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Hi All! Are you able to sustain an action more than once in a round? Sustain calls out that if you sustain again it won't extend the duration even further, but if something has an effect on a sustain can you trigger that multiple times? Examples: Bless- Each sustain expands the area Spiritual Armament- Each sustain triggers an attack Leshy Glide- Each sustain moves 25ft forward and 5ft down
Hello! I'm going to be a bit unspecific because its an item out of an adventure, but in the next session its very likely that my players are going to run across a cursed gauntlet. Part of the curse is that once put on the gauntlet forces their hand closed into a fist, effectively removing the 'free hand' trait so they can't use that hand beyond gauntlet strikes or using the items other powers. This matters because its very likely that my team is going to be able to identify the items abilities, but not catch the curse. And upon doing that are going to decide those abilities are most useful for their swashbuckler. The swashbuckler has a number of abilities that require them to be wielding a 1 handed melee weapon and have their other hand free. I'm pretty confident RAW it violates both of these things(The gauntlet would be a second melee weapon, and by definition it doesn't have free hand). However, I'm curious of people's feeling on this interaction. I think in spirit, he's not intending to use it as a weapon and for the swashbuckler feats their hand needs to be free for balance and pose rather than to grab someone. I will say that I'm probably going to have it apply just because it will add some pressure and the party has the ability to resolve it(they have a scroll of remove curse).
Hi all! I've been making use of dungeon-a-day for some time now and recently noticed that the site had gone offline. This wasn't totally surprising, I think it was known it would be going away for some time so I had mostly prepared for that. However, when I went to check if there was any statement about it, I noticed that the supergeniusgames.com website appeared to be down as well. Its been a little over a week and the website just redirects me to advertising spam like they lost the domain. There isn't any update on their wikipedia page or changes on the facebook page(last post there was a couple years back, so it wasn't commonly used), but I know they were a pretty big 3pp so I'm not sure if I missed some sort of announcement somewhere. I know Stan! and Hyrum are frequenters on these boards so I figured this was a good spot to reach out. Anyone know the fate of the company or what is going on?
Hello everyone, As part of a move I'm going to be letting go of the vast majority of my RPG books and they are going up on E-bay over the next couple days. The bulk of them are Pathfinder, so I thought this would be a good place to start pointing people in that direction. Currently I have all the APs before Hell's Rebels up there. No smoking or pets in the house and I've always primarily used digital so they are in pretty great shape. Within a couple days I'll have listings for a fair number of modules, campaign setting and player focused pathfinder books as well. I think I have all of the hardcovers beyond the core book and some of the bestiaries up there. Additionally, I'll be tossing up a few ShadowRun 4e books, a fair number of new WoD books, almost all the old WoD clainbooks, and then just some miscellaneous books. Lot of books just means listings are going up whenever I have free time, so please check back! Thanks and feel free to pop a message here if you have any questions.
The Lothloren House is a fancy stonework two story affair, just about a quarter of a mile south of town. The rock and design hold an age to it that isn't common in the rest of the village, indicating it likely dates back to before Chordille Keep originally fell. There may be more reason than simply age for the family to keep its home slightly separated from the village proper. There is bad blood with the loggers guild, the largest consortium in town and those of elven heritage. The hostilities in town thus far have remained cold beyond the occasional drunken scuffle or bit of vandalism, but most elves with the means have either relocated or at least avoid the logging camp to the best of their ability. Still, whatever may have led to its location, the house is welcoming to those who approach. Though it is mostly empty on the eve of your invitation, two torches burn outside and the door is opened to allow even the oddest visitor within for the impromptu gathering.
Alright folks, I created this thread for planning out the team and character creation, I might use it as a spot to kick off a bit of fluff RP as well while people are still finalizing. But for now, I'm going to give total information overload. I've got a ton of details below, so I'm trying to break it up into more manageable sections. Character Creation:
Alright, this one is going to be pretty easy. People come from far and wide to this dungeon and its known to be dangerous, so I'm going be fairly lax. Try not to go too wild, but this will be a good run for your weirder ideas.
1st Level
Once I know a bit more about your background, I'll give you a rumor or two, not all true, that may have helped draw you to the dungeon. Tenets of Dungeon Design:
This isn't a strict 'must read and memorize' section. The designer of the delve wrote this up to describe his views on standards and assumptions that come from this kind of adventure. I think it can give a lot of insight into what you might expect.
1. Things get more dangerous as you go deeper. This is perhaps the keystone of old school dungeon design. As you get farther from civilization and into the wilderness, the more dangerous things get. So then, it just makes sense that the farther you get from the surface, the deadlier and stranger things get. In both cases, the farther you travel from the known to the unknown, the greater risk you take. 3rd Edition created a system that used Challenge Ratings to match relatively appropriate encounters to a given group of player characters (the key word being "relatively"). Matching monster toughness with PC toughness has always been in the game in one form or another, of course. But in dungeon design, this isn't that important, because the dungeon level dictates (or at least suggests) the difficulty of the encounters. Things too easy? Go down. Things getting pretty dicey? Go back up. Of course, finding the way up or down isn't always easy, but that's what makes it fun. 2. Treasure and other rewards are based on challenges overcome, not PC level. Again, 3rd Edition created a gauge to determine appropriate wealth for PCs of a given level. But if the challenge determines the rewards (either based on how hard it was to get to the treasure, or the guardians that must be defeated to obtain it), then this should take care of itself. It does mean that skillful--or perhaps lucky--player characters will be able to get more treasure than average ones, but that's a good thing, if you ask me. Let's look at points 1 and 2 together for a moment. Basically, the assumption here is that players will need to manage risk versus reward. In a standard campaign, the DM controls the level of challenge for the players. But in a dungeon like this, the players can choose to seek encounters that might be too challenging for them in order to get bigger rewards, or stay and face easy challenges for low rewards. This is sometimes referred to as a "sandbox dungeon," because the DM just presents a sandbox in which the PCs to do whatever they want, and go wherever they want. 3. There's a happy medium that embraces both realism and fun. When discussing dungeons with people, you hear all kinds of things:
Somewhere between the people who want realism (or at least, believability) and those who want wa-hoo fun, there is a broad middle ground where most people can find something to enjoy. That means neither a careful and detailed study of the dungeon's ecological balance nor a 30 foot long dragon in a 20-foot by 20-foot room with no way for it to exit. The dungeon's got to avoid obvious, glaring challenges to a player's suspension of disbelief while not bogging the text down in details that no one will pay any attention to anyway. 4. The dungeon is dynamic and huge--there's no clearing out the dungeon. This gets to the heart of the difference between what I call a megadungeon and a regular dungeon. (Some might call the former a dungeon and the latter a lair.) The point here is that regular dungeons are small--5, 10, even 30 rooms--and megadungeons are vast, with hundreds of rooms. The megadungeon is an environment, not just a locale. In many ways, it's like many joined dungeons, connected lairs, and so on. Kill a monster and another might wander in and take its place. The dungeon detailed here--called Dragon's Delve--is a megadungeon. There's another point to be made here: the megadungeon may be more than just an underground complex. The megadungeon adventure might include a side trip to a wilderness locale, a gate to another plane, a teleporter to a mystical forest far away, and so on. It's all a part of the megadungeon, even when it's not entirely underground. 5. The player characters are not the first adventurers to explore this place, and they won't be the last. As they explore, your PCs will find the remains of previous adventurers. They will hear about other parties coming to the dungeon to test their own mettle. They may even encounter them while delving into the depths themselves. This contributes to the dynamism of the dungeon environment. 6. Although there are many entrances, and many ways to get from level to level, this dungeon is being presented so that the PCs are unlikely to get ahead of the design. This doesn't mean things are linear (because linear dungeons are bad dungeons). It just means that sometimes access to certain areas will be temporarily blocked. For example, a secret door may pass from one level to the next but be hidden in a way that makes it much more difficult to find on the higher floor. 7. The rules exist to facilitate the dungeon, not the other way around. Basically, what this means is, if I have a cool idea for an encounter and present it in a way that forces me to bend the rules, I'll do it. If a monster needs an extra feat in order to fulfill its role, I'll just give it the feat. I know that the rules were designed the way they were for good reasons. (I mean, c'mon. Consider my design credits.) One of those reasons, of course, is consistency. So I'm not going to throw the rulebook out. But I also know that the rules can't be expected to work in every situation. Rather than resign myself to accepting the occasional Encounter Level based on the formula that doesn't feel quite right, the value of a treasure that seems inappropriate to the specific situation, or the monster whose stats don't allow him to do what he needs to do in a given encounter, I'm going to change them. The key here is that the design needs to fit the specific situation, and the rules were written with general situations in mind. In this dungeon, DCs will fit the situation, even if they don't match the book 100% every time. Encounters will be designed to work the way they need to work for the most fun for all. This is why an actual human being serves as a game designer (or a DM) rather than a computer. 8. Magic gets stronger the deeper you go. This is related to point #1, but it's worth mentioning again. The farther you get from the surface, the more mysterious and strange things become. This means that magical tricks and traps get more powerful, encounter areas get weirder and wilder, ancient treasures are better preserved, and sorcerous and otherworldly creatures are more at home. Basically, the deeper you go, the less the place seems like the undercroft of some quasi-medieval keep and more like a unique, subterranean fantasy environment all its own. And the best part? This doesn't just fit with dungeon design philosophy, but also with the backstory behind Dragon's Delve. There's a reason why there are weird and challenging magical phenomena in the dungeon, and why they occur in greater numbers the farther down you delve. 9. Food is fairly abundant in the dungeon. If you don't mind the taste of rat. The point here is that the dungeon's full of life--rats, bats, insects, and so on. Just because it's not given stats and isn't a threat to the PCs doesn't mean it's not there. And so all the carnivores in the dungeon have enough to get by. Not that they wouldn't mind a tasty treat in the form of an adventurer or two. 10. Every level or sublevel has its own unique character. This is another old school trope and, I must admit, one that I love. The level's character might be expressed in similar inhabitants, a related purpose for the chambers, or a theme of some kind. The prison level. The submerged level. The demon lord's level. Players Intro to the Dungeon:
Maybe you first heard the name in a tavern well after closing time, as two old adventurers, well past their prime, spoke of it in hushed tones. Maybe it was from your own mother, who swore she'd send you there when you misbehaved. Perhaps you read the name in an ancient tome of history and lore illuminated by flickering candlelight late at night as the wind howled outside. Wherever you first heard of the place, you have long heard tales of Dragon's Delve.
A vast underground dungeon of labyrinths and catacombs, built perhaps by dwarves or perhaps by wizards--or maybe even dragons--Dragon's Delve is infamous among treasure-hunters and monster-slayers. Filled with deadly danger and ancient treasures, the dungeon offers both risk and reward in equal amounts, each growing more intense the deeper one goes. How much peril is worth risking for how much return? It's all up to those brave enough to try. The tales of Dragon's Delve teem with contradictions and unbelievable anecdotes of impossible encounters and bizarre monstrosities. And yet, some of it all must be true. Do demonic cultists really use Dragon's Delve as a secret base? Is there truly some kind of ambient magic seeping up through the place? Did wizards of old hoard away powerful artifacts in the dungeon's vaults? Do gateways to remote lands and even other planes of existence really lie somewhere in Dragon's Delve? Does the prince of all dragonkind really hold court in the deepest reaches of the subterranean stronghold? No one knows for certain, but those that could find the answers to even some of these questions, or learn even a few of the dungeon's other secrets, might earn for themselves notoriety and wealth beyond imagining. If they survive. Dragon's Delve lies in a remote corner of Mivon in the River Kingdoms, that people once called the Duchy of Chordille. Yet a hundred years ago or so, the folk of the surrounding lands took up arms against Chordille. They razed the keep and slew the duke. It's hard now to find someone who knows the real reason why this happened. A few speak of evil intent on the part of the duke, who had plans for conquest. Others, however, say that the duke's actions were always benevolent, and that the conflict arose from misunderstanding, or perhaps deception on the part of some mysterious third party. All that is known for certain is that folks call that remote area the Fallen Duchy. It boasts no ruler and little population. Wilderness reclaimed Chordille, and it is now a land of dangers. People in Brindenford, a small town just two miles to the north of Dragon’s Delve, claim that murderous humanoid creatures prowl those ruins. Goblins? Orcs? Worse? No one seems to know for sure, and eyewitness accounts are few, and always contradictory. They also claim that the place is both haunted and cursed. So many questions. So many secrets. If you dare to brave this ancient dungeon, go well equipped. Be ready for anything. Keep your eyes open, and search everywhere. Any passage or door you find could lead to wealth enough for you to retire. Or it could lead to certain doom. But that's what being an adventurer is all about, right? This isn't an undertaking that you'll finish in one foray or even a dozen. This is the challenge of a lifetime. As someone thrilled at the prospect of exploring the unknown, incredible challenges, and the promise of gold and magic, Dragon's Delve is exactly where you've always wanted to go. Location of the Delve:
The area surrounding the Dragon’s Delve is known as the Fallen Dutchy, named for the duke who was killed as it was released to its independence. It is a sparsely populated wilderness, primarily forest though with areas of rolling hill grassland that are able to hold a crop.
The lone nearby city is the small town of Brindenford which only holds on in this area due to being positioned on a major trade road known as the Queens Road and just downstream from where two large rivers combine, making the town’s survival strongly in the interest of the lumber consortium. This trade is supplemented by a regular influx of adventurers, purchasing supplies for excursions into the Delve and somewhat more rarely returning with treasures to sell and trade. The town itself has a population of about one thousand people, most of whom are human. While the Mayor Saddanna is technically the law of the city, no one questions Sherrif Mansan’s judgement and he makes many of the day to day decisions in the town and has recently taken over the gathering hall in town to serve as a barracks for a growing constabulary. Brindenford boasts three taverns to serve both the locals and the frequent travelers that pass through. The Lost Shepherd is the most famous of the inns in town as the most frequented by adventurers prepared to set out to the nearby dungeon. The Bridgeman is the fanciest inn in town, popular among merchants passing through town and anyone in town with the coin for a good meal. The Water Stone could be considered a ‘dive bar’ in the town. Its usual clientele are the local miscreants as well as the poor loggers. As well as taverns, Brindenford has several shops that are well stocked for a town its size. Fascher’s Supply is a general adventurers store, run by a would be explorer to keep those wishing to face the Delve stocked. Leaving the fixing of plows and shoeing of horses to several less skilled metal workers, Aesa’s Smithy covers the weapon and armor needs of anyone who needs a good defense. Finally, Queens Crafts is a large communal shop run by a number of craftsmen as well as their apprentices. Functioning much like a in-building bazaar, nearly any sort of worked or trade good can be found here. There are a number of temples in the town, while Brindenford isn’t a deeply religious community, their rough history and dangerous surroundings has led to nearly all its citizens paying some service to various gods. Nearly everyone respects Sarenrae and her clerics, the Temple of Sarenrae is easily the largest in town. Following it is the Temple of the River gods, a multi-god shrine where worshippers have tied their own pantheon of deities to the aspects of the river that provides them much of their livelihood. Kurgess holds a small shrine in the city, the loggers respecting his strength and competitions. Finally there is a crumbled shrine to the demi-goddess Glarias who has lost worship here since the duke was killed a century before. The town doesn’t have a library to speak of, but it is home to a sage named Felstor who is known to be a great mind throughout the River Kingdoms and is considered to be the most knowledgeable man alive about the history of the region and the dungeon itself. Gods and Traditions:
The local area holds belief for all the gods of Golarion but a number of gods hold specific sway in the region or are perceived in an unusual way.
