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* The Dragon's Demand *

Game Master Plastic Dragon

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I finally got a backstory added for Sarma. All finished and ready to go now.

I 've thought about it a lot but really can't see any dramatic background story for Aria.

She's a girl who lives in the wilds, likes healing people and prefers the outskirts of civilization, visiting villages to sell herbal remedies and pick up supplies.

She would be up to help defend a village from its problems which is why she would take part if selected. :)
Crisischild wrote:
Elephant in the Room Feat rules gives everyone Weapon Finesse and Power Attack for free

Oh!

That's good to know -- I did not see that in the EitR PDF.
I'll look into making some updates based on these suggestions!

Emmett Xanderi mini The chest on the mini is not to scale. The mini has a small chest. Emmett's chest is a large chest.

The Buxom Ogress tavern:

On the wall behind the serving bar at the The Buxom Ogress. is a rudis (a wooden sword that indicates a gladiator slave has won their freedom). Below the rudis, is a plaque with the words, Xander won more than his freedom the week he slew the reigning champion, the vicious lycanthropic ogre, Gutspiller. Gutspiller's mate found Xander in this very tavern the following day, demanding blood for blood. When Xander had bested the ogress and was about to deliver the death blow, he said with a lustful glint in his eyes, "Blood for blood can be done another way.". The ogress replied, "Make it blood and brew and consider yourself mine." Xander smiled and offered the barkeep half the betting gold purse he won the day before for the deed to the bar. After the bartender agreed to sell the bar, Xander boomed aloud and grabbed a mug of ale from a nearby table and raised it, "The name of the bar is now The Buxom Ogress and, looking at the ogress beneath him, "The brew is yours but our blood will bear my name." Underneath the plaque is the metal klar shield Xander wielded in the arena.

The above is public knowledge, what is not so common knowledge, is there is no silver in the blade of the klar shield Xander fought with. For Xander's shield was for show (and it was widely known to be forged from cold iron) and made it easier for Xander to inflict more damage on the ogre champion with his cestus, who's metal was silver and not common steel. Too small for the spectators to notice that his cestus was not a typical cestus, aside it being smaller than a standard cestus (so the pieces of silver protruding from it were not as large), which is how he tricked Gutspiller into thinking he had no silver weapons during the day Gutspiller's guts were spilled.

The silvered cestus that Xander fought in the arena with was passed down through the generations. Family tradition is when the youngest child of the current owner of the cestus family heirloom turns 17, all the siblings of the current heirloom owner (and owner of The Buxom Ogress) compete in a barroom brawl on the floor their ancestors fought on, Xander and the ogress first fought. With the winner receiving the family heirloom from the owner of the bar. The new heirloom owner then becomes a co-owner of the tavern with the previous heirloom wearer.

Xander won his freedom more than a century ago (before the Age of Lost Omens had begun).

Emmett Xanderi's background:

Emmett Xanderi is the first-born child of the current owner of The Buxom Ogress. When the youngest of his siblings turned 17 (two years ago) he and his siblings had the traditional barroom brawl to determine who would become the new owner of the family heirloom and co-owner of the tavern. Emmett shuffled his smaller siblings around, as he could not bring himself to damage them, so he planned to wait until only one of his siblings was still in the fight and then pin them to the ground to claim victory. That was until his youngest sibling drew a dagger and stabbed one of their other siblings in the back. Emmett grabbed his dagger-wielding brother and repositioned him away from their brother that was just stabbed. Xander's actions to save his one sibling from a fatal second dagger attack resulted in his other sibling, his only sister, to have her throat slit, as Emmett moved his dagger-wielding brother away from his other brother, the dagger-wielder struck out as he got within reach of his sister and slit her throat.

Emmett, shocked at what their youngest sibling did, flung him against the wall of the tavern, knocking him unconscious when he hit the wall and slid to the floor. Emmett then ran over to his sister, trying to stop the blood spurting from her neck with his huge hands, but it was too late. Just before life drained from her eyes she warned her big brother, "Behind you," as her body went limp in his arms. Thinking it was his dagger-wielding brother his sister was warning him about, Emmet spun around with a devastating backfist and knocked his other brother unconscious.

