I'm going to bow out of this game.
It's a lot slower than advertised, and what play exists is very limited.
Thanks for the opportunity, but it's not for me.
Search Posts
I am still here. Just kind of waiting for something to happen. Not much is going on, and not much to respond to.
Merek doesn't get involved with any of the contests or challenges, but rather enjoys just observing everyone else having fun. This is all new and strange to him, but he enjoys seeing the delight and joy in everyone else. Whenever a group of children get too close he uses his magic to bring about a bit more joy. He creates bunnies out of smoke from his pipe, or conjures a patch of flowers to grow from the ground, or creates a small whirlwind of leaves around two lovebird teens. He creates illusions of deer eating the grass and hopping away when someone gets too close, only to have it dissipate into butterflies as it leaps into the air, and the butterflies dissipate into strands of colors which eventually turn blue and blend in with the sky. At one point, he creates a hopscotch pattern in the dirt. At another, a gust of wind brushes through a Knight's long hair to give him "hero wind." And another, he shapes the water into rain drops and freezes them into snow to create a minitaure slurry that melts when it touches the ground.
This is pleasant, Merek remarks, as he pulls out a smoking pipe and starts to pack it. With a bit of magic, he lights the tabacco and starts to puff out little smoke animals, controlling the smoke with a mix of Prestidigitation and Minor Illusion. He has a small smoke rabbit chase some passing children and he smiles at their laughter. Turning to Leon and Sevren, Merek watches in interest seeing if Leon will accept the challenge.
Bard. :) He can already play an instrument, and it would add several more cantrips.
It'll be an ongoing battle with this PC. :)
Found and corrected two errors with my character. Draconic Sorcerer does not grant resistance (removed), but does grant +1 HP per sorc level (added 1 HP).
Yup! I've seen too many PBO games die before their time due to similar issues. Here's a couple of works which showcase what is needed to keep a PBP not only alive but thriving: Doomed Hero's Guide to PBP Gaming.
Ah, such generosity. Merek sets down his cup and stands up, using a bit of magic to brush away any spills or crumbs off his clothing.
Walking outside, Merek says, Come, Catha. We have a wedding to attend. A small shurb outside the inn then stands up and follows the foreigner.
Indeed. And GM posts should almost always be a push post - a post that drives the story forward and gives people something to respond to. So far, we've had two posts with minimal to work with andong pauses between. Not good for a game that advertised as a once per day posting rate.
Merek snorts. Not a chance. I don't know anything about your customs.
Merek sips his faux coffee and listens.
I am a bit worried about the multiple instances of the GM disappearing for days on end without notice, especially when the game was described as a once per day post type of game. It's ok to be absent for a bit, but without a heads up it makes me worried.
Leon! It is good to see you. Come, join us in conversation, Merek says with a smile on his face. You know, Sevren, Merek segues, Leon is what brought me to these lands. If it wasn't for him and his father, I likely would have not left the desert sands of my home.
Merek has joined Sevren and the wealthy merchant in the sitting room, drinking his own cup of tea. Ugh. he says, his accent thick - the "common" tongue is not so common where he is from. The voewls are different. I don't know how you people drink this. It's barely flavored water! What I wouldn't do for a decent cup of coffee. Each word is pronounced as if it were a sentence of its own; a clear definitive stop can be heard after each. He looks down at the cup and conjurs up a bit of magic, changing the flavor and the color of the hot liquid. He takes a sip and frowns. Better, but I can never quite get the consistency right. Looking up at Sevren, Merek says, I see you got your robe cleaned. I told you, you needn't have done that; it was a waste of money. A proper master of magic, such as myself, could've had that stain removed in minutes! Look at my own thawb - it is immaculate, he says, gesturing to his own clothing.
I remembered all the I fo about the vampire spawn and saving the towm, but completely forgot that you put all the wedding information in the original opening post. Sorry about the redundancy!
I'm ready to go. Did the dot and delete in the gameplay thread so the game pops up on my campaign listings.
Hello!
Oh I come from a land from a far away place, where the caravan camels roam... Best of luck, all!
I really like that and it would give an intant "in" for both our PCs. Or at the very least, something for us to build upon. :)
Forgot my HP rolls!
Merek looks good, if not full of tricks, other than his wealth. The 100 gp listed in character creation must be spent on other nonmagical gear. Any unspent gold from this 100 is not carried over into your character. So you should only have 61gp plus other assorted coins, if I am seeing things correctly of course. Please correct me if I missed something vital. Thank you for the catch. I had forgotten about that detail. I don't think you missed anything. I've updated it to include more purchases and equipment. I still need to add a few things, like the magical consumable. It was kind of a challenging PC to make, so I wouldn't be surprised if I missed something. I'll always correct any error found immediately.
