cheliax, (which has Infernal listed as one of its two regional languages).
    Are you getting that from Pathfinder Wiki?

    *smacks forehead* Yep, I got it from the Wiki and it didn't even occur to me that might not be canon anymore. Thanks for letting me take it anyway!


    Female CG Halfling Ranger 2 | HP: 28/28 | AC: 19 | Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +5 | Perception +7 | Low-Light Vision | Speed 25 ft. | Hero Point 0/1

    Also, if anyone's curious, I have already run through a short PFS quest using 2E rules. The gameplay thread is here.

    Reading through it might give an idea of how the Exploration/Encounter stuff works. Or at least how we thought it worked.


    Just to let you guys know, there is a minor mistake in the gazetteer in the Player's Guide, which James Jacobs has confirmed. Number 8, Monument Circle, is described as six deep wells around a statue of Lamond Breachton, but as pictured on the same page and depicted on the map, it's actually six water towers around a fountain. Water can be freely pumped up from Breach Creek at each tower for the use of the citizenry.


    If anyone objects to Steve using his rolled stats (which are slightly higher than the ABC method yields), please PM me. He has said that he doesn't mind either way, and any objection will remain anonymous. :)


    Good call. :)


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    Lore: Castellan is approved. (I presume it would cover things like upkeep and maintenance and defenses and such? My initial thought was that Castellan was a bad guy in Classic Who. ;)

    Lore: Business seems a little broad. Maybe Lore: Small Business, so it would cover the process of running a small shop but not heading a multinational conglomerate? Or Lore: Food Service to cover cooking for the general public? (And, yeah, Lord Business was the bad guy in The Lego Movie, while we're at it.)


    1 person marked this as a favorite.
    Male Halfling Rogue 2 (Thief) 26/26 HP

    Happy with Lore: Small Business :)


    Male (He/Him) Human Fighter: 2 | HP: 32 (32) | AC: 19 | F+8 R+10 W+6 | Perception: +6
    Joana wrote:
    Lore: Castellan is approved. (I presume it would cover things like upkeep and maintenance and defenses and such? My initial thought was that Castellan was a bad guy in Classic Who. ;)

    I think also maintenance of “the estate” - Gellius has big, idealistic goals for founding a self-reliant order of champions for the common folk centred on the citadel. First step is clearing it out, getting the town’s blessing and seeking a charismatic Lord or Lady of the manor. Down the track though, he’d picture working the land around the castle. (Fully appreciate it could well be beyond the scope of the downtime allowed by the AP - Especially book,one! He thinks big though.)


    Female Human (Taldan) Bard 2 | HP -12- 26/26 [0 NL] | AC 18 | Perc +6, Stealth +7 (+2 Init)| Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +6 | Speed 25 ft. | Spells: 1st 0/3 | Focus 2/2

    I Am Not A-Mused....

    I'm still picking equipment and spells, but I'm also building ideas for Darla's revised background. One of the spells available to bards is summon fey, and that got me to thinking that maybe Darla's muse is a fey creature that lives near Breachill. Does the adventure contain a fey creature that might be appropriate for Darla's muse?


    In another thread, a poster has listed some upcoming errata mentioned in the Pathfinder Friday stream.

    Captain Morgan wrote:

    Couple of bugs they wanted to address. They will be releasing a few official updates soon-- focusing on the critical stuff, little stuff will probably be held off on so as to not overload us.

    Character sheet folio has several corrections that didn't get touched in the CRB.

    1) Humans are supposed to have one more language. Common+Bonus+INT.
    2) Whatever proficiency you have in simple weapons is also what you should have in unarmed, including the wizard. (Monk is obviously the exception as they are better in unarmed.)
    3) Ki spells cue off Wisdom for Monk.
    4) Sorcerer is missing a 17th level Resolve class feature, just the same as the wizard. Master will save, critical success etc.
    5) WIZARDS DON'T GET A 1ST LEVEL CLASS FEAT. Not by default, at least. No other spellcaster gets 1st level class feat. They only get them for being universalist
    6) Adventure's pack has the wrong bulk. It is actually only 1 bulk.
    7) Heroic Recovery takes you to 0 hit points, not 1. (The death and dying section seemed to be wrong here.)


