Blackspire Thundergloom's page

Submitting a Dirge Bard.
Have some GP left to spend, but the character is basically set.

Man, I'm sorry to miss out on this one.
Do keep me in mind if you need a replacement.
Best of luck to those chosen!

I should add that I am in the Eastern time zone and can post fairly frequently (more than 1/day with no problem).

Here is Aldizog's submission.

Professor Blackspire Thundergloom is a Gnome Dirge Bard. He aims for that mix of "gentleness within darkness" that I associate with Neil Gaiman or the Cruxshadows. Mechanically, his biggest appeal is Saving Finale. Inspire Courage (which he has) is good, Saving Finale is, well, a lifesaver. He'll get a lot of interesting abilities from Dirge Bard over time.

Let's see... campaign trait is Trap Finder at the moment (there seemed a need for it), but if he is picked alongside a rogue then he would switch to Mummy-Cursed or Foreign Opportunist.

Gold: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 1) = 8 So 105 gold. Gear is updated with that amount.

Edit: let me add that I do not see Blackspire as competing against the Archaeologist submissions. While both are technically bards, they fill very different roles - and Blackspire would swap out Trap Finder if picked alongside an Archaeologist.

Good luck!

Here is my gnome Dirge Bard submission. Might come across as slightly quirky (gnome with a silly name), but can still fit into a horror game. In terms of Lovecraftian tropes, he's an investigator. A Randolph Carter type. Curious and analytical, but perhaps in over his head and will find that his studious worldview only makes him more prone to going insane from comprehending his cosmic insignificance.

Given how close Carrion Hill is to Thrushmoor, I tied his background in a bit to my Strange Aeons PC (Delmoth's game). Would be happy to make connections to other PCs.

Gnomes don't need a ton of motivation to adventure beyond staving off the Bleaching. But in addition, Blackspire Thundergloom (not his birth name) has a bit of a fascination/hatred regarding undead, and a particular curiosity about heroic last stands and the Shining Crusade (which brought him to Ustalav).

He's a bard with great Knowledge skills and some decent spell options. I promise I will not spam Glitterdust - I will only use it against Invisible foes. He's very resistant to fear and can help others resist it with his spells.

Yes.

Fukushu, we have been asked by the acting leader of Arael's group to do our best to not slay them.
You seem intent on trying to kill those who have already been removed from the battle through non-lethal means (now, the one who has been disabled by laughter). I believe this to be counter-productive. On a crit you might take one from full to dead, so attacking lethally and counting on Blackspire to stabilize them isn't a great plan (plus it makes me attend to the dying instead of causing more to flee).
Might I humbly suggest instead trying non-lethal means of your own (like Darkness on the leader), or non-lethal damage on the prone and laughing one, or freeing Arael from the wagon, or using Vanish on Arael once somebody else frees him, or otherwise contributing to our goal of rescuing Arael.
And if they wish to flee, please please please let them. By the time they returned with reinforcements we would be long gone. One man fleeing inspires others to flee; a fleeing one cut down inspires the rest to stand and fight.

Yellow is under a Murderous Command effect from Mask. This is to our advantage and can be turned even more so by a good Bluff check after he attacks.
Green, I see GM Shadow did update to note that you missed him and he is fleeing. So your action for this round has been resolved.
Purple is under the effect of Sia's Hideous Laughter.
Blue resisted Malqazar's spell but was almost certainly tripped by Bakuno.
Grey is the subject of Jing's clever Intimidate attempt.

It's very frustrating that after this long discussion about whether or not we should kill them, I find a way to remove one from the battle non-lethally (as do several other PCs) and then it appeared that you were deliberately sabotaging my actions.
No, he wasn't injured. Not that it matters -- you might do enough damage to drop them from full to dead on a good hit. But he was fleeing. All we need is for them to be out of the way long enough for us to get Arael out of there and then we run for it. This is a rescue mission, not a massacre mission.
They don't have jurisdiction over the city. They can't come after us (though a massacre might change that). There's no need to kill them all to hide our identities (and since they know who Arael is, that would be a waste anyway).

If Fukushu missed, Blackspire will do something else.

What the hell, Fukushu? Did you not read where Janiven asked us to do our best not to slay them? Green was removed from the battle. Now you've wasted that action of mine and you're forcing me to waste this turn as well.
"No!"
If Fukushu's attack hits and drops Green, Blackspire will run over and cast CLW on the Hellknight so he doesn't bleed out.
CLW: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Blackspire moves within 30', disguised as a kobold thanks to Mask's mesmerist trick, and uses Cause Fear on the nearest guard. If he can stay hidden, he will, but if he has to break cover he'll do that. (Also not sure of the scale.)

