It Came from Hollow Mountain

Game Master DEREK LANE 127

As far as my background trait, Audrahni's Ally, I'm tying my background to the "Where she grew up" question. Please email me the info so that I can modify something in my background to link to her.

Done.

I think I've got everything, just having trouble ninja dotting the gameplay tab with the new character. I'm sure I'll figure it out, though.

Don't just say "Dot." Perhaps write a longer sentence. That seemed to work previously.

Don't just say "Dot." Perhaps write a longer sentence. That seemed to work previously.

I found a thread that says you can't type the same message again in a thread, it's an anti-spam message. I was trying to dot, which I had done earlier using Bramelane.

I just had to type something different.

INTRODUCTION

So... since I don't have a character to introduce in the Gameplay thread, I only have a personal introduction to offer.

My name is Derek Lane and I've been playing RPG's for... 35 years. Holy sh**! I just said that out loud. That's a long time. I'm a native Californian (NorCal!), live in Los Angeles, spent four years in Boston, am married and have three boys (teenagers, oy). I work for a French software company and (pre-COVID) traveled to Paris frequently. My French is poor, but I've got the most important stuff down ("pan chocolat et un cafe, sil' vous plait") .

I loved Living Greyhawk (traveling to Paris and playing Ekbir mods was amazing), mourned its passing, but picked up Pathfinder pretty quickly. PF2e looks interesting. Bought the books. Played a bit. But not quite ready to commit 100%. On the other hand, I have started Starfinder Society and really like it.

Since Living Greyhawk, I've played almost exclusively online. I ran a heavily modified Al-Qadim campaign for years (via YahooGroups!) and just loved the format. So here I am, waiting for Paizo to release an AP focused on the Great Empire of Kelesh (Lisa, Erik, you hearing this?) and entertaining you with some Returning Runelords.

I am, by no means, a rules expert. So expect some errors. Please point them out.

Derek Lane
derek@lane.name
+1-818-262-1002 (mobile) (Does anybody have landlines anymore?)
aka Mareq Bolthune
aka Kelvor of the Shundar-Quah
aka The Analog Affair-12

I like her background. Can you add another paragraph about her time in Roderic's Cove? Maybe she's met a wonderful group of fellow adventurers (five of them, in fact)? Traded stories of Thassilonian ruins? She is, after all, Intrigued by Thassilon. She'd be amazed to know some people still can speak the Thassilonian language!

I put this into the end of her Background:

One evening while munching on stew in the Inn, trying out some Blackberry brandy from Blackberry's, she was muttering Thassilonian -- working on the syntax -- and two of the other player characters recognized her attempts. It's hard to get pronunciation right on mostly "dead" languages! But the blackberry brandy is helping the little group of linguists, and anyone else interested, improve!

Hatfield's draft background is up.

GM Derek wrote:

I like her background. Can you add another paragraph about her time in Roderic's Cove? Maybe she's met a wonderful group of fellow adventurers (five of them, in fact)? Traded stories of Thassilonian ruins? She is, after all, Intrigued by Thassilon. She'd be amazed to know some people still can speak the Thassilonian language!

I put this into the end of her Background:

One evening while munching on stew in the Inn, trying out some Blackberry brandy from Blackberry's, she was muttering Thassilonian -- working on the syntax -- and two of the other player characters recognized her attempts. It's hard to get pronunciation right on mostly "dead" languages! But the blackberry brandy is helping the little group of linguists, and anyone else interested, improve!

Roderic's Cove Community College, Linguistics 120A: Ancient Thassilonian

Let's see. I'm Dan and I've been gaming since the red box in the early 80s, although not 2nd edition D&D when I took a few years off early in my military career. I started gaming again when my son got old enough (OK, he was six) just as 3rd ed came out. FYI, he's about to finish grad school in NorCal (San Jose State), while my daughter is seven and starting to enthusiastically game with us now. Yep, just the two, 24 and 7.

I'm now retired from the Marines, over a decade already, but my wife is still in the Army so we keep moving around. We just did three years in Germany (only visited Paris once but traveled a lot throughout Europe) and moved to Maryland last summer. Apparently we're going to settle in Texas in a few years when she retires, although this Western New Yorker thinks TX is waaaay too hot. I did three tours in San Diego and Oceanside, CA so I know SoCal pretty well. Japan twice, Hawaii for 3.5 glorious years, and New Orleans, too.

