The great planks form the strangest door, yet as Jonas reaches for it it creaks open - too loudly, in fact - and the great darkness meets you. The torch lights up the entrance, the narrow passageway rich with moss. The passageway is otherwise devoid of life. As you enter, you can see a strangely-coloured streak of rock above you...
Peregrine:
The area is also devoid of magic - or you cannot sense any aurae, at the least.
Appraise DC 20 or Knowledge (Dungeoneering) DC 20:
The strange colour is gold - you are certain of it...
Apologies for the last week. I am slowly recovering, please bear with me.
I wish to apologise for my lacklustre participation the last two weeks - which does not help since I'm supposed to be the DM.
I am physically not doing very well and am perpetually exhausted. I am mentally stressed. I don't know when this will subside. I want to be more active but I have a lot of commitments IRL as well: studies, pets, ect. .
You approach the overgrowth and hidden door together. There is still only silence in the air, bar the sound from the rustling grass beneath your feet and the sound of your breathing...
I received an email from Ingle last night. Real life is currently holding him up and he will be absent or rather inactive for an unspecified amount of time. Though you should know.
The stone rustles between the leaves, though nothing happens. As you approach the doorway, you manage to peer into the cracks betwixt the overgrowth, though inside there is naught but murky darkness. The planks underneath the overgrowth seem to be of much better quality than they look.
As you approach closer to the patch you see nothing suspicious, apart from the leaves having no obvious or nearby source...
As Gathien approaches closer, you can all hear the shrill crack of a twig being broken coming from where Gathien is. The momentary silence is not broken, and there is no reaction from anything or anyone nearby...
You can't discern what's wrong with the overgrowth - if there even is something wrong...
Peregrine:
You can't discern what's wrong with the overgrowth - if there even is something wrong. You don't know if this mountain has a name either.
Gathien:
You aren't sure what you spot - the distance is too far. As you approach a little closer, you see the old planks stretching from the ground up to the upper part of a small crack in the mountain - it looks like an entrance is hidden behind the overgrowth.
You also see a strange spread of leaves in front of the overgrowth...
The night sets in slowly, the forest bustling with wildlife and the rattle of leaves. Ingle receives no response from the woods apart from the chirp of birds. The night chill grows deeper...
Gathien:
The weather for the morrow seems to be sunny, though there will be rain at some point...
Day 6 - 7:30 AM
The breeze is cool still. As you dismantle your pavilion and begin the treck to the south-east. The path leads you out of the forest and into plains, showing the small mountainous areas of the Stolen Lands...
Gathien:
The trail is all but gone now.
Day 6 - 3:30 PM
Having trecked over several hills, you spot some odd overgrowth at the root of a small mountain...
Not that I was planning to, but if you want to multiclass, whether to another base class or a prestige, I'm assuming you have to announce that intent before you take your first step, is that correct?
Yes, I should have mentioned. When you multi-class, you announce your multiclass choice right away, and then pick steps, picking HD/HP/BAB - Saves - Skills - other abilities as appropriate for 1st level in that multiclass. (for 1st level multiclass, at least)
Rorgrym Khazhugar wrote:
DM adjudication request: My 0-lvl Guidance spell allows me to grant a +1 bonus to most types of rolls. Outside of combat, or some other time sensitive situation, there's little reason for me to not cast this spell when someone attempts something. For example, I could have boosted Gathien's roll for both weather prediction and tracking by +1. Usually, when someone attempts something though, they've already made the roll and sometimes the effects have already been applied.
How should I handle the use of this spell (or any spell which might provide out of combat bonuses)?
It puts me at a bit of an impasse. On one hand, it makes sense. On the other hand, it also assumes you are all clustered tightly together every second of the day and that you are simultaneously following the five others in the camp all the time. A lot of these checks are also of the "let me have a look/let me think" variety, so there are few physical signs of "I'm currently doing this" (In my opinion) to be able to do this "passively" (which I'm assuming you're asking about).
What could work is if, in-character, a character goes to you and asks for your guidance. It doesn't have to be a full interaction, just a mention of "X walks over to Rorgrym and asks for his guidance before <insert performing skill here>." Sound fair? Annoying?
For all intents and purposes when calculating usage of abilities, number of dice, level bonuses, and so on, you are your current level until you have gathered all four steps, at which point you have fully progressed into your new level.
Am going to say 4 uses of Lay on Hands, since you always round down. Lay on Hands also cannot heal more than 1d6 until level 4, at which point it is 2d6.
Congratulations on gaining your first step. Please record your progression in this thread and on your character sheet.
A quick reminder of what each step entails.
A: Hit dice, Hit points and Base Attack Bonus.
