EltonJ Presents "Mwangi Expanse" (Inactive)

Game Master EltonJ

Here's the discussion thread, fellas.

Let’s discuss!

Reporting for discussion and ready to chat!

Btw, Yumbulika would totally try to help Ukube overcome his disdain for magic. :)

Here and ready to discuss!

”BWAHAHA! Discussions are for old men and weakling spellcasters! Let’s tell tales of might and heroism instead! Who wants some palm wine?!”

*Burp*

Btw, Yumbulika would totally try to help Ukube overcome his disdain for magic. :)

That sounds wonderful. He’s really just a big softie, once you get past the bravado. Problem is that there is so much bravado to get through. :-)

I plan to play Ukube’s 7 Int and 7 Cha faithfully all the way through. That means he’ll be loud, over the top and just plain dumb much of the time. Fell free to point out if it gets out of hand and I’ll dial it down.

No need to worry about interparty conflict or overly reckless behavior either. Just think of him as a clueless teenager who will need a bit of managing in polite society and a reminder now and again to think before he acts.

So where we dropping boys?

Anyway, I suppose that this is meant to double-check who showed interest but is still around. Maybe discuss what kind of team should be made, what possible connections there are?

Still here!!! Ribbit!

How do you all feel about Advanced d20 Magic? We can use the rules from Advanced d20 Magic to balance spellcasters. Especially Zinnath the Scary.

Basically when you cast a spell, you roll a d20 (with fortitude modifiers) to resist against drain. When you miscast a spell (don't roll above the TN) you can roll a control check to fire off the spell immediately. But you could suffer drain, which is taking a non-lethal hit to your hit points.

It's David and Michelle Lyons' rule set. I was reading it and fell in love with it all over again (I have a hard copy, lucky me!).

Example: Lets say your 5th level sorcerer (lucky you, you can resist drain) but this is a simple example. You want to dust off a fireball. It's DC 31 to resist drain. And you have a +5 spellcasting bonus. You can incant the fireball spell (+5) for using an incantation -- you can invoke the fireball (another +5) by saying it's name loudly (+15 so far, although everyone knows what your firing off), finally you use bat guano (+1 for using an expendable spell focus!) and now you have +16 to your fortitude roll and your control check. Then you roll a d20.

1d20 + 16 ⇒ (20) + 16 = 36

And I cast the fireball! I also take half drain, but factor in my drain resistance class ability!

I have the Advanced d20 Magic .pdf saved on my google drive. If anyone wants to read the rules, I can provide the link here. Also, I think it's superior to Vancian spellcasting.

Since Ukube won’t be casting spells, I don’t expect this to affect me much. That said, I don’t really have the mental bandwith to learn a whole new rules subset right now. So if we do this, please provide very specific instructions about how to respond to spells.

Ugh. Sorry, that's just my honest response. It sounds like a cool system (I dislike Vancian casting as well), but I'm with Ukube--I don't really want to learn a new set of rules. It's the same reason why I haven't learned Pathfinder 2e, even though it intrigues me.

Any system that adds more randomness tends to work against the PCs over time, so I vote against.

Hello! I didn't quite get around to adding a backstory, but it's a simple one. Inyoni grew up among the Ekujae elves and has come south to Nantambu to visit dad for a while. She has trained as a demon hunter as one does when one is Ekujae and the city of Usaro is a near neighbor.

I'm not loving the idea of a new magic rules system either. I don't really have the bandwidth for new rules right now. Besides Inquisitors are mostly buffers and utility casters anyway.

I'll agree with the pack against adding any new rules into this. It just doesn't seem particularly necessary in the grand scheme of things. Even though it doesn't really matter to Kikina's build.

Okay, but don't complain about Zinnath the Scary.

Okay, but don't complain about Zinnath the Scary.

??

EltonJ wrote:

Okay, but don't complain about Zinnath the Scary.

??

Do you mean that Zinnath is a CR2 creature, which counts as at least level 2, in a level 1 game? I don't see how the Advanced d20 Magic system would help balance the disparity--it just nerfs all casters. Meanwhile Zinnath's permanent perfect fly speed, spell resistance, telepathy, etc are all unaffected.

But he'll think twice about casting a spell.

Yumbulika wrote:

EltonJ wrote:

Okay, but don't complain about Zinnath the Scary.

??

Do you mean that Zinnath is a CR2 creature, which counts as at least level 2, in a level 1 game? I don't see how the Advanced d20 Magic system would help balance the disparity--it just nerfs all casters. Meanwhile Zinnath's permanent perfect fly speed, spell resistance, telepathy, etc are all unaffected.

But he'll think twice about casting a spell.

Won't that be true of all of us who can cast? It doesn't rebalance anything so much as apply a penalty to everyone who casts. I won't complain about Zinnath because I'll be too busy worrying about myself.

I guess we have two 7 Int characters?

I'm based off the character from Blazing Saddles, if that wasn't obvious to any one who has seen the film.

Also against a new rules system.

While I’m not personally opposed to the system I’m happy to forgo it too; And as far as Zinnay goes, I’m not worried either; after 1st level they’ll be just about our level anyways.

