Welcome, one and all, to a journey unlike anyone in Sandpoint has ever seen. This'll be the place we discuss OOC things and whatnot. While I intend to open the IC thread today or tomorrow, I did want to take some time to check in with you all about comfort levels, how your characters know one another, and so on.
Teruko, for instance, has said she wishes to explore the arc of a daughter escaping an abusive parent - namely, Lonjiku, who still lives in her head. I wanted to know what people were looking for there, and how it would be best handled.
Hana and Teruko are both closely associated with Ameiko, while Torra and Seishin are close to Shalelu - do they know each other? Are they close to one another?
Things like that. :P
"And so the cycle does begin anew."
Checking in!
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Hi everyone! I'm super happy to be joining you on this adventure.
As our GM mentioned, the arc I want to explore with Teruko is a child overcoming the influence of an abusive parent who is quite literally inside her head. I never plan on getting more explicit than I was in Teruko's backstory, but that still may be triggering for some people. One possibility for avoiding that is simply not bringing up Lonjiku in-game at all and having him be entirely in the background. Or having his mental comments be in spoilers so people don't have to read them if they don't care to. No matter what we decide I can always adjust to the comfort level of people playing, (including the GM), so please feel free to PM me if something is upsetting so I can tone things down.
In terms of knowing people:
Seishin: I don't think Teruko would know Seishin, unless maybe Shalelu had mentioned him as an aquaitance to Ameiko who then mentioned him to Teruko.
Hana: Teruko probably views Hana with suspicion. One actor knows another, and Teruko can be very protective of Ameiko. I view their potential relationship as a sort of 'I know that you know that I know you're lying...'. Teruko is also probably jealous of how much Hana and Ameiko have in common, although she'd never admit it.
Torra: Teruko and Torra might have met during one of Torra's short stints as a glassblower. If so, Teruko would empathize with Torra's difficulty in figuring out where she belongs. They could have bonded over a view of family relationships: Teruko has been also taught to view parents as the ultimate authority, and they might have secretly commiserated over their desire to not be what their parents wanted.
Hirabashi: Teruko probably knows him as a former Glassworks employee, but I don't think she would have had reason to get to know him further.
Sup everyone! Just wanna quickly thank Aganhei GM for this opportunity and express my enthusiasm for this roleplay. I'm currently away at work and on my phone, but expect a more elobarate introduction post with hooks and possible character group dynamics from me and Hana in a few hours. Can't wait to play with y'all!
Hi there everyone! Let's have a lot of fun here together! :D
I avoided lurking at the other candidates' stories and builds, because I know it only makes it more painful when you do not end in the campaign or a particular character you liked did not do it. But I will start now looking at what you all wrote and come back to answer the questions.
@Teruko: Let me see about other opportunities to bind together, but knowing ourselves from the Glassworks will sure work :)
@GM: My starting idea for Yuto is to explore the "Forge of a hero" kind of story arc, the kind of hero no one expects, the young that slowly becomes self aware of his own potential and gets involved into a grander history, perhaps unwillingly. All mixed with the oriental themes natural of the AP, and the "Don Quixote" type of initial background, a well intended and loyal man who has an idealized idea of chavalry (in this case the samurais) because his only experience in life is books.
For him the main driving idea to progress in the adventure is the discovery of his own identity, by slowly discovering who his parents where, and their relation to the main goals of the campaign. As such, I think his father and mother pasts and identity offer great hooks to the adventure. I hope you can use them to move the plot forward without generating extra work on your side. I am happy to include references that might motivate him even further to follow the adventure path in the future.
As such, I think his father and mother pasts and identity offer great hooks to the adventure. I hope you can use them to move the plot forward without generating extra work on your side.
Oh, I already have plans for that. Don't you worry. Ignore the malevolent implications there. Just a mild question, though - your chosen avatar does not look like he's in his twenties. Is... is that deliberate? It just looks somewhat dissonant.
Oh wow, this is a very pleasant surprise, I am delighted to be part of this group and journey with all of you. Thank you for the opportunity, Aganhei GM! Also, that was some quick decision-making, when I recruit it usually takes me several days and an epic-level, colour-coded spreadsheet to make my choices. :)
I updated Torra's profile with the GM questions and some thoughts on relationships with other PCs, Shalelu and Ameiko.
@Teruko: I like your idea of the connection. I'm not sure Torra would realize Teruko's struggles with parental expectations, and she probably would not admit that she shares those.
Oh, I already have plans for that. Don't you worry.Ignore the malevolent implications there.