Lamastu has a great deal of power in the region outside of the civilization of town. A powerful cult of monstrous humanoids and deformed humans known as the bestial horde worship her and often lead attacks on travelers or the town itself. Kurgess is a minor god elsewhere in the world but his portfolio of strength and competition and freedom suit the local loggers very well. Most locals who worship him believe that he is the son of Cayden Cailen and Desna and the two greater deities are worshiped at his shrine as well. Glarias is a minor diety who has fallen out of favor in the region since the fall of the Duke of Chordille a century before. She is thought to be a herald of Desna and represents the moon. Sarenrae holds the largest following in the region with her primary clerics all being female, though there is a small sect of men in her service known as the Brothers of Charity. The proximity of the dungeon and frequency of adventurers has colored the cleric’s views in some ways. While they give freely to the townsfolk and loggers in need, offering food and healing to those without, the church has a strict policy of using explorers ill gotten gains to fund their other charity works. Any strangers are charged fully for the church's wide variety of services. The River Gods- A popular local belief system that is at least given lip service by most of those who work on the water in some way. Rather than finding new gods to worship, instead it is a different way of viewing a number of the greater gods that ties them to the river which provides their livelihood. Nethys- Thought to be the source of the celestial river, Nethys is worshipped for his aspect as the creator. He is the patron of crafters as well as local mages and sages. Gozreh- Worshipped for the chaotic nature and rapids of the water, Gozreh is worshipped for the clash of elements he represents. Abadar and Erastil- According to the River Gods belief system, these two gods are thought to be twins, a reflection of each other from the surface of the river casting its opposite. Norgorber- Serving as a warning in the pantheon as well as the patron of more unscrupulous followers, Norgorger represents the treachery of a rivers ability to be a slow flowing stream one moment and dangerous rapids the next. Torag- The source of industry among the River Gods. Torag uses the strength of the river for his own ends, spinning mills and shapping steel and stone. Well Known History:
The dungeon near Brindenford is thought to have been originally created by a group of dwarves near the time of Thassilon. Its unknown what brought them to this area, why they built such a dungeon or what caused them to leave.
Millennia passed with the unnamed dungeon being regularly occupied and expanded as one set of inhabitants was either driven out by the next or simply vanished before the new occupants moved in. Several thousand years ago the dungeon gained its name as Metterak settled within. Known as the Prince of Dragons, Metterak is thought to be a spawn of Dahak himself. The dragon ravaged a wide area around the dungeon for centuries before suddenly going silent, its unknown if he is sleeping, has left the region or was finally slain by one of the many adventurers who hunted for him over the years. Legends persist that whatever his fate, he remains at the bottom of the dungeon. From his first appearance the dungeon has taken on his namesake, being referred to as the Dragon’s Delve. About a millennia ago a coalition of some of the most powerful spellcasters in the world known as the Mages Four set up their home within the dungeon, using it as a fortress and a laboratory. People often speak of the wondrous items that were produced from the dungeon at this time, whether found or created. Five hundred years ago, an adventuring party gathered an army of displaced Aldori, leading them to clear out the dungeon. Somehow their plans were altered and rather than clearing the area, a fortified tower was erected nearby and they began to conquer the local populace, enforcing a cruel reign. A powerful cleric of Sarenrae known as The Red Saint rose up and struck down the leader of the adventurers and squashed the army, securing the worship of the goddess in the region and leading to the local practice of her clerics being almost exclusively female. Four hundred years ago a large red dragon begins to terrorize the region. After nearly fifty years a gold dragon is spotted circling nearby and is assumed to have driven him off as he isn’t seen again. Finally, just over a century ago the lands around the Dragon’s Delve are granted to duke Chordille and his followers. Chordille Keep is erected over the site of the dungeon itself. The Duke is well liked by the locals but his reign is less than 30 years when troops from surrounding lands invade, killing the Duke and Duchess and razing the keep. No troops or ruler are left to maintain the area, leaving Brindenford and the surrounding area uncontested and referred to as ‘The Fallen Dutchy.’ Posting Conventions: Finally, I know most of us aren't used to Play-by-Post, and even those that are have them follow different standards. I thought standardizing that would help.
For RP posts it tends to be easy to follow certain patterns to make things easier to read.
*Dialogue should be bolded. *Thoughts italicized. *Any out of character commentary using the *Information for just specifc people, or the results of skill checks will be hidden in spoilers. We operate on the honor system with those. An example of the information given above. I can't embed spoilers in a spoiler, so I just put those in brackets The vampire crept slowly into the room, considering his victim. Or more accurately his victim's throat. His mind seemed to echo every pulse within calling to his hunger. Finally my thirst will be slaked... Yes, you will do nicely. Leaning over the prone victim, his voice comes out in a low almost soothing whisper "Sleep now, embrace being mine... <spoiler=Perception DC 20> You wake feeling a presence looming over you.You may act in the surprise round.</spoiler>
Hopefully that gives a fair idea of how posting should be formatted so that everyone can communicate effectively. I try and be a very responsive and flavorful DM for combat situations, taking your rolls and giving a little fluff to them to add to the dynamics of the situation. When we are on initiative count, I find it easiest to post in any order with any applicable rolls(attack and damage, even if you don't know if you hit for instance) as well as a backup plan if there is any chance of your main one getting disrupted. Ex: I strike the goblin next to me, if it is already dead then I charge the bugbear. Once the next person in initiative has posted, I will create a combat post of fluff and results for him and anyone else who has already put up their actions who goes after him. Basically, combat in play by posts already take time, so I am looking to avoid any extra holdups because the person who goes second happened to be on an hour before the guy who goes first, and now we are waiting another full day for his post. Obviously when a surprise event happens in combat I will pause to let anyone who has already posted modify their actions, but it should make normal round by round combat go faster.
Before this strange new arrival can answer, or fully catch her bearings, the mist suddenly recedes further. Drawing back to perhaps 15 feet beyond the stones, revealing you all to be standing on a near perfectly circular island. Out of nowhere, a voice speaks to you. It is faint but perfectly clear. As it speaks, the stones thrum with a strange vibration, as if they were amplifying the voice somehow. The time of the Equinox is come. My children… I am sorry. I have done what must be done. You deserve answers. I am far… too far from you. You must learn who you are. The land is yours. The people are yours. The speaker seems to be under great strain, as if speaking to you was exhausting her. This place is sacred to you. Sacred to the stars that you are. There are other places like this. From the time when people remembered. Heed me now. If any of you should fall, then bear him to the stones, and the soul will be able to enter the flesh… once again. But make haste, for flesh that is spoiled can never be made whole. There is silence again and you wonder if that is all. Then the voice speaks once more, faint as a dying echo: Know this. There is a force against you. Already it gathers, already it senses your return. Seek the sword of Starkweather John… it lies near, waiting to be claimed… when that is found, you may begin to understand, to remember. With these ominous words, the voice falls silent and with that quiet it feels that time has begun again. The mist retreats further, starting to dissipate slowly until you can vaguely see through it in a murky haze. You seem to be standing on a small island, extending perhaps 15 feet further in all directions beyond the megaliths. Other than the stones themselves there don't seem to be any signs of humans at all on the island. A small causeway of damp rocks stick up from the water to the south leading perhaps 50 feet to a barren rocky slope of mainland that extends as far as you can see in either direction through the fading mists. Knowledge Nature DC 15:
Its currently low tide, at high tide the causeway is likely completely submerged by water. Perception DC 15:
As the mist retreats, you do notice that it seems to be gathering in a handful of small clouds just above the edge of the island that swirl oddly as if upon their own air currents. Knowledge Geography DC 15:
There are a handful of places that could fit what you see of the rocky slope of the mainland, but judging from the weather and your surroundings you would guess you are off the north shore of Chillhame. Knowledge Geography Hit under a 10: From the rocky scrub slope in front of you, you would guess that you are somewhere in the Boskenlands.
As the group comes together and begins to try to understand one another and their situation, the mists continue to slowly recede, drawing back in almost a perfect circle from the stones, leaving you all standing in a cloudy ring. Out of nowhere, a voice speaks to you. It is faint but perfectly clear. As it speaks, the stones thrum with a strange vibration, as if they were amplifying the voice somehow. The time of the Equinox is come. My children… I am sorry. I have done what must be done. You deserve answers. I am far… too far from you. You must learn who you are. The land is yours. The people are yours. The speaker seems to be under great strain, as if speaking to you was exhausting her. This place is sacred to you. Sacred to the stars that you are. There are other places like this. From the time when people remembered. Heed me now. If any of you should fall, then bear him to the stones, and the soul will be able to enter the flesh… once again. But make haste, for flesh that is spoiled can never be made whole. There is silence again and you wonder if that is all. Then the voice speaks once more, faint as a dying echo: Know this. There is a force against you. Already it gathers, already it senses your return. Seek the sword of Starkweather John… it lies near, waiting to be claimed… when that is found, you may begin to understand, to remember. With these ominous words, the voice falls silent and with that quiet it feels that time has begun again. The mist retreats further, starting to dissipate slowly until you can vaguely see through it in a murky haze. You seem to be standing on a small island, extending perhaps 15 feet further in all directions beyond the megaliths. Other than the stones themselves there don't seem to be any signs of humans at all on the island. A small causeway of damp rocks stick up from the water to the south leading perhaps 50 feet to a barren rocky slope of mainland that extends as far as you can see in either direction through the fading mists. Knowledge Nature DC 15:
Its currently low tide, at high tide the causeway is likely completely submerged by water. Perception DC 15:
As the mist retreats, you do notice that it seems to be gathering in a handful of small clouds that swirl oddly as if upon their own air currents. Knowledge Geography DC 15:
There are a handful of places that could fit what you see of the rocky slope of the mainland, but judging from the weather and your surroundings you would guess you are off the north shore of Chillhame. Knowledge Geography Hit under a 10: From the rocky scrub slope in front of you, you would guess that you are somewhere in the Boskenlands.
Posting Conventions and Campaign Info:
I wanted to take a moment to put up some standards for posting, so we are all on the same page with how we post to make things as easily readable as possible, and also to give you some campaign specific information to help us as we move forward.
First, for RP posts it tends to be easy to follow certain standards. Descriptions and actions can be described through normal text. Dialogue should be bolded, thoughts italicized and any out of character commentary using the ooc tags. Information for just specifc people, or the results of skill checks will be hidden in spoilers. We operate on the honor system with those. The vampire crept slowly into the room, considering his victim. Or more accurately his victim's throat. His mind seemed to echo every pulse within calling to his hunger. Finally my thirst will be slaked... Yes, you will do nicely. Leaning over the prone victim, his voice comes out in a low almost soothing whisper Sleep now, embrace being mine... <spoiler>Perception DC 20 You wake feeling a presence looming over you.</spoiler>
Hopefully that gives a fair idea of how posting should be formatted so that everyone can communicate effectively. I try and be a very responsive and flavorful DM for combat situations, taking your rolls and giving a little fluff to them to add to the dynamics of the situation. When we are on initiative count, I find it easiest to post in any order with any applicable rolls(attack and damage, even if you don't know if you hit for instance) as well as a backup plan if there is any chance of your main one getting disrupted. Ex: I strike the goblin next to me, if it is already dead then I charge the bugbear. Once the next person in initiative has posted, I will create a combat post of fluff and results for him and anyone else who has already put up their actions who goes after him. Basically, combat in play by posts already take time, so I am looking to avoid any extra holdups because the person who goes second happened to be on an hour before the guy who goes first, and now we are waiting another full day for his post. Obviously when a surprise event happens in combat I will pause to let anyone who has already posted modify their actions, but it should make normal round by round combat go faster. For the campaign itself, I feel there are two things that are important in advance. First, I wanted to make sure that everyone was able to access the google docs. I'll likely use a spreadsheet on there to act as a battlemat for us and will put up handouts and maps there for everyone, so if someone can't get to it let me know so I can come up with a better workaround. I use roll20 for other things and it could be interesting to try and make use of for a PbP since it would give me a lot more control over things and has some nifty features, but since it requires registering(though its free) I didn't want to assume that. Just a possibility. Secondly, and more story-wise, there is a behind the scenes mechanic that will be taking place during this campaign and I wanted you to all be aware of it even if you never see the actual numbers. I will be keeping a running tally of things called 'victory points' that essentially are how well you are doing on your current large scale goals. Because this overall campaign is such a sandbox adventure, and it never really requires you to complete any specific tasks this gives me a method of keeping track of things you have accomplished and will let you feel some benefit come from tasks that in other stories might turn into questing for loot or experience. As an example: Should your over arching current goal be to defend a village against a gnoll incursion, then you may gain 1 victory point for spending time training villagers, 1 victory point for somehow securing them better equipment, 2 victory points for bringing in military reinforcements, ect. When the time for the massive battle comes, the number of victory points the group has will play a role as modifiers or alter the landscape of the battle completely. Basically, anything you guys are doing can have an effect, positive or negative, on over arching events. There will be large scale battles and story changing events, not all of which may go your way, but win or lose the war continues.
At first, it feels as if you must be dreaming. The sense of dislocation, the giddiness, the feeling of flying rapidly through space, all add to the unreality. Where are you? What were you doing a moment ago? These thoughts arise in your mind, as if you were half-awake, on the borderlands of consciousness. Perhaps you have been knocked senseless, or poisoned with some hallucinogenic drug. One thing is certain; you are in a strange place and you do not remember how you came here. What you can see before you is as clouded and vague as the contents of your mind. There seems to be nothing but mist, swirling in eddies around you, with a suggestion of huge shapes briefly glimpsed through it. The mist is cold on your face and with a start you realise that this is no dream. You are here, physically here in your body, fully dressed and carrying your equipment. There is wet grass beneath your feet. You feel no pain, so it stands to reason that you were not knocked out and dragged here. How, then, did you come to be here? Alone in the mist, you wonder why you do not feel more afraid. There is a presence here, something old and comforting, like a childhood memory. The mist begins to clear. In the faint light of a new day, you see the huge forms that you glimpsed before. They are megaliths – standing stones that tower over you, set into the form of a circle. This place is achingly familiar to you, yet you have never been here before. Through the thinning mists, you see that you are not alone. There are others here, and by the look of them, they are as surprised to find themselves here as you are.
Perception DC 10:
Off beyond the circle of stones you can hear the lapping of waves against rocks. Perception DC 15:
On the face of each of the stone megaliths, mostly obscured by moss you notice a faint carving. Closer inspection reveals it to be marking out the stars in a constellation. Knowledge(Religon or Arcana) only if you made the perception above: The megaliths are carefully aligned so that the constellation inscribed on each would match up with the stone on midsummers day. It is likely that this place has some sort of ritual importance.
Posting Conventions and Campaign Info:
I wanted to take a moment to put up some standards for posting, so we are all on the same page with how we post to make things as easily readable as possible, and also to give you some campaign specific information to help us as we move forward.
First, for RP posts it tends to be easy to follow certain standards. Descriptions and actions can be described through normal text. Dialogue should be bolded, thoughts italicized and any out of character commentary using the ooc tags. Information for just specifc people, or the results of skill checks will be hidden in spoilers. We operate on the honor system with those. The vampire crept slowly into the room, considering his victim. Or more accurately his victim's throat. His mind seemed to echo every pulse within calling to his hunger. Finally my thirst will be slaked... Yes, you will do nicely. Leaning over the prone victim, his voice comes out in a low almost soothing whisper Sleep now, embrace being mine... <spoiler>Perception DC 20 You wake feeling a presence looming over you.</spoiler>
Hopefully that gives a fair idea of how posting should be formatted so that everyone can communicate effectively. I try and be a very responsive and flavorful DM for combat situations, taking your rolls and giving a little fluff to them to add to the dynamics of the situation. When we are on initiative count, I find it easiest to post in any order with any applicable rolls(attack and damage, even if you don't know if you hit for instance) as well as a backup plan if there is any chance of your main one getting disrupted. Ex: I strike the goblin next to me, if it is already dead then I charge the bugbear. Once the next person in initiative has posted, I will create a combat post of fluff and results for him and anyone else who has already put up their actions who goes after him. Basically, combat in play by posts already take time, so I am looking to avoid any extra holdups because the person who goes second happened to be on an hour before the guy who goes first, and now we are waiting another full day for his post. Obviously when a surprise event happens in combat I will pause to let anyone who has already posted modify their actions, but it should make normal round by round combat go faster. For the campaign itself, I feel there are two things that are important in advance. First, I wanted to make sure that everyone was able to access the google docs. I'll likely use a spreadsheet on there to act as a battlemat for us and will put up handouts and maps there for everyone, so if someone can't get to it let me know so I can come up with a better workaround. I use roll20 for other things and it could be interesting to try and make use of for a PbP since it would give me a lot more control over things and has some nifty features, but since it requires registering(though its free) I didn't want to assume that. Just a possibility. Secondly, and more story-wise, there is a behind the scenes mechanic that will be taking place during this campaign and I wanted you to all be aware of it even if you never see the actual numbers. I will be keeping a running tally of things called 'victory points' that essentially are how well you are doing on your current large scale goals. Because this overall campaign is such a sandbox adventure, and it never really requires you to complete any specific tasks this gives me a method of keeping track of things you have accomplished and will let you feel some benefit come from tasks that in other stories might turn into questing for loot or experience. As an example: Should your over arching current goal be to defend a village against a gnoll incursion, then you may gain 1 victory point for spending time training villagers, 1 victory point for somehow securing them better equipment, 2 victory points for bringing in military reinforcements, ect. When the time for the massive battle comes, the number of victory points the group has will play a role as modifiers or alter the landscape of the battle completely. Basically, anything you guys are doing can have an effect, positive or negative, on over arching events. There will be large scale battles and story changing events, not all of which may go your way, but win or lose the war continues.
