Omens Better Left Lost: An Age of Worms Campaign

Game Master Kobold Catgirl

Yeah, they're Background skills.

The goal of the house rule is to make monster lore more specialized and esoteric. The unfortunate consequence is that Bardic Knowledge, being the definitive "general monster lore" ability, either has to be left alone, which risks making specialists feel like they needn't have bothered, or nerfed.

I might sort a compromise or the like—maybe Bardic Knowledge can still work, but you can't achieve more than 5 points above the DC, meaning you only get one or two details about any one creature. Or maybe you can roll any monster-related Lore check, but without the bard level bonus, so it's just Int unless you train. That one only really starts to be felt at later levels, though.

As someone who plays a lot of bards, I'd say limiting the result to no more than 5 above the DC is both fair considering your intentions behind the change and also within the "feel" of a bard to me. The broader your knowledge, the less deep it is. Bardic knowledge in 2E works similarly iirc

Updated for the new page:

Already in
Cuchulainn - Broccan Dunchad - NG - Human - Brawler - Old Rival
Pixie Rogue - Edrukk Thorvirgunson - CG - Dwarf - Warpriest (Gorum) - Ominous Patron
Qunnessaa - Alaïs Thalanassa - CG - Elf - Skald (Bacchanal/Court Poet) - Haunted By Destiny

Finished Applications
Albion - Reknar - CG - Half-Orc - Bard - Retired Goon
The Archlich - Annurian - N - Shabti - Unchained Summoner (Soulbound) - Dangerous Curiosity
eriktd - Gardolf the Grim - NG - Human - Bloodrager (Enlightened Bloodrager/Metamagic Rager) - Allustan's Apprentice/Worm Chaser
TreasureFox - Skender son of Garridan - NG - Human - Druid (Restorer) - Worm Chaser
CucumberTree - Terrov - CE - Human - Sorcerer (Imperious bloodline) - Haunted By Destiny
Hrothdane - Briar Vervain - CG - Human - Oracle (Psychic Searcher) - This Tastes Like Rat Poison
DBH - Jenny Drakan - NG - Tiefling (Daemon-Spawn) - Rogue (Knife Master) - This Tastes Like Rat Poison
sarah 'queen' B. - Lucia Wriothesly - N - Human - Arcanist - A Little Bird Told Me
Fighting Chicken - Kata Coszma - N - Bard (Dirge Bard) - Child Explorers
Edelsmirge - Phoibe Rhamnousia - LE - Slayer (Ankou's Shadow) - Haunted By Destiny
Ventiine - Elvina Naieath - N - Human - Witch (Herb Witch) - This Tastes Like Rat Poison
ClearSpring - Rosella Breban - NG - Human - Fighter - Worm Chaser

Unfinished
Trevor86 - Elf or Half-Elf - Shaman (Life Spirit)
Death-Lok - Jozu Lightfeather - LG - Halfling - Paladin
KingHotTrash
mellowgoth
dwilhelmi
Robert Henry - Elek? - LN - Human? - Bloodrager?
Shadow_Fox
Athrehon
Torilgrey
Giant Halfling
Grimmy

As someone who plays a lot of bards, I'd say limiting the result to no more than 5 above the DC is both fair considering your intentions behind the change and also within the "feel" of a bard to me. The broader your knowledge, the less deep it is. Bardic knowledge in 2E works similarly iirc

Another often bard-player - and bard submitter for this game - chiming in with agreement!

sometimes the question is silly (What would a Chelish shut-in grow up to be if their whole exposure to the world came through the diet of the devilish writings the acclaimed children's author Fiero Thrune, and his well-regarded - and endless - literature series, Elnora the Diabolic Explorer?).

I have to admint, I'm torn between being jealous of your imagination and being scared of it. Leanint towrads jealousy ;)

sometimes the question is silly (What would a Chelish shut-in grow up to be if their whole exposure to the world came through the diet of the devilish writings the acclaimed children's author Fiero Thrune, and his well-regarded - and endless - literature series, Elnora the Diabolic Explorer?).