Cool! I cannot wait to explore where that evilness brings Yuto :D
Just a mild question, though - your chosen avatar does not look like he's in his twenties. Is... is that deliberate? It just looks somewhat dissonant.
You are totally right. I could not find a Tien avatar that I liked and looked both young and non-aggressive but strong and not stupid. I will try to make an additional search, but I like the idea that Yuto looks older than his actual age (24). Without the beard and the white hair he probably would look quite younger. Could we say his hair got prematurely grizzled? (A friend of mine got grizzled hair at 16). It also brings the opportunity for fun scenes where people would expect more maturity or responsibility coming from him, and how that will make him grow up faster through the AP.
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Sure thing! Just a final note - I'm not going to name the Heroes of Sandpoint, because I might someday wish to run Rise of the Runelords, and intend to have my games in (more or less) the same continuity. So, while I appreciate that Delendir is pretty awesome, he probably wasn't one of the Heroes of Sandpoint in this game.
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First post is up in the Gameplay tab! Go nuts, ladies, gentlemen, and that technicolor spectrum between and beyond.
EDIT: For those of you who have read my other game, this might be a little more lackadaisical in its pace - not posting speed, but in terms of what happens and how quickly the plot advances, etc. It's got more NPCs to juggle early on, at any rate. Just saying for clarity.
Alrighty!
Regarding PC relationships, Seishin would only have been in Sandpoint within the past couple of weeks or so. I fully intended for him to start the campaign as a new arrival--a fresh pair of eyes in Sandpoint, as it were.
@Torra: No objections to the crush. :)
I'm not going to name the Heroes of Sandpoint
Got it! It is a fair point. We can leave it at the "Heroes of Sandpoint" and everyone can fill them up with the faces they wish :)
@Seishin: I was considering to make Yuto a follower of Shizuru or Tsukiyo. On one hand Shizuru is the goddess of samurais, it makes more sense there is a lot written in Yuto's books about that religion. On the other hand, following Tsukiyo seems like a natural way for him to become interested in Seishin and securing a fast bond together, as Yuto is only learning from books and would sure look for the opportunity to hear about the god first hand.
I do not know which one of the two might become more fulfilling in the long run.
Perhaps I should remove his faith trait and let Seishin have an opportunity to "convert" him to "the true faith" :D
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Up to you with the faith. Mind you, in Minkai, where there's a temple of Shizuru, there's almost always an attached shrine to Tsukiyo. As Yuto's not a cleric, he can pray to both or either whenever suits him best. They are married (even if they never really get to meet). They won't mind. :P
EDIT: I don't think it will come up, but I would be okay with someone playing a cleric of two or three allied gods, just to be clear. It's something I've been thinking about how to implement, anyways.
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@Yuto: If you felt so inclined, certainly.
I think I got how to do it about trying to follow both faiths :)
@Teruko and Hana: I think Yuto should know you from Sandpoint and the Rusty Dragon. Initially I made Madame Mvashti to ask Ameiko to teach Tien and Minkaian to him. But it would make perfect sense that she asked one or both of you instead. Anyway, considering not a lot of people knows Tien in Sandpoint, and the fact we are all three of the same age, it would make a lot of sense for us three to have some kind of small friendship. It should be not very strong, perhaps just a little bit stronger than acquaintances, definitely being shy, sharing language and ethnicity and having same age, it grants for them to feel more comfortable talking to each other during social occasions, rather than with other people of the town. Not making them the kind of "best friends" leaves enough room for the relationship to build up naturally through the adventure as they discover if they are compatible and kin to true friendship, or if they are more different than they thought, without feeling us forced as players.
@Torra: What age is Torra aprox? Yuto has probably been curious about Sabyl Sorn's dojo, and he probably knows Torra from her training her, as well as for seeing her around town.
@All: Thinking about mechanics, it seems we are pretty balanced. If something, I noticed no one has Heal as a skill, which can come handy through the first levels. Also we are missing some knowledge skills, but I guess Teruko will have those well covered in the long run. Because of background I plan for Yuto to be strong in nobility and planes, with some history as well, and perhaps a rank in geography.
Seishin can grab the Heal skill if it's really necessary.
@Yuto: Torra is 51, and has been training with Sabyl Sorn for at least a couple of years. It makes sense that Yuto might run into her there.
@All: a player in one of my campaigns has made me a handy reference sheet where players fill in all their basic stats, languages and skill modifiers, so I can quickly see that info without going into individual profiles. This also has the advantage of spotting gaps in skills at a glance, if we want to plug those holes. Personally I'm fine with the group not having some skills, at least in the beginning. GM reference sheet
Seishin can grab the Heal skill if it's really necessary.