At first, it feels as if you must be dreaming. The sense of dislocation, the giddiness, the feeling of flying rapidly through space, all add to the unreality. Where are you? What were you doing a moment ago? These thoughts arise in your mind, as if you were half-awake, on the borderlands of consciousness. Perhaps you have been knocked senseless, or poisoned with some hallucinogenic drug. One thing is certain; you are in a strange place and you do not remember how you came here. What you can see before you is as clouded and vague as the contents of your mind. There seems to be nothing but mist, swirling in eddies around you, with a suggestion of huge shapes briefly glimpsed through it. The mist is cold on your face and with a start you realise that this is no dream. You are here, physically here in your body, fully dressed and carrying your equipment. There is wet grass beneath your feet. You feel no pain, so it stands to reason that you were not knocked out and dragged here. How, then, did you come to be here? Alone in the mist, you wonder why you do not feel more afraid. There is a presence here, something old and comforting, like a childhood memory. The mist begins to clear. In the faint light of a new day, you see the huge forms that you glimpsed before. They are megaliths – standing stones that tower over you, set into the form of a circle. This place is achingly familiar to you, yet you have never been here before. Through the thinning mists, you see that you are not alone. There are others here, and by the look of them, they are as surprised to find themselves here as you are.
Perception DC 10:
Off beyond the circle of stones you can hear the lapping of waves against rocks. Perception DC 15:
On the face of each of the stone megaliths, mostly obscured by moss you notice a faint carving. Closer inspection reveals it to be marking out the stars in a constellation. Knowledge(Religon or Arcana) only if you made the perception above: The megaliths are carefully aligned so that the constellation inscribed on each would match up with the stone on midsummers day. It is likely that this place has some sort of ritual importance.
Seeking the scions of the stars to save the world of Ashfar!(Or a books worth of text on why you should play with me.) The Drow War is a broad scope adventure path originally designed for 3.x which I will be updating to Pathfinder. It takes place in the world of Ashfar, a somewhat classic fantasy world with a slightly higher than standard power level. Events begin during a time known as the Equinox of Heroes, a time when the stars align once a millennium to decide the future of the world. This is not a battle of good versus evil, but one of control. The heroes embody the worlds ability to choose its own destiny for the next millennium while the force arrayed against them is one of tyranny and xenophobia. I am looking for five players to bring into this world, each an embodiment of a star, looking to stand against this darkness. Due to the nature of the adventure, the players don't need to be the classic paladin types to be ready to fill their role and save the world, if they fail then everyone, good or evil, would be ground beneath the heel of the enemy for generations to come. With that said and the leeway it allows, I believe that the story will be more enjoyable for a party that leans towards seeking to do the right thing, be it for altruism, justice, or more mercenary goals. All characters will be considered, but party dynamic will be considered. Something that could be important for those considering tossing their hat in the ring is that I am hoping to make this a long term adventure. The campaign technically has the ability to run from levels 1-30(it used epic rules in 3.x, though I'm aware that is effectively a lifetime via play by post speeds. If somehow we manage to get up to 20, I'm sure we can use mythic rules or pathfinder will have its own epic rules by then, or we can adapt and improvise). Clearly real life comes first and there are always things that can crop up, but because there are always so many people applying for games on here, if you have reason to believe that you wouldn't be able to continue to take part for the foreseeable future please leave the spot open for someone who can. Phew! Now if that hasn't scared you off, I plan on leaving applications open for about a week so we have time to get plenty of options. A full background is unneeded(being manifestations of the stars, the characters awaken with no memory), so instead I would appreciate a description of your character, appearance and personality. Feel free to propose a few different possible scenarios they may find themselves in and how they would react. The better a feel for your character and your style I have, the easier a time I will have in selecting those who I think will make an effective party. Please include what you intend to play(class/race/alignment). A fully created character isn't necessary to be selected, but will definitely give a jump on things if you are chosen. Character selection is going to be based primarily on style followed closely by ensuring we have a balanced party. This adventure makes use of a pretty broad selection of play styles. There is a fair share of combat, investigation and diplomacy. You will see traps and sections where stealth can save you a lot of trouble or you can run a more kick in the door style, but having a full group will be extremely useful. Character Generation:
Characters will be created using the standard pathfinder rules starting at level 1 with some specifics below-
The characters are heroes: 25 point buy for attributes Each begins with 300gp worth of equipment Each character has no memory of their life prior to awakening at the beginning of the adventure, however certain memories of the world and an innate understanding of things can surface. Feel free to put points in knowledges, they will be useful. Each character is allowed one trait. Instead of second campaign trait, they select the star they were born beneath which confers certain bonuses and can improve in time. A birthmark showing the constellation that holds that star is present somewhere on their body, between an inch to a foot in size. The player may choose where and how visible the mark is. As a part of the destiny within them, each character is granted the 'starborn' template. The majority of the benefits conferred by this will be discovered in character. However, the most important is that in the world of Ashfar there is no coming back from the dead. Raise Dead and Resurrection are spells that do not exist for the common man. The starborn are an exception to this and have the ability to be brought back through several means and also are allowed to learn these spells. Classes can be selected freely(per approval of course, but I cannot think of any class or archetype which is outright vetoed. Please stick to Paizo books though). Races are generally what you would expect in this world and can be broadly selected from. Elves were once a world spanning race now in decline, dwarves mine and forge, gnomes tinker, ect. If you have an interest in playing an unusual race I am pretty open, but please check with me to make sure it has a place in the world. Finally, I have set up a google drive folder that has some world info. This will give you the options available for your patron stars including the benefits to go with them, information on the gods of the world, and a little gazetteer of each of the countries in the world of Ashfar. I don't expect this info to be combed through, but I want it available for our players. Now that I've gone on forever, I'm going to get to bed now and I look forward to starting to see some responses. Hopefully I've managed to interest some of you!
Interrupting the conversation going on in the simple tent, the flap is drawn back and a tall man dressed in fine black armor strapped over deep crimson clothing enters. His short brown hair is combed back carefully and a neatly trimmed mustache adorns his face. He walks with an air of confidence over to the desk, his gaze quickly sizing up each of you as he does. Following the man is an older human, dressed instead in simple loose flowing clothes made for easy traveling though their quality is fine enough to imply he spent well on them. His hair is beginning to grey and he flashes a bit of a salesman's smile at the assembled people though he remains quiet, letting the first man speak. "Welcome to each of you. As you may or may not know, I am General Dakovya, charged with leading Andoran's western forces. I have called all of you here because to have the commanders beneath me tell it, each of you is truly skilled." He pauses a moment, his hand raising to his jaw as he looks over each of the assembled members again before nodding. "I can see that, and see it I shall because I am counting on you. An entire town is counting on you and that skill." Continuing along with the clear assumption that you all are in agreement, the General doesn't seem to be used to dissenting opinion. "Andoran faces a threat of a measure it has not seen since our split from Cheliax became official all those decades ago. In that time, the devilish nation has never been able to establish any sort of foothold on our lands. If we do not move swiftly that looks to change in the next days. The insidious fools have proven themselves as sneaky as their master's." "There aren't many trails through the hills which can be traversed by a force of any size nor the wagons which would allow an army to be supplied. Piren's Bluff is a small mining town which sits along one of these main trails. Being in such a strategic location naturally the town boasts a proper keep to keep the passage secure, if the Chelish were to attack they could hold their own long enough for our own force to arrive and route them. Unfortunately word from my spies tells me that the Chelish may not need attack." "The ruler of Piren's Bluff, one Baron Vendikon, has been under our attention for some time now, however he had as of yet done nothing to warrant deposing him, an act which would certainly result in bloodshed. Unfortunately it looks like this is no longer an option. A spy has delivered us a message stating that the Baron intends to hand over the city to Chelish forces in the next week. Having this town, small as it may be, would allow Chelish forces a direct path into the country behind our front lines. The danger would be enormous." He pauses then for a moment considering his next words carefully. "We are prepared to overtake the fort with the forces we have amassed, even the gathering of our troops outside are likely enough to dissuade any Chelish approach, an attack and obvious act of war is quite different than allowing for a defection after all. It is not as simple as all that, however, and this is where you come in. I know that most of the people of the town are not looking to secede, even most of the soldiers are certainly simply following their lords commands. I have no interest in a bloodbath such as would certainly come if my soldiers breached the walls and took the town by force, not to mention the danger posed by weakening the forts defenses while Chelaxian troopers are keeping an eye on it. We want this to go off with as little harm to the townsfolk as possible." "With that in mind we have come up with a plan. We need to send in our troops to ensure that Cheliax doesn't gain a foothold in Andoran at any cost. However, we can send you in advance. My friend here, Gaskar, is a civilian agent of mine and a merchant who frequents the town. If you take place as his guards no attention will be paid to your arrival. Once inside Gaskar will quickly conduct his business and depart which will be our sign to move in and lay siege to the town. Being within the walls should give you a unique opportunity to identify which of the prominent townsfolk are loyalist and which approve of the defection and, if you are truly as skilled as I have heard, to deal with the baron without unnecessary bloodshed. I pray that you are." "Should you accept such a mission I can promise you will be well paid for the task, you will take your place on my short list of skilled help, and perhaps most you will know that many of your fellow citizens owe their lives to you. Gaskar can provide you a layout of the town and its important buildings, though he's never been inside the keep proper. Also, I would tell you that we know there are a few loyalist within the town itself who have spoken to our agents, but I do not have their identities. Supposedly those my agents trust are given a sprig of mistletoe with a yellow ribbon to display to mark them as allies. These people may be able to help you, but you must be careful that their affiliation not come out or they would be in great danger." Finally he stops his long winded briefing and looks to each of you. "You would not be here being given such information if my commanders had not instilled in me a trust in you so that I hope I know your answer to all this. Are you prepared to serve your country and do what is right?"
Picture of the General to test if everyone can get to it. Interrupting the conversation going on in the simple tent, the flap is drawn back and a tall man dressed in fine black armor strapped over deep crimson clothing enters. His short brown hair is combed back carefully and a neatly trimmed mustache adorns his face. He walks with an air of confidence over to the desk, his gaze quickly sizing up each of you as he does. Following the man is an older human, dressed instead in simple loose flowing clothes made for easy traveling though their quality is fine enough to imply he spent well on them. His hair is beginning to grey and he flashes a bit of a salesman's smile at the assembled people though he remains quiet, letting the first man speak. "Welcome to each of you. As you may or may not know, I am General Dakovya, charged with leading Andoran's western forces. I have called all of you here because to have the commanders beneath me tell it, each of you is truly skilled." He pauses a moment, his hand raising to his jaw as he looks over each of the assembled members again before nodding. "I can see that, and see it I shall because I am counting on you. An entire town is counting on you and that skill." Continuing along with the clear assumption that you all are in agreement, the General doesn't seem to be used to dissenting opinion. "Andoran faces a threat of a measure it has not seen since our split from Cheliax became official all those decades ago. In that time, the devilish nation has never been able to establish any sort of foothold on our lands. If we do not move swiftly that looks to change in the next days. The insidious fools have proven themselves as sneaky as their master's." "There aren't many trails through the hills which can be traversed by a force of any size nor the wagons which would allow an army to be supplied. Piren's Bluff is a small mining town which sits along one of these main trails. Being in such a strategic location naturally the town boasts a proper keep to keep the passage secure, if the Chelish were to attack they could hold their own long enough for our own force to arrive and route them. Unfortunately word from my spies tells me that the Chelish may not need attack." "The ruler of Piren's Bluff, one Baron Vendikon, has been under our attention for some time now, however he had as of yet done nothing to warrant deposing him, an act which would certainly result in bloodshed. Unfortunately it looks like this is no longer an option. A spy has delivered us a message stating that the Baron intends to hand over the city to Chelish forces in the next week. Having this town, small as it may be, would allow Chelish forces a direct path into the country behind our front lines. The danger would be enormous." He pauses then for a moment considering his next words carefully. "We are prepared to overtake the fort with the forces we have amassed, even the gathering of our troops outside are likely enough to dissuade any Chelish approach, an attack and obvious act of war is quite different than allowing for a defection after all. It is not as simple as all that, however, and this is where you come in. I know that most of the people of the town are not looking to secede, even most of the soldiers are certainly simply following their lords commands. I have no interest in a bloodbath such as would certainly come if my soldiers breached the walls and took the town by force, not to mention the danger posed by weakening the forts defenses while Chelaxian troopers are keeping an eye on it. We want this to go off with as little harm to the townsfolk as possible." "With that in mind we have come up with a plan. We need to send in our troops to ensure that Cheliax doesn't gain a foothold in Andoran at any cost. However, we can send you in advance. My friend here, Gaskar, is a civilian agent of mine and a merchant who frequents the town. If you take place as his guards no attention will be paid to your arrival. Once inside Gaskar will quickly conduct his business and depart which will be our sign to move in and lay siege to the town. Being within the walls should give you a unique opportunity to identify which of the prominent townsfolk are loyalist and which approve of the defection and, if you are truly as skilled as I have heard, to deal with the baron without unnecessary bloodshed. I pray that you are." "Should you accept such a mission I can promise you will be well paid for the task, you will take your place on my short list of skilled help, and perhaps most you will know that many of your fellow citizens owe their lives to you. Gaskar can provide you a layout of the town and its important buildings, though he's never been inside the keep proper. Also, I would tell you that we know there are a few loyalist within the town itself who have spoken to our agents, but I do not have their identities. Supposedly those my agents trust are given a sprig of mistletoe with a yellow ribbon to display to mark them as allies. These people may be able to help you, but you must be careful that their affiliation not come out or they would be in great danger." Finally he stops his long winded briefing and looks to each of you. "You would not be here being given such information if my commanders had not instilled in me a trust in you so that I hope I know your answer to all this. Are you prepared to serve your country and do what is right?"
Here is the discussion thread for group one of the module. The group who will be posting in this thread is listed below. Iridae - Aasimar Oracle
Please post in this thread your character so that I can look over their crunch and we can begin to sort out the details. Also, feel free to post something as your character here free form since all the stats haven't been approved yet. Each of you would have been called to a gathering of Andoran soldiers(Several hundred troops) with only the information that you are to be given a special assignment. As you arrived, each of you would have been directed to command tent to await the arrival of a general who has your briefing. This is a perfect time to establish any connections between your characters and to set a precedent for your method of interaction in the actual PbP, not to mention simply introducing yourselves. For standard PbP convention, I would prefer if you used bold text for dialogue, italics for inner monologue, and spoiler tags for something that not everyone will see or understand(messages to the DM, language other than common, I'll use them for skill checks). Wordy example: Walking down the wooded road, Tarlane looks to the tavern in the distance and rubbed his chin, considering. "Its been a long time since I've been back. I wonder if they will remember me. Hopefully not." Continuing on he pushes forward the door and peers around the room in the dim light of the hearth. Seeing the bartender he gives the man a polite nod. "Greetings, old friend." It took a moment for the bartender's eyes to register who the newcomer was after all these years, but then he breaks into a broad smile, calling out in the native tongue. Elvish
Spoiler:
"Tarlane! Welcome my friend! It has been far too long! You come in a dark time..." With those last words the bartender's eyes flick over towards a dark corner of the room where a large human sits, using the shadows as cover. On his chest is a ribbon and badge of office which depicts the silhouette of a raven. Knowledge Nobility DC 15
Spoiler: The badge is a symbol of the Order of the Crow, a fanatical religious organization who are known to persecute those they see as heretics. They have slowly been spreading across the land by enforcing their will on small villages and converting those within.
