DM Lament Configuration's Carrion Hill (Inactive)

Game Master electricjokecascade

Oh, and: this link here has some lovely Lovecraft illustrations. My favorites are the hard-working Mi-Go medtechs and the Whately family portrait...

Oh dang those are AWESOME.

In the spirit of spooky sharing, here's a link to some creepy ambient background music. Something to help the tone.

Love those covers - going to have to Google - were they for an actual Lovecraftian series penned by Alan Moore?

And thanks for the creepy music, Maritine - hope you guys all tune in to that vibe once you reach Carrion Hill.

Good news! I recruited the five of you in the hopes that a player I'd rp'd with in the past would take the sixth spot, and so it has come to pass. She should be introducing her PC here in Discussion soon, just in time for the main module.

There were three Lovecraftian series by Moore, over a period of years. I forget the first one, but the second was _Neonomicon_ while the third and final one was _Providence_.

I read parts of the latter two and I didn't think they were Moore at his best. OTOH even so-so Moore can be worth reading.

I read parts of the latter two and I didn't think they were Moore at his best. OTOH even so-so Moore can be worth reading.

Truth.

Hello! I'm the player DM Lament Configuration was referring to. First things first, let me say I considered receiving DM Lament Configuration's invite a pleasure, and doubly so once I quickly perused through this thread and saw all the great submissions he got. So - nice to be one of you!

As for the PC, I first considered rolling some kind of party face, but eventually realized Lovecraft's mythos isn't exactly choke-full of people being nice to would lead anywhere, so I'm now considering an Inquisitor of Desna (or of the Black Butterfly, which would more or less be the same thing, both mechanics- and flavor-wise) with the Void domain. Of course, I'm open to suggestions, especially when teamwork feats are concerned.

Chants in Desna

One of us.
One of us.
One of us.

But really, welcome, and I'm excited to play with you! Inquisitors are pretty neat, I can't fight that choice at all. I probably have room to switch out for a teamwork feat, if we went that way.

Side note, for everyone, holiday weekend was really busy, but I'll get some posts going today and be on track for regular posting again! I'm excited for Carrion Hill proper to start.

Welcome, Limnen!

Everyone: I'm going to post our big intro post tomorrow morning, so get your prelude wrap-up posts in tonight!

I personally love the inquisitor class and almost submitted one for the adventure - the amount of customization is amazing.

As an aside, if you do take inquisitor, you get a class feature called Solo Tactics; essentially you get the benefits of the teamwork feats you pick so long as an ally is within 30ft, even if they don't have the feat themselves, so @Kolthis don't feel forced to switch if you don't want to.

I might play the class too much.

Welcome!

The Black Butterfly would sound like an interesting idea, her being as Eldritch as you get without sprawling tentacles everywhere.

I've actually never played an inquisitor! But Lys is a 'pretend inquisitor', hats, crossbow and Knowledge(Religion). It's the conviction that she lacks, so feel free to have a role model pop up!

And so it begins.

Assume you wrap up your preludes without further ado, and travel together to Carrion Hill. For the sake of simplicity and not forcing you to repeat the same questions, your separate groups converge on the same spot as the town crier makes his appearance.

Loved the Harrow reading, Yelena.

Thanks! I'm not going to pretend I'm good at readings, but for flavor I'll probably end up doing several throughout this scenario.

Also, just realized I never welcomed our sixth player. Hi! Hopefully we all emerge from this experience with most of our sanity intact. Inquisitor is a great class, and the Black Butterfly seems like it would be particularly thematic. (Even though Desna is clearly the superior choice...)

Walter knows at least Kolthis, and maybe the other three as well. We haven't determined what sort of relationship they might have. Note that Walter is basically Recovering Evil. He used to be kind of a know-it-all arrogant jerkass. He then had a traumatic Mythos-related experience that caused him to dramatically rethink his world-view. He's now tentatively NG (and may also be suffering a touch of PTSD).

We don't have to work this out in detail now, of course... but if you want to have a history with Walter, this meeting might be a time to start. Could be anything from "Ha, our old comrade-in-arms!" to "Oh no, not him again."

Tags that might help: Walter is smart, a bit obsessive, a know-it-all, cocky about magic -- he's a Spell Sage, he has a spell for *everything* -- and hesitant about most other things. He is a blaster wizard who can be careless with his blasts. Pre-episode Walter was kind of a jerk; post-episode Walter is nicer but also much more tentative and hesitant.

Let's say Walter met Yelena at some point during his wanderings through Varisia. Letting the dice decide how...