Ha! Nice! Along those same lines, a gaming company that I sometimes write for released these "children's books" many years ago that you might enjoy:

Where The Deep Ones Are
Cliffourd the Big Red God
The Antarctic Express
Goodnight Azathoth

Developing the lore of the Golarion literature world is one of my hobbies, so I'll just have to add Fiero Thrun and Elnora the Diabolic Explorer to that list!

Unsurprisingly considering my academic background, I yearn for fantasy settings with a history of art and literature. I also have a few characters that are big readers, and it's a million times more interesting if I can make up something for them to read.

Developing the lore of the Golarion literature world is one of my hobbies, so I'll just have to add Fiero Thrun and Elnora the Diabolic Explorer to that list!

Unsurprisingly considering my academic background, I yearn for fantasy settings with a history of art and literature. I also have a few characters that are big readers, and it's a million times more interesting if I can make up something for them to read.

Question: Does Golarion have printing presses? How about newspapers?

From the Wiki. I think I'll be modifying this slightly, but only slightly—printing presses originate from across the eastern seas, assisted by minor magic enchantments (similar to clockworks). A nonmagical version has been devised in southeastern Garund, however, and its use has spread north to Varisia somewhat faster than the firearm.

Question: Does Golarion have printing presses? How about newspapers?

There are "cheap" religious texts available, so that would suggest some form of mass printing exists.

You know, Briar, I've been yearned for a quick resource of books that my characters could/would read. I made up two titles for Elvina but it's not the same as having something universal to pull from. Something one character could quote and another character could recognize. Or maybe a common print of something in certain cultures/households

You know, Briar, I've been yearned for a quick resource of books that my characters could/would read. I made up two titles for Elvina but it's not the same as having something universal to pull from. Something one character could quote and another character could recognize. Or maybe a common print of something in certain cultures/households

That's a solid idea. Some sort of pop culture to help tie people together

I'd be open to writing up a list when the game starts, inviting player suggestions. There are some works of art that will come up naturally in the AP, after all.

I don't know if anyone here listens to the Rusty Quill Podcast, but this line of conversation is bringing back memories. Early in the podcast a PC in prison asked if there was anything to read, and the GM joked that there was a bad romance novel written by Harrison Cambell. This has since become a whole thing, complete with in-character debates about which of Cambell's 20+ books is the best. Harrison Cambell was even written into the storyline as an NPC!

As a former English major, I love it when literature is part of the game.

I haven't listened to the gaming podcast, just Magnus Archives. My wife and I fell behind on this season and need to get back to it

I've had characters in past campaigns who were serious bibliophiles. I had one character who filled a portable hole with books from an old library the party had discovered. The DM was like, "they're not spell books, or magical tomes," and I said I didn't care, I was still taking them.

I always thought it would be fun to compile a library of titles and authors about all the various knowledges and lores, that granted circumstance bonuses or penalties to checks based on the quality of the author's work.

EX: The Foundations of Alchemy by Beatriz Kerr, is a solid, if general primer on the subject. If perused beforehand, it provides a +1 circumstance bonus to any Knowledge (alchemy) checks with a base DC of 15 or less.

Zooland Caprise's Collection of Naughty Limericks +1 circumstance bonus to fun.

I've made a very rough map of Golarion as I'm currently approaching it. It's just a sketchup for my own reference, but I thought some of you might find it useful to glance over.

What happened to the nations so savagely cut away? Either they still exist, but as minor city-states, or they're somewhere off the map. For instance, if you're attached to your PC coming from Andoran, maybe it's a prominent city-state in the Mwangi expanse or Varisia, or maybe it's still a full nation, but somewhere to the distant east or west. You're free to embellish that. Lastwall is a city-state in southeastern Varisia, and Ustalav can basically be considered merged with Geb for all intents and purposes. Cheliax probably exists, or once existed, it's just... over there. Y'know. That way. *waves hand*

Basically, my general goal with this Golarion is to make it feel smaller. "Smolarion", if you will, though you probably shouldn't, because that sounds terrible. The River Kingdoms and Varisia cover a wider territory, and big, established kingdoms are the exception rather than the rule (especially in Avistan). Golarion was just a little too "big" for my purposes here. Too many genres to manage for a game like this.