I found out about PFS at my first GenCon in 2009, the year that Pathfinder was released. I was a VC for two cities and am now the RVC of my third region, so I think I hold the record for the most different VC/RVC appointments. Side effect of the murder-hobo life of the military.

I've GM'd a few APs but only made it through book 4 each time before we had to move again. I just started GMing the 2e AP Extinction Curse and there are parts of 2e I like, but I've played and run so much 1e that I still look for opportunities to play it. I look forward to the chance to actually finish an AP, and I have no problem taking my turn as a GM for a book. I have only done a few PbP games so that's the part of this adventure that I'm not comfortable with, yet. Well, the Roll20 map part of it, the text part of it here is getting better.

I hope that "PatheticWretch" is ok. They don't seem to have posted at all on Paizo since last Friday.

PatheticWretch=Roscoe Elring. He posted on Tuesday.

Hatfield's draft background is up.

I like it! No Nonsense Hatfield.

I hope that "PatheticWretch" is ok. They don't seem to have posted at all on Paizo since last Friday.

I'm alive and okay! And Roscoe Elring! :)

Ayita of the Hawk Clan wrote:

I hope that "PatheticWretch" is ok. They don't seem to have posted at all on Paizo since last Friday.

I'm alive and okay! And Roscoe Elring! :)

Glad to hear it, Roscoe, and nice to meet you! These are kinda scary times if people go quiet.

My name is Yvonne, aka Brea Brannsdottir on Paizo, btw.

Ha, yeah. Well, I just moved over to my alias once I decided on the class. I've been here and posting. Thanks for the concern! :)

@Roscoe: It feels "wrong" somehow to see you spell it "halfling" instead of "half-ling." :D

@GM: Will you allow re-rolls? If so, how do you want to handle them?

@Gregory: Haha, yes! It does feel so wrong not to be a half-ling! ;P

@Roscoe: It feels "wrong" somehow to see you spell it "halfling" instead of "half-ling." :D

@GM: Will you allow re-rolls? If so, how do you want to handle them?

Good question. If you've got a Paizo shirt or a Character Folio, then... yes.

There are five parts to Secrets of Roderic's Cove. One reroll per shirt or Folio per part.

Roscoe -- your halfling character is not showing up in my "Characters" or "Players" tabs -- just your "PatheticWretch" link.

Roscoe -- your halfling character is not showing up in my "Characters" or "Players" tabs -- just your "PatheticWretch" link.

That's a "function" of dotting in the gameplay thread. Once he does that, he'll show. :)

There are five parts to Secrets of Roderic's Cove. One reroll per shirt or Folio per part.

Thanks!

PatheticWretch=Roscoe Elring. He posted on Tuesday.

I spent several minutes thinking PW's real name was Roscoe.

You don't see many Roscoes any more. No Wileys either.

Heh, my real name is not Roscoe. But I did think it’s a fun name for a halfling, for some reason!

One reroll per shirt or Folio per part.

One reroll PER SHIRT? Should I take a picture to show just how many Paizo shirts I own? I'm going to guess two dozen.

Lol, I'll assume that this is max one reroll per part, assuming we own at least one shirt or folio... unless you say otherwise!

GM Derek wrote:

One reroll per shirt or Folio per part.

One reroll PER SHIRT? Should I take a picture to show just how many Paizo shirts I own? I'm going to guess two dozen.

Lol, I'll assume that this is max one reroll per part, assuming we own at least one shirt or folio... unless you say otherwise!

LOL. One reroll per player per part. If you have add'l shirts, there are add'l players who may need a reroll, too. Just sayin'. :)

Since we're all in the tavern, can we give some kind of indication of how well we know each other so I know how to address everyone?

I'm a life-long resident of Roderic's Cove and had a stint in jail, but that was a year ago!

Anyone NOT from here or hasn't been here long?

... can we give some kind of indication of how well we know each other so I know how to address everyone?

Everybody, please introduce your characters briefly here.

I've lived in Roderic's Cove my whole life, and have only been to Riddleport once. However, I've explored a lot of nearby ruins.

I've been involved in some criminal endeavors and spent some time in jail, which I'd imagine any long-term residents would know. But that was a year ago.

I still have parents living in Roderic's Cove.

I'd imagine I know all the long-time residents. Maybe not so much the newer move-ins.

EDIT: Also, I'll be posting with different Aliases for different Spirits I'm channeling. So you'll see different versions of Roscoe. Don't be alarmed. :)

"Howdy, y'all. That's a nasty bump ye took on yer noggin. Can ye remember me? It's Hatfield, tha herbalist. Listen, I'm jus' gon' wrap ye up a bit as a precaution."