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    Re providing DCs/ACs in gameplay, Mark Seifter has said that DCs should not be provided for PCs with Assurance so they know for sure if they should roll or take 10+proficiency. As Iff says, one eventually gets an idea of what the bad guy's AC is just by seeing what misses and hits over a round or two of combat. Let's start out being sticklers for the rules and see what we can streamline as we go.

    Revka wrote:

    I don't think the combat actions block is too bad. Part of that is information that will eventually become known by heart (the effect of Deception, and that it is compared to target Perception DC). Part is the conditional damage. That might be done just a bit clearer I think, by using the dice tags.

    Strike (1): Fork attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9, damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3.
    (on crit, add deadly for: 1d6 ⇒ 5, flat-footed, add sneak for: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2)

    If you're not dead set on rolling all your own dice, you could just do this:

    Stike 1: Fork attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26, damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

    and put Filcher's fork Deadly 1d6; flat-footed: sneak attack 1d6+1 someone on the post, and I could roll the conditional dice when they apply.

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    Community / Forums / Online Campaigns / Play-by-Post Discussion / Hellknight Hill: Bumblebrashers! Discussion All Messageboards

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    One of two tables I am running through Hellknight Hill has had two players bow out. We are looking for two replacements to join our game, which has been running since August of 2019.

    The remaining PCs are a human fighter, a halfling rogue, and a human bard. The group has just retreated from a fight with skeletons that wasn't going their way and is heading back to Breachill to recruit reinforcements.

    The party is currently second-level, with standard ABC character creation rules. I use maps, updated on every PC's initiative so we all stay on the same page; you can check the gameplay thread to get a feel for the group. We aim for a post per weekday when out of combat; in combat, I give 24 hours to respond before botting your character or putting you on delay. Weekends are more relaxed.

    Let's set a tentative cut-off date for recruitment one week from today, whatever that happens to be in your respective time zones.


    Full disclosure: I will be running this AP, so I am familiar with the story but I have no issue keeping my PC and player knowledge separate.

    I read a bit of the gameplay thread and I'm really enjoying your writing style and the rest of the group. I've been wanting to play this AP for a long time, and I can match the posting rate requirements.

    In terms of a character, I whipped up a goblin oracle of life with the Haunting Visions background.

    Crunch:
    Des Bumblebrasher
    Goblin oracle 2 Advanced Player's Guide, 67
    CG, Small, Goblin, Humanoid
    Perception +4; darkvision
    Languages Common, Draconic, Goblin
    Skills Acrobatics -2, Dahak Lore +5, Deception +8, Diplomacy +8, Medicine +4, Occultism +5, Performance +8, Religion +4, Stealth +2, Thievery -2
    Str 10 (+0), Dex 12 (+1), Con 16 (+3), Int 12 (+1), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 18 (+4)
    Other Items buckler, hide, crossbow, dagger, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, belt pouch, chalks (10), flint and steel, handheld musical instrument, healer's tools, rations (1 week)s (2), religious text, rope (foot)s (50), soap, torchs (5), waterskin, wooden religious symbol, writing set, purse (2 sp)
    --------------------
    AC 13 (14 with shield raised); Fort +7; Ref +4; Will +6
    HP 32 Focus Points 3 Hero Points 1; Resistances fire 1
    --------------------
    Speed 10 feet
    Melee [1] dagger +5 (versatile S, thrown 10 ft., agile, finesse), Damage 1d4 P
    Ranged [1] crossbow +4 (range increment 120 feet, reload 1), Damage 1d8 P
    Ranged [1] dagger +4 (versatile S, thrown 10 ft., agile, finesse), Damage 1d4 P
    Divine Oracle Spellcasting DC 18; 1st (3 slots) bless, heal, spirit link Cantrips (1st) daze, disrupt undead, forbidding ward, guidance, shield, stabilize
    Focus Spells 3 Focus Points, DC 18; 0th Death’s Call, Healer’s Blessing, Life Link
    Feats Assurance, Domain Acumen, Goblin Song, Student Of The Canon
    Other Abilities charhide goblin, component substitution, curse of outpouring life, death, healing, Isger, life