Dungeon Madam, I have a character concept I'm not sure would work for the campaign, and I wish to run it past you.

Essentially, would a paladin, dedicated to the destruction of undead, work well with The Cult of the Lady of Mint?

I’ve had to give some extra attention to a game I’m running this week and haven’t had any time for this, so I won’t be submitting anything. Best of luck to those who are!

It would! The cult is a little split on the subject of undead (a lot of Jasidians are fairly okay with necromancy, but the Pharasmans in the cult are obviously much less so), but someone who despises undead would at the very least find a comfortable place among them.

Welcome to the Cult, Waskally! We have fun and games.

I have to admint, I'm torn between being jealous of your imagination and being scared of it. Leanint towrads jealousy ;)

Thank you! That PC has appeared in two WotW games and is currently in a Ruins of Azlant game (in a much less evil representation). She's so much fun to play, and designing her was a blast, but by and far the most fun was coming up with silly Elnora titles and plotlines, like:

Elnora fought Andoran spies in The Threat of Freedom, watched with pride as her older brother became a sacrifice to Asmodeus in The Liar in the Pyre (a willing sacrifice it should be noted - Fiero's works were children's books, after all)...

I don't think you have anything to be jealous of though. I really like Lucia. She's so deliciously opportunistic, and getting in over her head is a wonderful hook that I'd be thrilled to have were I the GM (which I'm glad I'm not - there's too many great submissions to choose from). If Lucia and Kata were to meet each other, I imagine Kata would be terrified. So much so, she probably worked Lucia's father's funeral for free :)

Ha! Nice! Along those same lines, a gaming company that I sometimes write for released these "children's books" many years ago that you might enjoy:

Where The Deep Ones Are
Cliffourd the Big Red God
The Antarctic Express
Goodnight Azathoth

This is incredibly cool. Thank you for sharing! I think I've got some purchases to make for my daughter...

Developing the lore of the Golarion literature world is one of my hobbies, so I'll just have to add Fiero Thrun and Elnora the Diabolic Explorer to that list!

Unsurprisingly considering my academic background, I yearn for fantasy settings with a history of art and literature. I also have a few characters that are big readers, and it's a million times more interesting if I can make up something for them to read.

Awesome! Feel free to grab a few titles from Tatienne's background if ever needed.

I also have an academic background grounded in writing (english, library science, currently an archivist at a university). These interests often show up in my PCs. Write what you know, eh? :)

Ventiine wrote:

You know, Briar, I've been yearned for a quick resource of books that my characters could/would read. I made up two titles for Elvina but it's not the same as having something universal to pull from. Something one character could quote and another character could recognize. Or maybe a common print of something in certain cultures/households

That's a solid idea. Some sort of pop culture to help tie people together

In total agreement. What a great idea.

...the GM joked that there was a bad romance novel written by Harrison Cambell. This has since become a whole thing, complete with in-character debates about which of Cambell's 20+ books is the best. Harrison Cambell was even written into the storyline as an NPC!

This is so fantastic. I have another PC, a carriage driver with dreams of being a knight, that only reads Penny Dreadfuls. He's been ordered by the local lord to expand his horizons as part of the conditions for an eventual knightood. I think Harrison Cambell will be his next mind-expanding read :)

I always thought it would be fun to compile a library of titles and authors about all the various knowledges and lores, that granted circumstance bonuses or penalties to checks based on the quality of the author's work.

What an awesome idea. My mind is spinning with possibilities. Thank you for sharing!

were I the GM (which I'm glad I'm not - there's too many great submissions to choose from)

H-Haha...

Basically, my general goal with this Golarion is to make it feel smaller. "Smolarion", if you will, though you probably shouldn't, because that sounds terrible.

