Bolkvar, could we tweak your background so that you have just arrived in Falcon’s Hollow? Perhaps you’ve been exploring this area of Andoran, working your way here, but part of the challenge the PCs have to overcome is their lack of knowledge of the geography, which doesn’t make sense if he’s been there for months exploring the Vale.
Totally fine with me. :)
And just chatting. But anyone else find it weird that earth kineticists can’t use acid? Seems like a strange oversight
Hey guys! Happy to be here.
And just chatting. But anyone else find it weird that earth kineticists can’t use acid? Seems like a strange oversight
It seems odd that there isn't a touch attack acid blast you mean?
I've often wondered why acid got associated with earth, and wondered if it was just because that's what was left. Either that, or the original game designers loved themselves some Horta.
Hello there! Looking forward to this.
Before we start, I'd like to know exactly why your characters are in Falcon's Hollow. Options are:
headed there on purpose
aimlessly wandering and ended up there
finishing a job that ended you up there
or something similar.
You can also decide if any of you are travelling together. You don't all need to arrive at the same time, but no more than a few days between the first arrival and the last. The adventure assumes that the PCs are not natives.
Also, I've decided that the Lumber Consortium, for reasons of their own, have clamped down on news of the disease getting out, so you haven't come in answer to any call for help, unless that call was sent out through unusually stealthy means.
By the way, it's a complete coincidence that I picked an adventure to run that dealt with a plague situation. To be honest, I just don't own many pre-printed modules, so my selection was limited.
Kali is here because this just happens to be the closest town to where she was when her mentor told her to head out into the world.
This is Rennai, ready to go!
Mathine recently arrived in Falcon's Hollow as part of a surveying caravan, walking alongside an older woman with sallow skin and the bearing of someone broken. To all and sundry, she announced herself to be a paladin of Iomedae, protector of the travelers she arrived with and servant to all. She's a stark contrast to everyone else in the caravan - she wears bright livery with Iomedae's sword and sun front and center, and she carries an equally ostentatious sword and shield strapped to her back.
Of course, given this game's premise, we all know she's not actually a paladin. She's just so convinced that she should be that she's spontaneously become a kinetic knight aetherkineticist, imitating the ability the training and blessing of a knight of Iomedae would give her. Her mother's longsword is the focus of her kinetic blade, and the soft glow of the aether that surrounds it when she calls upon the goddess in battle only supports her certainty in her blessing.
I've got a statblock and slightly more extensive backstory up in my profile. Feel free to take a look and see if there's anything you still need. I did presume to designate her sword as the focus of her Attached drawback already, which is technically the GM's responsibility, but it made sense for the story and isn't something hidden or impossible to threaten. Is that ok? I'm good with changing it to something else or taking away the drawback if you prefer. And yes, I'm aware that I'm taking penalties due to shield non-proficiency - it's only for one level, and it makes more sense to me story-wise.
It's pretty easy for someone else to have been traveling with the same group I was (I picked it because it was a good generic hook). I'm good with having known/traveled alongside another character for some time, if anyone wants to.
Sorry if this is long and insensate.
To help speed up PBP play, there are some rolls that I do for the group: Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth, and Initiative.
I also do group saving throws, but only if its something triggered by the start of combat. For example, a hidden foe casts entangle on the group. It's helpful for the narrative and people's actions if you know right away who has been caught.
I also do blocked initiative. This means that I roll for groups of baddies (same creatures in groups) as a single initiative and divide the whole combat into groups. For example, it might go: Bolkvar and Kali first, horde of barbarian liches, everybody else. Bolkvar and Kali post their actions, I resolve them as described, or in a sensible way if I have to make a small change, then post the actions for the barbarian lich horde, then we pretend a new round has started and all the PCs can post actions. If the lich horde had great wyrm minions, they'd all have their own initiative somewhere in the order.
