DM Ray's page

Alas, Everett can see that much work will need to be done to restore the two altars to Shelyn, something he can do beautifully, given time. As for the profaned busts of Shelyn adorning the roof of the building, like leering, Cenobite Gargoyles with needles in their heads, that will take more time.

Sanchia Corvus can confirm that the Silver necklace and bird whistle, while beautifully crafted for Shelyn, is not enchanted with any magical properties.

The water is stale, bland. It does not refresh; it does not quench. Hopefully it sustains. At least somewhat. You do hear movement from below the water pump -- small scurrying creatures in the well deep below (obviously not a cistern, then). Apparently creatures, perhaps Kobolds or Xvarts live beneath the long building.

And you continue to search the premises.

So, I jumped the gun a little on the Searching -- assuming you're all just Taking 20 to Search now.

I think, over-the-table this kind of thing only takes a couple minutes and is no biggie, but, after several days' posts worth of Perception checks less than 15, just giving you guys plenty of Take 20 minutes. Cassynder got us started with a 26, which pretty much covers everything.

So now you have the whole place and can post for your character more than just a few Squares at a time.

....

As far as posting -- I am trying to post Monday through Thursday with the occasional weekend post. And I absolutely think that is a manageable goal. Even though I just missed both Monday and Tuesday already this week. But I'm trying.

Exploring the wings is just as easy, but time consuming.

Both wings look to be identical. Opening into large, community-privies, one could relieve oneself in any of 20 privy-seats, just without any privacy.

A broken, spiral stairwell leading to a 2nd-floor room ascends from both of the community privies.

And both wings appear to be large barracks where broken bunkbeds and other rotting personal belongings lay strewn about.

Inside the kitchen, in addition to the exit door outside -- which is a one-way door (opens easily from the inside but is hidden and extremely hard to open from the outside) -- there is also an old water-pump that has been sealed.

Nonetheless, with a little work it can be 'unsealed' and, either used to pump water (if there is water in the well or cistern below) or even opened further to allow a person to go below, to either a cistern or well.

What can not be known is whether the pump was sealed for mundane reasons -- or to prevent sewer residents or creatures from intruding into the kitchen. Rats or Kobolds or Otyughs or whatever.

To the left and right of the massive firepit are small altars to The Lady of Chrysanthemums, just beatific shrines where one could offer a poem, song or art object, perhaps show off a new hairstyle, or fashion statement.

Sadly, profanely, both small altars have been defaced, as Cenobites or disciples of Zon Kuthon have corrupted that which was Sacred to Shelyn in vulgar, disturbing manner.

Reasonably confident of security -- as well as an exit close by in addition to the cluster of allies across the Main Hall at the front door -- you begin to slowly search the kitchen and the other areas.

Cassynder the Crownless is the first to really look around and, within a minute, finds a secret door in the brick-work around the firepit. Within moments, all four secret doors are found in the brick-work around the firepit and, with only a little searching, their original use is made clearer.

Facing the Main Hall, from within the chambers flanking the fire pit, are small holes one could use to not only view, but even manipulate objects in the alcoves and shelves on the exterior of the fireplace. Actors and performers could change costumes in here and then go out in front of the main hall to perform in front of the firepit. Others could stay in the secret chambers placing props through the small holes onto shelves and through the backs of alcoves for performers outside to use as part of their performances.

Now the rooms are completely empty.

Except for one of the tiny alcoves, in the back, is a Silver Necklace with a beautifully crafted Silver Songbird whistle, certainly sacred to Shelyn. The Silver Necklace can be worn as jewelry, and perhaps the whistle still works.

https://1drv.ms/x/s!ArT_T_Fp-0y72RXhF4TRKUhGkdCG?e=vu4l9E

Oh boy!

I really thought using this particular building -- a structure that I've used quite a few times over the decades as a DM -- would be pretty easy to use in a PbP. Oh boy!

So, the PCs are briefly walking through the kitchen -- a pretty shadowy place, and, um, have gotten a 14, a 10, and a 9 on Perception checks.

So, you can tell that you're only seeing the superficial, that if you want to Search the place, you can take the time and search. (Take 10 or 20) But the 'Quick-Three-Second-Perception-Check-as-We-Move' may not be getting the results you wanted.

https://1drv.ms/x/s!ArT_T_Fp-0y72RXhF4TRKUhGkdCG?e=FthCpp

Updated!