Nope, sorry. Smolarion it is. “Terrible, yes, but great.” :)

Also, echoing the chorus that the limits on Lore sound fine. That said, speaking as a mage-bard who thinks that there should be a magical solution for everything, would pageant of the peacock shenanigans be OK after a few levels? No problem if not, of course. And, um, asking for a friend. Nothing to see here. *Checks nervously to see if Lucia or any other unsavoury sort’s watching.*

Incidentally, I just wanted to say that there’s a part of me that hopes all the bards could get together, start a band, though that might have to wait for a lighter take on this story. Alaïs on harp and vocals, Kata on drums and vocals, and Reknar … um, doing that raspy, growly scream-singing thing so many metal guys do, until we can convince him to pick up and play an instrument like a normal person? :p

I’m not sure what Broccan and Edrukk would be up to. Security? Roadies? Our long-suffering managers?

And now I’m imagining the mosh pit:
“Alaïs, we love you!”
“Marry me, Kata!!!”
“Guys, guys! Reknar was totally looking my way! He winked!”
*Screams.* *Swoons.* You know, the usual.

Surely there’s a band hijinks RPG out there that could be hybridized with Pathfinder.

You know, Briar, I've been yearned for a quick resource of books that my characters could/would read. I made up two titles for Elvina but it's not the same as having something universal to pull from. Something one character could quote and another character could recognize. Or maybe a common print of something in certain cultures/households

Oooh, likewise. In my headcanon, since one of my very favourite feats, Ritual Hex, calls for a book of occult lore as a focus item, the standard text (to the extent that there is one) for that sort of spookiness among elves is something called the Leaves from a Dark Wood, copies of which tend to find their way to folks who need it. Because I’m a sucker for mysterious magical books like The King in Yellow, Necronomicon (*sigh* so basic), that creepy thing from Bellairs’ The Face in the Frost, &c.

Anyway, as a starting point, let us bless the wranglers of the wiki for all their diligence. (And that doesn't even include the things hidden behind the author pages, like the titles of some of Ailson Kindler's gothic romances.) And at least a few of the bardic masterpieces have a suggestion of an actual title and description to them.

Dungeon Madam, I have a character concept I'm not sure would work for the campaign, and I wish to run it past you.

Essentially, would a paladin, dedicated to the destruction of undead, work well with The Cult of the Lady of Mint?

Hey buddy. Nice to see you. I hope we can play together. A paladin and a chaotic evil sorcerer, what could go wrong.

Also, echoing the chorus that the limits on Lore sound fine. That said, speaking as a mage-bard who thinks that there should be a magical solution for everything, would pageant of the peacock shenanigans be OK after a few levels? No problem if not, of course. And, um, asking for a friend. Nothing to see here. *Checks nervously to see if Lucia or any other unsavoury sort’s watching.*

Does Yasmeena count as unsavoury? ;) I'd be really glad to see your newest incarnation get in on that magical knowledge performance. What a great masterpiece! And "I am one who delights in all manifestations of Terpsichorean muse," as another famous fan of literature once remarked.

Added a description of Briar’s physical appearance and personality!

Hey everyone, this is Trevor 86's virtually complete submission, only missing the physical description at the moment, which I'll add sometime tomorrow when inspiration for it strikes me :) I wanted to get it out now however as I need to sleep, and wanted to share what I had now in case Dungeon Madam had more questions or suggestions.

...And to say hello and prove I was still alive, of course! I apologize for the radio silence the last few days; I had the unexpected good fortune of being invited into a second game as well and had to divide my time between completing the submission and making the alias for that one. From glancing over things iI do appreciate the openness of the posts and the literary references that fly over the head of a young one like me.

Oh, for this submission, I eventually decided to switch the character from female to male. I wanted to try something different once, since I have 4 active 'main healers' who are female and none (that were accepted) who are male. Observer Bias? We'll find out! :)

Dungeon Madam, please look over my submission, Dragomir Venchev, varisian paladin of Pharasma, and see if he makes the first requirements of character submission for Age of Worms. Thanks in advance.

I feel like my little fellow is pretty bog standard compared with the ideas being thrown about. I guess I will be the bland background that makes your creativity stand out...

I finally have enough character built to populate the alias. Always open to suggestions and appreciate corrections if anyone has time and inclination to look it over.

I assumed that my campaign trait bonus did not make me trained in the skill, so I put a background skill point there because why wouldn't I?

EDIT: Only the fighters get Combat Stamina for free, correct? I see HL gave it to me, so I will need to clean that out.