Hatfield always puts others before himself. He's generally a non-combatant. He, technically, has a club; but, that's just his "walkin' stick."

"Do ye remember when I came inta town 15 years ago? Me an' Ma and Pa moved here from Sandpoint--right afore tha fire burned down tha cathedral. I took up a handful o' apprenticeships 'round Roderic's Cove. Been practicin' tha healin' arts on my own for the last 10 years. This ringin' any bells for ye?"

Hatfield is 30 years old. He trained/apprenticed for 5 years starting when he was 15 years old. He has been in 'private practice' for 10 years. Though currently independent, he enjoys helping out other healers in town when needed--like when they're away on vacation. He considers himself an "ol' country healer." Moving away from Sandpoint was actually a shared Time Lost episode among his family. They could sense danger coming and moved.

"Ha! I probably shouldn't ought ta have asked if'n ye've had yer bell rung! There. How do them bandages feel?"

Parts of my extended family hail from the hills of Kentucky, live in southern Ohio, and Indiana. I imagine Hatfield's accent being an amalgam of those three real-world accents. I adore these parts of my family, so the accent (and homage) is real and not meant to be mocking or perjorative.

"Don't ye worry 'bout tha color o' them bandages. That comes from tha blueberries. Flavonoids, like tha anthocyanidins from tha blueberry, reduce inflammation an' vasodilation. Means that nobody kin say ye've got a big head! Ha! Least, not from this wound."

Because he's a charisma-based healer, I imagine him being affable and having an excellent bedside manner. He tries not to judge his patients--even when injury is the result of a "hold my beer" moment. He recognizes that people make mistakes. He prefers a no-nonsense existence for himself. (Which, conveniently, also explains his repression about experiencing Time Lost episodes.)

"Well. That should do ye. If'n ye have any further trouble, jus' call on me. Ye know where ta find me."

Hatfield has multiple human ethnicities in his background, including: Azlanti, Taldane, Tien, and Varisian. Unbeknownst to him, there's a strong history of adventurers among his ancestors.

"Greetings. I am Walfrenden, though as my friends, please call me Walf. I am an aphorite, one of a race of lawful beings forged by the axomites of the Perfect City ages ago to interact with others on their behalf."

Walf has gold skin marked with runes and dark bronze eyes and hair. His features are otherwise very human-like. He's 5' 10" and extremely muscular. He wears dark brown leather breeches, a black cloth shirt, and a dark brown leather vest. He wears an iron hammer holy symbol of Torag on a leather strap around his neck. His face is often soot-smeared. He carries an earthbreaker maul.

"I was born and raised in Axis. I apprenticed to a weapon and armor smith there in my youth, but I longed to study and travel the planes. As soon as I could, I enrolled in a neighborhood wizard's academy."

"I once read of an adventurer named Arustun who traveled Golarion. I came to your world to emulate his odyssey. For a time I lived in Qadira and worked for a weaponsmith there. Then I came to Varisia. I lived among the Shoanti for a time trying to learn to tan leather, but the life was too different, and I did not adapt well."

"Then I lived in Riddleport for a time, again making weapons. There I met Kheiron when I forged his bardiche. We became friends, and I came to Roderick's Cove on his recommendation."

"As an aphorite, I remember things from my forefathers. Like many of my people, I remember smithing and languages and bits of information."

"I am still learning to smith, but I now can make masterwork weapons and armor. Eventually, I will make magical ones. But I did not come to Golarion to merely work at the forge. I could have done that in the Eternal City."

"I want to explore like Arustun did, and try new things. I have some skill with this maul and some with magic. As an aphorite, when threatened, sometimes my runes form a protective screen around me. Let me see if I can demonstrate."

Walf concentrates, and the runes on his skin lift off and form a shimmering, dusty screen around him, like the Brownian motion of dust in sunlight. It only lasts a few seconds before the runes return to his skin.

"I do not really understand the way the people here think and live. In Axis, all is orderly and rational. There is trickery and evil, but it occurs in logical, legal ways. Much can be predicted far in advance, and all is as it should be."

"Here, life is not so predictable. People do things for reasons that make no sense to me. Things happen without clear cause. When I speak to people, they often misunderstand me, and I clearly do not understand them. Kheiron is the only one I have called friend here. I hope you will be friends, too."