Moving through the back area, between broken tables and giant pots filled with dust, toward the rear entrance, it seems as though the infamous Shadow Beasts of 'your' Westcrown are hiding behind every right angle, just out of sight. It's obvious that half the room and half the fireplace are still unknown to your eyes, hampered as they are by darkness and shade. Is that a giant spider ready to pounce?! ... No, squinting at the shadow by your feet it is merely a few tarnished forks and spoons clustered together to look sinister to those with weak eyes.

The exit door to the outside seems stuck at first, sealed with age. You manage to force it open with less noise than you fearfully expected: Apparently the muffled, even muted nature of The Shadow Plane that dampens down sound works in your favor as often as it works against you. Had this door been forced open on The Prime Material, the creaking or screeching would have alerted half a city block. Here, it is just a brief, muffled 'squeuish'.

Glancing outside in the cool outdoor air once again seems odd. You didn't really notice it upon entering this long building, but exiting, well, the fresh air outside seems to be the exact same as the stale air inside. Air pressure doesn't change. Or, perhaps, somehow the air outside is identical to the air inside. No breeze. No feeling of stifling indoor air compared to fresh outdoor air. Or something.

Noticeably, while the exit door is plainly visible inside -- it is a Secret Door outside. Thus, if you are outside trying to enter, you must find the hidden seems and open the door. It automatically locks upon closing.

https://1drv.ms/x/s!ArT_T_Fp-0y72RXhF4TRKUhGkdCG?e=LO6giI

How's This?!

Cassynder arrives near the massive fireplace in time to see Whisper briefly glance up the chimney for three seconds. Nita Cobbles arriving only a moment later. The whole centerpiece looks like it would make for a good backdrop for a small stage or pulpit area with a large number of shallow shelves and indentations on the fireplace walls.

In the back, walking through the fireplace, kitchen tables, massive cauldrons, and community food-prep accouterments litter the floor, mostly broken and unusable. Superficial viewing also reveals what looks to be a pump to an indoor water-well, and even a nondescript back door.

Okay, try this: Obsidian Portal

Okay, I think I found a way to help out: I can "Share" editing ability with other emails. You could send me a PM with your email if that's how it works.

Meanwhile, I'll also try to find how to "Set Permissions" -- wish me luck.

Does this Link work for everyone?

I am not so good with technology. And, uh, this is the best I can do though I hope to get better. Obviously I know how to use Excel for bookkeeping and accounting, not so much for game-maps. But I'm trying!

Calseinica looks blankly for a moment considering Cassynder's words, then it occurs to her how she may have sounded. She tries to think of something to say, to find some words, but comes up blank.

.

Whisper moves the distance to the massive, double-sided fireplace separating the Great Hall from whatever is in back of the huge room. A cursory glance doesn't reveal any danger or even recent activity.

One could build a five-by-five bonfire here, Whisper notices as she realizes one could walk through the fireplace to the other side of the room -- a very tall person wouldn't even have to tilt while walking to the other side. Whisper can just imagine the heat such a conflagration would produce.

The rest of the fireplace, to the left and right of the 'pit,' is brick. Shelves, or perhaps shallow alcoves allow for adornments facing the Great Hall.

And the area behind the fireplace appears congested with objects considerably moreso than the mostly empty Great Hall.

Okay, okay, Fine! It's gross metagaming to separate the PCs from the NPCs. Truthfully though, if y'all want to use actual logic on separating the group or not, maybe having a mix of PCs and NPCs on each side, I have no problem whatsoever. .... And actually, this is Play-by-Post not Over-the-Table -- it won't be hard to manage if both PCs and NPCs go explore while a mix of both PCs and NPCs stays. or, you know, you could all stick together and I juggle four NPCs providing dialogue with which to roleplay.

Yeah, some stuff may have gotten missed but I'm pretty sure the conglomerate of NPCs has answered what they could. Aidonis half-mentioned getting out of The Shadow Plane asap.

If there is something an NPC didn't address -- such as no one mentioning the "Shadow" stuff Nita brought up a moment ago that conspicuously was ignored -- you can roleplay it. I mean, a handful of strangers get tossed into The Shadow Plane and are running around unsure of what's happening, especially with everyone whispering, there's bound to be dialogue that is missed.

