The Tower of Ages

Game Master Giant Halfling

Merry Christmas, all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back at work today, well just today, then off again until the new year. Saved enough leave I had the opportunity to simply Be this week. Mostly. So my schedule of posting/checking has been haphazard at best.

All that is to say, I am still here and happy to be so, though I think we need a direction for a little bit. Sandbox is wonderful, allowing imagination and immersion, but when we slow or falter, a structured push is always nice. Like railings on a path keeping us from falling to our doom into the vast potential on either side.

I have an idea for getting us moving again, but I don’t want to do it until people are through the holidays and ready for regular posting. I think this was about the same time that we lost Gaius last year and I’m hoping that he’ll make his way back again soon, but until he does we’ll write him out temporarily; could the rest of you please let me know when you’ll be available to start making near-daily posts (even if they’re just short ones).

Also, I know I mentioned RPing about downtime results previously, and if nobody wants to do that, that’s fine, but I’ll be picking up in a manner that is not conducive to talking about that stuff, so if anyone wants point out something specific, or ask questions, about anything that happened please do so soon.

well... that was a pretty inauspicious response.

I'll keep checking the thread, let me know if/when you want to continue.

:) Sorry sir. I'd prefer not roleplaying dishing out the information. Always happy to banter though if anyone wants to. Happy to start up anytime as well.

No need to apologize- I’m alright with people not wanting to RP info dumps. I’m just waiting on everyone letting me know when they’re ready to start posting again.

Yeah, sorry. Been a busy several days for me. I told myself to remember to respond to this - after the New Year's - but I got sidetracked and freaking forgot. My bad.

Good to go whenever.

Hmmm... I can try reaching out to Gavin and the Witness irl and see if I can get a feel for where they're at. How do you two (Maximus and the Twins) feel about possibly jumping into something with an NPC just to get things moving again while we wait?

I am good with that

"Happy to join the twins, after a hearty breakfast, of course."

I'm good with whatever as well.

My doctors switched up one of my medications and I haven't really been up to writing anything at all since. I'm starting to feel normal again and should have something up for whoever's around within the next day or two.

I know we're out of combat (and I took more than 24 hours for my last post), so I can't really hold us to 1/day, but I do want to keep things moving... we're coming up on 48 hours, and I want to make sure to get a post up before the weekend, so I'll give it a few more hours and then assume that nobody wants to say or do anything and advance us to the buzzing.

Sorry for the brief delay- I couldn’t post over the weekend due to site outages and work/family busyness and today my boss’ boss came to my work (for context, I’m functionally the general manager where I work, so my boss’ boss oversees the entire state and hasn’t visited personally in at least a decade). I’ll have a post up tomorrow.

I heard from the Witness. He's not ready to return to regular posting yet, but plans to when RL calms down. I think he may also put up the post he talked about before (sort of a Tower101 post, based on what he's learned and/or theorized up to this point) either the next time you have some downtime inside the Tower, or possibly asynchronously when he has a chance.

Gaius, on the other hand, I've PMed a couple times and gotten no response from. I'm still hoping he might find his way back to us at some point, but I know someone who might be interested in joining us (if he can find a character concept he's excited for, and that fits with the group). I don't want to say he'd be replacing Gaius, because if he does come back and is interested in picking things back up I'd love to try to do that, but he might be able to inject a little something new into the party, to help fill the void we're feeling from not having Gaius (and, currently, the Witness) around.

Is that something you all might be open to?

Of course! Poly is out at the moment on all their games sadly, it was mentioned to me from another GM that they are taking a break for pbp, not sure how long or why, but I also hope they come back because they are a great player and gm.

Always room for more at Gavin's table.

Hello! I'm the new player Giant Halfling was talking about. I'm in the middle of a recruitment for a RotRL game that I'll be running, but I should have some time to work on a character after I get that done with. I haven't had a chance to read through the entire thread, but from what I've seen we have an interesting group.

The idea I went with is kinda of a mix between Cassandra and prophesied harbinger of doom that's trying to hide, and got caught. I'm thinking oracle, possibly going into Mystic Theurge, but we'll see what comes up when I start playing around with her build.

I'm still working out the details, so if anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears. Happy to see some familiar faces again. :)

Welcome!

Thematically, I love a good oracle/sorcerer combo, it’s not without drawbacks though: losing 4 caster levels from each class is a lot. At 13th, Gavin and the Witness can cast 7th level spells but you’d be limited to 4th level spells in each class. Is your idea something you could maybe accomplish as an oracle with the eldritch heritage feat(s)?

I’m fairly liberal about using SLAs to qualify for feats and prestige classes, but without knowing what mystery/bloodline you’re thinking about I can’t say if there’s a shortcut or not.

To be honest, I don't know what the specifics are yet. I'm still mulling things over.

Hello, and welcome!

Gunslinger/Druid who wild shapes into an octopus and shoots 8 pistols.
The Glocktopus.

Please do not make the glocktopus.

Gunslinger/Druid who wild shapes into an octopus and shoots 8 pistols.

The Glocktopus.

I'm saving that one for a sci-fi game.

Lol! I’m always (pleasantly) surprised when people haven’t heard of the glocktopus. I think it started as a tongue in cheek response to the druid/monk who flurries with oversized hippo bites.

I have somehow missed the existence of this wonderful creature.