Oh, not really necessary! Just something to consider :)
@Yuto: Torra is 51, and has been training with Sabyl Sorn for at least a couple of years. It makes sense that Yuto might run into her there.
Good! That makes them the opportunity to non be complete strangers, while still leave the opportunity for their relation to grow naturally!
@Seishin: I am curious to know if Seishin is clearly non-human, or if he takes some effort to disguise himself as human. In particular, does he conceal his blue skin under makeup powder to look just pale and not blue?
@Hana: Similar question to you. Is her Kitsune nature something known in Sandpoint? And in particular, assuming Yuto has some kind of initial relationship, does he know she is a Kitsune or that she has a ninja past? Or it is just noticeable that she has an oriental origin?
@Teruko: Coming back to your original question. In general I do prefer to read in the gameplay only what my character can see and hear. I prefer to maintain character "thoughts" out of the view except for an occasional thought input to help explain intent or make people laugh. The reason is because reading thoughts can make for a great narrative in a book, but while I am playing a character in the same world, it is for me very frustrating to read about some inner thoughts of your character but then not being able to react, and then it forces me to maintain a difference of what I know as a player about your character and what my character knows about it. For that reason I think I prefer if you keep Lonjiku's input within spoilers, or if you really want for everyone to read a specific comment from Lonjiku's, then make it appear like whispers audible to everyone.
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Sorry I could not get this done sooner, but I wanted to get this out before we all start interacting at the Rusty Dragon and did not want to half-ass it.
Anyhow, the main thrust and/or arc that I have in mind for Hana is someone who is trying to break with her past in an attempt to find redemption from all the things she did while she was part of her kitsune ninja clan. She hides it will under a mask of easy-going and cheerfulness, but the guilt associated with her actions that realizing just how evil her clan was after being able to experience what a true community is supposed to be after immigrating to Sandpoint has done a number on her. Never mind the fact that she basically got her father killed. Slowly revealing through this first chapter of the Adventure Path that Hana has certain set of skills that go well beyond what you’d expect from a tavern musician is one of her roleplay elements that I most look forward too.
I’m also really interested in exploring the dissonance of someone who seems rather affable and courteous being able to kill ruthlessly goblins and the without batting an eye or showing much in the way of outward trauma or shock. Hopefully, that will be the first give away that there is something going with kindly Hana!
As for her romance with Ameiko, I’m perfectly content to keep that hidden within spoilers between me and Aganhei GM as it develops if that is what people prefer. I intend to keep it PG-13 regardless, so do not fear anything risqué going on there if you decide to risk a peek.
Seishin of the Wheel: They’ve possibly interacted in passing at the Rusty Dragon since Hana likes to get to know all the new people that come to town (all the better to find out if their actually one of her kitsune clanmates come for revenge!). Beyond that I see them getting along in the same shallow way Hana gets along with everyone in town. That will certainly change as the adventure continues.
Teruko Kaijitsu: Hana will certainly know Teruko by virtue of her being her crush’s sister and the two have probably meet at the Rusty Dragon if she’s reconciling with Ameiko. Speaking of which, I do not see Hana much caring for Teruko given her seeming hot-and-cold personality when it comes to her sister. Hana was probably one of the people whose shoulder Ameiko spent some time crying over shoulder when Teruko rejected her, so the image of her being a cold-hearted monster will be hard to shake. Moreover, Teruko being able to tell that she’s hiding probably won’t endear her to the women either. Despite all that I see Hana hiding all her ire under her bubby façade of pleasing niceness.
Torra Voliokerdam: Hana has been in town for about a decade so it’s more likely than not that she’s met and interacted with Torra a few times. During those brief discussions, it’s possible that Hana clued in on Torra’s issues. A lack of identity is something she’s still struggling with and I imagine she’d be empathetic and perceptive enough to be able to see the same conflict in Torra. A shapeshifter and someone going through some form of dysmorphia seems pretty ripe for interesting conversations between the two.
Hirabashi Yuto: Ha! Funnily enough I think we’ve more or less came to the same conclusions in regard to Hana and Hirabashi’s relationship. Same as with Torra, I figured there was a good chance she’s interacted with Hirabashi in town here and there without really becoming close friends. Being respectful acquaintances at best as you said. Maybe they’ve spoken to one another in Minkaian if only for novelty of being able to do so with some else in town who wasn’t Ameiko or her family. Of course, there is the whole samurai and ninja dynamic that could be played up as some kind of rivalry between professions or simply as a shared Minkaian cultural lineage that they talk about very once in a while. Though in regard to both it will probably only start being a thing once Hana admits she’s a ninja and not just a friendly shamisen player.