I feel like my little fellow is pretty bog standard compared with the ideas being thrown about. I guess I will be the bland background that makes your creativity stand out...

Don't count out us Regular Joes, give us a chance, and we might surprise you!

Hey all, I am a little late to the game, but I am submitting Anya Flamehair - halfling cleric of Sarenrae (aka Pelor in Greyhawk). She's built to "aid another" - help party melee monsters with attacks and AC. She has healing domain so eventually (at 6th level), she'll have empowered heals for the party. Good range with firebolt and sling with sweet Dex. Great diplomacy skills - fireball hurler in the future. High perception. Quite a multi-tasker. I am in the EST and can post various times per day.

Jenny Drakan: Ah, gotcha, makes sense.

Phoibe: I think that "likes to dance" and "enjoys others' company" are excellent fodder for a redemption arc. I assume you're leaving the shadow for me to decide what to do with?

Elvina: Welcome back, Ventiine! Elvina and Hedgie look delightful, and I agree with you and Alais—it's a great contrast between two very different kinds of elf. Grave moss is a cool hook, though it might be tricky to find her motivations once she finds it. Thoughts?

For example, a book about an immortal bard from Medieval Ireland making an all girl metal band in the 80’s to defeat the evil fey that has been holding her girlfriend captive can have realistic emotional depth and character relationships. I know cause I’ve read that book (Gossamer Axe by Gael Baudino)

Oh, gosh, I need to read that.

Annurian: I think getting glimpses of his "twin" could be really cool. There's a lot of flavor and foreshadowing potential there.

Reknar: Luzarne Parrin is, by mine managers, a fairly decent person (though, well, no mine boss in town is likely to be north of Neutral), and working for her offers a lot of opportunities for hooks! How strong are Reknar's moral standards at this point?

Rosella Breban: Oh, gosh, this backstory is really lovely, and parts of it hurt to read. The poor dear. I am reeling. So her niche is mainly damage, with some skills utility?

Kata: This explanation makes a lot of sense. I could see her conflicts with the Jadisians leading to some interesting hooks. As for spheres, I'm open to it! I know very little about Spheres of Power, except that apparently it's less powerful than default PF magic at high levels. So I'd defer to you if you feel confident with it.

Alais: Pageant of the Peacock seems really strong, honestly. I would hold it to similar restrictions as Bardic Knowledge with regards to Lore checks.

Harran: I like this backstory! I can tell his mother would provide some exciting hooks for later. The start of the adventure has you trying to explore one of the old cairns nearby the town, but we could adapt Shayenna's disappearance in a few ways to make that fit—maybe she went dungeon delving, or maybe her disappearance happens later (because, yes, you will go into some mines at one point).

EDIT: Oh, gosh, there's more.

Dragomir: That backstory is kind of inspirational and kind of chilling—exactly what I'd expect from a paladin trained by a cult to the death goddess. What's his hook for exploring the Whispering Cairn? Do you have any thoughts for the nature of the shadow, or was it just a random phantom or night terror?

People are not making this easy for me. There are a lot of really good entries, and only so many slots. I am catching myself legitimately considering starting two PbPs. I'm not going to do it, but I could easily build two large and excellent parties out of the applicants here. Oooof.

EDIT x2: aaaaaah

Edrukk: Yeah, only fighters get it for free. A simple concept can work well! It takes skill to play the straight man, and he's a critical asset to a party of weirdos.

EDIT x3: AAAAAAAAHHH

Lucendar/Anya: Ooh, I do like halflings. Giants serving a villainous role in your backstory might make things interesting later. Any reason you went with giants? Also, Pelor doesn't have much of a role—in fact, he's specifically struggled to gain a foothold because the people of Diamond Lake are a bit too cynical for him, so your character might have some interesting fish-out-of-wateryness if she gets in. How interesting to see a PC who's legitimately just exploring the tomb because it seems like fun!

I'm not sure if it's a spoiler or not, but are plants and animals in danger in the first book? I'm afraid I don't know much about the AP

The first book is almost entirely focused on the Whispering Cairn.