Before entering the building, Everett Radcliffe looks up again at the disturbing crenelations of his goddess Shelyn.

The Paladin of Shelyn knows that the crenelations of The Eternal Rose are most certainly not appropriate, not a facade 'The Lady of Chrysanthemums' would appreciate. They are blasphemous; likely they are dark, twisted heresies from worshippers of Zon Kuthon, Cenobite Midnight Lord who dwells deep in The Shadow Plane.

Truly, the Shelyn objets d'art that adorn the empty long-building in Parego Spera may be old and crumbling from lack of maintenance, but these obscenities are deliberate.

Regarding the long building you are presumably entering,... In the Campaign Tab, under 'Parego Spera,' this is the "empty long building" that is being turned into an orphanage or school soon.

I will be off-and-on all day Sunday; and going forward I should be on at least for an hour or so each day this week (excluding Friday).

It'll take me a few posts Sunday to get to everyone's posts -- but I am definitely here and posting throughout Sunday.

It's not exactly an auspicious beginning, and I offer my apologies, but I made it!

I'm here I'm here I'm here!

So Sorry -- business has been (wonderfully) BUSY!

If I can not get into Gameplay this week -- or even if I can -- I am DEDICATING Saturday and Sunday to get to our PbP!

I swear.

I am VERY excited about getting this campaign going. And I really AM confident that I can make time for it. A post or two each Monday through Thursday and occasionally on the weekends (Fridays are harder). It's just these past two weeks.

.

I own a small business in Florida and Thanksgiving week up until now has been absolutely exhaustingly busy. In the evenings I have just been brain dead and not wanted to do anything but sleep. I'm in the Gold business and if you follow the Markets you know Gold has been really moving!

As I'm sure you've guessed by now, Thanksgiving week has turned into a monster!

I am coming soon, and we can get this going properly.

I've made a real effort to try to make sure everything in the opening Gameplay happened as roleplayed, including the exact contents of that letter Whisper confiscated. .... I have given myself a little leeway with 'some' of the 'facts' behind the roleplay, so characterX 'said,--' but the actuality is slightly different. A couple trifles, such as going from "Baronettess" to "Baroness" Delour Aulamaxa, but I'm trying to keep true. There have been a couple changes the PCs would not be privy to, such as the nature of the NPC, Aidonis -- but that isn't something that the players could know. There was one that I was concerned with and I sent a PM to the Player (It was more a potential R Rated interpretation that, you know, must be resolved out of game -- and I'm following the Player's lead to stay PG or maybe PG-13 as appropriate. Ultimately, we are all doing our respectable best to keep going, each knowing that we also may have to be a tiny bit flexible.

Just wondering if a few Players are having a tough time remembering the roleplay that’s already been played.

I don’t know how much each PC’s background and goals was discussed with DM Dragon Cat through PM (or Recruitment that I missed) and how much of each PC’s intro was roleplayed completely Cold; I’m slowly getting the impression it was mostly Cold. Obviously I just read the Gameplay and ran with it. Also, I don’t know if Players, for their own edification and enjoyment, read *other* PC’s roleplaying intros. And further, I don’t know how much each Player remembers the details of the opening Gameplay roleplay. I’ve been reading and rereading it quite a bit the past week or so and it’s therefore very fresh in my head.

Please feel free to reread your PC’s Gameplay posts from July to the present as a refresher – I’ve really made an effort to as-seamlessly-as-possible integrate original Gameplay with ours.

Following are the truncated intros from the first Gameplay. Feel free to read them, even though there will be (hopefully only a taste of) information your PC is not yet privy to – hopefully in our next several Gameplay posts you all will roleplay the sharing of information as your PCs start to trust each other a bit and really decide to become a group.

Yes.

You guys have moved quite a bit away from where you first entered, while looking for a building with 'a Shelyn's face statue on the eaves' so you're probably a few hundred feet away, and on a different street or alley.

But you must assume those eyes are still there.

I'll post the description of the entryway into the building soon -- just want to give everyone a chance for six seconds (or thereabouts) to talk or what-have-you before committing everyone inside.

Please let me know if there are any questions or confusions about the logistics.