Here is the discussion thread for group one of the module. The group who will be posting in this thread is listed below. Maeltheron - Elf Rogue(Sniper)
Please post in this thread your character so that I can look over their crunch and we can begin to sort out the details. Also, feel free to post something as your character here free form since all the stats haven't been approved yet. Each of you would have been called to a gathering of Andoran soldiers(Several hundred troops) with only the information that you are to be given a special assignment. As you arrived, each of you would have been directed to command tent to await the arrival of a general who has your briefing. This is a perfect time to establish any connections between your characters and to set a precedent for your method of interaction in the actual PbP, not to mention simply introducing yourselves. For standard PbP convention, I would prefer if you used bold text for dialogue, italics for inner monologue, and spoiler tags for something that not everyone will see or understand(messages to the DM, language other than common, I'll use them for skill checks). Wordy example: Walking down the wooded road, Tarlane looks to the tavern in the distance and rubbed his chin, considering. "Its been a long time since I've been back. I wonder if they will remember me. Hopefully not." Continuing on he pushes forward the door and peers around the room in the dim light of the hearth. Seeing the bartender he gives the man a polite nod. "Greetings, old friend." It took a moment for the bartender's eyes to register who the newcomer was after all these years, but then he breaks into a broad smile, calling out in the native tongue. Elvish
Spoiler:
"Tarlane! Welcome my friend! It has been far too long! You come in a dark time..." With those last words the bartender's eyes flick over towards a dark corner of the room where a large human sits, using the shadows as cover. On his chest is a ribbon and badge of office which depicts the silhouette of a raven. Knowledge Nobility DC 15
Spoiler: The badge is a symbol of the Order of the Crow, a fanatical religious organization who are known to persecute those they see as heretics. They have slowly been spreading across the land by enforcing their will on small villages and converting those within.
Alright everyone, it has been a while since I've had a chance to get a proper play-by-post going so I am looking to fire one up. With that in mind I'm going to run The Tower of the Last Baron and Chimera Cove connected modules. I'll be updating them to Pathfinder from 3.5 and while I would want to give preference to who haven't played through these before anyone who makes a good submission is welcome! What I am looking for: Spoiler:
Dedicated players who are going to post regularly. Getting in a post a day should be the norm. Most days, I am floating around online the majority of the day so I will be answering any posts quickly to keep things moving. I am looking for players who are ready to participate. Of course things happen and I am very understanding of that, whether its just life creeping up and preventing you from posting for a day or two or some sort of bigger event. However, since I am looking to run a faster paced game if you don't feel you'll be able to make a post most days this probably isn't the game for you.
Roleplayers. One of my favorite things about a play-by-post is how well it lets you get into your character. Typing things out lets you speak with your characters voice and I'm looking for people who aren't afraid to do that. Put some thought into the characters background and personality and have fun with it. I would love to see chatter between characters and I'll certainly be encouraging interaction with NPCs. I'm looking for a lot of play outside of combat so if that fits you as well, toss your hat in the ring. Finally, I'm looking for motivated and group oriented players. Beyond getting some simple direction to get you started this is largely a very sandbox storyline. Left to your own devices, it is largely left to the characters how they accomplish the mission. Kick in the door, heavy talking, or lots of skill use are all viable options and the team will need to be able to formulate and enact their own plan. This will mean needing to be able to work as a group, being willing to voice your plans and leadership from the characters. This game is going to be for those who like their story off the rails. Small background to the module: Spoiler:
The story takes place in Andoran near the border of Cheliax. Tensions between the former colony and the diabolic state remain high in the decades since the secession and the people of Andoran must remain ever vigilant that they do not fall under the sway of the house Thrune.
While the main point of contention between the two countries is closer to their northern border due to a mountain range that forms a natural barrier between them, the concern that Chelish influence among some of the mountain towns that serve as border guards and trade routes could allow them to bring in troops behind the front lines is ever present. At the beginning of this adventure, the players will take on the role of a small group of members of the Andoran military charged with investigating how much Cheliax has taken hold in the region, sorting loyal citizen from traitor and ensuring the threat is ended. Character creation and how to join: Spoiler:
To submit a character, the primary things I will want to know is the race/class of the character you are considering, and writing up a quick background for them. I'll look over any full characters that are created, but I'll be picking people primarily by the writing sample in their background and how well I think the group will fit together. Feel free to put in multiple ideas if you think they would fill different roles!
Just to make sure people have plenty of time and aren't in any sort of rush, not to mention to give a wider range of people time to see this post, I'll be allowing entries until Friday and will make my selection then. Hopefully that will give time to find people who really look like they fit together. Stats for the game: Characters start at 5th level. 25 point buy(you are picked as elite) Must have ties to the Andoran military. Coming up with ideas to connect your characters is strongly encouraged as it will give me a better idea how you work together. Two traits from different categories. You can pull from any Paizo Pathfinder source; core books and splat books, but please note what books you've used if you make use of anything outside of core. I'll be approving characters individually and reserve the right to ask for changes if I see anything which could be a problem, but don't expect much issue there. 10,500gp to start with. Please note, since I am primarily running off backgrounds and building a functioning group, the more bizarre your character design is the less likely to be picked. A catfolk samurai may be an interesting character, but there will need be an impressive back story showing why they are with the group. Similarly, an extremely focused character may be very good at what they do but since I'll be looking for a balanced group pigeonholing yourself too much can be a setback. Alright, hopefully some of you all made it through my pickiness and I look forward to seeing some entries! With luck, we will have a group of about 5 characters, though depending on the submissions I will go from 4-6.
I could have sworn I saw a staffer(James?) mention that one of the orders of Hellknights has a division which pays special attention to Ustalav. When I run CC coming up here, several of the players are intending to be involved with the Hellknights and I thought that would be a great in for them. Apparently my searching is awful though as I haven't been able to find this post again. If someone could chime in and give me an idea it would be greatly appreciated. -Tarlane
A regular feature on the gaming web-magazine 'The Escapist' is called 'Check for Traps' and is about table top gaming in general, normally d20 in specific. Its always a pretty well written feature, by a guy who has just enough credits to his name to have a feel for the development side while still really being a player. I happened to find this weeks article particularly thought provoking however, I felt the episode this week was particularly compelling and wanted to share it here, especially with all the alignment arguments that we have on these boards. Essentially he takes the two alignment axis and breaks them down using real world philosophies to allow you to ask two simple questions of yourself to determine where a character(or action) may fall. With that done, he even touches on the idea of different terms for the axis depending on a societies viewpoint, since after all an evil civilization don't believe they are 'evil'.
The town of Brindenford may be able to support three moderately sized taverns due to straddling two of the River Kingdom's main trade routes, The Queen's Road and the River Turant, as well as feeding from the wealth of explorers needing supplies to fund excursions into the famed nearby dungeon known as The Dragon's Delve, but any adventurer who makes his way to the town is directed to The Lost Shepherd. Whether searching for others to band with, talk to survivors of the dungeon(and those who claim to have ventured within), or even find an adventurer friendly merchant who has enough connections to facillitate the sale of treasures gathered by those brave enough to have entered the Dragon's Delve and returned with arms full of loot and their lives. The sign over the door of the tavern shows a shepherd with a crooked staff but no sheep. Serving food and drink from lunch until the middle of the night, the Lost Shepherd has a small stable of regular customers and a crowd of adventurers that tends to grow until either they have the numbers or the drink to decide tackling the nearby dungeon is a good idea. The main taproom of the Shepherd is large and open though even frequent repairs can't hide its age. There is a long bar along one wall with a hearth housing a crackling fire on another. Two sets of stairs rise out of the main room, one to a second story that serves as an inn, the other to a slightly raised loft with more private seating. Several doors beyond the entrance lead from the taproom, likely to storerooms. One stands open behind the bar, exposing the kitchen. On this warm spring evening about a dozen people are settled around the taproom in one form or another. The bartender is a smiling middle-aged halfling who disapears behind the bar whenever he isn't standing on a crate to chat with a customer or the waitress or really anyone who will at least pretend to listen. Through an open doorway behind the bar an ederly human works in the kitchen, moving swiftly between a wide variety of pots with suprising speed and competence. The person's form is shriveled, hunched and hirsute enough that beyond being unattractive its difficult even to determine their gender with a casual glance, though a closer look reveals her to be a matronly woman. Sitting out of the way at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the rooms above is a tall and broad shouldered man whose hair is just starting to grey. He appears quite out of place in the tavern, dressed like a peasant rather than an explorer or merchant and his build certainly indicates he is a laborer. A girl of perhaps twenty acts as a server and maid of the tavern, moving about constantly to clean any spills and ensure that everyone has anything they desire, even attentively keeping the mug of the laborer filled at all times. Below the low hum of conversation is a constant muttering from a drunken dwarf, seated at a table just inside the entrance. Beyond being barely conscious the gray bearded dwarf seems to be rather out of shape though he is dressed like a warrior in banded mail and with a greataxe strapped across his back. The final other person in the room is easy to miss if you aren't looking too closely. An old human sits on the edge of the hearth, leaning his back against the stone, the gray of his robe and hair blending with its surface. A glass of wine sits beside him, but the eyes that gaze out over the taproom are clear and intelligent.
Here is a good spot for talking OOCly during the game, to finish character creation and just for any questions you guys may have for me. Also, if each of you can send me an email to felixcosima at gmail dot com it would be much appreciated. This is simply so I can share maps, images and a spreadsheet that I'll use as a battlemap with you so it doesn't have to be an email you keep up on. The email address can be from any host to simply view the files, but I believe you need to have a gmail address to be able to edit files I give that permission to. This isn't a requirement since we can certainly get by with everyone just being able to see the files and the battlemat, but there is an advantage to people being able to edit them as well.
Welcome everyone! After my long hiatus I am looking to be settling back into some Play-by-Posts and have been doing prep work with the intention of running one. Namely, the Dragons Delve based off of dungeonaday.com. This post is going to be quite wordy, so after a brief intro to what I am looking for, I am going to hide everything behind spoilers. I figure this will keep the post from looking too spammy and will allow those who are going to give submissions to find specific parts(character creation, location info, ect) without having to skim the whole thing again. I figure I will accept character submissions for about a week to let everyone hammer out the details on their ideas whether they have the most time on the weekends or are like I am now and do this when they should be working. I’m primarily looking for a background/concept at the start. The more detailed and more fleshed out the character, the more likely they will be accepted with secondary consideration given to party balance. I’m going to flesh out a -lot- of information below about the main area the party will be in, points of interest, variations of local worship, the dungeon itself, and of course character creation since I know that even though I’m not asking for a character sheet yet, a lot of people use the stats as a baseline to design their characters personality. I’m going to put up a ton of notes, but I’m going to try and keep it all surface information that could be gathered by hanging around town a few days and talking to the locals, so feel free to read it all or skim some areas and go in depth on others based on your characters interests(a cleric might have detailed knowledge of the local religions but no idea about the blacksmith for example). Alright, so for the basics of what I’m looking for:
Spoiler:
-I’m looking 4-5 active players. Hoping to have an at least a 1 post a day commitment with notice when you won’t be able to do that so we can NPC the character.
-This has the possibility of being a AP length game, which I know is a blessing and a curse on PbP, so I’m hoping to find players who are interested in a continued story. Right now there is content to take players up to levels 13-14 and more is being added all the time, not even counting things I will be adding myself. We can keep this game going as long as there is player interest. -I’m going to be using the Pathfinder rules and the primary setting for the game will be the River Kingdoms in Golarion. -This is a megadungeon, but that doesn’t mean its just hack and slash or dungeon crawl. There will be plenty of opportunities for social RP among townsfolk, intelligent dungeon dwellers, other adventurers as well as each other. Also, not all the action has to take place in a maze of corridors: caverns, the wilderness, even other locations are all considered part of the ‘dungeon’. -Finally, I have found I really love using google-docs as a tool in PbP games, it allows me to share images, maps and documents with my players without opening them up to the rest of the world and allows both editing and roll backs of edits. I also make heavy use of the google-docs spreadsheet tool in combat and dungeon mapping, having the gridded interface lets players see the rooms layout in a tactical sense as well as receiving my description of it. What this means is that I will need an email address from each of the players(does not need to be posted on the board, I will post mine and you can just send me a message) so I can allow them access to the otherwise private documents. Any email address will allow you to have the documents shared with you, but I believe you need a gmail address to make edits yourself. This is encouraged since its nice to have players be able to position themselves on a battlemap or make notes on documents that the others can read. Character Creation
Spoiler:
We will be making 1st level characters using the Pathfinder Core Rules as well as the APG. Material from other Paizo products will be allowed in with approval, but I’m afraid Paizo eats my gaming budget so I don’t have the 3rd party books to allow materials from outside sources.
Ability scores will be done by point buy to keep everyone on even footing, but you will have 25 points(epic fantasy) to spend. Preference is given to the core races, but some of the more ‘standard’ non-core races, such as teifling, aasimar, goblinoid, ect may be considered if there is a good enough story to them. Remember though, the town nearest the dungeon is a small one in a dangerous wilderness. Those seen as ‘monsterous’ will be responded to accordingly and will have a much harder time with interaction or acceptance. Any race which is accepted that is more powerful than the core will be adjusted to be on par with them, either through the cost of one of the characters starting traits or through adjusted ability score bonuses. Any of the classes from the Core Rules or the APG are acceptable. Until its a little closer to finished, I’m not looking to play test the Magus in a long term game at this time. Skills and Feats will be done as normal, each character will also be allowed to select two traits of their choice, though remember the traits have to fall into different categories(a faith trait and a combat trait, for instance). Each character begins with 200gp to spend on equipment. I would strongly prefer not having any evil characters but your characters do not need to be particularly heroic. A mercenary party who is adventuring to find the legendary treasures of dragons delve is just as feasible to play in this campaign as the noble heroes who hope to vanquish the evils that have always seemed to find their way into the dungeon. Once I have seen people’s individual backgrounds I will give each of you 1-2 rumors your character would have heard about the dungeon that may have contributed to their desire to be here. Location
Spoiler:
The area surrounding the Dragon’s Delve is known as the Fallen Dutchy, named for the duke who was killed as it was released to its independence. It is a sparsely populated wilderness, primarily forest though with areas of rolling hill grassland that are able to hold a crop.
The only nearby city is the small town of Brindenford which only holds on in this area due to being positioned on a major trade road known as the Queens Road and just downstream where two large rivers combine, making the town’s survival strongly in the interest of the lumber consortium. This trade is supplemented by a regular influx of adventurers, purchasing supplies for excursions into the Delve and somewhat more rarely returning with treasures to sell and trade. The town itself has a population of about one thousand people, most of whom are human. While the mayor Saddanna is technically the law of the city, no one questions sherrif Mansan’s judgement and he makes many of the day to day decisions in the town and has recently taken over the gathering hall in town to serve as a barracks for a growing constabulary. Brindenford boasts three taverns to serve both the locals and the frequent travelers that pass through. The Lost Shepherd is the most famous of the inns in town as the most frequented by adventurers prepared to set out to the nearby dungeon. The Bridgeman is the fanciest inn in town, popular among merchants passing through town and anyone in town with the coin for a good meal. The Water Stone could be considered a ‘dive bar’ in the town. Its usual clientele are the local miscreants as well as the poor loggers. As well as taverns, Brindenford has several shops that are well stocked for a town its size. Fascher’s Supply is a general adventurers store, run by a would be explorer to keep those wishing to face the Delve stocked. Leaving the fixing of plows and shoeing of horses to several less skilled metal workers, Aesa’s Smithy covers the weapon and armor needs of anyone who needs a good defense. Finally, Queens Crafts is a large communal shop run by a number of craftsmen as well as their apprentices. Functioning much like a in building bazaar, nearly any sort of worked or trade good can be found here. There are a number of temples in the town, while Brindenford isn’t a deeply religious community, their rough history and dangerous surroundings has led to nearly all its citizens paying some service to various gods. Nearly everyone respects Sarenrae and her clerics, the Temple of Sarenrae is easily the largest in town. Following it is the Temple of the River gods, a multi-god shrine where worshippers have tied their own pantheon of deities to the aspects of the river that provides them much of their livelihood. Kurgess holds a small shrine in the city, the loggers respecting his strength and competitions. Finally there is a crumbled shrine to the demi-goddess Glarias who has lost worship here since the duke was killed a century before. The town itself doesn’t have a library to speak of, but it is home to a sage named Felstor who is known to be a great mind throughout the River Kingdoms and is considered to be the most knowledgeable man alive about the history of the region and the dungeon itself. Well Known History
Spoiler:
The dungeon near Brindenford is thought to have been originally created by a group of dwarves near the time of Thassilon. Its unknown what brought them to this area, why they build such a dungeon or what caused them to leave.