Feel free to assume that you are all able to work together and communicate during battle. So if Kali needs to wait for Bolkvar to attack and then move out of the doorway, it's safe to assume that that happens. If Bolkvar is adamant that he's not moving just yet, we can retcon things, but 99% of the time, players are usually pretty keen to make choices that benefit everybody, so it's best to just assume that.
If there's a special circumstance, however, where communication is not easy (like you're all being stealthy and can't talk), then we'll address that specifically.
This is Rennai, ready to go!
Mathine recently arrived in Falcon's Hollow as part of a surveying caravan, walking alongside an older woman with sallow skin and the bearing of someone broken. To all and sundry, she announced herself to be a paladin of Iomedae, protector of the travelers she arrived with and servant to all. She's a stark contrast to everyone else in the caravan - she wears bright livery with Iomedae's sword and sun front and center, and she carries an equally ostentatious sword and shield strapped to her back.
Of course, given this game's premise, we all know she's not actually a paladin. She's just so convinced that she should be that she's spontaneously become a kinetic knight aetherkineticist, imitating the ability the training and blessing of a knight of Iomedae would give her. Her mother's longsword is the focus of her kinetic blade, and the soft glow of the aether that surrounds it when she calls upon the goddess in battle only supports her certainty in her blessing.
I've got a statblock and slightly more extensive backstory up in my profile. Feel free to take a look and see if there's anything you still need. I did presume to designate her sword as the focus of her Attached drawback already, which is technically the GM's responsibility, but it made sense for the story and isn't something hidden or impossible to threaten. Is that ok? I'm good with changing it to something else or taking away the drawback if you prefer. And yes, I'm aware that I'm taking penalties due to shield non-proficiency - it's only for one level, and it makes more sense to me story-wise.
It's pretty easy for someone else to have been traveling with the same group I was (I picked it because it was a good generic hook). I'm good with having known/traveled alongside another character for some time, if anyone wants to.
I'm laughing hard at this, but not in a bad way. It's so sad and pitiful, and yet the image is comical at the same time.
The longsword is fine as an attached object. Very appropriate. With the Attached drawback, I view a combat situation that has begun to look very hopeless as a trigger for it, since falling in combat would mean that the attached object would end up in the hands of the enemy.
Which armor modifications did you pick for her Armor Adept feat?
I'm laughing hard at this, but not in a bad way. It's so sad and pitiful, and yet the image is comical at the same time.
Oh good, I hit exactly what I was going for, then. XD If Aroden's death was, like, ten years ago rather than 100, I would have made her an Arodenite paladin, but a century is a long time for a person or family to retain that degree of self-delusion.
I picked double-plated and nimble. The idea of having armor that is both more protective and less restrictive is appealing to me, haha.
Please check that I got all of these correct:
(+2 if benefiting from concealment due to dim light)
(+2 to notice unusual stonework)
(+2 if benefiting from concealment due to dim light)
(+2 vs spells, SLA, and poison)
(+2 vs spells, SLA, and poison)
(+2 vs spells, SLA, and poison)
Everything looks right to me.
Other than that I put your main alias instead of your character name! :P
I figured you'd catch that eventually. The bonuses were more important. ;)
Could we possibly get the gameplay thread up just so we can dot in and delete? That way it's in my Campaigns tab so I don't have to dig for updates.
Also, can folks please check that they can access the maps link and that you can move characters around. Let me know if you would prefer that I move your characters for you (it's hard to do on a phone so if you tend to post from a phone, I or somebody else can move them for you). When giving directions, assume north is always up.
I can see the maps just fine!
Aramant was just passing by, so he's there by chance. Really!
Please feel free to roll or move my character in the map when you feel it'll help speed up the game. I'm most of the time in my phone.
Cheers
Map works fine. Modifiers are all correct. Ready to get killed by dire weasels.
—-
Bolkvar came to search the nearby Dwarven ruins in the hope of finding himself.
Once Oryn’s profile is finished up, I think we’re ready to go.
So Mathine came in with a merchant train, Bolkvar has arrived to chase down rumours of dwarven ruins in the area, Kali and Aramant are here by chance, and not sure yet about Oryn.