I posted Janiven Keyes's response without describing an interior of the Cenobite structure: I didn't want to presume everyone entered. If the group chooses not to enter (It's a scary looking place afterall) then I will describe it. As for Nita sitting on a pew, well, she's blind. Who's willing to point out to her that she's sitting on a broken bench just outside the structure? .... Um, does that work?

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have arrived. Post in Discussion any out-of-game questions or comments and what have you, post in-character roleplaying when you're ready to play. There is no hurry.

Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here!

Regarding the vast amount of info in the Campaign Tab -- only look at parts when you are ready. The Campaign Info Tab is for reference for whenever you may need it.

Here is the original PbP game from DM Dragon Cat -- for your reference whenever you feel like, um, referencing it.

The transition posts in Gameplay are up and ready for Roleplay.

.

I would really appreciate if we can all strive to keep Gameplay dedicated to roleplaying in character -- not Out-of-Character Questions, Discussions, Comments and the like. This Discussion Thread is perfect to have all the peripheral conversation. The boon of that is that Gameplay really can read like a story; one can just read in-character posts and roleplay. .... In the same vein, if we can keep all dice rolls under Spoiler Tags I'd appreciate it. Combat rolls take up so much space anyway that it's really more aesthetic if they're hiding. Skill Checks and such, well, this is really important for me that you make an effort to keep them behind Spoiler Tags: Occasionally I won't have a DC for a Diplomacy, or a Knowledge, or a Whatever at the tip of my notes -- and if I see the Result of your roll before I can think about and determine an appropriate DC, well, that puts me in a tough spot.

.

I'm in (Sarasota) Florida -- where is everyone else from?

Monday through Thursday are my most likely days for posting. Fridays are for my Homegame when the group comes to my house to sit around the table and throw some dice, move about some miniatures, and spit Nat 20s at all my monsters, mooks and BBEGs. Saturdays and Sundays are actually my most free -- and some weekends I can post and post and post. But often weekends are when I just unwind, rest, and do whatever in The Nine Hells I want to do.

I received a very welcome PM from DM Dragon Cat giving me a little information on what he had intended for the opening scene -- neither he nor I really like the published opening scene and we both altered it a bit (That's recommended on The Boards throughout this AP.). But it also means that not only have I had to go back over the published AP as a refresher and reread your PCs a bit, I also got the chance to meld another DM's intro into my own. I think I have a really good handle on the intro, now -- obviously you may feel a change in the flow of these NPCs, and the chase or hide Scene in Shadow Westcrown. That ought to be a little expected. But I feel I'm ready!

.

I have detailed a little of the neighborhood of Vizio's Tavern and Cobbles, Bobbles & Bows so we can have a nice little 'square' of the Parego Spera to play in -- both Shadow Plane and Prime Material. There are ten fully designed locations (including Vizio's and Nita's) plus eight others with a sentence or two of a starter that I can develop if the need arises. But it'll give us a good little section of neighborhood: Vizio's Tavern close to Cobbles, Bobbles & Bows, close to Jacopo di Carni's art shop, and a theater and a watch-maker named Rolan who is a fastidiously clean Dwarf, and a half-Tian glassblower named Amaya, and etc., etc.

.

Another note of difference: I never liked the idea of further subcategorizing the Parego districts of Westcrown into Rego subdistricts; I think it stifles the DM's ability to be fluid more than it helps. (Perhaps you young folk who know how to find or create Memes can find or create a Meme of the scene in Friends where Monica argues: "Rules help 'Control' the fun!" as I try to explain how the seven Rego subdivisions 'Control' the fun of Westcrown.)

I like The Parego Dospera district on the mainland: Half abandoned and crumbling, wherein the wretched and the homeless stay with refugees and heretics in hiding. (where Cassynder was born and where Whisper had her opening scene with Shanwen, Contractor Scriptus of Asmodeus) This is where the underworld Dusk Market is, as well as The Pleatra -- Westcrown's slave market.

And I like the Parego Spera district that is the peninsula: Populated and bustling with the citizens of Westcrown, wherein is the little neighborhood with Vizio's Tavern, Cobbles, Bobble & Bows, etc., and further in the peninsula, the Taranik House garrison of HellKnights, the Arodennama city park with a 100' statue of Aroden, the old Pathfinder Lodge of Delvehavin (soon to be unsealed and given over to The Darklight Sisterhood), and The DevilDrome arena, among many, many other sites of interest in Westcrown. The Parego Spera is the default home of Sanchia, Everett, and Nita.