Millennia passed with the unnamed dungeon being regularly occupied and expanded as one set of inhabitants was either driven out by the next or simply vanished before the new occupants moved in. Several thousand years ago the dungeon gained its name as Metterak settled into the dungeon. Known as the Prince of Dragons, Metterak is thought to be a spawn of Dahak himself. The dragon ravaged a wide area around the dungeon for centuries before suddenly going silent, its unknown if he is sleeping, has left the region or was finally slain by one of the many adventurers who hunted for him over the years. Legends persist that whatever his fate, he remains at the bottom of the dungeon. From his first appearance the dungeon has taken on his namesake, being referred to as the Dragon’s Delve. About a millennia ago a coalition of some of the most powerful spellcasters in the world known as the Mages Four set up their home within the dungeon, using it as a fortress and a laboratory. People often speak of the wondrous items that were produced from the dungeon at this time, whether found or created. Five hundred years ago, an adventuring party gathered an army of displaced Aldori, leading them to clear out the dungeon. Somehow their plans were altered and rather than clearing the area, a fortified tower was erected nearby and they began to conquer the local populace, enforcing a cruel reign. A powerful cleric of Sarenrae known as The Red Saint rose up and struck down the leader of the adventurers and squashed the army, securing the worship of the goddess in the region and leading to the local practice of her clerics being almost exclusively female. Four hundred years ago a large red dragon begins to terrorize the region. After nearly fifty years a gold dragon is spotted circling nearby and is assumed to have driven him off as he isn’t seen again. Finally, just over a century ago the lands around the Dragon’s Delve are granted to duke Chordille and his followers. Chordille Keep is erected over the site of the dungeon itself. The Duke is well liked by the locals but his reign is less than 30 years when troops from surrounding lands invade, killing the Duke and Duchess and razing the keep. No troops or ruler are left to maintain the area, leaving Brindenford and the surrounding area uncontested and referred to as ‘The Fallen Dutchy.’ Gods and Traditions
Spoiler:
The local area holds belief for all the gods of Golarion but a number of gods hold specific sway in the region or are perceived in an unusual way. Lamastu has a great deal of power in the region outside of the civilization of town. A powerful cult of monstrous humanoids and deformed humans known as the bestial horde worship her and often lead attacks on travelers or the town itself. Kurgess is a minor god elsewhere in the world but his portfolio of strength and competition and freedom suit the local loggers very well. Most locals who worship him believe that he is the son of Cayden Cailen and Desna and the two greater dieties are worshiped at his shrine as well. Glarias is a minor diety who has fallen out of favor in the region since the fall of the Duke of Chordille a century before. She is thought to be a vassal of Desna and represents the moon. Sarenrae holds the largest following in the region with her primary clerics all being female though there is a small sect of men in her service known as the Brothers of Charity. The proximity of the dungeon and frequency of adventurers has colored the cleric’s views in some ways, while they give freely to the townsfolk and loggers in need, offering food and healing to those without, the church has a strict policy of using explorers ill gotten gains to fund their other charity works. Any strangers are charged fully for the church's wide variety of services. The River Gods is a popular local belief system that is at least given lip service by most of those who work on the water in some way. Rather than finding new gods to worship, instead it is a different way of viewing a number of the greater gods that ties them to the river which provides their livelihood. Nethys- Thought to be the source of the celestial river, Nethys is worshipped for his aspect as the creator. He is the patron of crafters as well as local mages and sages. Gozreh- Worshipped for the chaotic nature and rapids of the water, Gozreh is worshipped for the clash of elements he represents. Abadar and Erastil- According to the River Gods belief system, these two gods are thought to be twins, a reflection of each other from the surface of the river casting its opposite. Norgorber- Serving as a warning in the pantheon as well as the patron of more unscrupulous followers, Norgorger represents the treachery of a rivers ability to be a slow flowing stream one moment and dangerous rapids the next. Torag- The source of industry among the River Gods. Torag uses the strength of the river for his own ends, spinning mills and shapping steel and stone. Players Intro to the Dungeon
Spoiler:
Maybe you first heard the name in a tavern well after closing time, as two old adventurers, well past their prime, spoke of it in hushed tones. Maybe it was from your own mother, who swore she'd send you there when you misbehaved. Perhaps you read the name in an ancient tome of history and lore illuminated by flickering candlelight late at night as the wind howled outside. Wherever you first heard of the place, you have long heard tales of Dragon's Delve.
A vast underground dungeon of labyrinths and catacombs, built perhaps by dwarves or perhaps by wizards--or maybe even dragons--Dragon's Delve is infamous among treasure-hunters and monster-slayers. Filled with deadly danger and ancient treasures, the dungeon offers both risk and reward in equal amounts, each growing more intense the deeper one goes. How much peril is worth risking for how much return? It's all up to those brave enough to try. The tales of Dragon's Delve teem with contradictions and unbelievable anecdotes of impossible encounters and bizarre monstrosities. And yet, some of it all must be true. Do demonic cultists really use Dragon's Delve as a secret base? Is there truly some kind of ambient magic seeping up through the place? Did wizards of old hoard away powerful artifacts in the dungeon's vaults? Do gateways to remote lands and even other planes of existence really lie somewhere in Dragon's Delve? Does the prince of all dragonkind really hold court in the deepest reaches of the subterranean stronghold? No one knows for certain, but those that could find the answers to even some of these questions, or learn even a few of the dungeon's other secrets, might earn for themselves notoriety and wealth beyond imagining. If they survive. Dragon's Delve lies in a remote corner of Mivon in the River Kingdoms, that people once called the Duchy of Chordille. Yet a hundred years ago or so, the folk of the surrounding lands took up arms against Chordille. They razed the keep and slew the duke. It's hard now to find someone who knows the real reason why this happened. A few speak of evil intent on the part of the duke, who had plans for conquest. Others, however, say that the duke's actions were always benevolent, and that the conflict arose from misunderstanding, or perhaps deception on the part of some mysterious third party. All that is known for certain is that folks call that remote area the Fallen Duchy. It boasts no ruler and little population. Wilderness reclaimed Chordille, and it is now a land of dangers. People in Brindenford, a small town just two miles to the north of Dragon’s Delve, claim that murderous humanoid creatures prowl those ruins. Goblins? Orcs? Worse? No one seems to know for sure, and eyewitness accounts are few, and always contradictory. They also claim that the place is both haunted and cursed. So many questions. So many secrets. If you dare to brave this ancient dungeon, go well equipped. Be ready for anything. Keep your eyes open, and search everywhere. Any passage or door you find could lead to wealth enough for you to retire. Or it could lead to certain doom. But that's what being an adventurer is all about, right? This isn't an undertaking that you'll finish in one foray or even a dozen. This is the challenge of a lifetime. As someone thrilled at the prospect of exploring the unknown, incredible challenges, and the promise of gold and magic, Dragon's Delve is exactly where you've always wanted to go. This last bit doesn’t involve information the PCs may have access to or how their characters are created. However, early on in the life of the site, Monte Cook(the creator of dungeonaday) put up a post talking about how he looks at the design of megadungeons and the assumptions that you can normally(but not always) make regarding what to expect. Its an interesting read and I thought I would put it up for any players who are on the fence about whether a dungeon like this is for them. I scrubbed out a few spoilerish things, but there are still some great hypothetical examples. Tenets of Dungeon Design
Spoiler: Whether you're playing out of the little white box, the Basic Set, 1st Edition, 2nd Edition, 3rd Edition (or 3.5), Pathfinder, or 4th edition, dungeons come into the game. But dungeons mean different things to different people. At Dungeonaday.com, I plan on taking a rather old school approach--but even the meaning of that term varies depending on who you ask. So, I thought it valuable to share the assumptions I'm making as I design the dungeon.
These, then, are my Ten Tenets of Dungeon Design. 1. Things get more dangerous as you go deeper. This is perhaps the keystone of old school dungeon design. As you get farther from civilization and into the wilderness, the more dangerous things get. So then, it just makes sense that the farther you get from the surface, the deadlier and stranger things get. In both cases, the farther you travel from the known to the unknown, the greater risk you take.
2. Treasure and other rewards are based on challenges overcome, not PC level. Again, 3rd Edition created a gauge to determine appropriate wealth for PCs of a given level. But if the challenge determines the rewards (either based on how hard it was to get to the treasure, or the guardians that must be defeated to obtain it), then this should take care of itself. It does mean that skillful--or perhaps lucky--player characters will be able to get more treasure than average ones, but that's a good thing, if you ask me. Let's look at points 1 and 2 together for a moment. Basically, the assumption here is that players will need to manage risk versus reward. In a standard campaign, the DM controls the level of challenge for the players. But in a dungeon like this, the players can choose to seek encounters that might be too challenging for them in order to get bigger rewards, or stay and face easy challenges for low rewards. This is sometimes referred to as a "sandbox dungeon," because the DM just presents a sandbox in which the PCs to do whatever they want, and go wherever they want. 3. There's a happy medium that embraces both realism and fun. When discussing dungeons with people, you hear all kinds of things:
Somewhere between the people who want realism (or at least, believability) and those who want wa-hoo fun, there is a broad middle ground where most people can find something to enjoy. That means neither a careful and detailed study of the dungeon's ecological balance nor a 30 foot long dragon in a 20-foot by 20-foot room with no way for it to exit. The dungeon's got to avoid obvious, glaring challenges to a player's suspension of disbelief while not bogging the text down in details that no one will pay any attention to anyway. 4. The dungeon is dynamic and huge--there's no clearing out the dungeon. This gets to the heart of the difference between what I call a megadungeon and a regular dungeon. (Some might call the former a dungeon and the latter a lair.) The point here is that regular dungeons are small--5, 10, even 30 rooms--and megadungeons are vast, with hundreds of rooms. The megadungeon is an environment, not just a locale. In many ways, it's like many joined dungeons, connected lairs, and so on. Kill a monster and another might wander in and take its place. The dungeon detailed here--called Dragon's Delve--is a megadungeon. There's another point to be made here: the megadungeon may be more than just an underground complex. The megadungeon adventure might include a side trip to a wilderness locale, a gate to another plane, a teleporter to a mystical forest far away, and so on. It's all a part of the megadungeon, even when it's not entirely underground. 5. The player characters are not the first adventurers to explore this place, and they won't be the last. As they explore, your PCs will find the remains of previous adventurers. They will hear about other parties coming to the dungeon to test their own mettle. They may even encounter them while delving into the depths themselves. This contributes to the dynamism of the dungeon environment. 6. Although there are many entrances, and many ways to get from level to level, this dungeon is being presented so that the PCs are unlikely to get ahead of the design. This doesn't mean things are linear (because linear dungeons are bad dungeons). It just means that sometimes access to certain areas will be temporarily blocked. For example, a secret door may pass from one level to the next but be hidden in a way that makes it much more difficult to find on the higher floor. 7. The rules exist to facilitate the dungeon, not the other way around. Basically, what this means is, if I have a cool idea for an encounter and present it in a way that forces me to bend the rules, I'll do it. If a monster needs an extra feat in order to fulfill its role, I'll just give it the feat. I know that the rules were designed the way they were for good reasons. (I mean, c'mon. Consider my design credits.) One of those reasons, of course, is consistency. So I'm not going to throw the rulebook out. But I also know that the rules can't be expected to work in every situation. Rather than resign myself to accepting the occasional Encounter Level based on the formula that doesn't feel quite right, the value of a treasure that seems inappropriate to the specific situation, or the monster whose stats don't allow him to do what he needs to do in a given encounter, I'm going to change them. The key here is that the design needs to fit the specific situation, and the rules were written with general situations in mind. In this dungeon, DCs will fit the situation, even if they don't match the book 100% every time. Encounters will be designed to work the way they need to work for the most fun for all. This is why an actual human being serves as a game designer (or a DM) rather than a computer. 8. Magic gets stronger the deeper you go. This is related to point #1, but it's worth mentioning again. The farther you get from the surface, the more mysterious and strange things become. This means that magical tricks and traps get more powerful, encounter areas get weirder and wilder, ancient treasures are better preserved, and sorcerous and otherworldly creatures are more at home. Basically, the deeper you go, the less the place seems like the undercroft of some quasi-medieval keep and more like a unique, subterranean fantasy environment all its own. And the best part? This doesn't just fit with dungeon design philosophy, but also with the backstory behind Dragon's Delve. There's a reason why there are weird and challenging magical phenomena in the dungeon, and why they occur in greater numbers the farther down you delve. 9. Food is fairly abundant in the dungeon. If you don't mind the taste of rat. The point here is that the dungeon's full of life--rats, bats, insects, and so on. Just because it's not given stats and isn't a threat to the PCs doesn't mean it's not there. And so all the carnivores in the dungeon have enough to get by. Not that they wouldn't mind a tasty treat in the form of an adventurer or two. 10. Every level or sublevel has its own unique character. This is another old school trope and, I must admit, one that I love. The level's character might be expressed in similar inhabitants, a related purpose for the chambers, or a theme of some kind. The prison level. The submerged level. The demon lord's level.
Some months ago I had to drop off the face of the planet and out of several PbPs that I was either in or running with little more than a couple poses saying that I was having some medical issues and I didn't know just how long I would be gone. Well, instead of trying to track down any of the PbPs that are still up and running I wanted to put up a post that it looks like I am back for the long term as things are figured out and its not going to result in me being so overly medicated as I was when they were trying to sort out just what was the matter with me. Essentially, this post was my way to say that I greatly enjoyed all the PbPs that I was part of and wanted to thank each of the DMs and Players involved. I realize that it has been long enough that those games have either moved well beyond my character or have faded out(with the possibility of my amazingly patient CotCT group maybe still being about), but I still had a lot of fun with each of you and I hope to play again with all of you. At the moment I'm going to have a -whole- lot of free time. Like nothing but free-time, so I'm probably going to be looking into setting up another game or two to get started either as a player or as a DM. Once I've sorted out the details on these games any of you I have played with before should have a pretty open invitation into any game I am going to run since I know all of you are great players(barring all of you wanting in one game and it getting too full). In any case, now that I'm done rambling, let me just say its good to be back with the community and hopefully I'll get immersed back with everyone again soon. Thanks, -Tarlane
There is a current Dungeon-a-Day game running and unfortunately we lost our DM over the holidays. We have a great group that has decided to stick together and I am going to take over running the game. This means that we could really use someone to take over my spot in the lineup. Currently, we have an oracle(of battle), a ranger, a paladin, a rogue(who looks like he is going to go some wizard), and a fighter. You'll be replacing my character who was an illusionist, but you are welcome to make any character who fits in well with the group. Characters are still first level and hasn't made it that far into the dungeon yet, but there is a fun dynamic among them already and we are looking for someone who will join into that. I'll be selecting whoever seems to propose the character that will best mesh with the rest of the party and who just sounds like they will be the most fun to have in the team to fill the role. Thanks -Tarlane
On the fourth day of Neth, the winterwinds are just starting to blow, but the morning has started out warm with the sun shining down upon the town of Kassen. Its the perfect day for a walk or, for the party, to start an adventure. Each of you has been informed to come to town square at noon and to be ready to travel light, carrying what you absolutely need; weapons, armor, spellbooks and the like. Rations and other generic equipment will be provided to each of you before you set out. As each of you arrive in town square, it is empty except for the other members of the group. Then the bells atop the Temple of Erastil toll their midday song, echoing throughout the quiet town of Kassen. As the peals begin to fade, the first of the townsfolk make their way into the square, dressed in black, as if attending a funeral. They slowly fill the square, moving quietly across the cold, hard ground, their eyes downcast and mournful. After a few moments, a murmur passes through the crowd as it slowly parts to let Mayor Uptal through. He leads the way with a tarnished silver lantern. Behind him, an old pony drags a cart laden with backpacks and supplies. Once he reaches the center of the crowd, Mayor Uptal stops and calls out to the assembled townsfolk. “Once again the winter winds blow through the Fangwood, marking the end
When the party steps forward, he presents each of you with one of the backpacks, filled with supplies, then continues to speak this time towards the rest of the townsfolk. “I present to you the brave heroes who will follow in Kassen’s footsteps to retrieve the Everflame! Some of them may not return, but I say to you that their sacrifice shall not be forgotten. Go, brave heroes, and do not return until you have the eternal fire.” With that, the mayor points to the south, the direction of Kassen’s tomb. The townsfolk begin waving goodbye with cold, solemn looks on most of their faces, though some of the younger children are unable to maintain the appearance of this solemn cerimony. The funeral like send-off is a tradition, thus the party is thrown the night before to allow the celebration to be vented early. With the speech given and the somber crowd watching, the mayor then turns to look at the group once more. "Which of you will have the have the honor of bearing the latern and will be tasked with bringing the fire back to Kassen?" The contents of the backpacks are listed below: Beilin
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5 days rations 1 small tent 1 winter blanket 1 full waterskin 1 torn piece of map 50 feet of hempen rope Bandar
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5 days rations 1 small tent 1 winter blanket 1 full waterskin 1 torn piece of map 1 box of tinder with three tindertwigs Drosk
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5 days rations 1 small tent 1 winter blanket 1 full waterskin 1 torn piece of map 1 labeled potion of cure light wounds Manduzi
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Naria
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5 days rations 1 small tent 1 winter blanket 1 full waterskin 1 torn piece of map 1 small bottle of local brandy Thindar
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Velios
Spoiler: 5 days rations 1 small tent 1 winter blanket 1 full waterskin 1 torn piece of map 1 labled vial of antitoxin
Kassen village is a small town set on the banks of the Tourondel River in the country of Nirmathas. The town is quiet and peaceful, having domesticated this small area of Fangwood generations ago and no the most common threat is occasional orc scouting parties from Belkzen or drunken skirmishes among the local woodcutters. Currently there is a hushed sense of excitement among the town-folk, the lighting ceremony is set to take place in a day and this one promises to be special as rather then the mayor and his council taking the flame to the crypt of Kassen, it is being left to several of the town's younger members as a coming of age ceremony, a honor that is only done twice a decade. For now, these young heroes to be are being feasted in the Seven Silvers in, the primary stopover in town for most travelers. Trelvar and his daughter Asina are serving as host and hostess, while the taprooms waiter Jimes moves from table to table ensuring that all the citizenry are well fed and that his pockets are nicely lined. Most other townsfolk are here tonight as well, whether for the purpose of socializing or simply for the free drinks and finding themselves a corner and a pint. The inn is packed full to overflowing with patrons.