Table: 1d6 ⇒ 4 Who owes whom?: 1d2 ⇒ 1

Oooh, I can work with that. Here's what I'm thinking: Pre-episode Walter briefly traveled with the same caravan as Yelena. Yelena noticed his magic and that it didn't conform strictly to arcane vs divine, much as hers doesn't, so she swallowed her pride and asked him for assistance. Walter, being exceptionally knowledgeable about many different kinds of magic, was able to help her figure some stuff out. So she feels like she owes him for that.

However, this was pre-episode Walter, which means he was a jerk about it. Mostly I'm thinking lots of condescension. ('Oh, how do you not know this, why this is basic magical theory, we learned this the first week in the Academae...')

She owes him, she acknowledges that he is very, very good at what he does, and she kind of hates his guts. Post-episode Walter will take some getting used to.

How does that all sound? Any changes, additions, ideas?

This works fine!

The good news: Walter is a natural teacher who loves nothing more than sitting down and explaining a complex subject to a willing listener.

The bad news: he grew up in colonial Sargava. So he was raised to think that "real" Chelaxian wizardry, with books and wands and whatnot, was far superior to the primitive superstition-based folk magic of the native Garundi. So... good chance he may have made some snide and/or condescending remarks about the Harrow.

If we really want to pile on, he may have picked up some of the deep-rooted misogyny that permeates Chelaxian culture. All unconscious or unexamined, of course. Look, in theory anyone can do magic, but you can't control the primal forces of the universe by batting your pretty eyelashes at them...

Works for me! I'll be posting in gameplay soonish, so I'll work some of that history in.

So — I finally completed my Character sheet! It took me a while longer than expected as even though I've been meaning to play one for a long time, I had never actually built an inquisitor before. If you find any mistakes, don't hesitate to point them out.

I'm going to put together a short background for her and then try to catch up with you guys. As for her reasons to be in Carrion Hill, let's say for the time being the she, much like Kolthis, has received nightmares of something unsettling about to happen there and promptly moved to investigate (as a good hapless soul about to be devoured by madness inquisitor should).

By the way, I am in Central European Time (UTC+1), so our posting windows might align weirdly sometimes.

I'm happy to work with you in providing some tailored hooks, Mihaela, even if it's just throwing some nightmares your way. In fact, after I read your background, I'll post something for you tonight. Glad you're up and running!

Sanctified Slayer! Nice choice!

I also like how she's built - extra thematic and on point. My only suggestion would be thematic but would swap out the domain, so it's your call there. Otherwise star knives for everyone!

@ Kolthis, apparently we know each other too. If I roll on my own table I get 1d6 ⇒ 2 rivalry.

Okay, so maybe it's... a Gimli / Legolas friendly competition kind of thing? Hammer vs. fireball, who can do more damage? Does that work?

Works for me! I'll be posting in gameplay soonish, so I'll work some of that history in.

I see that in terms of mental stats, Yelena is actually slightly superior to Walter -- they both have Int 22, and she has Wis 14 to his 12.

Walter's not as arrogant as he once was, but he's still very used to being The Smartest Person In The Room. So it may not be easy for him to acknowledge her as a peer.

Sanctified Slayer! Nice choice!

I also like how she's built - extra thematic and on point. My only suggestion would be thematic but would swap out the domain, so it's your call there. Otherwise star knives for everyone!

Thank you!

Which domain/inquisition would you suggest? I mostly picked Void for its ties to the Dark Tapestry while being simultaneously granted by a good (demi-)deity, but it was more of a fallback choice and I wasn't exceedingly sold on it either.

Gonna let conversations continue for a spell.

@ Kolthis, apparently we know each other too. If I roll on my own table I get d6 rivalry.

Okay, so maybe it's... a Gimli / Legolas friendly competition kind of thing? Hammer vs. fireball, who can do more damage? Does that work?

That sounds good to me! If we're going with the past work of me, you, and Lys being part of the same event a while back, it would have been an..interesting competition, but with no clear winner at the time for whatever reason.

Maritine LeGrasse wrote:

Sanctified Slayer! Nice choice!

I also like how she's built - extra thematic and on point. My only suggestion would be thematic but would swap out the domain, so it's your call there. Otherwise star knives for everyone!

Thank you!

Which domain/inquisition would you suggest? I mostly picked Void for its ties to the Dark Tapestry while being simultaneously granted by a good (demi-)deity, but it was more of a fallback choice and I wasn't exceedingly sold on it either.

My suggestion is the Clandestine* inquisition - free (slightly limited) invisibility numerous times a day, great for sneak attacking!

*I am fully aware that this can swing dangerously close to munchkining/powergaming but holy cheese it's amazing with the SancSlayer. Your call.

Mihaela Stellamaris wrote:

Maritine LeGrasse wrote:

Sanctified Slayer! Nice choice!

I also like how she's built - extra thematic and on point. My only suggestion would be thematic but would swap out the domain, so it's your call there. Otherwise star knives for everyone!