As far as background it seems like at least a few of us are native Nantambu so perhaps we are familiar with each other a bit? My family owns a trading company and I like to delve into the blackmarket and underbelly.

I guess we have two 7 Int characters?

I'm based off the character from Blazing Saddles, if that wasn't obvious to any one who has seen the film.

Also against a new rules system.

It was blatantly obvious to me, and it didn't need the quote either, just the name!

What's the plan adventurers?

Lets get your backgrounds entwined as much as possible. Then I can write the episode chart. :) Season 1 -- 14 or 26 episodes?

Then I can write the episode chart. :) Season 1 -- 14 or 26 episodes?

I don't know what that means?

Looks like eight of us, with everybody in? That’s a big party and a lot of backgrounds to entwine!

Yumbulika would probably know Nbazi (we’re both halflings living in Nantambu) and Ukube (also a Nantambu native, she would have heard of his exploits at Magaambya).

Sadly Kikina is not from Nantambu, and I'm not sure exactly how they'd meet. It's a bit of a trek from Sargava to there after all.

Zinnath would like to have a bipedal friend! Someone that he can ride on your shoulder. A spell caster would be ideal, as people might assume Zinnath is your familiar.

Looks like eight of us, with everybody in? That’s a big party and a lot of backgrounds to entwine!

Yumbulika would probably know Nbazi (we’re both halflings living in Nantambu) and Ukube (also a Nantambu native, she would have heard of his exploits at Magaambya).

Agreed, from what I read if there are 2 of us here, there are only 898 more halflings in town. I Think its safe to say we at least grew up familiar with each other, attending the same basic classes and playing together? Nbazi is currently somewhat of a favored black sheep in his family and community because he likes to associated with less reputable folks than the upstanding traders his family comes from.

Zinnath would like to have a bipedal friend! Someone that he can ride on your shoulder. A spell caster would be ideal, as people might assume Zinnath is your familiar.

I already have a celestial baboon, why not a fairy dragon? having a laughing gas cone sprayer would certainly help in getting away from the aforementioned less reputable folk in a pinch.

I think the other main caster is Yumbulika (Can Nbazi call you Yumbi?; I imagine his friends would call him Baz.), but she might not like you depending on how snakelike your body shape is haha.

@Ukube, we might also have some familiarity if you ever worked as labor /porter and like Yumbulika, as a fellow native, I've likely heard of your exploits at the very least at the festivals. Although far warning, Nbazi might needle you for NOT being able to cast spells just as much as you needle him for not being musclebound haha

@Mongo, same goes for you, if its plausible you've ever been looking for honest labor work or protection its plausible we are aware of each others existence at least. If Mongo is interested in the kind of work that is neither entirely honest or dishonest, we almost certainly are aware of each other.

@Kikina, I imagine that while from Sargava you are in Nantambu now? or at least arriving through the gates on whatever day the plot starts?

@Inyoni and Kuga, I didn't see much in the way of background, are you also natives of Nantambu, or at least local to the city?

It's nice to be wanted!

It's nice to be wanted!

I like, and have some experience with the shoulder mounted fairy dragon in a kingmaker game I was in almost a decade ago haha. It ended up having a place on the ruling council in our small nation. "head of non humanoid relations" or something like that iirc.

Any preference on how we met and got to working together? We could always say I was snooping around a warehouse I maybe probably shouldn't have been and found you in a crate haha.

Ohhh! Rescued by halflings! Seems a great plot hook!

Zinnath would be quite a prize to poachers and exotic animal collectors. As an albino faerie dragon, he is rather unique. He is iridescent and pearly, but only in the white spectrum.

Inyoni grew up among the Ekujae elves and has come south to Nantambu to visit her dad for a while. She's from the area up nearer Lake Ocota along the Vanji River.

Since she's just on an extended visit, she doesn't have a job, any particular things she needs to be doing, or any particular places where she needs to be. She fairly outgoing, so she can be considered to be out and about in the city wherever there's something of interest happening. So Inyoni is sort of a wild card who can be inserted anywhere.

EltonJ wrote:

Then I can write the episode chart. :) Season 1 -- 14 or 26 episodes?

I don't know what that means?

This campaign is a T.V. type campaign. It's episodic in nature.

@Nbazi: People who want to be friendly and informal but don’t know Yumbulika well call her Yumbu. Her closest friends and family call her Lika. You can choose which you want to call her. :)

I’m imagining that we’re friendly acquaintances, connected through Halfling community events. You should definitely adopt Zinnath and pretend he’s your familiar, to protect him from poachers etc.

@Kikina: Yumbulika might have noticed Kikina wandering around Nantambu, looking lost, and offered to help her e.g. find a place to stay, find a job. She would be the glass-half-full to Kikina’s glass-half-empty. Just an idea.

@all: Yumbulika’s profession is performing as a contortionist, so anyone who’s seen her show would be familiar with her.

@EltonJ: Just to clarify, is Nantambu going to be our base of operations for this campaign?

