Answered some questions on the current document.
I'll be incommunicado Friday through Monday. :(
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Since it's becoming a large source of inspiration, I picked up a copy of 'Night Watch' yesterday. I'm about 20% through it.
Nothing that comes to mind now. I'm sure after we start I'll come up with something I should have asked about now. ;)
I'm all for shaking things up as far as the races go. There's not any particular race that I'd miss if it wasn't here. Other than humans, of course. :)
According to google translate, that's the french translation of 'Port of Black Sand'. Translating it back to english it comes out as 'Black Sand Harbor'. I'm not fixed on it, though.
That works for me, Ahreni. As much as I do enjoy the steam punk genre, I don't think that's what fits this story. As far as a name for the city, how about this ... the original settlers were drawn to the stretches of black sand around the mouth of the main river and so began referring to their little abode as Port de Sable Noir. It's still referred to by that name on official documents and records, but everyone just calls it Sable Noir. And no, I don't speak a lick of french.
Fanchelle Morg - the avuncular man who supplies Digadi (as well as the local blacksmiths) with all his raw steel. He's quite proud of the fact that he can proclaim to be the supplier of steel for all of Duran's Blades. 'Mama' Trundle - An elderly half-orc that owns the tenement that Digadi rents a flat in. She's in her seventh or eighth decade and everyone calls her 'Mama'. A brusque and straightforward woman that refuses to deal with deceptive people. Walter Widard - a local Lothario who has noticed Ahreni around the neighborhood and has now set his sights on her as his newest conquest. A handsome but thoroughly revolting man. ;) Justine Sallay - a local priestess of Shelyn (or whomever fills her domain in this story). She draw, paints, and expounds upon the virtues of the various kinds of love. She's a heavy-set woman in her middle age and is happy to give a hug to any that may need it (whether they ask or not).
He'd seen too many of the things the Order was responsible for from an insider's point of view. He had wished to live a simple and satisfying life as a swordsmith like his father before him.2)He didn't resent him, he just didn't want to tread the path of swordmaker - as his father was before him. It's now a compromise - he spends a small amount of time working on weapons for the social elite to brag about and the rest of his time working on guns.I'm a bit confused, because these two statements seem to be in opposition with each other. How dare you point out contradictions in what I wrote. ;) Ummm... that's uh ... That's clearly not a contradiction because ... uh ... How about he wanted the simple life of a craftsman like his father, but not actually swordsmithing. Yeah, that's what I meant. See? Not an issue. You just didn't read it right. :) Question for Ahreni; Has Digadi actually seen her shift, does he just know she can do it without having seen it, or will it be a complete surprise to him? ;)
Expounding on the alignment idea, the chance you have to increase is inverse to what your current standing/skill level is. Example: Law 18% gives an 82% chance to increase a couple of percentage points. Law 82% gives an 18% chance to increase. So, as you can see, the higher you get, the harder it is to improve. That's the basis of it. BRP is a great system for certain types of games. It's the core system in the original Runequest game as well as Call of Chthulhu. No reason we can't leverage that part of it for tracking alignment and perhaps group affiliations.
Talking about alignment ... Has anyone ever played any of the games base on the Basic Role Playing rules system? It's a classless percentage based skill system. Everything's a skill and every time you succeed at most skills there's a chance that they'll increase at the end of the adventure. There's a subsystem that even incorporates group standings into it. As an example: (SomeCity)'s Thieves Guild: 35%
There's no provision for alignment within the rules structure, but it easily fits into the skill system: Good 17%
Every time you engage in an action that clearly fits one (or two) of the categories, there's a chance you'll increase in that category. Your standing on the traditional alignment graph is easily determined by the relative values of the two opposing categories.
Answers to Digadi's questions: 1) Maionarre is estranged from his daughter. He had planned for her to follow in his footsteps, but she chose the path of a wife and a mother over that of power. He was partially consoled at the idea of a grandson to take her place in the plan. Now doubly denied, he resents her even more. 2) Digadi doesn't know exactly how his father died. Simply the fact that the body wasn't viewable told him all he needed to know. He didn't resent him, he just didn't want to tread the path of swordmaker - as his father was before him. It's now a compromise - he spends a small amount of time working on weapons for the social elite to brag about and the rest of his time working on guns. 3) His heritage is not readily apparent. Having mixed blood would be a heavy social stigma and he avoids putting himself in a position where it would be demonstrated. I imagine that Tieflings do exist, but they would be reflective of a much more recent crossbreeding. Digadi doesn't remember his father having any outward sign of tainted blood so he's not sure how far back the mixing took place. 4) Any murder would have produced the sense of failure. The fact that it was an inevitable - a physical agent of planer balance - was just the cherry on top. Followers of the Path do kill when necessary, but Digadi was holding himself above the conflict. Now that he has taken a life he feels as if a big hole has been punched through his principles.