Within in a week of his sister's murder, his youngest brother was arrested for murder, Emmett was wearing the family heirloom and with a rumour spreading that Emmett and his youngest brother had worked together during the fight, his father told him it would be best if he left the city for a few years. His father gave him the large chest that once held Xander's gold he purchased the tavern with and told his eldest child to not come back until he had filled it with gold. Before Emmett was about to walk out the door, his father told him to not leave yet, and to the astonished onlookers in the tavern, took Xander's cold iron klar shield from the wall underneath the plaque and walked over and handed it to his first-born, "To help ensure you walk back through the door someday, son."

Emmett's imposing size (6'10" and 350 lbs) has made it fairly easy for him to get work as a caravan guard. He is currently working as a caravan guard for a caravan heading to/arriving in Belhaim.

ability scores:

rolled ability score post

Using 20 point-buy: Str 16 (10), Dex 14 (5), Con 14 (5), Int 10 (0), Wis 10 (0), Cha 10 (0).

+2 human adjustment to Str

Str 18 (+4)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con 14 (+2)
Int 10 (+0)
Wis 10 (+0)
Cha 10 (+0)

Human racial traits:

+2 to any one ability score (Str)
bonus feat (Deft Maneuvers)
skilled --> Giant Ancestry (Source Horror Adventures pg. 41): Humans with ogre or troll ancestry end up having hulking builds and asymmetrical features. Such humans gain a +1 bonus on combat maneuver checks and to CMD, but a –2 penalty on Stealth checks.

Fighter and archetype:

brawler archetype

1st level bonus fight feat: Coordinated Maneuvers

Favored Class Bonus:

fighter class

human fighter alternate favored class bonus: (Advanced Race Guide pg. 73, Advanced Player's Guide pg. 23): Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting two combat maneuvers of the character’s choice.

Chosen two maneuvers for Emmett's favored class bonus: drag and reposition

trait:

Heirloom Weapon

Heirloom Weapon (Source Adventurer's Armory pg. 30)
Trait Category: Equipment
You carry a non-masterwork simple or martial weapon that has been passed down from generation to generation in your family (pay the standard gp cost for the weapon). When you select this trait, choose one of the following benefits: proficiency with that specific weapon, a +1 trait bonus on attacks of opportunity with that specific weapon, or a +2 trait bonus on one kind of combat maneuver when using that specific weapon.

Emmet's benefit: +2 trait bonus on Reposition combat maneuvers.

feats:

Human bonus feat: Deft Maneuvers (elephant in the room)

1st level bonus fight feat: Coordinated Maneuvers

1st level feat: Powerful Maneuvers (elephant in the room)

skills:

Background Skills (2)

Profession (guard) +4 (1 rank, +3 class skill, +0 Wis)
Oppara Arena Lore +4 (1 rank, +3 class skill, +0 Int)

Adventuring Skills (2)

Intimidation +4 (1 rank, +3 class skill, +0 Cha)
Perception +1 (1 rank, +0 non-class skill, +0 Wis)

gear:

Average fighter starting gear: 175 gold
Encumbrance Thresholds (Str 18): Light (100 lbs), Medium (200 bs), Heavy (300 lbs),

armored coat (50 gold) (20 lbs)
silver cestus (25 gold) (1 lb)
cold iron metal klar shield (24 gold) (6 lbs)
large chest with simple lock insert (10 gold + 20 gold for insert lock) (100 lbs + 1 lb for inset lock) (6 cubic feet storage capacity, 30 hit points, break DC 29) (typical backpack has 2 cubic feet storage capacity)
2 sacks (2 x 1 silver = 2 silver) (2 x 0.5 lb = 1 lb) (each sack has 4 cubic feet storage capacity)
cold weather outfit (8 gold) (7 lbs)
explorer's outfit (10 gold) (8 lbs)
belt pouch (1 gold) (0.5 lb)
5 metal canteens (10 gold) (5 lbs)
winter blanket (5 silver) (3 lbs)
bedroll (1 silver) (5 lbs)
flint and steel (1 gold) (-)
7 days trail rations (35 silver) (7 lbs)
soap (1 copper) (0.5 lb)
5 torches (5 copper) (5 lbs)
mess kit (2 silver) (1 lb)

Total gear value: 153 gold, 5 silver, 6 copper
Total gear encumbrance: 171 lbs (carrying chest and sack)

Total worn gear (including armor and weapons, explorer's clothing, belt pouch and one empty sack wrapped around belt): 36 lbs.
When not carrying his chest: (with or without also carrying his 'lunch sack' sack) and wearing his armored coat he is medium encumbered. By removing his armored coat and carrying it he becomes lightly encumbered instead.
Liberty's Edge
Aria Tanner wrote:

I 've thought about it a lot but really can't see any dramatic background story for Aria.