This is Bookrat. I present Merek Montague, a "Zahkaran Sorcerer." It's in quotes because this is a unique character that has multiclasses to maximize the number of cantrips he has. He only has level 1 spells, even though he has level 3 spell slots. He'll have to upcast his spells. He currently has 16 cantrips, and a plethora of other abilities. Back Story: I grew up on the sands of Zahkara. My family were nomads, traversing across the deserts. With a large extended family, four older siblings and a twin brother, I grew up in tents and on camels as we went from one city to the next, acting as traders, guides, and seers.
It was here I learned magic - the magic of my people and of the djinn and the elements and the gods. Magic of the blood. I am a sorcerer. But in the past few years I've learned that the title has a different meaning here than my home. During my youth, I met a foreigner - a man who identified himself as a Paladin [Rolled randomly; this can be changed to be one of the PCs]. I had not heard such a title before, but his stories of him homeland intrigued me. Upon the day of becoming an adult, I headed out into the world, hoping to see these strange lands. In these new lands, a sorcerer is not one who masters magic in all its forms; it is not one who can control the weave in many ways without stop. Here, it is simply someone who got lucky enough to have a bit of magic in their blood. And that's it. This land is full of magical amateurs - most here run out of magic before the day is halfway done, and only a small amount of what they command can be cast all day (and of that, most of it is useless for the situation at hand). More importantly, these people rarely study more than a single pathway into the world of magic, limiting themselves - odd how they consider themselves to be masters when they wouldn't be able to pass the Novice’ Test. But nonetheless, through sheer determination and a bit of luck, these amateurs manage to do good. Why, a group of them managed to clear out a vampire spawn and some undead minions. With my help, of course.
I think I'm going to have to drop this game. While I absolutely love the theme of the game and enjoy you all as fellow players and DMs, I can't keep up with it. I keep trying to come back and post, but I'm lost more often than not and I can't dedicate the time needed for the game with my new job and the new kid. You are all wonderful. Thank you for the opportunity and the enjoyment thus far.
None of this is fresh.
Merek passes his squire some water. Dink sparingly. It's the last we have for some time. As they travel, Merek tells the others what he knows of this land. I've only been here a few months. It was just after I was removed of my armor and shield, my sword broken, my strength sapped from my body. With naught but the clothes on my back, I was banished from the City of Brass. If my squire did not jump through the portal at the last moment, with my broken sword in hand and a pack full of gear, we likely would have died long ago. It wasn't long after we got here that the siblings started following us. They are Orphans. All the naked grey children are. They are invisible to every predator and oppressor we have encountered so far, and the Atherlings completely ignore them. We have done what we can to keep them fed; they shrivel like prunes when they go without. But they are good hands. They do as they're told and they help keep an eye out. Merek pauses to answer the question: "What are the Atherlings?" The alabaster men with tails are a race called 'Athelings', and they are generally unkind towards anyone who does not share their shape. They always have different colored eyes, and in passing we have found that they are named based on the colors of their eyes. We have also observed that faeries are fearsome, and a commodity of the lands. The Athelings use them for several purposes, their tricks and secret craft and their scouting capabilities greatly aid the Athelings, and are perhaps the key factor which makes their troops unmatched. There are three names we have learned in this land; the Gorelands, the River King, and the Fair King. Of each of these we've heard conflicting claims that each individual person/place are a bastion of protection, a horror to be avoided at all costs, and that each has also granted gifts. Above us - if you look up - you can see the craggy ceiling. There are settlements up there full of warbands. Between here and there, there are many creatures without any sort of natural prowess flying midair. The behavior of creatures here can be telling. There seems to be only two types here: the Aggressors or those who think themselves strong, and the rest who hide at all costs. The in-between are us or anyone else who has come through the Black Door. Who we are is yet to be determined, but the slow to adapt are quickly consumed but this world.
If you're waiting on me, go ahead and continue. I'll catch up when I can.
I was unable to post today. Spent the whole day trying to finish up the bathroom remodel. Now too tired. Will catch up tomorrow.
Merek find some gear to pick up and carry; hopefully it is something one of his new companions needs or wants. As he does so, he can be heard speaking to his squire, Never ask someone to do something you would not do yourself. As you have done as I requested, so have I performed the same task.
How much of the local landscape is Merek familiar with, and is he able to find a sheltered locale for them to gain respite?
Yes, I can speak you tongue, Merek says with a thick accent. And I thank you for doing me the honor of speaking mine. Merek looks back towards whoever else is around and calls out, Lad! Get the children and collect any equipment you can find. Turning back and facing his mis-matched allies, he says, I am Merek Montague, disgraced knight of the City of Brass. The lad back there is me squire. The siblings follow us, and I do my best to ensure they're taken care of. Come. Let us leave this place. Let us find shelter and we can discuss what we all know.
Merek moves forward, dancing around the odd puddles.
Once clear, he raises one hand up and allows the fire within to escape. The flames billow forth, extending out five fathoms and engulfing the wolves.