Did anybody else arrive with the merchant train?
Bolkvar has profession merchant, so he could have arrived on it
The numbers all look correct, and I can monkey around with the map just fine.
Oryn arrived on the merchant train. Fresh off the farm and naive of all the wonders the world has to offer. Looking for ways where he can use his newly discovered talents.
Initiative roll for me is just +5. I swapped out the improved initiative feat with storm soul. The stealth check already has the -1 for armor. Other rolls look good.
Am I missing something on the stat line?
I can see the maps, no problem here.
Okay I’m just going to simplify things and say that everybody has come in to town with this merchant caravan and put together a good expository opening post in the next little while.
First post is up in gameplay thread.
It appears as if the PCs aren’t the only ones who have to learn the geography of Falcon’s Hollow, as it seems I mixed up the names of the inn with the general store. However, it really makes no difference to the story and I’ll keep it as posted: The Goose ‘n Gander is the inn, while the general store will simply be known as Jak’s Emporium.
@Nazard: I sent you a PM.
Hi guys,
My apologies but I will not be joining you. Sorry for the disruption. I sent details to the GM. Please feel free to replace me.
Have fun!
Profile up for Rao.
GM Permission for Drawback: Insatiable for Trait:Irrepressible?
That could be a particularly nasty drawback, especially in a few levels when it comes time to buy magic items. I would say that since this drawback comes from being used to what passes as a lavish lifestyle for a 1st-level character, it would eventually max out (an 1100 gp +1 shield isn't really that much more luxurious than a 1000 gp +1 shield after all).
Mathine, I was looking over your character sheet, and had questions/observations about a few things.
Her attack bonus with a longsword should be 0, not -2. It’ll be +4 when she’s using kinetic blade, of course.
She doesn’t gain the force ward defensive ability until 2nd level.
What is the sword specialization trait? I can’t find it anywhere.
I think most of this chalks up to weirdness with HeroLab, which I used to create the statblock. I'll take a look later this evening and see if I can sort them out.
Mathine is wearing medium armor which she is not proficient in and adds the armor's check penalty to attack rolls and all skill checks. Thank you Pathbuilder.
Sorry for my delay in posting, I was finalizing the details of my recent move.
So we’re three weeks and one combat in. I’m quite happy with the pace of things but I wanted to check in and make sure everybody is still happy and see if there’s anything with the running of the game that folks would prefer we/I did differently.
I am having fun with this PbP. So far everything has run smoothly as far as I am concerned. Since I have relatively no experience in PbP, it is hard for me to judge; however, I think you are doing a great job.
I have no issues.
None here.
Quite enjoying the campaign :)
No issues here! Except me being busy and slowing things up occasionally. ;)
The next couple of weeks are going to be some of the busiest of my life, so if I don't post feel free to bot me/move on without me. I'll see you on the other side.
No problem. Thanks for letting us know.
I tried to send this as a private message, but it wasn’t working for some reason, so I’ll put it here.
You do realize I have a backstory for the ring already, right?
We don’t have anybody to identify magic items in the group, but for this ring, it’s use becomes instinctive to Oryn. It has three charges, renewed each day. By spending a charge, he can do one of three things: change one blast from air to electricity, fire a blast at double range, or fire a blast with the damage as if he were two levels higher. He can stack charges into a single blast, either combining effects or stacking them (2 charges to get three times range, or do damage as a fifth level kineticist, etc.).
Sorry things have slowed a bit. I’ve had a few busy days and one more, then I’ll be back to normal schedule and able to post a lot more.
No worries. People are either super busy or really bored right now. I can't wait for bars to reopen.
I miss Karoake.
I'm an essential worker and thus haven't stopped going to work, I was already a hermit before quarantines started, and I'm still over it. XD
Have we lost Mathine, or is she just temporarily swamped with work? I can’t find any post of hers more recent than her last game post.
Temporarily swamped with work, but hopefully the worst of it is past now. (I hope. 60 hour weeks are very overrated.)