Digadi's grandfather had always intended for him to be instrumental in the increase of the Orders power and influence. Digadi wanted no part in it and refused outright. He'd seen too many of the things the Order was responsible for from an insider's point of view. He had wished to live a simple and satisfying life as a swordsmith like his father before him. He had no knowledge that, while an infant, his mother had inacted an ancient ritual pledging him to the Path. Her request was so sincere that it had earned him a hidden guardian - Ahreni. What eventual effect that dedication might have isn't clear. The one person that might know the purpose of it - his mother - isn't really sane anymore. She wanders in places and times in her own mind and rarely recognizes people in this world anymore. Digadi wasn't even aware of Ahreni's presence until the showdown with the inevitable. Not wanting this beautiful being that seemed to come to his aid out of nowhere to be harmed, he broke his own code and managed a perfectly timed shot with a musket and felled the threat. Only later on, after the angelic being had left without another word, did he begin to suspect (incorrectly) that that was the sole purpose of her arrival. A well-planned Order plot to stain his soul with murder. He blames the mysterious woman for his self-perceived fall from grace. He still follows the way of the Path, but he now feels that he will never achieve the place fate had planned for him. His mother's sacrifice will be in vain.
Both Niko and I feel the same way regarding consent. We've discussed limits in the past and are reasonably aware of each other's story boundaries. ~~~~~ I was looking through Ahreni's crunch and noticed that her claws count as magical. Ah. My original thought was Digadi would be safe with DR 10 if she decided to get a little freaky. Yeah, not so much. ;) That might work out for the better, though. It would help conceal that aspect of his nature from her if she accidentally claws him up in a moment of passion. ~~~~~ The con will be a lot of fun. Is it weird to say that despite having many Pathfinder games to join, I never play at conventions? I've watched many society games being played and there always seems to be very little actual role-playing going on. Maybe it's the nature of the beast. But for me, the story is the thing and con society games always seem to lack that. *shrug*
Hmm... exotic saddle... :) If you want to buy one Digadi Ahreni can turn into a Large tiger - so you could actually ride her into battle. :D Ok, while I have no doubt that these two are going to get kinky (BTW what are your hard limits, Yorick? ;) ), I didn't realize it was going to begin so quickly. Or is that just me? So 2K for me. Say 1K to Digadi because he does the mundane shopping. Leaves me with 3k over - lots of cool items just out of budget, so I can live with that! Cool. That will leave me with a little for some other potions and/or minor things.
Ok, mostly done. For traits, Digadi has Affable and Black Powder Fortune. He's going for Firearm Striker, so once he fires off his initial wad (reloading? Who bothers with reloading?) he'll be stuck in with Ahreni, hitting with fists. Gear breakdown: Improved Digadi's starting pistol to masterwork (300 gp) and gave it a +1 enhancement bonus (2000 gp). I also added a musket at cost (750 gp). Ammo for both is in the form of 60 basic alchemical cartridges at cost (72 gp). They decrease load time, but increase misfire chance by one. That's offset by Gun Training which decreases misfire chance by one, so it's a wash. A cloak of resistance +1 (1000 gp) augments his defenses. Three potions of cure light wounds (150 gp) and a wand of silence with 25 charges on it (2250 gp) round out his expensive stuff. With a backpack and standard misc. non-magical gear, that puts him at about 6549 gp. Um, Ahreni? You were mentioning something about having spare money? :) :)
WBL works for me. And how about 'The Eyes of Light'? Yorick, I get what you're saying about crafting feats. Would it be too much to eventually consider 'Craft Magic Arms and Armor' for Digadi, considering he's a swordsmith? If it's still a no, no worries. :)
Just a heads up to everyone. I'll be at Kublacon this coming weekend (Thursday through Monday). I'll have internet access, but I'm not sure how much free time I'll have to post. If I know me, I'll still try to get out at least a post a day if it's warranted, but ... *shrugs*.
A rough draft of my crunch is up. Feel free to look it over and point out mistakes (I'm sure they exist). Some notes ... I haven't chosen traits yet. Any suggestions, Ahreni? I haven't purchased equipment yet either, are we going with standard WBL? Will I be able to upgrade the starting firearm to masterwork before beginning? Also, will there be any limitations on starting equipment other than cost? I also need to fill out more of the fluff information.