She's a girl who lives in the wilds, likes healing people and prefers the outskirts of civilization, visiting villages to sell herbal remedies and pick up supplies.

She would be up to help defend a village from its problems which is why she would take part if selected. :)

I personally generally prefer more down to earth backgrounds for lvl 1 PCs. Not always, but usually.

Good luck everyone! Today is decision day! :-D

Thanks again for creating this campaign GM!

Indeed! Best of luck! I don’t envy having to choose!

Good luck all!

Good luck everyone!
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Crisischild wrote:
Aria Tanner wrote:

I 've thought about it a lot but really can't see any dramatic background story for Aria.

She's a girl who lives in the wilds, likes healing people and prefers the outskirts of civilization, visiting villages to sell herbal remedies and pick up supplies.

She would be up to help defend a village from its problems which is why she would take part if selected. :)

I personally generally prefer more down to earth backgrounds for lvl 1 PCs. Not always, but usually.

I tend to be the same way. I prefer to let the story build the character as it develops.

I've had a number of characters whom I saw a certain way become something completely different as events impacted them.

Good luck to everybody!
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

Good luck all! See you on the other side of the site upgrade...

I am of the firm belief that every character has a story. Even a child would have a few years worth of tale to tell. Obviously I won't have a character who was lovers with a goddess, or who fought in a war in the hells, or has served a vampire lord for over a hundred years, or fought off cultists to save an entire city...

Okay, went a little far throwing shade at that game. Even if I do enjoy it the origins are kind of silly.
Daan Honsveld wrote:

I am of the firm belief that every character has a story. Even a child would have a few years worth of tale to tell. Obviously I won't have a character who was lovers with a goddess, or who fought in a war in the hells, or has served a vampire lord for over a hundred years, or fought off cultists to save an entire city...

Okay, went a little far throwing shade at that game. Even if I do enjoy it the origins are kind of silly.

Lol I wouldn't say it was too much. It's definitely true, the characters really didn't feel like level 1 adventurers. I always try to be minimal with my backstories, just what's necessary, (in this case, I simply gave my guy motivation in the form of a family to maintain) because whatever comes up organically is better than anything I could do, always!

Best of luck all! There are some great looking characters in there.
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Daan said it well, every character has a story, indeed. That said, rarely do first level characters have stories that could be sung by bards. * shrug * Just my take on it.

Now, beyond all that, this recruitment is officially CLOSED.

I will announce the list of characters chosen for this AFTER the site upgrade, since most of you are unlikely to see any post I make before it goes down sometime today. I think.

Good luck to all.

~ PD

A good idea on timing.

As for the discussion, this is my rule of thumb:

Lvl 1: Someone with talent or skill, that might well be out of the ordinary (adventurer class level + probably much better stats. At most Gaston from Beauty and the Beast)

Lvl 3: A veteran. If you’ve served, then this would be the guy with a few deployments under his belt who instantly gains respect for what he has experienced.

Lvl 7: Local hero. Has accomplished something that could legitimately be called heroic. Reaching the upper limits of the line between “human and superhero”

Lvl 11: National hero. This is the kind of person a king would call when something needs to be done that is beyond the powers of the army.

Lvl 15: Actual superhero. These are the kinds of people who handle dangers beyond mortal comprehension.

Lvl 20: Demigod.

——

It’s just a rule of thumb for me, especially when making a character background.

As someone who at times (most of the time) writes backstory that can veer toward the longer and more complicated, I'd like to add some nuance to the idea of 1st level equaling minimal background.