@Hirabashi: Nope! It is still a secret. No one outside of her mother knows that their both kitsune. Not even Ameiko knows. The same goes for the ninja training and past. However, she’s probably told Hirabashi that her family comes from Minkai and I could definitely see them bonding over that even if Hana is rather coy about the details of her family history.
@Teruko: I’ll be seconding Hirabashi’s preference for spoilers when it comes to her internal struggle with Lonjiku's spirit. I think it adds to the mystery of Teruko’s possessed status and gives us the players more time to built up towards “finding out” about her issue. As for the triggering aspects of such dialogue, I for one am not sensitive towards that sort of trauma in fiction, but if anyone else in our game is I’d be perfectly fine with Lonjiku being a background thing despite really loving the concept.
Fortunately, Hana has a human form, otherwise she'd be literally panting in the heat. :P
Fortunately, Hana has a human form, otherwise she'd be literally panting in the heat. :P
Haha! Very true. Btw, unless I outright mention otherwise, just assume that Hana is in her human form.
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As for romance, I am comfortable with it and can well enjoy it, as long as it does not mean the involved characters only prominently interact with each other leaving the rest of the party aside; and as long as it does not halt the development of the main plot of the adventure.
@Hana: It seems we are aligned there on the amount of friendship then :) I haven't thought about the samurai/ninja dynamics, but as you say, there is potential there. We will see how it develops, Yuto does not consider himself a samurai yet. Well, he basically does not consider himself able to be a warrior right now, for much he would love to be so.
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My general plan is that if romantic things get too long, I'd put them in spoilers and move the main plot along.
Heck, that's my general plan for most individual/small scale RPs that don't involve most of the players.
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Seishin doesn't go out of his way to hide his true nature. As far as he's concerned, he's got nothing to be ashamed of.
Yuto, could I trouble you to put a few things in that area above every post (the name escapes me at the moment)? Current HP, initiative, AC, saves, perception, that sort of thing? It'll help streamline combat when it happens.
EDIT: I've just browsed through everyone's skills, and here's what you're all missing:
Fly (irrelevant, for the time being)
Handle Animal
Heal
Intimidate
Knowledge (local, dungeoneering, engineering, geography, nature)
Ride (unlikely to come up)
Use Magic Device (curious, but not necessarily a problem)
I can take Heal (+2 Wis and class skill), but only K. Dungeoneering is a class skill and I don't have many skill points.
It's not a huge deal - at 1st level, skill points are, uh... practically nonexistent for non-rogues.
Hana will be most certainly be getting Knowledge (Local) at second level. I'm quite surprised that I didn't grab it at one actually. Intimidate and UMD are also things she could get if necessary but they don't quite work with her character. At least for now.
Will be interesting to see how we deal with a lack of Knowledge Geography and Nature given where we are heading.
At first level I was trying to focus on things Teruko would have actually been taught, which sadly doesn’t include nature. (Geography maybe, if the GM would allow me to swap off Craft - Glass. )
I do plan on putting at least one point in every knowledge skill eventually, especially since I’ll get Inspiration at 2nd level.
Since you haven't used any skills, I'll make an exception this once - you can swap glassblowing for knowledge of geography, if you think she'd study that more than her family's business.
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I feel like that's a trick answer, but I do think I can justify it in character.
In order to Teruko to learn glassblowing, she would have needed an apprenticeship of sorts. However she was only 16 when Lonjiku died and the Glassworks shut down, so she hadn't yet started.
Before she was old enough to start crafting the product herself, her studies would have focused more on how to eventually run the business. So stuff like Appraise, (how much things are worth), Diplomacy/Sense Motive, (how to negotiate with customers), and Geography, (where the raw materials came from and where they shipped finished products), would all have been part of the curriculum. (History/Nobility were extras Lonjiku thought were important, and Arcana/Spellcraft are things she's been teaching herself since learning she could cast spells.)
Justification!
Works for me!
3/5 have gathered! I love it when a plan slowly comes together.
While I adore everyone's enthusiasm, I'd ask that you slow down - I don't want to deprive Yuto of the RP experience.
Yuto, ... few things in that area above ...
Done!