Dragomir: That backstory is kind of inspirational and kind of chilling—exactly what I'd expect from a paladin trained by a cult to the death goddess. What's his hook for exploring the Whispering Cairn? Do you have any thoughts for the nature of the shadow, or was it just a random phantom or night terror?

People are not making this easy for me. There are a lot of really good entries, and only so many slots. I am catching myself legitimately considering starting two PbPs. I'm not going to do it, but I could easily build two large and excellent parties out of the applicants here. Oooof.

Such incredibly kind words. I am humbled. Thank you.

As a dedicated opponent to undead, Dragomir had heard the scary tales of the Whispering Cairn since he was a child. If asked to accompany an exploration, Dragomir's purpose would be to protect the exploration from undead, and seek to end as many restless undead as the paladin can.

As for the shadow, I will leave it for the Dungeon Madam to use or discard. The shadow might be one of the many things that bump in the night that children have had to deal with since Golarion's creation, or the restless spirit of a serial killer not brought to justice in life, or the angry spirit of a great-granduncle who kept a feud with his brother even unto Death.

Edrukk: Yeah, only fighters get it for free. A simple concept can work well! It takes skill to play the straight man, and he's a critical asset to a party of weirdos.

He's a likely straight man. Perhaps thought to be no fun at all!

I found why HL gave him the Combat Stamina and cleaned up the character sheet. I also swapped out his ranged weapon - he now carries a shortbow.

He has solid weapon crafting skills and would likely be in Diamond Lake using those skills, possibly crafting tools like shovels and picks, while he tries to figure out where the visions intend him to go next. A trip to the Whispering Cairn would represent something more interesting, easier money, and perhaps - perhaps! - the suggestion is the portent he's been waiting for.

Barring significant issues, I believe he's done.

I think picking haunted destiny and having the shadow whisper to me about it and leaving my "imaginary" friend and flank buddy in gm hands is wicked fun and allows for that Jiminy Cricket sort of stuff that can go into the redemption arc without reducing the mechanical aspect. Its like inviting a flying plot device into my life with some gm fiat fun.

I think picking haunted destiny and having the shadow whisper to me about it and leaving my "imaginary" friend and flank buddy in gm hands is wicked fun and allows for that Jiminy Cricket sort of stuff that can go into the redemption arc without reducing the mechanical aspect. Its like inviting a flying plot device into my life with some gm fiat fun.

A horde of mad zombies moaning over their cravings for flesh...is a great plot device too.

I picked giants because they would be a scary overwhelming sight to a female halfling. Investigating a cairn would be fun, especially given her curiosity trait.

Alais: Pageant of the Peacock seems really strong, honestly. I would hold it to similar restrictions as Bardic Knowledge with regards to Lore checks....

That sounds perfectly reasonable, and I’m not sure that I would have ended up taking it in any case, since I’m not sure how Alaïs would feel about it. On that note:

Alaïs Thalanassa wrote:

*Checks nervously to see if Lucia or any other unsavoury sort’s watching.*

Does Yasmeena count as unsavoury? ;) I'd be really glad to see your newest incarnation get in on that magical knowledge performance. What a great masterpiece! And "I am one who delights in all manifestations of Terpsichorean muse," as another famous fan of literature once remarked.

Not at all! It’s just that I’m not sure how I imagine it working, but I think it might kind of feel a bit like cheating (I imagine cross-culturally across Golarion there are special rules about bards and pub quizzes!), and so lead to ambivalence that someone like Lucia would be well placed to exploit for her own nefarious purposes.

Anyway, I know, magic, but if there’s no reason there has to be at least rhyme, and I’m trying to figure out why Bluff, in particular. Tricking one’s nervous mind into remembering that it knows its stuff? Talking oneself down along the instantaneous magical lines of, “Not only am I all tidy and with my good skirt / elbow-patched academical tweed jacket, but I did take my degree and know what I’m doing! Take that, imposter syndrome!”?

Added a description of Briar’s physical appearance and personality!