I don't think he knows which one Mask targeted, or even that Mask did anything, but the Southeast guard is slightly closer to him and the Northeast guard is slightly closer to Mask, so presumably that's who they are targeting.

DC 16 Will save or Frightened for 1d4 rounds; Shaken for 1 round on a successful save.

It's possible I'm overthinking this -- that it's a just a plot hole I should ignore.

But reading back through the gameplay thread, maybe the clue is the relationship between the Hellknights and the Westcrown government. They seem to have separate jurisdictions, so that is a fault line we can exploit as Jing suggests.

Freeing Arael (outside the city) wouldn't result in the death penalty from city authorities. If the Hellknights don't actually rule Westcrown -- they had some sort of bureaucratic battle to get Arael in the first place -- they might not be able to enforce any sort of reprisals. And the city government (whatever it is) might not be interested in keeping this drama going or making Arael into a hero; hopefully they will tell the Hellknights to just drop it.

I'm still concerned that wiping them all out will bring much higher-level Hellknights in to deal with us (the Order of the Rack definitely has access to Speak with Dead), and I don't think the goal of Arael's little movement is all-out rebellion (yet). But at least now I think I see how we might get away with this.

I really do feel like I am missing something here.

In both fiction and IRL, totalitarian regimes respond to the murder of their soldiers VERY harshly. And often indiscriminately. I wouldn't be surprised if the punishment for a single Hellknight killed was 10 random Westcrown civilians killed. Or maybe one every day until Arael surrenders. And naturally increasing his bounty by a lot, so somebody rats us out. That's not even considering bringing in magical support to find us.

Is this encounter supposed to be the start of a rebellion, where the people rally behind Arael and throw off Chelish rule? Nothing we've seen to date indicates he has that much support.

Or is there some reason Thrune would just shrug off the murder of many of its soldiers in broad daylight, outside one of Cheliax's major cities? Again, not in keeping with how they've been portrayed.

I've played RPGs for a long time. Sometimes "kill the bad guys" is fine and it isn't any more complicated than that. But in urban intrigue campaigns you can't do that. And it seemed up until this point that the AP was closer to the latter.

My thought was that if we merely embarrassed the patrol and freed Arael, we'd remain the problem of those (hopefully) low-ranking soldiers on escort duty.

Is there some clue I've missed? Because the dire consequences that Blackspire fears don't seem like a stretch to me. At all.

"How do you think this plays out, Max? How do you think Thrune will react?
In any event, I'm definitely participating. I'll try to scare them off with magic, but if any of them are dying I will save their lives -- to limit the consequences that would befall Westcrown otherwise."

"Yesterday we were talking about doing good deeds to inspire the people.
Today we are jumping right to murdering the authorities?
I've never murdered anyone before.
Do you all not see how drastic a leap that is? Do you not imagine what the revenge of House Thrune will be like?
Steal from them. Embarrass them. Sure. But kill them and their superiors will avenge them -- taking out their wrath on the innocent if they can't find us.
Killing them is not smart. We don't have the resources for a full-scale rebellion. But that's the fight you are picking if you kill Hellknights."
Not meaning to be difficult, but I just can't see any way that killing Hellknights doesn't increase our problems tenfold. It would be a Pyrrhic victory.

Blackspire Thundergloom is rather distressed at the unspoken decision to use lethal force.

"No Malqazar, I do not believe you should hide in back. I believe you with your magic should be on the front lines with me, trying to defeat the Hellknights without killing them."

"Janiven, is what you said before still true? Do you wish us to limit our confrontations with the Hellknights as much as possible? To not appear as rabble rousers or rioters? Or should we attempt to kill them?
I had hoped we could defeat them with magic. Spells such as Cause Fear, Command, Hideous Laughter and Unnatural Lust. Rescue Arael without killing any Hellknights. But many of my allies here seem ready to kill. I fear that would bring down the full wrath of their entire order. Where if this patrol loses a prisoner while they were running away or caressing each other, we remain their problem to deal with.
If we have archers firing at the Hellknights, I will have to devote all my time to healing any Hellknights before they die."