Hello everyone, I'm looking to start a play by post for the Crypt of the Everflame module, though if things go well and people are interested I am more then willing to run the two modules set to come after it and even continue with my own story beyond that. The module will start at first level with the characters being considered relatively young and inexperienced as the introduction will be something of the classic 'passage into adulthood' plotline. I've put together a text document that combines most of the information out of the campaign setting along with further information on the town where you start. I'll have a link up to this information at the bottom of this post. I'm looking to have five players for this, though if I get good applications I am willing to have that be six players instead. I am planning on selecting these players by character submission rather than first come first serve however, with an emphasis on an interesting and enjoyable character who will work well with the team and secondary consideration for party balance. My current hope is to start the adventure next week, depending on how much interest I see by players and how quickly characters come together. I will likely cut off applications at the beginning of next week so we can have a few days of discussion to let the characters get to know each other before we move into the actual plot. My next post will have information on actual character building in it, but I wanted to get this up here to let people begin to brew up some ideas on just what they may like to play and to see what sort of interest there is. If you have any questions, feel free to either post here or send me an email at felixcosima at gmail dot com. Here is the link to the document describing the region. If you have any trouble viewing the above document, I also have it in word format and can email it to you if that will make it easier. If you have any further questions about details of town such as prominent figures or those who hold specific professions(I kept those aspects somewhat vague as the document was already quite long enough), feel free to ask. I'm quite happy to work with you in order to flesh out your backgrounds and make your characters fit better in the world. Thanks, -Tarlane
Fortune
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Having just recently returned to Korvosa with the intention of righting the most grievous of your childhood wrongs and feeling confident that Desna herself encourages your quest, it is easy to build a great deal of hope. It is also easy to feel it dwindle, however.
After a week spent within the city looking for leads that could guide you to Gaedren, nothing has yet panned out. The guard, while clearly aware of him, don't keep tabs on him as he is a small fish in the overall scheme of the city. The populace simply seems to know enough to stay away from him, and not much more. But even as despair begins to set in that perhaps your mission isn't so blessed after all, a child brushes past you in the street and then quickly darts down an alley. Certain it was a pickpocket, you turn to follow, but cannot find the child again. When you check yourself over to ensure that nothing was stolen, you find a small Harrow card tucked into your belt. The face of the card is an image of a unicorn. On the reverse, is written: I know what Gaedren has done to you. He has wronged me as
Shadowleaf
Spoiler: Traveling into human cities is always a culture shock from your time among elves or living in the wilds, and Korvosa much more so then most. The city itself is awash in humanity, bustling with those from all walks of life.
You find few suspicious glances here, Korvosans live as if they have seen it all, throwing as much prejudices towards each other as they do elves, though you do get the occasional wink from a noblewoman passing by. A quick inquiry is enough to give you the hint that elves seem to have a reputation for romance in this town. You had hoped to find what you sought here, but it soon becomes clear that in this mass of people such a feat may be impossible, there are simply too many men here to find one, especially when you don't know exactly what you are searching for, even knowing that one could really be anywhere in Varisia. Just as you begin to give up hope and move to search in easier grounds, you are brushed past by a child on the street who quickly sprints behind some boxes. Sure it is a pickpocket you give chase, but turning the same corner you find nothing. Giving yourself a quick patdown to ensure nothing is lost, you find a harrow card tucked into your belt. It has an image of a juggler on the face, with some text on the back. The crime lord Gaedren took long ago what you now seek. He has wronged me as well. I know where he dwells, yet cannot strike at him. Come to my home at 3 Lancet Street at sunset. Another like you will be there. Gaedren must face his fate, and justice must be done.
Thomas
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Its early evening in fall, a miserable rainy day in Seattle. The sort of drizzle that steams from the ground as quick as it lands in a noxious cloud that leaves folks with coughing fits and makes the streets strangely clean after the dirt and oil has burned away from the concrete. Your night has begun as most do, taking up your trustee stool at the Mission Bar, with your good friends Twiggy and Synthahol.
Over even the sharp scent of your drink, you catch the pungent odor of an unwashed body. Raising your eyes away from the glass you catch a glimpse of what must be a squatter on the stool next to you and when he notices you looking he grins at you with yellowed teeth. Your first instinct is to turn away and perhaps even change stools, but after a split second you realize that you have seen this man before, and it quickly clicks that he is a well known fixer around town named Roach. Of course you have never seen him this close before, and your nose certainly hopes you never will have to again. The man's smile broadens as he sees the disgust and then recognition in your face, and at the same time you hear a small chime from your earbud and your glasses pop up an ARO indicating an incoming comm message. The man has no obvious commlink or cyberware, but there must be something there. "Hoi, chum. Least you are an easy man to track down. Word on the street is that you are looking for some cred, and word on the street ain't often wrong. Good news, chum. I've got a Johnson who wants to speak with you about a gig. He's heard of you. Asked for you personally, who am I to say no? Meet him at the Big Rhino tomorrow at 7pm sharp. He'll lay it down for you." Winston
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Its early evening in fall, a miserable rainy day in Seattle. The sort of drizzle that steams from the ground as quick as it lands in a noxious cloud that leaves folks with coughing fits and makes the streets strangely clean after the dirt and oil has burned away from the concrete.
When the acidic rain kicks up into a true downpour, you duck under and awning of a rundown apartment complex to try and keep from having the spray ruin too much of your gear. After a moment of waiting a human dressed and certainly smelling like a squatter slips under the shelter as well, looking as if he were going to make his way inside, likely to an abandoned apartment. But he pauses in his step beside you, drawing off his hood, leaning back against the wall across from you and giving a yellowed grin. As his face is revealed you realize you know the human(though they all do look alike), he set up some of your early runs for you though it has been years since you last worked together. He looks much the same as you remember him, though its possible his stench may be even worse. As the recognition dawns on you, a small ARO blinks in the corner of your field of vision, indicating an incoming comm message. "Hoi, chum. Been a long time, eh? You big timers don't need my services much I suppose, nor do retirees for that matter. But a real runner can't stay out of the game for too long. I hear you've been itching to come back, and you know how big my ears are. Got a beauty run for you, right up your alley. Johnson has a group of kids who are in on it. They could handle it as its a simple in an out job and they have skills, but my cred is dependent on a job well done, you know? Don't need some noobs who need to be changed if a klaxon goes off fragging things up. So thats where you come in. Meet the Johnson at the Big Rhino tomorrow at 7pm sharp. You get some cred for babysitting, I get a job well done, word is on the street that you are back in the game and still have it. All are winners, chum." Rick
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Its early evening in fall, a miserable rainy day in Seattle. The sort of drizzle that steams from the ground as quick as it lands in a noxious cloud that leaves folks with coughing fits and makes the streets strangely clean after the dirt and oil has burned away from the concrete.
Cooling your heels and staying out of the acidic spray outside, you are settled on a stool in your favorite dive bar. A quiet place and far from fancy in appearance, but they serve a surprisingly impressive selection genuine drinks rather then the synthahol stuff you would get elsewhere. Of course that also means its a bit pricey, but some habits are worth the cost. As if in tune with your thoughts of the high cost of living and the way that seems to be dwindling your pocket book with PI work so few and far between, a man who must obviously be a squatter from the rags he is wrapped in enters the room. His clothes let off a mist from the rain still clinging to them. He glances to the bartender for a moment as if sending him a comm message, though he doesn't have any obvious comm system or cyberware, and then pulls away his hood as he approaches the bar. You recognize his face pretty immediately, as back in your lone star days there was often a case against him. Always dropped, normally due to lack of evidence or lack of complaint and often both. Seems while its well known that he has his fingers in a lot of pies, he rarely messed with the corps that paid the department's bills and the gangs he did compete with were often either paid off or preferred to try and work out 'compensation' on their own. Really it was impressive he had lasted so long in the city, no less built up as big a rep as he has. He moves up and slides onto the stool next to you, flashing a yellowed grin even as the bartender sets a bottle of aged whiskey between you along with two glasses. Its unclear which is supposed to be the aspect that is impressive, the price-tag on the drink or the fact that he apparently knows your preference in booze. After just a moment you hear the 'ping' of a comm message in your head as he subvocalizes to you. "Hoi, chum. Word on the street is that you are looking for cred. Been thinking about getting in the game. Well this is your moment. Got a meet. An opportunity which could use a man like yourself. Will get you some real cred, rather then the nickle and dime stuff you make snapping some trid of some third rate starlet cheating. Get your name out there too, so you can keep bringing in the nuyen. Show me what you can do and I bet we can find even more work together." He raises his hand before you can respond, an odd gesture for any onlookers when everything said is in your head. "I know your thing for not getting yourself dirty. Don't worry, this may not be a white knight kind of gig, but you ain't knocking over a grandma either. Meet the Johnson at the Big Rhino tomorrow at 7pm, and I'm sure you'll warm to the idea." Neon
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Its early evening in fall, a miserable rainy day in Seattle. The sort of drizzle that steams from the ground as quick as it lands in a noxious cloud that leaves folks with coughing fits and makes the streets strangely clean after the dirt and oil has burned away from the concrete.
To stay out of the acidic splash falling from the heavens, you've ducked into a stoop for a run-down apartment complex, trying to wait out the shower so that your gear doesn't take too much damage from it. Besides, the complex has a rather pleasant hum to it. The voices and noise may always still be there, but at least in many ways you are learning to control it and sometimes it truly even works for you. Hoping the storm will die down soon, it seems another has a similar idea, a human squatter dressed in rags and with a foul smell about him that is even worse then the stink of the water on the ground. He shakes off some of the mist that is still rising up from his clothes, and pulls back his hood with a yellowed grin. As you get a good glimpse of his face, you realize you recognize the man, or at least have seen him do some dealings with the Hacker Boyz before, sometimes on good terms, sometimes on bad, but all in all they seem somewhat neutral to him. He's known for being able to broker just about any deal that someone in the barrens could need. He chuckles slightly, beginning to speak as he sees the recognition on your face. "Hoi, chum. Now there is the boy with the gift. Been keeping my ear to the street about you, and what I've been hearing is that you are ready. Ready to get out of this stinkhole and show what you've got in that head of yours." He reaches up with a grubby finger, motioning towards your head as if to emphasize the point. "I've got a job that I think you are up for handling, been hand picking some special recruits myself today and I think you are one of them. Looking at you now, I'd even say I know it. But you've got to be up for it. Can't go letting me down now, can you? Would be bad for your rep I'd imagine... In any case, what I need from you is to bring that brain of yours to the Big Rhino tomorrow at 7pm sharp. There is a man there by the name of Johnson. He'll be waiting for you with the details. You prove yourself in this and you'll be living large in no time." Dewn
Spoiler: Its early evening in fall, a miserable rainy day in Seattle. The sort of drizzle that steams from the ground as quick as it lands in a noxious cloud that leaves folks with coughing fits and makes the streets strangely clean after the dirt and oil has burned away from the concrete. You are at home trying to stay out of the miserable weather when your telecom beeps an incoming message. On the screen is a human who looks like he could be a squatter, giving a yellowed grin. Its very nearly a cause to hangup, however you realize that you recognize the man, he's somewhat infamous for being connected in the slums of the area having his fingers in a great many of the local dealings. "Hoi, chum. I'm contacting you with a special proposition. I have a job which needs to be done, and it has the potential to require your special skills. This mission should be a cakewalk for the rest of the team, but I am looking to add a bit firepower and someone who knows how to alter the landscape if need be to clear a path. You can expect to be well compensated for your time, and if you prove yourself in this then you can expect more work from me in the future. A man named 'Johnson' has the details, you can meet him in the Big Rhino tomorrow night at 7pm sharp. I trust you'll be there."
I'm trying to find out if there would be much interest on the boards to have a Shadowrun 4e game run here on the boards. I've been a pretty longtime fan of Shadowrun(novels, SNES and Genesis games, lots of 2nd and 3rd edition play), but moved to a new gaming group that was pretty much fully D&D focused around the time that the newest edition of Shadowrun came out. It means that I've only done a handful of Shadowrun 4e games, but know the ruleset pretty well and have a very good knowledge of the world. Basically, I've been craving Shadowrun more and more recently, and have finally come to the conclusion that a PbP might be the way to go. I know the boards here have a lot of great players on them, but I don't know how many of you are Shadowrun fans. Ideally I'd like to get together a team of 4-6 runners together for a campaign set primarily in Seattle, though its very likely that you will do some globetrotting in the course of your jobs. As said above, this is basically just a feeler post to see what interest there is. If people show that they would like to join in then I'll make sure to put up more details on campaign standards and what I'm looking for, though I'm pretty broad minded about the layout of the team. If any of you are new to the shadowrun universe(or know it but have never played 4e) there is a quick start rules book on the books website Linked to here. I'm more then willing to help new players to the game. Thanks, -Tarlane
Knowledge History DC 25
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Legends speak that when the dwarves first came from beneath the ground a star fell from the sky to the earth. Groups of dwarves from all over the world built a great city above where it fell, this town was known as stoneseek.