Oh, neat! I find myself wondering what Briar would make of Alaïs. On the one hand she – or rather her family, for all the good it does her this far out of Kyonin – is rich and powerful, but she’s also young and idealistic, and probably very naïve about how ordinary people live, especially in human lands and even more so in a place like Diamond Lake. And Alaïs is used to being the little kid, though not normally when she’s a century older in strict chronological terms. I suppose it could go either way. Alaïs would definitely try to be quietly sympathetic and supportive of Briar – elves get/grok Calistria, for obvious reasons – without being patronizing or assuming she has any clue what her life has been like, but their baselines are still radically different. *You mean not everyone thinks it so devastating to have stumbled into a faux-pas at the Duchess of So-and-so’s last ball?*

From glancing over things iI do appreciate the openness of the posts and the literary references that fly over the head of a young one like me.

Hey, no making us feel old! :) It might just be a cultural divide, since it looks like there are a bunch of Anglo-American literature geeks here, and I’m certainly not up on what’s on across the pond.

Not at all! It’s just that I’m not sure how I imagine it working, but I think it might kind of feel a bit like cheating (I imagine cross-culturally across Golarion there are special rules about bards and pub quizzes!), and so lead to ambivalence that someone like Lucia would be well placed to exploit for her own nefarious purposes.

Anyway, I know, magic, but if there’s no reason there has to be at least rhyme, and I’m trying to figure out why Bluff, in particular. Tricking one’s nervous mind into remembering that it knows its stuff? Talking oneself down along the instantaneous magical lines of, “Not only am I all tidy and with my good skirt / elbow-patched academical tweed jacket, but I did take my degree and know what I’m doing! Take that, imposter syndrome!”?

I think it's just that Bluff is the "pretend" skill. Maybe Perform (act) or Perform (sing) would be better, but they both let bards use the skill for Bluff too. Bards are all about using their Charisma-based skills for Intelligence-based skills-- it's almost exactly what Bardic Knowledge is doing, isn't it? Adding bard levels to knowledges like rangers add ranger levels to tracking or rogues add them to trapfinding?

I don't think Bardic Knowledge has anything to do with Versatile Performance—it's more a vestige of the idea that all bards are traveling loremasters.

Oh, neat! I find myself wondering what Briar would make of Alaïs. On the one hand she – or rather her family, for all the good it does her this far out of Kyonin – is rich and powerful, but she’s also young and idealistic, and probably very naïve about how ordinary people live, especially in human lands and even more so in a place like Diamond Lake. And Alaïs is used to being the little kid, though not normally when she’s a century older in strict chronological terms. I suppose it could go either way. Alaïs would definitely try to be quietly sympathetic and supportive of Briar – elves get/grok Calistria, for obvious reasons – without being patronizing or assuming she has any clue what her life has been like, but their baselines are still radically different. *You mean not everyone thinks it so devastating to have stumbled into a faux-pas at the Duchess of So-and-so’s last ball?*

It’s a good dynamic! Briar would probably have a complicated tangle of feelings. Sympathy for an idealistic yet naive girl mixed with envy because Alaïs got to live the kind of life she feels she herself should have, but also seeing it as an opportunity to protect and nurture someone much like her younger self, yet also wondering how much right she has to try to educate someone a century older than her on how life works. The more the string gets pulled the more tangled it gets.

That complexity will mostly be under the surface at first, most likely. She’s an introvert pretending to be an extrovert, so the mask she puts up when dealing with people is often radically different than the more pensive, thoughtful workings of her mind. The heightened conflict that comes with the territory of an AP can easily push through those blocks.

I try to not keep any characters too withdrawn, though. Interiority is great and one of my favorite parts of pbp’ing, but ultimately what we are all here for is the meat of characters interacting. At least with my style, I feel like pbp is a lot like writing a novel, particularly in how there’s a balance between maintaining a sense of overall plot structure and pacing and needing to “listen to the story” and see where it is taking me.

I don't think Bardic Knowledge has anything to do with Versatile Performance—it's more a vestige of the idea that all bards are traveling loremasters.

What I meant was that since bards are encouraged to put most of their ranks into Charisma-based skills, Bardic Knowledge lets them have an uncanny ability to just know things without especially having to invest in it. :)

I love the map of Smolarion, although if you want a different name (why, though?) you could remove the Golliath part and replace it with David for Davarion :)

Yes, I like puns and wordlplay.