If I'm developing a background for a fighter, ranger, etc. I will probably keep the backstory very mundane. But with some classes, say witch or oracle, I want to explain how the character came to be what they are. The character didn't just go to oracle school, so what happened? If I want a purpose for it that might come out eventually, perhaps I'll add some hints toward why them?

But, regardless of class and so forth, I like to use backgrounds to set a baseline for the character. What do they want? What do they believe in? How do they interact psychologically with society or the world around them? I sometimes add a lot of family information; it's very rare for me to go the "orphan" route. I pick specific places where characters are from, often places that will never matter in the campaign, but could matter a great deal formatively to the character in terms of worldview and motivations.

So yes, there's probably not a lot to say about a 1st level PC, but they were an NPC for years before the big upgrade. For me, the kind of NPC they were sets the stage for the kind of PC they will be, whether or not they change radically as a person going forward. I rarely go for big drama in character backgrounds, but I do profile the character so they will think and behave in internally consistent ways in the game.
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Apparently the site isn’t going to go down today…

Yeah I guess I should've expected that! It never goes as planned!
Liberty's Edge

Yeah that's not to say a level 1 PC can't have a more elaborate backstory. I have an aasimar bloodrager who nearly died as a child, woke up on the banks of the River of Souls, and traded her shadow to a psychopomp before returning to the world of the living.
Crisischild wrote:
Yeah that's not to say a level 1 PC can't have a more elaborate backstory. I have an aasimar bloodrager who nearly died as a child, woke up on the banks of the River of Souls, and traded her shadow to a psychopomp before returning to the world of the living.

Oh yeah absolutely! This is a good example of one you can do. I think the better way of putting it is not whether or not you can have a big backstory at low level but that your backstory probably shouldn't have massive impressive accomplishments if you're a level 1 character. A lot of things can happen to you, but usually you're a bit more reactionary, if that makes sense.

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Hey! Sarma here left Ridonport holding the champion title in javelin throwing, the mile run, and long jump! She held the title in wrestling for one year and probably could have kept it if weight classes existed!

That's some big stuff! :p
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Plastic Dragon wrote:

Daan said it well, every character has a story, indeed. That said, rarely do first level characters have stories that could be sung by bards. * shrug * Just my take on it.

Now, beyond all that, this recruitment is officially CLOSED.

I will announce the list of characters chosen for this AFTER the site upgrade, since most of you are unlikely to see any post I make before it goes down sometime today. I think.

Good luck to all.

~ PD

Hello GM, the website relaunch has been pushed to next week.

Have a great week everyone!

Oh to next week?! Awesome! Well, once again, good luck everyone!
1 person marked this as a favorite.

So I had planned to have a few days to go over things before there was any rush...and now we aren't even going down until next week. Yay?

Wow, you guys have made some excellent character submissions and have made my decisions very difficult. As such, I'm taking another day or so to keep going over them, trying to find what I think will be the best fit, both personality-wise, and for balance. At worst, I'll have a final list posted by Friday morning. Hopefully before that.

I've sent a couple of you messages (if you didn't get one, no worries. Just questions, not invites).

Ok, back to the read-throughs.

~ PD
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Having read through... maybe half? of the submissions, I do not envy your job trying to select characters!
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This is Arita! I made the mistake of not making a proper profile that compiles everything about this character, but I've done so now! Also found out that Herolab can export the sheet for this. That's great! My first OP characters were done entirely manually because I had no idea, and that was a pain!

(On the positive side, I can say I know the formatting for the forums pretty well now)
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After a good deal of going back and forth, changing my mind several times and then changing it back, having to reread submissions, and then everything else short of pulling names out of a hat...(Yes, the submissions were THAT good and the choices were THAT difficult...so much so that I upped my player count to 7 rather than the original 5 or 6 that I had planned.)

Will the following adventurers kindly join me in the Discussion Thread?

Aria Tanner - Half-Elf Druid
Daan Honsveld - Human Sorcerer
Gazul Ironfist - Dwarven Two-Handed Fighter
Nabor Antia - Half-Elf Ranger
Thennor - Elf Ranger
Theophania Song - Human Cleric of Shelyn
Ukter Quickmug - Halfling Unchained Rogue

Everyone else, I sincerely wish I could have taken all of you. Honestly, there wasn't a bad choice in the bunch. All of the submissions were worthy of being chosen. Sadly, I just couldn't take all of you. Should the need arise, I plan on contacting your characters as replacement characters.