The dwarves found something in this city that brought them into revolt against their queen, causing a rebellion that killed most of those in the city, those few who survived fled and never would speak of what caused this. Knowledge History DC 20
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Seven hundred years ago, the self-proclaimed Prince of Dragons Metterak claimed the dungeon city known as stoneseek. Deep within he made his lair known as the court where he claims to rule over all of dragonkind. None have heard of him in many years and it is unknown if he still lives or dwells in the dungeon, but with his arrival stoneseek gained its modern name Dragon's Delve. Knowledge History DC 18
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About half a millenium ago 4 powerful wizards came to Dragon's Delve. They claimed and reshaped much of the dungeon, living within for many years. Eventually they sealed up the dungeon and the place faded into lore and legends. Knowledge History DC 15
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A little over 100 years ago, Duke Bryson Chordille claimed the land on a hill a couple miles from the small town of Brindenford. As his keep was under construction, workers carving out the cellars found their way into a vast labyrinth. The duke forbade them to go farther and attempted to seal the place back up, but such things wer forgotten as war came to his duchy. The duke was slain and the keep razed a little more then 100 years ago. Some claim that some ancient curse or power unearthed below brought about the dukes end. The trip from Brindenford to the Dragon's Delve is a smooth and easy walk over lightly rolling hills. The first mile or so of the trip is well tended farm land with small houses nestled on the side of the road here and there and the occasional family out rotating crops to prepare for the burgeoning spring. As the last farm is left behind the road becomes much more of just a trail, obviously rarely used but easy to follow as it winds along the grassy slopes. At just over the second mile of the journey, a hill is crested that gives a view of your destination. Amid the endless grassy hills surrounding the area is a single stone strewn tor, its top overgrown with brown grass and brush, but peeking through is what must have once been a fair sized castle that has been completely razed to the ground some time in the past. Still, where the fires once spread the grass doesn't grow well and where it sprouts it looks to die quickly, as if the melted and wood had poisoned the ground somehow. There are no intact structures in this ruin, only vine-grasped piles of stones, overgrown outlines of foundations, and the furtive hint of walls and arches. The entrance to the dungeon itself is little more then a twenty-foot wide pit with an exposed stone stair that descends into darkness out of the range of the sunlight. Unlike most of the surrounding area, the entrance is well cleared, and even basic scouting around shows the remnants of several cooking fires and signs that previous camps have been set up near this pit.
The Lost Shepard The sign over the front door shows a shepherd with a crooked staff but no sheep. From noon until midnight (and sometimes after), the Lost Shepherd is open as an eatery and taphouse. Never burgeoning with customers, the place is never empty, either. Good smells waft from the kitchen, from lamb stew to fresh baked bread, frying bacon to sage-and-thyme roasted vegetables. The building’s great age cannot be concealed by the frequent repairs, and so the interior is drafty and dusty, but fires in multiple fireplaces keep the place warm. The taproom is large and comfortable, with a high-placed loft above the door offering additional seating. Beyond the taproom lies the kitchen, a pantry, and a small office. The second and third floors offer rooms for rent, about half of which seem occupied at any given time. During business hours there are two cooks on hand, a middle aged halfling with slicked back black hair that is just begining to grey and who sports a gold tooth, who most often is out in the main chatting amicably with one customer or another and an elderly human woman, unattractive enough that it takes a bit of squinting even to determine her gender, who only seems to come out of the kitchen when she is trying to call the halfling back to aid her with something. A single young human girl waits the tables, she's young and just on the pretty side of plain. The girl appears friendly enough, though she is often so busy as not to spend much time chatting with any one customer. Beyond the staff there are few other customers in the tavern most nights as the majority of the townsfolk prefer to leave it to adventurers who tend to come in fresh from a journey with coin in their pockets, or well funded in preparation for an excursion then blow their coin quickly and depart, leaving the shepard profitable but usually only busy a few nights a month. The only regulars seem to be an elderly dwarf who sits across from the door and is there so often that he could be employed as a bouncer were he still a bit more spry. Often talking to the halfling cook and obviously regailing him with some story or another, its all but unheard of to see the dwarf un-intoxicated. The sole other patron is a human man who is just moving past middle age, with his greying hair well kept and his clothes of the finest qualities. He smiles warmly to anyone who enters the tavern, watching them with obvious interest but otherwise keeping to himself. Rates at the Lost Shepard are fair: A room above the tavern costs 5sp per night, including two beds. The rooms are clean and well kept. For an additional 5sp per night, a simple padlock may be rented to place on the door. Meals in the taproom are hot, generous, and tasty, with surprising variety. Meals are 5sp as well, but for 3sp one can buy something lighter, simpler, and cold. Ale is plentiful but nothing special at 4cp per mug. The bar also offers wine by the pitcher for 2sp or excellent whiskey at 1sp per glass.
I'm looking to begin a new play-by-post using the Pathfinder Beta rules. The adventure, is going to be the exploration of "Dragon's Delve", the megadungeon being constantly added to on dungeonaday.com. This adventure is a dungeon-crawl in the classic sense of the word, meaning that rather then an over-arching purpose of saving the world or some other altruistic goal the characters should likely come into this with the idea of seeking fame, fortune, simply exploring, or some combination of these. Because a lot of this adventure is going to be exploring the depths of this famous dungeon, there is certainly a hack-n-slash feel to the story, though there is a great deal of puzzle solving elements as well and with a town that can quickly come to feel like home due to it being a home base of sorts and many NPCs, both friendly and unfriendly, willing to talk there are a lot of great opportunities for some good RP as well. If you feel interested in this adventure, I would ask you to read the two links below, written by the designer of the dungeon, Monte Cook. In them he gives an idea of what both players and the DM can expect in a megadungeon, as well as an introduction that gives general and well known information about the dungeon itself that may help you decide just what would make your character wish to explore this place. Once characters are made, I will also be giving each of you a rumor based on your character background that may have encouraged them to risk the dangers of Dragon's Delve. Lots of Metagame info and character creation
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Now that all of that is out of the way, on to the more metagame aspects of this post. As mentioned above, I am going to be using the Pathfinder Beta rules for this game. I am willing to take characters and feats from a number of different sourcebooks, though I will want to approve anything from outside the core rules individually and may make adjustments to maintain balance. I'm pretty open to most content from the different complete books, the dragon compendium, and the elemental books(stormwrack, frostburn, ect). The spell compendium is always hit or miss for me, so I will want to look at any spells from there first. Characters will be starting at level 1, with 25 point-buy(epic fantasy) and 300gp each.
I'm pretty much looking for 5 players at this point, I don't want too many so the advancement doesn't get bogged down, but with 5 you can cover all of your bases without it being necessary that you each play one of the classic 4 archtypes. Because this is a dungeon crawl and traps are pretty regular, having a rogue is strongly recommended, but obviously not required, and I would suggest that the group puts at least a little bit into various knowledges and craft:alchemy as it will make many of the intricate puzzles and piecing together the really well crafted backstory much easier. The town nearby(mentioned in more detail in the spoiler about the surrounding area below) is very small and poor, so there is no simple 'magic shop', but to keep your spellcaster(s) from feeling they need to spend all their feats on item creation and because the town is frequented by adventurers seeking the dungeon, I have decided to add a merchant there who can set up trades for higher end goods. Getting an item will require payment up front and will take as long for the item to arrive as if it were being crafted. This means if you do have the craft feats you can cut costs in half, but if you do not you can still get your goods by placing an order and either waiting for it to arrive or continuing to adventure without it until it gets there. As far as posting frequency goes: I'll be on pretty much all day(pst) during the week, my job gives me the freedom to keep the pbp window up while I am working so I will normally be able to respond pretty directly to anyone who posts, which hopefully will help keep things flowing smoothly and prevent the confusion that comes from a backlog posts that all get responded to at once. During the evenings, I'll be able to post once or twice and on the weekends I'll put up two or three posts throughout the day. I obviously don't expect as much from the players, though I greatly encourage chattering and Rping amongst yourselves and putting up any actions that wouldn't require a DM response as as often as you can or want. I would hope the players could put up one post each day as a standard however. There are naturally times when that isn't possible and I totally understand that, but I am looking for those who feel they could average at least a post a day. If for some reason you are going to be unable to post for a couple of days, please let me know and I'll happy to run your character in whatever way you direct(or as I would guess you would). Finally, I'm going to be setting up a google-docs site that any of the players will have access to. I'll be using its spreadsheet program to lay out the map of the dungeon as you explore it and to help you visualize comabts more easily. Because I'm giving each of you access to it, it should also be a good tool for collabritively creating notes as well, whether its jotting stuff that you think is important down in a text document for everyone to see later, or adding footnotes on the map for different locations so you remember where everything is. I've done this in a small way before, but I suspect it will work out very well for a bigger dungeon crawl. Surrounding Area General Info
Spoiler:
In the middle of an area now known as the Fallen Duchy, the environs of Dragon's Delve include many overgrown (and sometimes forgotten) ruins. The Duchy of Chordille fell almost 100 years ago, and compared to those happier days, the region now lays as an almost uninhabited wilderness.
At the center of the Fallen Duchy lie the ruins of Chordille Keep (which itself provides entrance to Dragon's Delve). This ruin offers no intact structures--only vine-grasped piles of stones, overgrown outlines of foundations, and the furtive hint of walls and arches. The entrance to the dungeon itself is little more than an twenty-foot wide open pit with an exposed stone stair that descends into darkness. Various explorers and treasure seekers have left the entrance well-cleared. Likewise, the observant adventurer may notice the remnants of cooking fires and other signs that previous delvers have made camp near this pit. Chordille Keep rests atop a long, gentle hill known as Bryson's Look. The area grows thick with silver maples, boxelders, and the occasional firethorn. At the north end of Bryson's Look, near the mighty River Turant, lies Brindenford. This small town offers a few amenities to those looking to risk the dangers of Dragon's Delve thanks to its minor importance in trade. Brindenford rests at a major crossing of the Turant for the Queen's Road, upon which travel caravans laden with the spices and salt traveling to the west and those bearing wool and iron goods to the east. Likewise, loggers from the north use the Turant to send wood down to the mills to the south, and Brindenford offers a landing for this process as well. Currently, the town remains independent, as no authority higher than its lord mayor claims the wilderness in which it carefully nestles. Technically, the entire region falls under the rule of High King Rudik in faraway Kelmanosh, but even his vaunted tax collectors do not venture this far west. With trade once again increasing, however, this may change in the near future. Brindenford lies approximately two miles from the ruins of Chordille Keep. Most folk of the town know better than to go there, fearing the very real tales of orcs and goblins lurking there, and the more fanciful (but still possibly true) tales of evil spirits and curses that haunt that sad place. Still, one can't spend an evening in the taproom of the Lost Shepherd Inn, chat with the locals in the hiring hall, or sit with the fishermen on the dock as they complain about the loggers without hearing a rumor or legend about the mysteries that lie within Dragon's Delve. Brindenford (small town):Conventional mayor; AL NG; 800 gp limit; Assets 50,000; Population 1,000; Mixed (80% human, 8% halfling, 7% elf, 4% dwarf, 1% other races). Authority Figure(s):Lord Mayor Saddana, female human; Erro Mansan (Sheriff). Important Characters: Iris Gellow, female human (head of the Temple of Vune), Whedon Rasholt, male human (head of the Logging Guild), Vimble Mirhoffal, male halfling (proprietor of Queen's Crafts), Val Donage, female human (owner of the Lost Shepherd), Teigel Fascher, male human (proprietor of Fascher's Supply). If any of you made it through this incredibly long-winded post and are interested in playing or have any questions feel free to either post here or drop me a line at felixcosima at gmail dot com
Sandpoint's Swallowtail Festival has been a quaint affair for all of the towns 42 year history, a release of butterflies to honor Desna. Originally intended by the Magnimarian settlers to appease the native Varisians who venerate the goddess of dreams above all others, many of the newcomers took to both the ceremony and the religion with an impressive eagerness. To a people who pulled away from the oppressive regime of Cheliax, only then to move again from Magnimar just to carve out their own little nitch in the world along the Lost Coast, there is much to be revered in a deity who preaches freedom. Thus the festival has grown throughout the years. This all changed 5 years ago, during a period that was known as the late unpleasantness to the locals. Over just two short months the town was struck by repeated tragedies. First, the tragic death of Atsuii Kaijitsu one of the town's nobles and mother of Ameiko who runs the Rusty dragon. Atsuii lost her footing and tumbled from one of the cliffs while out walking one night. Then, following closely behind Atsuii's death, a series of grisly murders started to occur through the town, new victims seeming to pop up constantly, their eyes and tongue removed. Quickly the killer became known among the populace as the chopper due to his proficiency with slashing weapons. Over the course of a month 25 victims were brought to light, the previous sheriff Casp Avertin being the last, though he managed to strike the killer a mortal blow as well. Following the trail of blood, the guards, led by then deputy Belor Hemlock, made their way to 'Stoots rock' a small out cropping of stone just north of town which was home to one of Sandpoint's more beloved and eccentric citizens, Jervus Stoot. Stoot was a wood carver who often would see birds in the whorls of wood and shape them with amazing skill so others could see them as well. However, what the guards found in Stoot's cabin wasn't simply a carving. In the basement they found Jervus at the base of an altar to a birdlike demon, his own eyes and tongue having been pulled free from his head while he still lived in a final offering to his dark master. The guard collapsed the stair and burned down the shack, hoping it was all finally over. Unfortunately that was not meant to be. The final act this town suffered through this cursed time was a great fire that began in the shrine to Desna. This fire burned hot and quickly, destroying the church and spreading outwards to burn down the North Coast Stables, the White Deer Inn, as well as three homes. This tragic event was not limited to causing only property damage however, for the churches beloved pastor, a man named Ezakien Tobyn as well as his adopted daughter, an aasimar Nualia were killed within. The loss of so many of their citizens, especially the priest who held such high regard in town, greatly quashed the morale of those in town. So, even though after the fire died down the town seemed to return to normal, the spirits of the population were down. Mayor Kendra Deverin saw this and proposed that a new chapel be built, but on a much grander scale, a true cathedral not just to Desna but to the six primary gods of the region. This endeavor has taken 5 years to complete and held quite a cost, but it seems that to the people of Sandpoint it has been worth it as finally their spirits are raising and for the first time in five years the Swallowtail Festival is something that everyone is looking forward to, drawing not only Sandpoint's entire population but also many people from Magnimar and further. It is expected to be an event to be remembered. Our scene opens with a huge crowd gathered outside of the cathedral as early afternoon begins. Several of the town's prominent citizens are intended to give speeches very shortly, but for now most of those here are either talking or playing a variety of group oriented games, or sampling one of the many dishes provided by the local taverns free of charge.
I'm looking to start up a Rise of the Runelords campaign as a play by post after a bit of chat yesterday in the DM tools chatroom. So far I have two players who are ready to be involved, and I'm hoping to secure two or three more to round out the team. We want players who will post regularly and who are going to enjoy an RP heavy game as we build through the story. I am strongly considering running this with Alpha rules, if all the players are willing to test them out and adapt their characters when the beta is released, but I don't mind running straight 3.5 if that is preferred among the group. As for myself, so you know who you would be playing with, I am an experienced DM(I had a red box) who ventured mostly away from D&D for quite a while into the dark realms of WoD, CoC, Shadowrun, and yes even Rifts. Though for the last 5 years I've been playing with a group that is almost exclusively 3.x. I tend to prefer evocative RP over pure combat, but I certainly see the fun in the tactical aspects of play and am not afraid to customize a scene to challenge my players, or alter parts of a story arc so that the characters fit more closely into the world. I'm always about on these boards, so you can expect to get DM responses very quickly to any questions or posts you might put up. If you have any interest in joining in our game, we hope to start next week, though earlier if we get an influx of people, please, post here or shoot me an email. Just add PbP in the subject line. Felixcosima at yahoo dot com -Tarlane
I'm running RotRL for a group of six players right now and I am noticing that they have fallen behind just a bit on the XP front. Normally this isn't much of an issue, there are more of them then in a normal group so thats to be expected, and they are tactically minded enough when it comes to combat that it helps keep things a good challenge for them. However, I can see just how much of a killer the last fight of the chapter is going to be, and I want to help catch them up for that at least, so its not more of a massacre then its needs to be. Spoiler:
I had mentioned to the group that I may add in a few additional modules throughout the adventure, which they would get limited experience for but would give them some extra loot and story. One of those adventures was going to be Carnival of Tears, which I had been thinking about giving a little pump up to the enemies and place in Turtlebeck Ferry(?) for the beginning of hook mountain.