Of course the Parego Regicona is the connected little islets at the mouth of the Adivian River, each boasting fortified citadels of Chelaxian nobility, wherein the Lords and Ladies live and lust, and plot and play. Whisper was born here, in the Estate Keep of House Mezinas, though she was raised among the slave quarters. One can bet that if you hop on a little boat and row from the Parego Spera to Parego Regicona, it will not go unobserved by many watchers on several curtain walls.

.

Friends

Is Waldorph a Newfoundland? I first thought maybe a Caucasian Shepherd or Tibetan Mastiff. But more and more he seems like a Newfy.

Thanks for the feedback so far -- and the encouragement. It can be quite tricky when trying to fill the shoes of such an experienced PbP DM. I may have been playing since 1981 and DMing regularly since about '89 but PbP is something I haven't yet really mastered.

I've had time to reread everyone's Recruitment posts and character Profile backgrounds -- several of my questions were answered there. I had misremembered Sanchia born to local nobility rather than Whisper. Afterall, I was lurking here at the end of Recruitment and into Gameplay; considering Sanchia's and Whisper's starts to the campaign I forgive myself for thinking it wasn't Whisper who has a noble upbringing.

I'm going to spend a day or two figuring out how to work out the current scene in Gameplay. It's a touch different than how I would have started so I have to adjust accordingly. (I felt Janiven Keys would be better introduced as an apparently 'Commoner' waitress who only reveals herself to the PCs after a bit. In this Gameplay Janiven Keys is clearly a bad ass, and, oh yeah, you're in Shadow Westcrown.)

Hopefully sometime Tuesday, or perhaps Wednesday, I'll post a few things here in Discussion about Westcrown to serve dual roles, first, to lay out a little more Background for everyone to read and get on board with while receiving more info from you on your PCs, etc., and second, to give me a little more time to wrap my head around how I want to get Gameplay going in Shadow Westcrown.

Anyway, keep Discussion alive -- I like seeing posts.

And I'm really looking forward to gaming with you!

Okay, let's see if I and my style of DMing works for the group (consider this as my application for Recruitment, since you all had to get through a Recruitment process).

I'm big on roleplay and Skill checks, especially in PbP, moreso than combat. It looks like that's a good fit with the current makeup of PC builds. Alas, I am not going to have time, at least for a good few weeks, to go through y'all's character builds looking intently at Crunch. I just want to see a good PC background or history and personality and that kind of stuff. I will be looking closely at Skills.

Speaking of which, I recommend the group look at your collective Skills and see if there are any weaknesses -- gaps or holes -- the group will want to address. I strongly recommend the group have at least one PC maxed-out and jacked-up of all the roleplaying kinds of Skills (Diplomacy, Bluff, Sense Motive, Perception, Linguistics, Knowledges, etc.) since this is definitely a heavy roleplay campaign anyway, and I'm a heavy roleplay and Skills kinda DM.

.

My Westcrown is a touch different than the canonical, as is my Cheliax and CoT. I'll do my best to keep my head-canon out of the way but sometimes it'll reveal its unsettling facade.

More importantly, when I started a PbP for 'Council of Thieves' 12 months ago, it was for a specific player here on the Boards that really wanted to play in it (and his group). When we attempted that PbP I did some Paizo Messageboards research and read a massive number of posts from DMs and Players suggesting an alternate order of the six individual volumes. Nearly everyone on the Boards suggested that a specific Volume 1-5 should have been the climactic volume 6 and that the published volume 6 should be placed elsewhere. Reading the AP then, I wholeheartedly concurred. The AP is MUCH better designed in a different-than-published sequence.

As you may know, this is not one of Paizo's more beloved APs, but it has so much great potential. If you guys allow me to take over the campaign, I will be reordering quite a bit of the canon.