    Des is a member of the Bumblebrashers, converted to Desna's faith by Warbal. They act as the tribe's healer, and for the past couple of weeks they've been having terrible dreams and visions, which has made them increasingly restless and anxious. Now that the heroes from Breachill are here to help, Des sees an opportunity to do something, so in consultation with Helba they have offered to join them.


    Nosteo here is a character I used in this AP on this site that died out before the point this group is at. I'd love to try again. Here he is bumped up to level 2.

    Full stats and background are in profile but here's a quick rundown(and I'll put the backstory in a spoiler too). Nosteo is a diabolic sorcerer who also has the champion dedication. I'm going for a guy with evil blood in his veins who tries to fight against his nature. Has the paladin cause and worships Iomedae. He would be more like a battle cleric than a spell slinger. He carries a sword and wears armor but will probably be kind of a switch hitter between magic and martial.

    Background:
    Nosteo is clearly of Chelish decent, he has the pale skin, dark hair, and sharp features associated with them. Nosteo is from Varisia however. In his youth it became clear that he carried the family curse, which only shows up every few generations. Somewhere in his family's past a devil's bloodline was added into the family tree. No one remembers for sure how that happened but the family also passes down an ancestral longsword that seems to be a Hellknight weapon and it is commonly accepted that it has something to do with the knights. It's also probably the reason why his family now lives in Varisia.

    To try to combat the evil blood in his veins Nosteo joined the church of Iomedae. He tries his best to be as honorable and good as possible but he has found he is a very good liar and slips up from time to time.

    Nosteo found out about the origin of his curse-the little known about it anyway-after his father bequeathed the family sword to him. He decided to find out everything he could about the Hellknights, and maybe his family's history, that day. When he heard about Citadel Altaerein he decided to go check it out.


    Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path Subscriber

    Really interested in this, not got a character straight off, but wanted to dot in before I look at something.

    Thinking either wizard or ranger.

    Thinking dwarf associated with Tuskhead Stoneworking


    I am ridiculously interested. Lemme check out the player's guide and see what I can cook up.


    Here's what I came up with

    Nilan is a former student of the local librarian Jorell Blacktusk. Nilan left some year and a half ago to make his name, and is now returning to Breachhill after hearing about the call for adventurers. He arrived a little late, but is still willing to help.

    Words to describe Nilan:
    Secretive
    Organized
    Twitchy

    Why does Nilan adventure:
    To gather knowledge and power
    To fulfill his dream of becoming a powerful Wizard

    Dark Archive

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    NILES!!

    YOU'RE BACK!!1!!11!!!!eleven!!!

    When did you get back???

    Hey, there's someone doing a recruitment right now for SW Deadlands. You in?!?

    Liberty's Edge

    Oh, um, and in other news, the character submission for Atlas2112 is gonna look like this one.

    I admit the backstory was something I wrote when I was new, and the story is inspired...but overly long. Not my best, but at least it provide fertile ground when I need inspiration for how the character can grow.

    The character is lvl 1 now, but I'll bump her up to 2.


    Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path Subscriber

    I have the main outline of a Dwarf Wizard, stone mason. Although there is a bit more to go, the guy is one of the stone masons at Tuskhead Stoneworking, probably related to the family there. I get the idea he would be a bit more studious than his fellow workers and with his interest in stone, is a bit of an archaeologist. Intensely interested in history, because you can read it in the stones. Unlike many other wizards, he's also very partial to partying with his fellow workers at Cayden's Keg, although doesn't get asked as often as his companions.

    previous:

    Although there is a bit more to go, the guy is one of the stone masons at Tuskhead Stoneworking, probably related to the family there. I get the idea he would be a bit more studious than his fellow workers and therefore a bit more of an loner. He wants to prove himself and adventuring might well be the way he can show his worth to the family. He found a couple of scrolls and has spent some time trying to use the magic from them, he has recently used a scroll to stop his workmates hitting him after he had played a bit of a naughty trick on them. He is a dwarf with a mischievous streak. Made ity up to them later by going for a bit of a drink at Cayden's Keg. (scroll trickster dedication)


    Kittenmancer here, made an alias and expanded on background, appearance and personality.


    Kittenmancer:
    Kittenmancer wrote:
    Full disclosure: I will be running this AP, so I am familiar with the story but I have no issue keeping my PC and player knowledge separate.

    Oh, yeah, I saw your recruitment thread. I have made a few changes to the backdrop of the first book, just to make it play well with the party, though I don't intend to tinker with the overarching AP plot.

    I haven't taken a good look at the P2e oracle yet. (I'm only really familiar with the classes being run in my games, and we started before the APG was released.) In P1e, the life oracle was the best healer in the game; how does the P2e version measure up, in your opinion?

    Atlas2112:
    Gwendolen looks to be a P1e character, and this is a 2nd edition adventure path. Are you planning to rebuild her in P2e?

    Deevor:
    Nice character sheet. Did you make it yourself or get it from somewhere else? I haven't found a P2e character sheet yet that I feel is just perfect, though this one is a clear improvement over the official one that just has way too many pages. One thing I find myself wishing for as a PbP GM is a prominent section just for Reactions and their triggers so I don't forget about them.

    Thank you for the submissions so far. I am going to stick with my original deadline of one week from the OP, as I'm not going to have the leisure to go over the characters closely until the weekend, so if anyone is still thinking about a submission, you have until then.


    @Joana I'm currently running a Menace under Otari game (from the beginner guide) and I found that just having a google doc with reactions in my normal combat docs helps. I also have the players tell me ahead of time when they would apply a reaction (Eg. Shield block) and I automatically apply it for them, instead of bogging things down retconing actions.


    Joanna:
    Joana wrote:

    Oh, yeah, I saw your recruitment thread. I have made a few changes to the backdrop of the first book, just to make it play well with the party, though I don't intend to tinker with the overarching AP plot.

    I haven't taken a good look at the P2e oracle yet. (I'm only really familiar with the classes being run in my games, and we started before the APG was released.) In P1e, the life oracle was the best healer in the game; how does the P2e version measure up, in your opinion?

    I've been reading your gameplay thread and I am very much enjoying the changes, they tie the story together really well. I plan to steal most of them for my game, honestly. :) (I was planning that even before I saw this recruitment, from reading through the GM reference thread)

    About the PF2 Oracle, I have no idea how it compares with the PF1 version yet, for me character personality and backstory >>> mechanics. I do enjoy that using mystery spells activates the curse, it seems like a fun mechanic to RP around. The class simply fits the image I have of Des, the self-sacrificing, guilt-ridden goblin that has internalized a lot of the anti-goblin hatred and is working really hard to prove they're not like that.


    Okay, I'm going to throw this guy in there: Drake

    Should be good to go. Gonna look him over again just to double check but this is the gist of him.

    Vigilant Seal

    Lough is interested.

    Nekrargokatara:

    Darkness. Light.