A thought occurs to me that perhaps some of you could assemble yourselves as a pre-made party and see if you can pick up a wandering GM to run something for ya. The submissions are worth it.

Safe travels
~ PD

Thank you for the consideration and kind words, PD! I hope everyone has fun with this game!
Liberty's Edge
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Have fun storming the castle slaying the dragon

Congrats to the new party! Have a great game!

Have fun everyone! And thank you PD for reading all of our submissions with so much care.
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

Have fun all!

Congrats to the chosen.

I am good to join with Emmett should player attrition occur. May the dice gods look favorable upon the group and that does not occur.

Good idea regarding some/all the rest of us forming a group and seeing if we can find a GM to run for us. Would it be okay with you if we continue to use this recruitment thread for that purpose, PD?
GM_Drake wrote:

Good idea regarding some/all the rest of us forming a group and seeing if we can find a GM to run for us. Would it be okay with you if we continue to use this recruitment thread for that purpose, PD?

Absolutely. That would be cool to see.

I feel honored and grateful to have been chosen! I'll be excited to play with everyone and learn the ropes of this game!
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8
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Hmm... I might (please note might) run it if I could get a copy of the module. Imma look at my options.
1 person marked this as a favorite.

@all the unchosen:

Who would like to work into their backgrounds having frequented The Buxom Ogress (located in Oppara) and already have a friendship with Emmett before the life-changing (for Emmett) brawl with his siblings occurred, and decided to join Emmett when he left the city for adventure?

@the other unchosen martial characters: Do any of you want to have been patrons of the tavern and friends of Emmett's, and/or were one of Emmett's fellow bouncers (either hired specifically for that job or simply helping out) to partake in the 'betting pool' regarding which bouncer knocks out the unruly patron Emmett was 'showing the door' to?

For ones that are interested in being more effective with Emmett at 'taking out the trash', and are willing to use a feat slot to make it so, see the Coordinated Manuvers feat.

@all the unchosen:

Emmett's starting (pre-adventuring) locale is set (family tavern with history that is linked specifically to Oppara Arena). During his travels he could have come across another character' s initial watering hole.

Maybe two or three of our characters hail from Oppara and others hail from somewhere else (or two or more other starting points) and destiny/chance made our (all the characters') paths cross and we did a minor adventure - something more grand than killing rats in a basement but nothing so grand as slaying a dragon.
Silver Crusade
DeathQuaker wrote:
Hmm... I might (please note might) run it if I could get a copy of the module. Imma look at my options.

There's some used copies for sale but buying the PDF might be the cheaper route.

Good luck gang, go slay some dragons!
DeathQuaker wrote:
Hmm... I might (please note might) run it if I could get a copy of the module. Imma look at my options.

You could literally run anything you like. Wouldn't have to be THIS module. Just sayin'. I love that you're considering running something.

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8
Plastic Dragon wrote:
DeathQuaker wrote:
Hmm... I might (please note might) run it if I could get a copy of the module. Imma look at my options.
You could literally run anything you like. Wouldn't have to be THIS module. Just sayin'. I love that you're considering running something.

Well, if I'm considering the existing applicants who weren't chosen, it's probably better to go with the module they designed their characters for, and I've wanted to read the Dragon's Demand anyway.

I was thinking earlier about running something but it was very different and would require entirely new applications ("0-level" sort of game).

All this said, whether I run this or another adventure I need some time to read and prepare so if someone wants to step forward to take this on I certainly won't get in the way. I can't honestly commit in this moment.

Have a wonderful adventure!

@DeathQuaker: Thanks for offering to potentially run the adventure (or another one) for some of the unchosen ones.
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8
Emmett Xanderi wrote:

@DeathQuaker: Thanks for offering to potentially run the adventure (or another one) for some of the unchosen ones.

You're welcome.

I did get a copy of the adventure and am reviewing it. I'm not committed yet. Before I dig too far into it...

Of those not chosen here, who is still interested in possibly playing a version with me running?

I am still interested.

Still interested

Sure, still interested.
Liberty's Edge

My draco-monk is still game!

Interested.
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