And I hate having to go to Janiven but the entire setup to this encounter seemed to suggest that killing Hellknights is a bad idea; that our mission is not open rebellion. And we are a party of bards, a class supremely well suited to dealing with humanoid foes non-lethally with either magic or trickery.

Can Mask use his Fearsome Guise trick on Blackspire before we attack the caravan? The Disguise Self aspect would be very useful. Blackspire could appear as, say, a kobold.

"Jing, I am not counting on raw warrior prowess to free Arael. I am counting on wits, magic, trickery, and courage.
We are a disparate group and I imagine we'll all use whatever skills we have. We don't have a lot of time to coordinate, but we must do what we can. Try to be an ensemble rather than a hodgepodge of ten soloists singing their own pieces.
I will say that if any of you can curse, intimidate, or otherwise weaken the will of an opponent, it will make my spells of fear more likely to succeed. And conversely, even if my spell fails, it will still leave the target more vulnerable to spells or tricks of yours."
Blackspire's main tactic will be his DC 16 Cause Fear. Even on a successful save the target is shaken for 1 round, which could help another spell land.
He's also got Ray of Enfeeblement and Touch of Fatigue if it does come down to melee.
But we really do need to figure out who is the vanguard, who is magical support, who is on healing duty, and so on.

"A name meant to strike terror into the hearts of criminals, I think."
Which makes the Hellknights to be Batman.
"Although some orders are rumored to conjure devils, so I have heard.
I believe there is indeed a truly evil force haunting Westcrown, against which your wards will be most needed. I hope it isn't the men and women guarding Arael."

"They aren't all cruel, Bakuno. And they aren't all of evil intent, Fukushu.

It's probably a foolish hope, but even so I would show mercy to the Hellknights and leave that door open. Our enemy is the things that stalk the night in Westcrown. I don't think the Hellknights are behind that. Perhaps in the end we will need to work with them."

Blackspire Thundergloom is an idealist, for sure. But there could be a basis for his optimism; perhaps he knows stories of some of the more honorable Hellknights like Maidrayne Vox.

Blackspire laughs.
"Oh no, my parents didn't give me this name. I chose it for myself. Or fate chose it for me, perhaps. Depends how you look at it. But it seemed right."
Despite his name and his ominous-looking garb, Blackspire Thundergloom speaks with warmth and gentleness. If you know at all of his stories (he's a very minor celebrity in Westcrown), he tends towards tales of heroism amid great horror, where courage and hope shine through the darkness, though often at great cost. His stage roles are often in horror stories as well. So perhaps it's just a stage name for someone in the field of horror stories?

The gnome introduces himself. You may have seen him around town in one production or another (often as a goblin or imp), or perhaps attending one of his storytelling events. Maybe you've even been to the cheese shop where he works. His wears an extravagant black vest, embroidered in silk with stars, skulls, and arcane symbols.
"Blackspire Thundergloom. Pleased to meet you all. Do any of you have skills or spells of trickery, confusion, or fear? I can perhaps frighten off a Hellknight or two with my magic."

"You are right about Gleek, Jing. Perhaps I could try for a large kobold, or an imp or Fey creature.
A mage in their ranks might be able to tell that we are using magic to disguise ourselves, but only a very powerful one could actually pierce disguise to see our true selves.
I think killing Hellknights an extraordinarily bad idea. It will magnify our problems and bring in much more powerful Hellknights to deal with us."

Blackspire Thundergloom is NG, emphasis on the G, and very much willing to help another. However, this is really his first time challenging the authorities so any prior help in that regard would have been minor and indirect.

Sheltering Bakuno of Fiarra for a night would have been a possibility. He would know stories of Mask but I don't think he'd have been directly involved with the vigilante before.

"Perhaps we can ambush the Hellknights while they are moving him. I believe our little theater troupe can avoid being seen when they wish, and has a few tricks that can distract or disable the Hellknights without killing them.
A bloodbath is probably not the right way to start winning the favor of the locals.
Should we disguise ourselves? I could appear as a goblin, perhaps, though if you have any magical forms of disguise that would be even better."
Blackspire does not relish the thought of his actions bringing Hellknight wrath down on Westcrown's small gnome community. A scroll of Disguise Self would be good, Alter Self even better.

"Arael wishes to bring hope to the people. That alone is reason enough to try to rescue him. Beyond that, if he is held and interrogated, we could all be at risk."

"Tell us what you know about where he is being held, and what resources we have, and I will be glad to help attempt a rescue. We should try to do this by stealth or trickery rather than force if at all possible."