    Not remembering how he came into this world - nor his earliest years - except how they Felt (and more on that later) - his earliest memories were of his uncle’s rough hands keeping a young Lough away from the sharp implements that decorated the shop - axes, hammers, chisels, all made of dried skin, dead wood, and cold iron - until such a time he would encode a rigorous set of routines directing one’s preoccupations towards measures that would minimize the drawing of blood or formation of clot by cut or bruise. And Lough would still develop plenty of those over the course of his apprenticeship, slaying animals and emptying them of their guts to hang in the unrelenting sun, chopping into the rings of aged saprolings that had matured but were stripped of their fruit, plunging hunks of ore into blazing furnaces before bludgeoning them repeatedly with those same implements that were once forbidden to touch. Life has a strangely cruel sense of humor. Or at least that is a conclusion the young man would eventually draw. But not yet.

    Lough did not possess a lexicon out of a working range of basic conversation and workshop jargon. Curt, but courteous. His uncle taught him to have manners, respect his elders, brook for children at play, and not to speak ill of other people even when they were not around to hear. Besides, he quickly grew very competent in his skill, and possessed of a youthful constitution, soon enough became able to outpace his mentor without giving on quality. The implements they made together - and sold or bartered in town - where a source of pride, first in his uncle, and aptly instilled into him. People would talk about how “I barely have to swing this axe” or “this hammer never breaks” or other remarks that stood as a testement to the craftmanship involved. And the first change went barely unnoticed becasue of it - Lough’s fingernails were incredibly sharp and strong, iron working like wood in his grasp, wood like leather, and leather like textile. If his uncle noticed, he never mentioned it. That didn’t stop lough from hiding his hands when he went out; maybe wearing his heavy work gloves, maybe always carrying around other objects, or at the end of the week at the local pub, simply keeping them in his pockets.

    As his weeks began to take upon a clockwork rythm - 6 days of hard work at his uncle’s shop, piecemail work for the local lumberer at high demand, and always at the pub the 7th day - a coworker of his (from the lumber consortiom) expressed curiosity towards the very thing he meant to hide, and Lough found himself telling this coworker a story about a family member who did not exist, embarking on a quest that did not happen, and meeting a gruesome end that was inexplicably gory. He couldn’t believe his own words as they flowed from his mouth! Pronouncing words he had never even heard before! And the look on this coworker’s face! Sure enough, the feat was asked by others to be repeated, two or three times now, starting small, then burgeoning into what felt like the whole pub sitting in and listening in - surprised each time the story took a turn for the worse! Walking away from the pub that night, Lough danced as though on a cloud, a constellation of emotions that included both euphoria and sorrow, surprise as well as a deep-seated sense of order. It dawned on him in this walk home that there had been a second change: The stories he had been telling had happened: Happened in a dream he had forgotten.

    But there were more.

    Restless nights of sleep under terrors of imagination, Lough would wake up in cold sweats, having “lived” as someone else and met a terrible fate - in a word, “died” - only to wake up, back into the clockwork machine that was his post-somnambulant experience set. He was asked again, the following 7th day, and the next, and the next after that, and so on, to continue telling new stories, each which flowed from his mouth without thought, each that had mapped directly onto a dream he had “forgotten” earlier that week, each time to the look of uproarious shock his audience of coworkers, barkeeps - and eventually other patrons in this town and the next - retained when the story concluded with some awesome turnabout. It became not a thing that he chose to do. But instead, the thing itself chose to have itself done by him. Lough - despite his growing popularity - began to succumb to a nagging sense of non-control, growing like a tiny seed in the back of his mind, embedding roots into the very sense of self that his uncle had worked to diligently to build in him. Verging on the brink of something… else?

    Seasons turned - as they do - and Lough had developed a new habit of sneaking out into the local wooded area - either in the dead of night or the first light of morning - to spend time with himself with nature. When he couldn’t sleep - or wouldn’t sleep - he came out here, spending hours by himself, the soft chirp of crickets or birds, the excess cold of winter or heat of summer suffusing his skin, the sun’s rising embers or the moon’s creeping glow casting over him. Unlike everything else in his life, there was no real pattern to this. Sometimes weeks or months woudl fly by without his return. Sometimes only days between. Sometimes hours. And Lough liked it like that. He still went to work 6 days a week and storytelling on 7th days. But into that perfect order, he managed to work in a little uncertainty - a little unpredictability. In a sense, this was Lough “taking back” what had been “taken” from him - even if he couldn’t really articulate what it was that had been lost. No matter. He had managed to retore the balance, and found himself able to thrive in this newly restored equilibrium.