EDIT: I've just browsed through everyone's skills, and here's what you're all missing:
Fly (irrelevant, for the time being)
Handle Animal
Heal
Intimidate
Knowledge (local, dungeoneering, engineering, geography, nature)
Ride (unlikely to come up)
Use Magic Device (curious, but not necessarily a problem)
Yuto's shy nature means he is often more comfortable with animals than with people. He has a rank in Handle Animal, he just does not have enough Charisma to make the bonus high :)
Intimidate is a class skill for him, but as Hana said, I do not see that to fit with his current attitude. It will probably change through the adventure.
While I adore everyone's enthusiasm, I'd ask that you slow down - I don't want to deprive Yuto of the RP experience.
Appreciated :)
I can cope with large amounts of unread posts and long jumps forward. I do understand due to the PbP format I cannot be always part of the decision making and the cool RP. But I know I am in good hands with my companions! Let the show go on! :D
Thanks for your willingness! It does help.
You're right, though. I totally missed his rank in Handle Animal for some reason. Weird.
Anyways, none of those skills are super critical - except maybe Heal, so you can probably be safe for now.
I have realized there was nothing in Yuto's build that reflected the influence of his adoptive family. After a thought, I have changed a language to Varisian, and I have added Desna to form a triad of gods that conform a particular and personal way to faith in life.
@Teruko, aside from the Glassworks, Yuto works sewing for Rhynshinn Povalli at Vernah's Fine Clothing. It is well possible he has sewed some or part of the fine dresses Teruko seems to enjoy. I comment it here, because that might also be a point of connection :)
Huh. You have more people with 20 ft. move speeds than 30 ft. Interesting. Means you'll probably be making more saves against the heat than originally anticipated. Hm...
I have added trail rations, a waterskin, a mess kit, soap, an iron pot, a belt pouch, a bedroll, a shovel and a signal horn. Subtracted the corresponding gold. Everything supposedly scrapped from home :)
Yuto already had a silk rope and some means to make fire, in case someone was wandering if we had rope within the party.
Teruko is also hunting the manor for gear...or rather asking her steward to hunt for her while she changes. It's how I'm justifying her having stuff like a bedroll and trail rations :)
GM, I'd purchased a hot weather outfit as part of my initial gear. (As well as a currently much less useful cold weather outfit.) Is it okay for us to flavor that as Teruko already owning something comparable? I don't know if there's a particular reason you didn't want her to buy one in-character.
No, if you bought it beforehand, that's fine. It's just very unlikely for Rynshinn to have that sort of thing on hand - they're not exactly in high demand in Sandpoint, which usually doesn't get this hot.
Is it okay to buy a parasol? Would also like to get a scarf and a second waterskin - keep the scarf wet and wrapped around the head to help against heat and sunstroke.
Sure, that seems logical - rain is much more common than heat here, and scarves, etc. are common enough clothing - especially in Varisia.
Along with her armor and weapons Hana is bringing a belt pouch, a canteen, and thieves' tools. I also brought trail rations, a backpack and a bedroll. Thought I already had them but they are now definitively on Hana's list of gear/possessions.
Altogether she's carrying 22 lbs worth of stuff.
Makes sense. Max gold meant I had enough for a few goodies I wouldn't ordinarily buy, such as extra outfits, some jewelry, a grooming kit...
(Why yes, Teruko is a bit vain, how could you tell?)
She'll be bringing along everything on her gear list except the extra outfits/accessories. Heavy, but she's in medium armor anyway so it doesn't really matter.
I'll need to prepare Create Water regularly while we're out in the swamp--both for drinking and for splashing on people so they don't overheat.
Unfortunately, I've only got room in my spell loadout for one endure elements...
Something to note: Teruko's armored coat can be donned as a move action. Therefore I don't plan on having her wear it while we travel, hopefully negating the normal -4 penalty to Fortitude saves incurred by armor.
I've adjusted her tracker to account for that in case she's attacked before she has a chance to put on the coat. It should be fairly intuitive, but I'll still list whether she's armored or not in the Active Conditions section.
That'd do it.
So, how should I kit my spells out going forward? With two full divine casters in the group, one could spec into buffs and the other could spec into something else altogether.
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Keep in mind, Tsukiyo's clerics can prepare the following:
Faerie Fire can be prepared as a 1st-level spell
Calm Spirit can be prepared as a 2nd-level spell
Darkvision can be prepared as a 2nd-level spell
Rainbow Pattern can be prepared as a 4th-level spell
Wandering Star Motes can be prepared as a 4th-level spell
Not directly relevant, but worth recalling.