"I worship the Father of Creation. The few members of his clergy I have met on Golarion are the only people who I truly understand and who seem to understand me. It is part of my journey, but a vexing part nonetheless."

"I would be happy to forge items for you if you have the resources and I have the time to work at Perick's forge. I am learning to make cookware for him and sometimes make armor or weapons for him. I also help at the armory, repairing items damaged in transit and used items."

"The way I learned to prepare spells in Axis is different than most prepare spells here. You are welcome to study my spellbook if you wish. However, the people in Riddleport and Qadira who tried said they found it to be difficult. I have not had the opportunity to look at a spellbook from here, so I do not know why."

"Please know, as an aphorite, I am a creature of pure law. It is my very nature and difficult to overcome. At need, I can try to overcome it, but I am rarely successful. I will not mind if you do not share all plans and information with me, so long as your goals remain honorable and just. Please do not abuse that trust."

"Having spent most of my life on the outer planes, I have spent a great deal of time with their denizens. I understand several of the planar languages, and as I age I will naturally recall and learn more."

"Thank you for allowing me to reside in this strangely beautiful and wild place. I may not understand much of it, but I certainly enjoy experiencing it and look forward to seeing and learning more."

"Can one of you direct me to the ward official in charge of permits to imbibe alcoholic beverages during working hours? Today is my day off, and I do not have a permit for the punch I am about to consume. I do not wish to receive a citation for the infraction."

"Greetings. I am Walfrenden, though as my friends, please call me Walf. I am an aphorite, one of a race of lawful beings forged by the axomites of the Perfect City ages ago to interact with others on their behalf."

Walf has gold skin marked with runes and dark bronze eyes and hair. His features are otherwise very human-like. [snip]

Ha! Very axiomatic! I like it. It kinds reminds me of Data from Star Trek. The last bit about the punch could be in the Gameplay Thread, where it can be responded to in character!

Ayita looks like her Varisian cousins, and wears a mix of bright Varisian clothing with some Shoanti earth tones.Her accent and tattoos, though, tell knowledgable locals that she is from the Hawk Clan of the Shoanti people. She visibly carries a rapier, hanbo, shortbow, and a Shoanti Bola.

Her clan tends to love animals and be fairly peaceful, though her falcon Ter is admittedly fierce towards... pastries. Her Shoanti close family have sharp night vision and quick reflexes -- they have family legends of a fey ancestor, somewhere way back...

Ayita has told her friends of her interesting travels -- including strange Thassilonian ruins!!! with her Varisian cousins' carnival. However she out the difficult ending of the carnival, which I've put in her "Background"; she will avoid discussing that if possible as she is trying to avoid admitting that her cousins might be criminals (which her mother is suspicious of, and very disapproving.)

During her travels with the carnival, Ayita learned some of different cultures and languages; she is fascinated by the massive Thassilonian ruins of the region, in spite of the terrible stories told of the Runelord times. She is very dextrous but fairly tough, too. She is smart, very interested in cultures and languages, can be a little impetuous (slightly low wisdom) but is quite young.

She has some small balls that she practices juggling with -- not knives yet! Part of her "act" involves Ter swooping in and stealing a juggling ball and refusing to give it back; they practice together a lot, behind the Inn in a fairly quiet place. Ter does not speak often with strangers, as a trained bird attracts less attention from potential thieves than a trained talking bird. Ter has begun speaking with our party, though, due to the good amount of blackberry pastry provided.

She has some small balls that she practices juggling with -- not knives yet! Part of her "act" involves Ter swooping in and stealing a juggling ball and refusing to give it back; they practice together a lot, behind the Inn in a fairly quiet place. Ter does not speak often with strangers, as a trained bird attracts less attention from potential thieves than a trained talking bird. Ter has begun speaking with our party, though, due to the good amount of blackberry pastry provided.

That's a Day Job roll, if I've ever heard of one! Post in the Gameplay thread and ROLL Acrobatic or Sleight of Hand. Perhaps some Circle Market patrons will send their children over to tip you!

Lanky, weatherbeaten and hard-looking, the man with the poleaxe looks up from his dinner. "I'm Kheiron Altus out of Cheliax. I've been a farmer, a carpenter and even tried my hand at being a frontier scout. But I guess I'm a soldier if I'm anything at all." He looks like he might say more, but then goes back to eating his soup without further comment.