    But it was only short lived. It happened in one night, a third change, in a dream. She was there, and she had never been there before, and what was more strange, that instead of being someone else, Lough was himself. He was aware that he was himself. And that he was dreaming. And aware that the dream was aware of him. And she was there. He felt her in his throat. Like she was watching from inside of his throat. Watching him. She began to whisper. A language Lough had never heard, but intuitively understood. A language he Felt. Whispers to come. But come where? He thought to himself, reasoned that he was already here, and so, could not “go” anywhere else. But she didn’t listen - she only spoke. Lough learned things from her. Like an infant. He Felt about things. About things to come. About things that would happen to him. About things that he would barely live through, that he would survive, that in surviving he would pay a cost, a cost that was too high to pay, that he would have to live with himself knowing he had paid it. And she never lied!

    But this dream Lough never “woke up” from - she simply stopped talking to him. He went back to bed, layed there. When the sun was up, he went to work with his uncle. He visited his wooded area. He stayed until dark. She visited him there. More speaking, more visions, visions testing his mortality, visions of losing things he cared for. There was an accident at work that day. Lough had been cutting down a tree - using proper technique and exceedingly compliant safety measures - but the tree fell and killed one of his coworkers. Just as she said it would. And just like she said he would, Lough was not held accountable, and the event was deemed an “accident”. Except it wasn’t an accident. Lough “knew” it would happen, and did nothing to prevent it. That night, when she spoke to him, in addition to more dire visions, she spoke about this event, and about another. There was a second accident that week. Similar circumstances, similar results. Lough was there, witnessed it, again was not blamed - despite the coincidence! - and left with the guilt of inaction. She stopped coming for a period of time. But just when Lough thought she’d never return, she did. And more of the same. To his pattern of life, was added not only his seemingly random departures into the woods, but too these seemingly random arrival’s of this Matron (as he would come to call her). And slowly the everpresent sense of looming dread that had plagued his mind, his heart, his soul, dis-integrating them of their once vigourous passion for sheer existance, began to slowly, slowly, slowly eat away at what he had created for himself to escape it.

    Light. Darkness.


    If there is still time, I'd like to throw my hat in the ring.

    Would you allow a Fleshwarp character or would you rather we avoid Rare races?


    Molemanking wrote:
    Would you allow a Fleshwarp character or would you rather we avoid Rare races?

    Given the party's current location, I think a fleshwarp character would be unlikely, but if you think you have a great idea how to explain their backstory, go ahead and pitch it.

    Radiant Oath

    Thank you Joana.

    Here is my Fleshwarp Cleric of Casandalee, Phaeton Sanlest.

    Elevator Pitch:
    Phaeton is more machine than man at this point and has only recently escaped the waning grasp of teh Technic League. His family, both afraid for his safety and of his new visage, encourage him to seek out Breachill. They tell him his great grandmother, a retired Hellknight, had settled down in the area. His family informs him that the town had good relations with a goblin tribe that lived nearby, so Breachill may prove more tolerant of his appearance as long as he can prove himself.

    Phaeton has the Returning Descendant background and is a Technological Fleshwarp.


    Recruitment is now closed. I'm going to get some feedback from my current players and will announce my decision within a day or two.


    Thank you for your submissions. The votes are in, and we would like to welcome Des Bumblebrasher and Drake McClain to the game. Please head over to the Discussion thread to check in.


    Congratulations and have fun you guys!

    Community / Forums / Online Campaigns / Recruitment / Age of Ashes Hellknight Hill (P2e) -- seeking two replacements All Messageboards

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