I'm fairly certain he didn't see me.
The gnome slips out from the shadows.
"Blackspire Thundergloom. Actor, storyteller, sometime cheesemonger. But I have walked this world for many years and played many roles, so we shall see if Fate decrees that I must become something more."

Blackspire enjoys the unexpected role. A nice change of pace.
He has done comedy in the past - gnome actors have to take whatever comes their way in Cheliax.

He looks at the abandoned shrine of Aroden with great interest. Did the Last Azlanti sacrifice himself for his people, as I have heard some scholars say? What great threat did he face? Did he succeed or fail? Do some fragments of his spirit still reside in his temples?

"Good to have a safe house."

Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

He also looks around for anybody following the party.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

"But of course! I am more rested now and hope that this rehearsal will meet your expectations. I am most curious to see how this tale unfolds."

Leveled up to 2. I put ranks in more rogueish skills, including Disable Device (though his Dex isn't great and he has no tools yet).

Anybody have suggestions on a good level 1 necromancy spell from an arcane list to add to his spells known? Ray of Enfeeblement seems the best choice. He already gets Chill Touch as a racial SLA.

"I too will be back. If this place is staked out by Hellknights, is there an alternate location?"

"I am willing to continue, but we must plan our next steps carefully.
Can we rescue Arael or Gleek? What resources do we have? A secretly sympathetic Hellknight, perhaps?"

Blackspire is pleased that Gleek decided to protect the group, but saddened at what is likely to be the goblin's fate. His plan was, after all, "Keep calm and hope Gleek surprises us."
If we can find a way to save him, we should. But drawing more attention to ourselves at this point is suicide. Perhaps they will let him go to see if he will lead them to the fugitives.

When the party all has their drinks, he will quietly offer a toast. "To Gleek."

Well this is bad. We probably can't sneak out, didn't all take Disguise Self, and don't want to have to fight. Maybe Gleek will surprise us.
If we do have to fight, this is an excellent opportunity for two more bards to just happen to be in the tavern.

Blackspire drinks some ale, nonchalant.

"Janiven, I do not think that wise. Even if we were not pursued we would still fall afoul of the curfew. If the Hellknights have Arael, there is little we can do.
I understand you care for your friend" - Blackspire suspects possibly more - "but this is madness. Stay with us. Lay low. We will investigate in the morning."
He is better off doing Aid Another on Diplomacy, if someone else wants to try to persuade Janiven.

"I agree, Sia. Let us go inside."
Blackspire Thundergloom makes his way in. He tries to look unobtrusive, not in the manner of a gnome on the run from Hellknights but in the manner of a minor celebrity looking to have a quiet night.
He also looks around.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

"Eastward it is. We'll have to double back, the tavern is west. Keep an eye out for a good hiding spot."

Local: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
"I am sorry Morosino, we are not safe on the streets at night, between the Shadow Beasts and the curfew. A situation we must aim to rectify. But for now, we should head to the Shaggy Serpent. It is very close and we can get rooms there."
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
"The Hellknights are close."
He hands Gleek the remaining two gold that was promised.
"Thank you. Yes, you may go."
Which way is the Shaggy Serpent?

"Very well."
Blackspire follows behind.
"If we see Hellknights, perhaps we can Fascinate them with oratory or music to buy time to escape."

Gleek is headed up a ladder, and the sounds are coming from a trap door or grate at the top of that ladder? So Gleek is headed directly for the Hellknights?
"We can't go up. They're right there. South?"
Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

"Gleek, I will pay you THREE GOLD COINS to help us find another super-secret hiding spot. One now, two when we find our new spot. But you must decide now."
Blackspire is very uncomfortable with forcing anyone to do things against their will. Getting Gleek's cooperation would be his preference.

Blackspire will listen down the corridor for sounds of Hellknights. Hopefully we've lost them but perhaps not.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Knowledge (Nobility): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Blackspire is unfamiliar with the name.

Did Blackspire manage to stabilize any goblins or were they all dead?

"I see no reason to take him prisoner. We are not slavers nor the authorities. Let us talk to him and be on our way."
Blackspire will try to stabilize any goblin that are still alive.

"I know the reputation of goblins, but those who live in the shadows may know things that the decent folk of Westcrown do not. Things the regime has tried to hide."

"Very well. Not shoot Gleek."
Blackspire Thundergloom is a soft-hearted fellow when it comes to the living. He lowers his crossbow.