You roll for hit points. If the result is below average + 1 (4 for d6, 5 for d8, 6 for d10, 7 for d12), you may instead pick the average.
B: Saving Throws
C: Skill Points
D: Special
Special entails all class features, including spells, that you would gain at the next level. Do keep in mind that your caster level does not increase, though you may use higher-level spells. Example is Wizard at 4th level selecting Fireball - he can cast fireball and has the same spell slots as a 5th level Wizard - but the spell itself will only be doing 4d6 damage until he has gathered all 4 steps.
Favoured class bonuses
If you select an additional hit point as your favoured class bonus, you gain this hit point when you select Step A.
If you select an additional skill rank, you gain this rank when you select Step C.
If you have an alternate favoured class bonus courtesy of your race, you gain it when you select Step D.
If you haven't decided which favoured class bonus to take, you can hold it off until you have gained the complete level.
The tracks of the kobold grow more and more difficult to follow as they vanish underneath hoardes of leaves blowing in the wind. You barely manage to reach the edge of the forest when they sky is all but cobalt blue. The night chill starts to descend upon you.
Ser Jonas's bellowing begets once more only silence, as nothing responds but the hooting of an owl somewhere in the depths of the forest...
Unless you wish to track kobolds into the dark of night, I assume you're setting up camp.
Peregrine:
You only spot faint traces of magic that vanish before you can determine anything more concrete...
The day has been arduous, yet you have managed to explore this region of the forest in a day, and the pavilion has been raised. The warmth of the tent shields you from the chill of night...
You have all gained a quarter level and have gained a step. Please go to the OOC thread for more details.
Could you tell me what you currently wish to do? I'm having difficulties determining what you wish to do in-character, a biproduct of my stress and depression. What I mean is, could you state your actions clearly in regards of exploration and progress of the story? "We explore the tile" or "we go east." I have asked this before, but as it is right now it's difficult for me to respond to any campaigns without a clear sense of what you wish to do.
I was also thinking, for when I return, to adopt a a "Two in agreement is consensus" rule - if two players agree on the course of direction then I advance with that as consensus, so we don't come to a half. If you could offer your thoughts about this... Of course, since you're six, maybe three instead of two... a lot of my problems with carrying on, besides the stress, is that I do not wish to tread on your toes and push you in a direction that your character wouldn't.
The kobold says no more, staying quiet until the end. It only glares at you on occasion, but seems to have stopped resisting. As you all return your attention to the conversation, you feel a lingering sensation of something - or someone - looking at you, yet you are unable to find the source of the peering...
An intense fluttering is in the air, washing over your faces. Acorns drop from above, one bumping off of each of your foreheads. The quietest yelp is heard, and then the flutter is gone.
I apologise for my lack of posts as of late. I am currently overburdened with real life, and will be very occupied until next Saturday or Sunday. While I will do my best to respond to your actions, I ask that you otherwise keep the plot going with character interaction for now.
I have to admit you confuse me. First you attack without negotiating, then you want to question the only surviving kobold (who would have died if not for being saved by a spell)?
It becomes rather obvious after Gathien's handiwork what was off about them: you find the bifurcated kobold, and inside a plethora of half-digested radishes - no doubt they had eaten way, way too much...
Rorgrym:
There's nothing unusual about the radishes, though they seem to be a little spicier than normal. Possibly because they're wild radishes.
After Gathien has tied up the last kobold, there is a confused yelp as it finally wakes up. It again starts to yelp and hiss incoherently, trying to get up on its feet. Its wobbling body keels over several times, though the spectacle never quite ends...
The desperation in the kobold's eyes is immense as it somehow dodges both Kragath and Rorgrym's assaults - though he lets out a loud, final yelp as Jonas cuts him down. Peregrine's spell puts the kobold in a daze, and in a single sweep Gathien ends his misery.
There is only one kobold remaining, sleeping soundly amidst the corpses of his fallen friends...
Kragath, Ingle and Peregrine all dispatch a kobold each with ease. The remaining three kobolds who are awake both enter a panick, their yip-like snarls incoherent. The one between Kragath and Rorgrym lashes in desperation at the paladin, somehow managing to draw blood!
Gathien swiftly bifurcates the next kobold, blood splattering over the nearby patch of radishes. The other kobold is unable to resist Peregrine's spell, collapsing into quiet, yip-like snoring. Kragath is once again unable to pierce the kobold's thick hide; Jonas's swing is too broad and the kobolds dodge with ease, dropping to the ground.
Their screams fill the air as Ingle's bomb melts their skin to the bone, and then the disturbing silence has them all momentarily stunned - both Peregrine and Rorgrym's crossbow bolts hit the frozen kobolds.