Zinnath the Scary wrote:

EltonJ wrote:

Then I can write the episode chart. :) Season 1 -- 14 or 26 episodes?

I don't know what that means?

This campaign is a T.V. type campaign. It's episodic in nature.

Ohhh! Rescued by halflings! Seems a great plot hook!

Zinnath would be quite a prize to poachers and exotic animal collectors. As an albino faerie dragon, he is rather unique. He is iridescent and pearly, but only in the white spectrum.

rescuing Zinnath could be the first episode, or we could start with it having been my most recent exploit, that I couldn't help but show my old friend Yumbu.

Also,

@EltonJ: how long did you plan on each "episode" being? is each one like a pfs scenario where it 4-8 weeks is normal for what would take 4-5 hours irl?

or more like the quests where each one can take a week or 2?

I have added a short background for Kugu. Not too sure how this fits with anyone else...hope it does somewhere..lol

Also,

@EltonJ: how long did you plan on each "episode" being? is each one like a pfs scenario where it 4-8 weeks is normal for what would take 4-5 hours irl?

or more like the quests where each one can take a week or 2?

Each episode is split into segments and breaks. But it won't take as long as a Pathfinder Society scenario. Think of it taking place in one day. However, the timing (thanks to editing) is something we can't replicate. We can't accomplish one episode in 44 minutes, it's just impossible. A roleplaying game takes a lot of time to do.

But the time reference is one day, sometimes two or three. But not 4-8 weeks.

But the time reference is one day, sometimes two or three. But not 4-8 weeks.

is this in character time or irl time?

EltonJ wrote:

But the time reference is one day, sometimes two or three. But not 4-8 weeks.

is this in character time or irl time?

Can’t be 1 day IRL, in a “1 post per day” world, you may not get through a complete combat round in a day.

so it sounds like 1 episode will take around of week, maybe 2 of IRL posting? If I'm understanding it correctly that sounds good to me

EltonJ wrote:

But the time reference is one day, sometimes two or three. But not 4-8 weeks.

is this in character time or irl time?

Not real life, no. :) In character time.

Sounds good to me, when do we start?

@Kikina: Yumbulika might have noticed Kikina wandering around Nantambu, looking lost, and offered to help her e.g. find a place to stay, find a job. She would be the glass-half-full to Kikina’s glass-half-empty. Just an idea.

Really no other options for it beyond her wandering over to Nantambu at some point. So that works about as well as anything.

Format for the game sounds good. As for how we all know each other, the Nantambu link could work for some of us. We could also work in a muscle/caster-for-hire angle, for example we could all prevoiusly have been hired to join the same expedition.

Format for the game sounds good. As for how we all know each other, the Nantambu link could work for some of us. We could also work in a muscle/caster-for-hire angle, for example we could all prevoiusly have been hired to join the same expedition.

At least the bipeds!

Kugu could have ended up in Nantambu after his 'adventure' in the jungle and spent a few months getting better....and maybe he meet the rest of you at some time??

Part of Nantambu culture seems to be always having an extra seat available at meals so if Kugu was visibly struggling after his adventure, the Samba's would happily offer his a seat at the table, at least for a few nights till he can get back on his webbed feet.

If we want to work Mongo into a backstory, sure. I'm also quite happy to be just wandering aimlessly into town at the start of the series pilot.

OK, how does this sound...

Returning to the city after his battle with the demon apes, Kugu is almost immediately set upon by thieves. Mongo just happened to be wandering by and saw this crime and saw how the little 'froggie' was hurt and being attacked by 3 thieves, decided to step in and even the score. While wiping up the street with the criminals, Nbazi wanders in and decides to help the wounded grippli, and Mongo follows along to make sure his new buddy is going to be OK.

OK, how does this sound...

Returning to the city after his battle with the demon apes, Kugu is almost immediately set upon by thieves. Mongo just happened to be wandering by and saw this crime and saw how the little 'froggie' was hurt and being attacked by 3 thieves, decided to step in and even the score. While wiping up the street with the criminals, Nbazi wanders in and decides to help the wounded grippli, and Mongo follows along to make sure his new buddy is going to be OK.

Beautiful!

Nbazi was wandering through the town mostly enjoying the sights of his city and getting to know his new friend Zinnay, when he saw the scuffle and a very large man helping a small frog back up to his feet. "Looks like they need some help eh Zinnay? C'mon Rafiki lets go!" he shouted as they ran over to the scene, "you alright there Mr Froglegs?" he says before noticeing the tree trunks of legs standing next to the frogman,"Jatembe's beard!" He exclaims as he cranes his neck up to look at the man,"hows the weather up there! I saw you chasin' off those theives, nasty buggers they are." he Turns his attention back to the frog,"Anything broken or hurt? I'd be happy to patch you up if you need it?" he asks repeating his question in Polyglot, then Osiriani if needed.

"I'm Nbazi by the way, Nbazi Samba. You can call me Baz though, most people do. This is Rafiki, he keeps me safe and this is Zinnay, my... uh... familiar ya... that's what wizards at Magaambya have right? ." he says surreptitiously before blushing slightly.

bluff: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7