Well, This is a bit of an oddball build. I decided to try and tell a story with the stats, and this is what I came up with. An as-yet-unnamed sorceress/princess that gained the gift of prophecy, but lost her voice in exchange. She was chased out due to her strange gift and no one believing her when she'd try to warn of terrible things happening. She ran from her family and has spent the past several years on her own looking for someplace that she could live in peace. After getting chased out of her last refuge, she takes the trial and enters the tower. GM said build to level 10 since he had something planned. That's why she's not at 13. I haven't bought gear yet.

And yes, that stealth skill is correct. She's sneaky.

That is a bit of an oddball build. Fortunately, the party already has a damage dealer, a meat shield, a healer/divine caster, and a problem-solver/arcane caster, so an oddball who can throws some buffs and maybe a little battlefield control should be fine. Honestly, I think the role we most need is probably a fresh voice to help reinvigorate our RP some, and you could do that with any build. Gaius (the bard we haven’t heard from in a couple months) and the Witness (the wizard who is currently unavailable due to RL stuff) were probably the two who most drove the party’s exploration, so if your character includes a natural curiosity, or an agenda that includes searching for something, or some other motivation that could help push things forward, that would be helpful too.

I know you’re busy with the recruitment but let me know when you’re character is ready to go and we’ll run through the background stuff as quick as we can.

WBL for gear, right?

I think she would be curious about a lot of things in the tower, but maybe I shouldn't have taken Mute as my oracle curse considering you wanted someone that can reinvigorate the roleplaying part. I think I can do it, and it'll be a fun challenge playing someone that can't talk.

WBL, yes, but remember that we’re using ABP, so it’s only half the standard WBL. Also, you still have plenty of time if you want to switch curses; although, between your telepathic bond and the frequency with which the party already uses the spell, the curse isn’t likely to have much impact, except with NPCs I guess.

Lyra is much more activity oriented than investigative. And loves banter so will always willing to do that. She is not the person you want to put in charge of figuring something out, even though she is intelligent. She also isn't much of a spellcaster even though she has the spell we need to cast a lot to figure things out.

I thought about tongues as another option for a curse.

Haven't really gotten into a feel for her personality just yet. I know she's probably going to be awkward at first, but that's about it.

I do plan on giving her something to write on and with so she can communicate without having to touch someone.

But I think I'm done for tonight. I was not feeling well today and wound up sleeping through most of it.

Hope you get plenty of rest and you feel so much better tomorrow

Same here.

Yes, get well!
(In general, but also I know you have a big project this weekend with your recruitment.)

LOL!!! The Glocktopus! I freaking love it! LOL! Oh man, I just died on that one. :D

And hello, Warnock! I've seen your name around over the years.

And yes, get some rest, bud. A LOT of folks seem to be getting hit with the crud here of late.

So the snake is 10 feet away from the strange device? Since we need to investigate the device, just trying to see if it is a requirement to engage the snake in some way. I don't think we are stealthy enough to do so otherwise.

Also is the device in the center of the river, or near the shore? Anyone got knowledge nature or engineering?

Sorry, that's all information you kind of need, isn't it?

The part of the snake you can see is 10' before the tubes/device but also 5' from the south edge of the river/stream. The device is a little bit north of center, but its basically in the middle of the stream (which is 20' wide). So, there's about 20' between the part of the snake you can see and the device, and at least 10' (probably 15') between any part of it and the device. That said, a snake that size probably has a reach of 15' (maybe even 20' if its on the longer side), so it may very well be threaten the device currently.

If the snake is territorial at all, you will need to engage it someway to get close to the device.

I don't think we are stealthy enough to do so otherwise.

Are you SURE about that? One of us might be. ;) (+24 bay-bee).

Lol! I constantly forget that our tank is a ninja :)

Lol! I know, right?! I mean, who would've thought that? :D

Hey, sorry for going radio silent this weekend. I've been dealing with a recruitment (trying to narrow down 32 submissions to 6 and there are a lot of really, really good ones in there) and a bout of depression-induced apathy. I'll try having my character up and ready to go by Wednesday.

Sorry to hear about the depression. I get those at times as well. When the normally wonderful moment of New Posts and character creations seems more like work instead of the stress relief and fun it should be.

I hope it passes for you quickly, sir.

We are lost in an overgrown jungle with a massive snake I am certain is going to swallow one or more of us, so take your time :)

No worries. Take care of yourself, and take your time- I’d rather wait a week (or two) for a character you’re going to be excited to play long term than start right away with a character you’re going to lose interest in a few months down the road.

Portly, well-marbled cleric: "Well, I know which one of us looks tastiest...."

Okay, so I have finally decided on a name. Meet Aleda Helene Kath, a princess with sorcerous powers who had her voice stolen by a curse and was chased out of her home when her prophecies started stepping on some important toes. After spending a few years learning to survive on her one and still being chased, she undertook the trial for the tower. I believe that the GM wanted to run me through that part real fast. After completing the trial, she entered the tower at the last possible moment, worried that some of the others might hold a grudge against her. She's spent the past six weeks hiding, but she ran out of food and tried to sneak into a storehouse only to pass out from hunger.

At least, that's the basics of what I'm going with. GM, does this work for you?

Kaede, is that you? lol.

I’m heading to bed right now, but tomorrow I’ll do a quick character sheet audit when I have time, and then I’ll either post here or PM you a link for our other thread (and race through your trials there). For some of the trial stuff it will be helpful to have a good grip on your character’s personality and preferences, so it might be helpful to do like the 10 minute background or something like that? As for the broad strokes of your background- we might have to modify the last sentence some, but otherwise it looks like it should work.

Works for me. I'll do the ten minute background when I have a chance tomorrow.