Alrighty then ... Crunch, here I come. ;) Edit: I just picked up that supplement, so I'll be going over it in a couple of hours. :)
Gestalt would certainly be interesting - particularly with just two characters. It doesn't fix the action economy, but since I imagine this story will be designed for just two that shouldn't be a problem.
Digadi is Itzi's submission to pair with Ahreni. Flavor/Fluff:
I dreamed about her again. Her flaxen hair. The golden aura surrounding her. Why does she torment me? She's already destroyed any trace of purity in me. What more can she do? I feel again the kick of my weapon. I smell the powder. I watch as he falls lifeless by my hands. My hands. The hands now of a killer. And then she's gone. Was that her only purpose? To instigate my fall? To bring me down? Perhaps I'll never know. I have not seen her since. Ahreni has been the sole light in my darkness. I don't know what power saw fit to send her to me, but I give thanks for her. My driving hope is that some day I'll stand face to face with the woman, the angel, the demon, whichever she is, to ask her 'Why?'. What was her purpose? "You're awake?" Ahreni's sleepy voice called from the nearby bed. Digadi put down his quill. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he answered quietly. "I had some ideas I needed to note down before I forgot them." "Come to bed. The ritual will start in just a couple of hours and we'll need to be rested if we wish to disrupt it properly." "Of course, my Love." The man returned to his journal to write one last line. And she'll be the final life I take. He closed the book and returned it to its niche in the desk. Rising from the chair he tossed his spectacles down on top of scattered drawings resting on the marred surface before returning to the embrace of his lover. ~~~~~
Racial:
Dagadi is human, but with an infernal taint. This is reflected by the following:
6 RP for Damage Reduction - DR 10/magic.
~~~~~
Bullet Points: A) Background and Concepts 1) He perceives himself as fallen. In spite of being trapped in the ongoing war between light and darkness, Digadi Duran had always considered himself guiltless - he had never taken a life. When the inevitable fell by his hand, it was a line he could never re-cross. He had done something he vowed he would never do - take a life. 2) He blames the outsider for his fall. He hopes to someday face the being responsible for his torment. All the guilt and hatred he feels for himself will be vented upon the being that led him to his misstep. 3) Ahreni is his lifeline. Full of self-hatred and loathing for his perceived fall, Digadi sees vengence and Ahreni as his sole reason for continued existence. 4) He's not aware that Ahreni was the outsider. Since Ahreni can shift her form and has lost her pervasive aura, Digadi has never connected the two. It'll be a major turning point when that fact is made clear to him. 5) His enemies lives are worth nothing. Since he's crossed the line and taken a life, there's no going back. There's no gain in mercy. 6) Reluctant Swordmaker. Digadi didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps as a sword-maker. He could craft them, but his heart wasn't in it. He preferred weapons that didn't require such dedication and training to wield. He didn't get a choice, though. His father died younger than he should through unexplained violence and Digadi inherited the name and clientele. The weapons aren't as high quality, but the name still bears cachet. 7) Infernal Blood. He's human rather than a tiefling, but there's still some trace of infernal blood in him, evidenced by his resistance to damage. B) Goals 1) Make his grandfather pay. Digadi wishes to exact vengence upon his grandfather for dragging him into his war. The man is too powerful currently, but by chipping away at his gathered power, he hopes to eventually be able to bring the man down himself. 2) Digadi needs to accept his place. Eventually Digadi should realize that he is where he is doing the most good and that his perceived fall was just the shattering of self-delusion. C) Secrets 1) Infernal Blood Digadi knows there's infernal blood in his family history, but he would never want Ahreni to discover how close to home that taint lies. 2) Ahrani and the outsider are the same person. Discovering this will be a major story turning point. D) NPCs 1) Angelina Duran - Digadi's mother. The woman's mind has cracked, but at times she still recognizes her son. She dedicated her son's life to the light to spite her father, but the constant pressure of keeping that secret has pushed her over the edge of sanity. 2) Sir Nathan Notting - Digadi's secret patron. He is a nobleman that moves in many circles and has contacts within the higher ranks of The Order. He is a charismatic man that attempts to travel in the gray areas between The Order and The Path. He wishes to stay out of the battle itself, but has no qualms about assisting Digadi in his private war. 3) Maionarre Marra - Digadi's maternal grandfather. An intelligent and clever man that is entirely assured of the rightness of his own actions. He manages many spinning wheels of power all for the benefit of the The Order. And his own, of course. E) Traits/Mannerisms/Quirks 1) Digadi wears a pair of often broken spectacles. When he's comtemplating a problem or considering his words carefully, he fidgets with them. He adjusts them, takes them off to clean them, etc 2) He hates being compared to his father. 3) Slightly obsessive/compulsive that manifests in small things. |