My idea was that I could leave the adventure more as is and have Shalelu find them and tell them of some trouble she has seen while out scouting(perhaps being curious about her father) and she could guide them that way now, giving them some time with her and a chance to flesh out the town before they go there, so perhaps their choice to be brought there in the future feels more reasonable(plus they could see paradise and the like now, giving more pieces that will fit together later). My setback is that the characters just defeated Aldern last session, we ended without having divided up the stuff they found, but one of the characters was really affected by his works. The characters are all heroes and would certainly go to save the town if Shalelu came to them with its troubles, especially since that is an immediate threat to people while with Aldern dead his 'Mistress' is likely to have to take some time to find a new agent, but as soon as Aldern's note is found I have a feeling that player is going to want to press forward immediately(Like, 'No you guys don't need to sleep, lets get to Magnimar and stop this now' kind of immediately). This means that the introduction of Shalelu to give them that information would be ackward, there is no reason for her to go to Magnimar to look for them and even her just happening to catch them on the trail would be pretty obviously staged. So the way I see it I have two real options. Either I can let them go to Magnimar, and just not find the clue they need yet(perhaps the faceless stalkers found it already) so they hit something of a dead end and I can redirect them(which could take a while if they decide to go asking about where the cages are from and any number of other things) and then let some agents come to attack them later after they return to snooping around after the side mission, and let them find further evidence on the agents. Or instead of putting them on a side quest, I could simply buff up and add some pre-Xanesha fights. I think that adding another level of two to most of the skinsaw men would make them more reasonable combatants with a higher CR, especially when most people have claimed them to be easy fights. However, they are about half a level worth of XP from 6th level right now(which is the suggestion for when they head to Magnimar) and I figure they should be at or close to 7 when they reach Xanesha. I don't know if thats going to cut it, at least not without throwing a -lot- of added strength to the baddies. I suppose a final option would be just to tell them that I think they are a bit under-powered and that I want them to go on a small side quest first, but thats the sort of meta-gaming I really try and avoid. As a side note, in case it sparks someones ideas, I altered things slightly early on to have tsuto be ironbriars son. Tsuto was arrested and basically found innocent. Lyrie fled thistletop and went to tell Ironbriar to sway this, but after tsuto scorned her for Nualia there she came to tell the PCs this information as a sort of vengence. It means when they are in town they may go talk to Ironbriar or want to see Tsuto, but right now they just think of him as a father who used his position of power to get his son off, rather then involved in anything, and they know Tsuto was found innocent so attacking him would get them in trouble. However the idea of a skirmish after they show up with some thugs, thinking Ironbriar sent them to basically tell the players to leave them alone would work as well. The PCs also haven't yet deactivated the pool in the catecombs of wrath yet either, because it hasn't seemed like much of a threat and they were considering studying it. Some trouble could come from that as well, though I haven't been creative enough to come up with anything beyond a handful of sinspawn. If anyone has any ideas or opinions on which way I should take things I would greatly appreciate any feedback. I've got a bit over a week to prepare so plenty of time to layout whatever is decided. Thanks a lot. -Tarlane
Well my players did the bulk of the first half of the skinsaw murders last night and I have to say it was a pretty effective session, probably one of the best in recent memory. Really long rambling spoiler ahead. Spoiler:
I had allowed the players to catch a few hints of things to come previously. They set off to Magnimar to make some purchases, after an encounter with Malfeshnekor that left them fleeing, and while they were there they met up with some faceless stalkers in a non-combat encounter, essentially the stalkers distracted some of the party away and while they were out looking for the disturbance, took their place in joining with the other members. In this role I had them serving Aldern in taking a scarf that the object of his lustful obsession was looking at. His obsession was a varisian fighter and a very devote follower of desna(leaning towards the sphere walker PrC)and she has become very upset quite often over the fact that someone was 'desecrating her desna time' by both pilfering little trinkets, often of butterflies or the like(and occasionally from the shrine), but also doing it while she was dreaming and thus with desna. Our party isn't terribly observant and with Aldern's impressive stealthy skills he was able to make off with quite a selection of little items from her(including a bit of hair, which really freaked her out when someone else in the party noticed one side of her hair was shorter then the other), and the shrine to desna which she often would nap beside in prayer. This culminated with Father Zanthus pulling her aside after her and the group had been out of town for a couple of days, telling her how appreciative he was for all she had done in the town and how he knew she had been the one to spot the missing trinkets before, but one of the other acolytes saw -her- enter the church the night before and take an item from the shrine. He was careful not to be accusatory but told her that if she had any troubles that the church could try and help her. Realizing that one of the shapeshifters(that is what they are calling the faceless stalkers, as they still don't know what they are) may have been infiltrating the church after her, she promised the priest that she would not be in the church for some time, and when she did she would return with the rest of the group, so if he saw her alone or with just one or two others he should alert the sheriff. It was amazingly hard for her to give up her time in the shrine, and just knowing the things were impersonating her was very off putting. This was one of those major steps in a session that truly succeeded in creeping her and her character out. As a final touch, she awoke one morning to find one of the skinsaw man's lovely notes left upon her pillow beside her, offering her entrance into his pack as his love, and promising her a collection in her honor. Past that bit of fluff, I should mention more of the murders as they saw them, because I altered the order a bit. On their return from a trip to magnimar, our druid's animal companion caught a strange scent with some tracks, and the druid followed them to the farm(site of the first murders) and I let the PCs be the ones who encountered that there. They met Grayst while he was still on the verge of turning and fully mad. They held back his change, temporarily, with a couple of lesser restorations that the cleric happened to have, and heard him shift between babbling about his lordship to raging jealously at the object of his Master's obsession. The group realized that they didn't have the power to heal him, nor did Father Zanthus, so they took him to sheriff hemlock to find out what to do with him and ended up leaving him with habe in the sanitarium. This is a small but semi-important detail I think, because as the players nerves started to get a bit wracked later in the adventure, their responses to these sort of things started to become less and less sensible. The players were somewhat distressed about the possibility of a ghoul in their midst, but decided to confront the evil they could see first and set off to deal with Malfeshnekor. When they returned to town they had a few days of downtime, interspersed with some of the creepy-ness above(they were sleeping in shifts, even when staying at the tavern in town) and a visit to the sanitarium left them with the realization that realistically they could only stave off the ghoul fever so long and couldn't cure it. It sparked a big debate in the group about the idea of whether they should kill the man because he was ill, so he could at least die peacefully without turning into the beast they knew he would become. Neither side would back down(Killing an innocent is wrong! Better now then after he becomes a monster!) so they abandoned the sanitarium for the moment to return to town. This is getting to be a ridiculously long post, so I'm going to try and skim through some of the rest of this. Basically the group returned to the sheriff who told them that there had been another set of murders and another note to the object of obsession had been found. The wizard was also under a bit of scrutiny because ven vinder wasn't too pleased with him, but they sidestepped that. The group first suspected the sczarni had a part in this and was spending time snooping at the fatman's feedbag when the sheriff called again because of farmer grump's arrival and tale. The scarecrow nursery rhyme really got to one of them I think, but they set off quickly for the farmlands. It was a wonderful thing, having them arrive near dusk, feeling closed in by the corn around them. They were very cautious upon seeing the first scarecrow and proceeded to disassemble it, then when they came to one that was moving they cut it to bits. Which became their standard method for things, that is until they found that they struck down a woman who wasn't a ghoul. This led to a bit more caution on their parts and when they found her husband, infected with ghoul fever, they didn't quite seem sure what to do with him. Their cleric actually tried to lie to the man(they truly were rattled at this point) acting as if his wife had to be killed. And they finally told the man they had no cure for him and that either he could be put down now or as a monster, and it would be his choice. After breaking down and pleading with them to help him, which certainly affected a few of them but essentially fell of deaf ears, the man hung his head and told them to end it. Which their cleric did swiftly with a prayer to saranrae. The rest of the farmhouse and barn was fairly quick and simple for them, but for rogors who spoke to the object of his obsession as they battled, telling her that his lordship had talked of her often. And with the additional note found there, she really was getting shakey, feeling she had brought this upon all the people. Finding the key and recognizing the crest pointing them towards the foxglove manor, and a bit of asking around town gave them some decent background upon it, so they headed that way. The manor -really- worked a number over the players and characters alike as they walked through it. I wrote out a number of note cards for each of the haunts, one said what the initial check was, one said what they saw if they succeeded on the check(and gave them the option to roll initiative if they had an action to take) and then I would write up further ones, depending on the haunt, describing what they saw and what others could see. I let them describe what was happening with those(to the point one of the players was up dancing around the room and the like, seeming to be enjoying himself then slowly making more and more disgusted faces until someone said they were going to tackle him). I had meant to bring some ambiance music, but didn't manage that(damn computers), however the room we were in was perfect as the lights were dim anyway, and with the AC going it would have occasional power hiccups that would cause the lamps to flicker randomly(maybe 2-3 times an hour). It really added a neat mood to it all. We literally had a player who at the end of one of the haunts, when people were asking him what just happened, announce that his character just starts crying. And of course at the beginning when they hadn't been quite sure if it was anything more then a creepy old house the cleric was looking at those puffs of dust where feet seemed to be pacing, while everyone else kind of hung back, and announced 'Its nothing. I bet you could just stand in it and feel a breeze tickling your feet, like this...' and when he stepped there he failed the save, panicking and dragging out fighter back outside. Where they saw a mass of birds take flight and fled back within again... Anyway, the party finally managed to make their way to Iesha and followed in her wake down through the manner directly to Aldern. I shifted things a bit in this fight for several reasons. First, I had an unmarred painting of Iesha there, as well as the rotten meat covered one(I wanted to halt her so that he could still monologue some, but to have it be in a way that the players could remove easily, to use her as an advantage in the fight). Second, I extended the range of his ability to control ghouls and added some further mook ghouls in some of the side rooms. My group is tough and he is a sneak attacker, so I wanted to be able to have him call for support in the battle. Third, I went a bit adimarchus from shackled city and gave each of his three personalities their own set of abilities. I basically let him shift as a free action at the start of his turn to one of the personalities to use that turn. His lordship- combat expertise and high defense, pleading with the object of his obsession to save him from the hurter, or to stop beating on him. The hurter- power attack, bruiser type of fighter. The skinsaw man- imp trip and feint, toying with his victims type. We really started the battle off on a memorable note though, because I prepared a little surprise for my players as well. When they entered the room I described him as standing up, holding his war razor and a mask that looked to be made of human skin, barely recognizable as Aldern. He pulled on his mask, and as he did so I pulled out a mask I had created and put it on(just a quickly thrown together thing of cardboard, with crumpled paper wrapped around it to vaguely look like skin). He called out to his obsession, talking of how he knew she would come to him, then I announced he reached up and tore away what looked like some of the flesh from the mask and revealed her face beneath it(disguise self). As he did that I pulled off the paper that covered the mask and had a picture of her face beneath it, which brought out a muffled yelp from her and everyone else's jaws dropped. It was truly a classic session and likely one that will always be remembered among my group. So kudos Pett, if you bother to read through all the nonsense above. We had a great adventure. Hopefully I'll have such tales to tell a couple sessions down the line for Logue so I don't appear to be taking sides. -Tarlane
It seems that one of the more generally disliked systems in D&D(up there near grapple, which looks great in the new rules by the way) is XP loss because its a very hard hitting and very permanent thing. Whether its through death, item crafting, or spells that need some sort of limiting factor, XP loss is difficult for players and DMs alike. No player wants his character to start behind and its just more of a headache to have to keep track of challenges for a group that is spread across a number of levels. As far as a death mechanic, I personally would vouch for a system where if a character dies and is brought back by a means that normally results in level loss, they instead effectively have a negative level on them until they have gained half the XP needed to gain their next level. So for example, a first level character requires 1300xp to get to second level. If he dies he has an effective negative level on him until he gains 650xp from when he dies, meaning if he had 500xp already when he was raised he loses that negative level at 1150xp. Also, its important to note that they don't have to 'spend' this xp to recover the negative level, it simply lingers until they have gained that much and are then able to essentially shake it off. This allows you to keep all your characters in the same range they started in while still giving a real penalty for dying. As far as magic items and spells go, I realize this is a much tougher matter. There needs to be a system that has real mechanics behind it that allows for their creation, but also limits the quantities that can be made/cast of them. In my campaigns I can simply tell my players that as long as they don't try and abuse it then I won't charge them xp for magical items they make, but that ends up being DM fiat and thus isn't very useful for a core manual. I was curious what thoughts the developers had on this. Whether its a spell or a crafted item, I imagine that a hefty material component(at least comparatively to the item/spell in question) could really limit it, I've seen discussion elsewhere on turning XP costs into monetary costs, normally in the form of so much gold per XP. Otherwise, perhaps separating the magical crafter from the adventuring wizards a bit more? The artificer in Eberron did a pretty good job of doing this, allowing for a reserve pool. Something like an NPC class that is a magewright of sorts, that the players could dip into for flavor reasons for their characters, but which wouldn't be something built into the adventuring classes so much could work well. Anyway, just thought this was an important topic and I wanted to see others thoughts on it. -Tarlane
I had to put up a post here because one of my players is most certainly still gloating over the recent defeat of Gottrod, the red dragon in Chapter 4. Just to give a little background on the character I am talking about, he is a warmage/warmage. Yes, he took the warmage class from Complete Arcana, and then has just taken his first level in the Warmage prestige class from Age of Mortals at 6th level. When he hits things with a spell they hurt. Alot. Anyway, to set the scene the party has just managed to defeat the umberhulk after a prolonged battle that really beat them down. They met with Celeste and hurried north speak with Jared about the possible entrances to the underdark. As they past the bottom of the hill before Jareds a few of them saw flashes of light coming from up near the cabin, but they shrugged it off, being that they had met Jared before on a side excursion I took them on and figured he was just throwing up one of his illusions or impress them or was at worst doing something else crazy. When they crested the top of the hill and saw Jareds hut in flames and him cowering before the assault of a dragon jaws dropped(as did a number of characters since only 1 of the four players had a ride skill). They rushed forward to protect the old man and managed to draw the dragons attention, peppering him with arrows that were little more then pesky at this point and he swung around in his flight and let loose a gout of flame the washed over most of the party as well as Jared, stopping just before the warmage's feet who quickly cast ice shield upon himself to absorb some of that fire if need be. As the rest of the party tried to figure out just what to do against a winged foe(none of them are very proficient with ranged weapons) and the cleric threw mass aid over everyone the warmage decided to square off against the dragon. He drew forth his new prize, a metamagic rod of empower, and sent forth a powerful orb of cold, smashing into the dragons chest. The results were frightening, considering the dragons vulnerability to cold, and the freakish amounts of damage the warmage gets to add to his spells due to a high intelligence he did well over 60 damage in a single blow. Well this certainly got the dragons attention. Unwilling to suffer such a devestating attack again, but also unable to put aside his already wounded pride and flee the dragon swooped down and snatched up the warmage dragging him 30 feet into the air and holding him firmly. The warmage struggled in vain against the powerful creature, narrowly avoiding being bitten but unable to squirm out of the way of a vicious rake of the dragons claws. But the response to that clawing was something gottrod did not expect. With a bright blue flair of light the ice shield which surrounded the warmage flashed out, engulfing the dragon and knocking him into unconsciousness, sending both him and the warmage plummiting to the ground. The rest of the party rush over to ensure their deadly but fragile ally was alright. When they lifted the creatures wing they saw him dusting himself off and standing up with just a shake of his head. After the effects of the aid spell wore off he barely had a scratch upon him. With a grin he looked around at the others and proclaimed 'I can't wait to see the Stormblades again and ask them if they've ever killed a dragon before. If by some freak chance they have I'll have to see how many of them did it by themselves...'
My players are working their way through the AP and one of them has recently taken a great interest in the map shop in town. Mostly he has been doing things like picking up maps of some of the dungeons or buildings around town, and a treasure map or two(which I have no problem just inventing). My question comes from the fact that he recently asked for maps of red gorge and hollowsky(away from my books, I think thats the name). I know that there is a map of red gorge available, both in the AP itself and on therpgenius.com. My question was is there one of hollowsky anywhere? I don't mind making one myself, but this is my long term gaming group and I intend to run them through AoW and any of the other AP's set in this region, and I would prefer not to contradict myself if there is a map published somewhere else. If anyone could help me out with this, or if any of you have made your own maps of the non-key areas in the region I'd really appreciate it because somehow I'm sure this will happen to more then just the one town. Thanks alot! |