They all turn to retaliate; two of them attempt to stab Kragath with their spears! Yet as they wobble, they are unable to hit anything but your armour.
The last two kobolds load their slings and scream at Ingle! Their pellets hit you in the hand and head - a momentary ache. Then blood starts to trickle down Ingle's face...
Kragath and Gathien storms into view; the paladin's great attack scarcely scratches the kobold and its minute size, its resistant scales deflecting the rest of your blow. The kobolds immediately react, however, charging into you all.
Kragath is poked rather nastily in his thigh as two of them surround him; the blood barely trickles. You can hear triumphant yips from some of the kobolds. Five of them swarm Gathien, thrusting violently at him with swords and spears, some of their blows landing true! Yet there's a fraily and wobbliness to their attacks that seem off, even for kobolds...
Two of them charge Jonas, and almost break their spears trying to pierce his heavy armour. The last kobolds sling pellets at Rorgrym - one misses, the other one crashes into the dwarf's forehead...
Gathien enters his ferocious rage and with a fierce swing hacks off one of the kobolds' head...
Peregrine, you have until next round to perform your Surprise round action, otherwise it will be lost.
Kragath, you suffer 1 point of damage.
Gathien, you suffer 4 points of damage.
Rorgrym, you suffer 1 point of damage.
Gathien, you are unable to move to V21.
The red dots on the map indicate the kobolds that have charged - they have a -2 penalty to AC.
Kobolds are creatures of the dark, found most commonly in enormous underground warrens or the dark corners of the forest where the sun is unable to reach. Due to their physical similarities, kobolds loudly proclaim themselves the scions of dragonkind, destined to rule the earth beneath the wings of their great god-cousins, but most dragons have little use for the obnoxious pests.
While they may speak loudly of divine right and manifest destiny, kobolds are keenly aware of their own weakness. Cowards and schemers, they never fight fair if they can help it, instead setting up ambushes and double-crosses, holing up in their warrens behind countless crude but ingenious traps, or rolling over the enemy in vast, yipping hordes.
Kobold coloration varies even among siblings from the same egg clutch, ranging through the colors of the chromatic dragons, with red being the most common but white, green, blue, and black kobolds not unheard of.
Special qualities and weaknesses: Darkvision, light sensitivity, crafty (Craft (trapmaking) and Stealth are always class skills).
The advance towards the kobolds looks to be going fine... until Ser Jonas trips over a branch. The cacophony alerts all the kobolds as they all turn to the source of the sound, and they all start to bark and yip, an ugly symphony.
As you approach the kobolds, they do not notice you. Those that are there seem to be the only ones - at least the only ones you can spot. They are armed with spears and slings, yet they also seem to be a little ... amiss. Several of them seem to be indulging on radishes...
I apologise for my slow posting today. I am currently not in a good place, and I am feeling the stress of running 5 campaigns simultaneously is catching up to me. It is unfair to you, and for that I apologise as well.
The nearby area doesn't appear to have any trees running with sap - nor any obvious sources of honey that you can spot.
Day 5 - 9:00 AM
As you trek further east into the woods, Kragath is hailed with acorns - three of them bounce off of his forehead...
Day 5 - 11:30 AM
You are leading your horses underneath a thicket of old clustered branches and thorny vines. Ingle is struggling to get his horse through the thicket when an entire tree keels over, crashing in front of the half-elf, mere inches away. The horse reels and flees in terror. You spend half an hour recovering the steed...
Day 5 - 2:30 PM
You circle the area from north to east. As you reach for a moment's respite, the heat of the day becoming noticeable, you rest in the shadows of the forest. As Peregrine takes a gander around the area, he is abruptly buried in leaves, all green and rich in colour...
Day 5 - 6:30 PM
You are exploring the south-eastern part of this section when you first hear the noise: strange barks, and hisses that sound almost playful.
Draconic:
"Food! This spiceberry is mine!""Mine, I says!""Oh, I cannot eat another one, oh no...""That's fine, we have bukkits!""Bukkits of spiceberry!"
As you approach the source of the noise, you can see it quite clearly: there's a large quantity of kobolds, all walking around what appears to be a patch filled with radishes...
The night goes by, and when you wake up, you are refreshed. Between the thicket above, a clear blue sky gazes down at you, and the warmth of the sun is creeping in from the east...
Peregrine:
The signal whistle is indeed gone this morning.
Jonas, Kragath and Rorgrym, you have recovered from your sickness. You wanted to go East today?
I apologise for my lack of replies this evening - and I apologise once more for not advancing tonight. I just came home from a night of board games, and I am horrendously tired, with a stinging headache. I will advance tomorrow.