Also, echoing the chorus that the limits on Lore sound fine. That said, speaking as a mage-bard who thinks that there should be a magical solution for everything, would pageant of the peacock shenanigans be OK after a few levels? No problem if not, of course. And, um, asking for a friend. Nothing to see here. *Checks nervously to see if Lucia or any other unsavoury sort’s watching.*

"Unsavoury sort"

*makes detailed entry in book*

(Just kidding, Lucia doesn't use books to record tht sort of stuff. She kieeps it in her head).

TBH I don't think Lucia would want to cross Alaïs. Elves live forever and have loooong memories. Also, an aristoracrat who is not from around here might be someone worth cultivating for other reasons. Lucia doesn't want to spend her whole lief in this sh*thole, after all. She would have marked Alaïs as interesting and worth getting to know. Given the way Lucia dresses, it's possible Alaïs might have initially assuemd she was high-born, althought that impression only lasts until Lucia starts talking - she's a commoner with a posh fmaily name, an excellent education courtesy of the family library (which she had to sell to pay for her father's funeral), and nice clothes.

by and far the most fun was coming up with silly Elnora titles and plotlines, like:

Tatienne Talbot's backstory wrote:

Elnora fought Andoran spies in The Threat of Freedom, watched with pride as her older brother became a sacrifice to Asmodeus in The Liar in the Pyre (a willing sacrifice it should be noted - Fiero's works were children's books, after all)...

Would legit read thses books. Liar in the Pyre, heh.

I don't think you have anything to be jealous of though. I really like Lucia. She's so deliciously opportunistic, and getting in over her head is a wonderful hook that I'd be thrilled to have were I the GM (which I'm glad I'm not - there's too many great submissions to choose from). If Lucia and Kata were to meet each other, I imagine Kata would be terrified. So much so, she probably worked Lucia's father's funeral for free :)

Aww, thank you! Although I should say that Lucia didn't *become* Lucia until some time after her father died.

I've been giving this some more thought agctually and I think Lucia isn't "evil" so much as she is "stuck" - I don't know how much anyone knows about Maslows heiriearchy of needs, but it basically suggests that at the bottom of the pyramid is ths stuff we haev to have (food, water, breathing, safety), and then as we get those we are more open to other things like friendhsip and intimacy and then at the top you get things like self-actualisatioan (morality, creativity). Lucia's fatehr died when she was 14, too young to be a full adult (which is why she escaped going straithg into the brothels) but not a child anymore that someone else might take in. So despite her successes over the last few years and the wealth she has aquired (300 starting gold!!!) she is still in the "have to be safe, havve to be secure" bottom part of the pyramid - which means she doens' have time or energy to think of other people as antyhig but potential eneimes and/or suckers to be exploited.

My hope/plan is that as she adventures with the rest of the group, she starts to realise that she is able to mvoe away from those immediate needs and get "un-stuck" (which is totally a word) so she can espiereince other things like friendship.

That's a really neat take on a redemption path, Lucia! I would totally buy a Dickens-esque novel telling her story: From Rags to Riches, or The Real Friends Were The Hierarchy of Needs We Met Along The Way.

Harran: I like this backstory! I can tell his mother would provide some exciting hooks for later. The start of the adventure has you trying to explore one of the old cairns nearby the town, but we could adapt Shayenna's disappearance in a few ways to make that fit—maybe she went dungeon delving, or maybe her disappearance happens later (because, yes, you will go into some mines at one point).

That works just fine for me :) Eager to see where the story takes us!

Rosella Breban: Oh, gosh, this backstory is really lovely, and parts of it hurt to read. The poor dear. I am reeling. So her niche is mainly damage, with some skills utility?

Yep, damage-dealing is her primary focus. With fewer players I'd be worried about stepping on Broccan's toes, but with six I think there's room for both a melee and a ranged DPS. For skills I plan on keeping the three I mentioned, (Handle Animal, K. Nature, and Survival), maxed out. Otherwise I can shift points around based on what the party is missing.