Thank you!

Which domain/inquisition would you suggest? I mostly picked Void for its ties to the Dark Tapestry while being simultaneously granted by a good (demi-)deity, but it was more of a fallback choice and I wasn't exceedingly sold on it either.

My suggestion is the Clandestine* inquisition - free (slightly limited) invisibility numerous times a day, great for sneak attacking!

*I am fully aware that this can swing dangerously close to munchkining/powergaming but holy cheese it's amazing with the SancSlayer. Your call.

I had missed that but - wow. That's good stuff. It also frees a 2nd level spell slot as a byproduct, and the 4th level power averages to a +3 bonus to four skills. If DM Lament Configuration is okay with it, I'm going to switch pronto.

(Another good combo I stumbled upon was the Undine Loyalty racial trait - which allows one to consider every ally within 10 feet as adjacent for teamwork feats purposes - with Shake it Off - +1 to saves for every adjacent ally, up to +4 - but i decided to let it go as I'd rather play from the point of view of one of the more "mundane" races).

In other news, background is up. Still have to add a paragraph about her personality and the object of her attached trait.

If DM Lament Configuration is okay with it, I'm going to switch pronto.

Sounds good.

I'll post a spoilered intro text to get you up and running tonight, Mihaela.

If you like @DM, Maritine can accompany Yelena to help her get her caravan and grandma somewhere safe and the two of them can bump into Mihaela on the way back to the manor? If both Yelena and Mihaela are okay with the idea

Kolthis would also accompany Yelena. He's a bit protective of his new friends, as few as they are.

Also, been dealing with a broken down car problem all day. Will post as soon as I can.

I think we're all going there, since Lys would also realisically need to park stable her horse there, and that leaves Walter alone in the Town Square, and the residents already have something driving them mad.

As a player, I really enjoy having Walter around, a little tension between characters goes a long way, and is a pleasant change when done right! Though, I feel like I should say that if there's anything that makes people uncomfortable, it should be tackled in OoC and private messages as soon as it pops up, since the main goal is for everyone to have fun.

Those two things said, though. Lys will absolutely tease Walter and expects to be teased in return, but she was definitely pleasantly surprised by him jumping in the water.

Walter Dice!: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Oh, you two are absolutely on the Crossbow - Magic - Hammer rivalry. Or Crossbow - Hammer - Magic rivalry. As long as you admit Crossbows go first, I'm happy.

Now's as good a time as any to state some of my DM policies:

Momentum is King

PbP games wither on the vine when posting rates slow. As I said in recruitment, I'm hoping/expecting a post a day, and will give players a PM/nudge if they start noticeably slowing down. Of course life happens, and if you give me a head's up everything will be fine, but if you simply start to drift away, I'll nudge you once, nudge you twice, and then recruit someone more engaged or active to fill your spot.

Note! You'll have plenty of warning. But I really want to finish this module, and am determined to avoid the fate of most of the games I've played in.

Also, I see it as part of my responsibility to keep things moving along. Toward that end, I'll progress the game where necessary, especially if things grind down to a halt and the PC's seem stuck trying to move things forward. I'll be using the 'two votes for something is enough to make it happen' rule, so all it'll take is two PC's to agree to do something without obvious arguments against it for me to take action.

I'll also occasionally fast forward past unimportant moments if there doesn't look like any important rp is forthcoming, just as I'm about to do with the Stone Circle.

Be Kind

We're all adults, but text is notoriously easy to misinterpret tone or intent. So I ask that ooc we all be kind and supportive of each other (I don't think this will be a problem - everyone seems awesome.) Please feel free to favorite each other's posts, to give each other shout out's here in discussion if someone writes something awesome, and in general encourage each other to keep pushing the bar and playing their hearts out. I'm already having to restrain myself from complimenting each post thus far, but when in doubt, be free with praise and encouragement.

Also! It is perfectly fine for there to be tension IC. That can lead to some great roleplay and character arcs as PC's grow and learn from each other. Of course, always observe the Be Kind rule ooc, and be ready and open to any ooc requests that certain aspects of rp be toned down or changed.

When in doubt, PM me. I promise to be open, fair, and understanding.

Again, I don't think this will be a problem. Everyone here's a great player, and I think we all understand the diff between IC/OOC.

Have Fun!

Feel free to not always do the logical thing. Feel free to improvise, or try something wild. Want to narrate a nightmare, or bring a phobia to light? Go for it! We're none here to 'win' but rather to have fun. By being creative, flexible, and allowing your PC's to fail, be scared, or better yet, react in a plausible manner to the horrors they'll find will only make this adventure better.

Also, if at any point you *stop* having fun, tell me before you start to drift away. For whatever reason, PbP can fail to scratch your particular itch. That's *fine*. Just tell me so I can adapt the game to include whatever aspect of rp you enjoy, or at least have a conversation about it.