Frantino Kaddren is one of the more muscular half-elves you may have ever met. Despite the armor and greatsword, a short conversation proves he is also intelligent and well-educated, but he can also be quite blunt if not downright rude at times. Originally from Magnimar, Frantino settled in Roderic's Cove a few years ago after a short trip to Riddleport in a futile attempt to join the Cypher Lodge there and study the Thassilonian relic Cyphergate.

He has likely worked with Kheiron many times as a fellow hired sword, and I expect that he has visited Hatfield for his healing expertise from time to time. However, his preferred hobby of studying Thassilonian ruins would definitely draw him to Ayita for long conversations.

Many of you have probably noticed him spending significant amounts of time with the elf Audrahni, caretaker of the town cemetery. "She's also from Magnimar, albeit she seems to have left before I was born. She even knew my great-grandfather!"

Gregory, I think you have 5 more points to spend on point buy...

Gregory, I think you have 5 more points to spend on point buy...

Thanks, Roscoe! I also shorted myself on the number of Healer's Way uses per day.

@GM: I've updated my Paizo profile--adding Knowledge Nature thanks to my updated INT.

Another build-point related issue -- I should have posted this earlier, sorry.

My desktop Hero Lab is very insistent (throwing an error if I don't add the points) that the AP trait I selected, "Intrigued by Thassilon", gives pluses on ability scores to start with, yet the text of the trait makes it sound like it should be "Chapter 3" when those occur.

I chose the "+2 Con" option. I am happy to remove it if Hero Lab has this wrong!

Another build-point related issue -- I should have posted this earlier, sorry.

My desktop Hero Lab is very insistent (throwing an error if I don't add the points) that the AP trait I selected, "Intrigued by Thassilon", gives pluses on ability scores to start with, yet the text of the trait makes it sound like it should be "Chapter 3" when those occur.

I chose the "+2 Con" option. I am happy to remove it if Hero Lab has this wrong!

In the feat tab, where the trait is listed, is the "Ch. 3 upgrade" box checked? I just checked it on mine and it opens a second line underneath it where I get to choose which ability score I'll add the +2 to.

Yes it's checked; I'd checked it to get rid of the error notice.

I will update my Hero Lab tonight, maybe it's something that got fixed. Sounds like it is for Chapter 3 though, from your reaction -- thanks. Will uncheck.

Yes it's checked; I'd checked it to get rid of the error notice.

I will update my Hero Lab tonight, maybe it's something that got fixed. Sounds like it is for Chapter 3 though, from your reaction -- thanks. Will uncheck.

No change... Hero Lab wants me to check it... I will just ignore its annoyed red flags and uncheck it...

GM: Are you okay with me tinkering a bit with Kheiron's build? This situation has made me realize he needs Intimidation, even if I dumped Charisma.

GM: Are you okay with me tinkering a bit with Kheiron's build? This situation has made me realize he needs Intimidation, even if I dumped Charisma.

Sure. Go ahead. We’re not even in the first fight yet, so...

Roscoe: does your initiative vary, depending on which spirit you are channeling?

Yes, the Trickster has a bonus. The rest should be the same.

What that bonus, so I can factor it in to my group init rolls?

For now, it's just a +8 for Trickster initiative.

Perception is also different in a couple of the spirits, FYI.

It's a little bit of a bookkeeping headache (I have to have a separate document to keep all the spirits in so I don't have to track quite as many things). But I'm looking forward to it, regardless.

I've altered Kheiron slightly. I got rid his Arcane Strike feat (which it turns out he couldn't have taken anyway...) and picked up Additional trait . The trait I chose were the campaign trait "Close Allies" and the combat trait "Bloody-Minded".

With my "Balanced Education" trait I can, once per day, use my Constitution bonus for a Charisma skill, giving me a +8 Intimidate once per day.

At one point I had done a complete rework into a more well-rounded vanilla caster, but I decided to stick with the more gonzo transmuter instead.

I've altered Kheiron slightly. I got rid his Arcane Strike feat (which it turns out he couldn't have taken anyway...) and picked up Additional trait . The trait I chose were the campaign trait "Close Allies" and the combat trait "Bloody-Minded".

With my "Balanced Education" trait I can, once per day, use my Constitution bonus for a Charisma skill, giving me a +8 Intimidate once per day.

At one point I had done a complete rework into a more well-rounded vanilla caster, but I decided to stick with the more gonzo transmuter instead.

Cool!

At one point I had done a complete rework into a more well-rounded vanilla caster, but I decided to stick with the more gonzo transmuter instead.

Looking forward to seeing you in action! :D