Catching any fey in the act of pulling a prank is exceedingly difficult; you know many of them have a natural capability of invisibility spells. While mischievous in nature, they are rarely champions of malevolence - and are likely only playing with you, in their own irritable way. They can be befriended, however, with bribes - though fey generally think of them as gifts, eschewing the ugly word "bribe."
Jewelry, alcohol, sugary food and potions are often valued by fey - though they will only accept gifts as an individual effort - the one who offers the gift is the one they will befriend, not his or her companions. Once befriended, however, fey tend to be helpful.
The nuts have no magical quality to them, but as you study the perimeter, you do spot auras; as you focus on them, you can tell they are both of the illusion school - and they vanish almost immediately afterwards...
When Jonas loudly exclaims how humorous today's events have been, an eerie silence follows. There is no response from the cold woods. You successfully set up the pavilion, and prepare for the night...
Starting a fire takes a little while, but Rorgrym eventually succeeds. The heat does much good, though come nightfall you are all still rather wet to the core. Gathien creatres makeshift shelters with logs, branches and leaves, and eventually the night carries on...
Day 4 - 8:00 AM
The weather is finally merciful. The sun gleams in throughout the thicket of branches, the rain has ended, the mist has all but dispersed. There is a strange charm to the forest. Yet yesterday's weather has taken its toll on some of you...
Rorgrym, Jonas and Kragath, you are all sickened, as you all develop a bit of a cold.
Day 4 - 12:00 PM
You map out the southern part of the section when an acorn drops onto Gathien's head. Within seconds, another acorn follows, bouncing off of the halfling's forehead.
Day 4 - 1:00 PM
You come upon a river! Its waters are fresh, cold and clear. Peregrine begins to sketch the river into your mapping books when a sudden splash of water hits Peregrine - and the book. A second splash reveals a fish drifting down the river...
DC 12 Knowledge (Nature check):
That kind of fish couldn't possibly have made a splash that big...
Day 4 - 3:00 PM
You cross the river to map the western part of this area, and you spread out to swiftly gauge the land. A minute after, you can hear a great thump - and Rorgrym's horse is rearing. A great dead branch just fell from the tree above, crashing only a foot away from the dwarf and his mount. Rorgrym manages to calm down the horse without any difficulties...
DC 13 Knowledge (Nature check):
Branches usually do not break from their trees like this...
Day 4 - 4:30 PM
You pass under a great oak by the north-western section. Two acorns drop simultaneously onto Kragath and Jonas's heads...
Day 4 - 7:30 PM
You approach a familiar section of the forest as you finally have it all mapped out. You prepare to set camp for the evening. Ingle has just dismounted when the first acorn hits his shoulder. Then another. Then five nuts, and then a small shower of them. It ends as quickly as it begins, and you find the half-elf surrounded by acorns and nuts...
It is the end of the day. You have successfully mapped out this section. Rorgrym, Jonas and Kragath, please make a Fort save at the end of the day. Check the OOC thread for explanations about the map.
You may have noticed I whited out part of the map - and that the tile you explored is faded. Let me explain a couple of things about the tiles - this is purely meta-knowledge, so I assume you know not to take advantage of this in-character.
Each tile with an event or location has one of three qualities: Landmark, Standard and Hidden. You are made aware of Landmarks in a Landmark tile the instant you enter it. Oleg's is an example of a Landmark tile.
Standard tiles have events or areas that you are made aware of the instant you begin exploring - or if you accidentally move across it when moving from tile to tile (my discretion).
Hidden tiles have a skill check DC. Even when fully exploring a tile, you don't automatically find it. The tile you are in is an example of this - it's like a secret door in dungeons: unless you explicitly search for it, you won't find it. I roll secret rolls (or spoilered rolls for PbPs) to represent the "off chance that you accidentally find it" deal, but you usually will not know it is there.
That's what the faded tile and whited out parts of the map mean. Out of character, you now know something is there, something you missed. In-character, you don't. If you are made aware of it, either by finding it later or being informed, or what have you, then I will lift the white text and the faded tile. It also serves as a reminder for me to know what you do and what you don't know yet.
I apologise if you dislike how I am handling this.
The rain makes dismantling the pavilion take a lot longer than anticipated. The ground is wet and makes for uneven terrain; in the forest, the horses struggle to advance. It feels as though the dark of night is still upon you, and as you head south-west, into the depths of these strange woods. A thick mist has begun to form, a coat tha descends from the skies...
Day 3 - 7:00 PM
Treading through the woods has been gruelling; it is evenfall when you finally come to a clearing in the mist. The rain seems to finally be letting up, though it has performed its job amiably - you are all wet...