Cool? Cool.

Mihaela: if you'll bear with me, I'll introduce you tomorrow.

Everyone else, feel feel to finish your conversations/introductions as you walk to the Circle. I'll move things along to the Crown Manor with tomorrow morning's post.

Or tomorrow afternoon's post if conversation proves fruitful.

As far as I'm concerned you can move us along whenever; we can always use spoilers to continue previous conversational threads as needed.

True.

Okay, quick question for the DM. It looks like most -- all? -- of the other PCs have had visions or dreams nudging them towards Carrion Hill. But Walter has not. So what's bringing him here?

1) It's pure random chance. (Or "chance" if some higher power is involved.) As far as Walter knows, it's just another stop on his long wander north and east from Korvosa in the general direction of Casmaron.

2) He's investigating something. It's canon that Carrion Hill was founded by Great Old One cultists. It's also canon that very few people know this. But Walter has +14 in the relevant Knowledges (History, Arcana, what have you) so perhaps he made the DC 30 check and uncovered some disturbing reference in a moldering tome somewhere? And is looking for something specifically?

I have a slight preference for (2) but then we'd have to work out just what he knows and is looking for. If you don't feel like adding yet another subplot, I'll quite understand!

Mihaela: if you'll bear with me, I'll introduce you tomorrow.

Everyone else, feel feel to finish your conversations/introductions as you walk to the Circle. I'll move things along to the Crown Manor with tomorrow morning's post.

Awesome. I'll write a post detailing Mihaela's approach to Carrion Hill and then wait for your introduction.

Of all the PCs, I feel it might make the most sense to have her already acquainted with Maritine, if she's okay with that. Perhaps they met in Lepistadt, or they worked on a case together?

I have a slight preference for (2) but then we'd have to work out just what he knows and is looking for. If you don't feel like adding yet another subplot, I'll quite understand!

#2 works for me - let me read through the module again and find some interesting way to tie his investigation into the plot.

DM Lament Configuration wrote:

Mihaela: if you'll bear with me, I'll introduce you tomorrow.

Everyone else, feel feel to finish your conversations/introductions as you walk to the Circle. I'll move things along to the Crown Manor with tomorrow morning's post.

Awesome. I'll write a post detailing Mihaela's approach to Carrion Hill and then wait for your introduction.

Of all the PCs, I feel it might make the most sense to have her already acquainted with Maritine, if she's okay with that. Perhaps they met in Lepistadt, or they worked on a case together?

I'm all for it - Maritine travels a lot and investigates strange things plus has access to the university, there's a lot to work with.

If you're on board, I'm leaning towards letting some sort of noodle incident henceforth euphemistically referred to as "the Ravenigro incident" organically develop on its own through in-game references and interactions and see where that leads us.

Like "That reminds me of Ravenigro..." "Remember how we did that in Ravenigro" etc. etc.

"Just like Budapest all over again!"

"You and I remember Budapest very differently."

"We could do what we did in Ravenigro?"

"Look I like fire as much as the next person but arson will not solve our problems here."

How noodly and how ridiculous can/should we make it? Because I am all on board this idea.

We could run the whole gamut between somber gravitas and

"Oh Goddess. That's Ravenigro all over again, isn't it?"

"The part with the demonic gnomes?"

"I was thinking more about the part with the albino charau-ka jesters."

"Oh yes, that part. It was all fun and games before the halfling clown arrived." shudders

"Ravenigro?" Kolthis strokes his beard thoughtfully.
"Now, that sounds awfully like our time in those swamps, eh Lys, Walter? Remember those giant undead ratfolk? Thought they'd gnaw our eyes out."

D'oh! I only now realize i misspelled Ravengro (inasmuch as a fantasy toponym can be said to have a 'correct' spelling in the first place).

That's what I figured you meant :p Being a slight geography buff in his spare time, Kolthis was trying real hard trying to figure out where that was. That makes much more sense.

I also just now realized I have forgotten to actually put a proper description of Kolthis. Whoops! Should be up soon!

I mean we can edit our IC posts , it's what, one letter?

I'm working on getting a copy of the city map without every location of interest marked down on it.

I mean we can edit our IC posts , it's what, one letter?

Indeed. No big deal.

I did some last minute shopping (added consumables to her gear I didn't have the time to browse through when building the PC in my hurry to catch up; also spent 100gp to make her tattoo her holy symbol), I hope it's okay with you, DMLC. If not, no big deal, either.

On that note, am I still in time to switch her drawback from attached to overprotective (as it hasn't come up yet)? In the end, I couldn't find any good way of making it click with her backstory, while overprotective would reflect as the mark all the people she lost in her previous adventures left on her.