One of the other complaints regarding the AP, from the community, is one that in your own Gameplay you have already addressed. Everitt Radcliffe mentions that if the group's goal is to usurp Thrune, overthrow the HellKnights, and redefine Cheliax, this is NOT the campaign for you. I'm hoping we can have a brief discussion as a group, kinda metagame but with NO Spoilers, get an idea of what our expectations are for the overall plot of the campaign. In my failed attempt at this PbP a year ago the PCs were, ah, more Evil Aligned, and supported a specific pro-Cheliax noble House over another. So they were going to focus on making that Diabolical House even more Chelaxian, more powerful. Obviously that won't work here. So let's have a brief conversation before we all commit to each other.

.

I am not at all an expert on technology and struggle sharing a techno-version of a battlemat on PbP. I'll do my best to learn, but combat will likely be 'Theatre of the Mind' where I describe the encounter terrain and we can manage the fights in imaginations. Or, someone can teach me how to do, um, 'technology.' (whatever that is)

.

Following, under Spoiler Tags, will be a post for each PC.

.

Can everyone do the following, please send me a PM with Spoilers you have with the campaign, whether you know of this or that specific event or NPC or plot device. Or even if you DMed the whole thing, or perhaps played as a PC through the middle of Volume Two or whatever.

Also, please post, either under a Spoiler Tag in Discussion or a PM, if there are any Background points for your PC that are really important to you, especially points that you had discussed with DM-Dragon Cat. And of course, respond however you feel to the following Post regarding your PC.

Okay,

I might have time to DM this (obviously, only if we can figure out if I'm a good fit).

Today is Thursday 9 November. Give me the weekend to figure out if I can handle it. Monday or Tuesday I ought to know for certain and we can go from there. (Of course, if you have a better option go for it, and well, I will still be lurking.)

I've been wanting to DM Council of Thieves in a PbP Forum since my first attempt failed.

Well, rule #1 would be to ignore me when it conflicts with your gut feeling. If you love "A Hestory of Ashes" then it will likely be very awesome for your game! Use it -- absolutely. There are plenty of groups who feel it was good for their game. (Like I said, 'we' who don't like it are a minority.) I also was not a big fan of the 'Go-rescue-Shoanti-Skull-Man's-Son/Corpse-from-Derro' chapter early in the campaign, but it can be done really well.

I guess the crux, for our feeling, is that it just feels out of place. Korvosa, Korvosa, Korvosa -- then the desert -- and Korvosa, Korvosa, Korvosa. .... Incidentally, there's also a group of gamers who don't like volume 5, "Skeletons of Scarwall" by Greg Vaughan for similar reasons. But for me, I think it is among the top three or four Dungeon-Crawls in all of Paizo's Pathfinder adventures, and even one of the best d20-era dungeon crawls. I love it. .... So, you gotta do you!

In general my advice is such like 'Know the published material well' and the opposite of that coin, 'Let your players play the game they want without trying to restrict them to the published word -- while simultaneously reminding in Metagame that the greatness of the game is in the published text and to please be openminded as players to allow their PCs to go with the game.'. It's a balance.

For specifics, go to the Forum on The Boards here where a gazillion-and-one Threads discuss the highs and lows of CotCT. Yes, they're older and mostly inactive, but there's still SOOO much there to help you. And then there are PbP Campaigns you can browse.

For me, the chase scene for Trinia Sabor was a complete failure. Chases are tricky. .... And another one, I'm in the camp of gamers that believe the whole entire volume four, "A History of Ashes" by Michael Kortes is only usable for kindling: Burn it. It is garbage for play. (There's quite a few of us in this camp, though we're a minority.)

Hey! You have adopted my 'famous' +2/+2/-2 for all Races Ability Score; I'm so happy. (Even if you did it on your own without having seen that's how I do it.) Awesome

Yes
He is being flanked.

Talia Fireskin has a Standard Action if she wants to use it -- even for a Readied Action, just make sure you're specific as to what will trigger your Readied Standard Action.

Yeah, if you want to go around back you'll find Gornych and the Rogues and the dog, getting ready to enter Vizio's Tavern. (The leaders have left and are not part of the encounter.) A double move will get you there.

Palaveen and the other heads of The Bastards of Erebus are 'off stage,' yes. The PCs don't have line of sight or effect or knowledge of that little scene. It's just flavor to build up future encounters. But you do have Gornych, two Rogues, and the Fiendish Dog coming in to Vizio's Tavern on their turns in Initiative.