= 12
I asked earlier, but I'm not sure if I got a response. Anyways, my round 3 action is to cast firebolt while holding Kran's chains in an attempt to break them so he can be free.
Don't forget to fully update your profile! Half the stuff you have on there is from my old druid PC. :)
Copy and paste this under Race. Remove the quotes. "Hexblade 3 | Spells 2/2 | Spell DC 13 | HP 23/23 | HD 3/3 | HR 1/1" Copy and paste this under Class/Levels. Remove the quotes, but keep that extra space. " | AC 11 | Init +0 | Saves S-1, D1, C1, I2, W4, Ch5 | Pass Perc 12 | Status: Normal | Insp: Yes |" You can change out Hexblade for something else if you want to be descriptive or include more info. Maybe Witch Hunter, or Tiefling Hexblade. For example my PC build is a fire genasi sorcerer, but I put Brass Knight for his class because that's how I want him to be seen.
Merek continues to speak with Kran, Primordial:
I have been here some number of weeks or months - I cannot tell which - and I still do not know where we are. But I have learned some things about this place. Should we survive, I will gladly tell you all I know.
May I see your bonds? If Kran agrees to let Merek touch his bonds, Merek will attempt to grab a link and heat it until it softens enough so that Kran can rip it apart. (Assuming it's a chain).
Merek responds back to the dwarf, Primordial:
We are friends. I have already tasked my squire with freeing as many bonds as he can. I am Merek Montague, disgraced knight of the Efreeti Court in the City of Brass. Merek holds his hand out to the dwarf to assist him to his feet. With his other hand, he sets fire to the guard on the ground, the one looking at him with fury his eyes.
Don't forget that even if you're prone, you don't have disadvantage against the enemy if they're prone as well. I thought this was the case with Kran, as I thought they were both grappled and on the ground.
The brightspear flies past Merek's face as he moves his torso to the side; his warriors reflexes kicking in. The fire within him still yearns to be fully released. He wants it to fly free, but he hasn't the strength to let it go. Not fully. He dips in, like a toe into the water to test the temperature, and as he does, a small bit of fire is release with the thrust of his broken blade.
Inspiration can be spent to roll a d20 two times and take the better result. That's also known as Advantage. Disadvantage also exists, where you roll twice and take the lower result. Inspiration can be spent to cancel disadvantage.
Merek loudly whispers back to his squire; See if you can unlock any of the chains on these people. If you can't, then get the siblings ready to run - and make for it as soon as the two remaining guards are down. With that, Merek sets his eyes on the two spearmen. He draws his sword, his arm raising until the entire blade was free of the scabbard - except, there was no blade. This sword is broken! It was nothing but muscle memory that kept his arm moving the way it does. Merek advanced to the spearmen, slashing with the broken sword.
As he strikes, the fire within him flows outwards to the other spearman.
Something I just realized, but all genies are also elementals. So if I picked elemental in general, I'd be getting just as broad a monster type as dragon. Would elemental monsters work for this campaign?
What do you say to infernal instead of Draconic, and then genie-kind instead of dragons for the bonus to charisma checks? I'm not even sure if either of those creatures exist in the world, though. So maybe you can pick something that is thematic and will have a chance of seeing play?
Merek walked along with the group, blending in. He was one of those not in bonds, as he joined up voluntarily to see where this group of slaves, refugees, and prisoners were being herded. Those with a keen eye could see several people following him. One was a young lad with eagerness and pride in his eyes. Unlike most here, he refused to be beaten - neither physically, mentally, or spiritually. It was in opposition to the man he followed, who looked physically drained, as if someone literally sapped the strength out of him. What gave it away was his stature; he walked like a man of great strength and pride, but his countenance did not match his appearance. His shoulders were the set of someone well used to wearing heavy plate armor, and his sway was that of a man with a sword at his side. And to match the sway to reality, there was the hilt of a sword occasionally peeking out of his cloak. Behind the teenager were two children, a boy and a girl, perhaps around ten. The young man seemed to constantly be looking back and forth with between the children behind him and the man leading the way. The children are grey in skin and naked. Their frail bodies are slightly shriveled; prune-like. They seem to be a able to weave about without anyone noticing them, and certainly those with weapons or power ignore them.
For a profile, click on your PC image and it will take you to your post history. See the tabs? Click the one that says profile. Then click edit. Copy all of this over to your profile: That character sheet is for official Adventurers League gameplay, so you don't need everything. But it does have all the formatting you'll need for a clean, easy to track character sheet. Delete the section for Logsheet. Convert the section titled AL Notes to Notes, and then use it for whatever note keeping you like. I keep two notes sections; one for personal character notes like spell descriptions, and the other for notes needed in the game. Then, for everything else, just fill in as needed. Remember to delete the stuff that you don't need. Other stuff: I highly recommend using a different image for your PC. Use something that your fellow players will be able to identify with. The 'mysterious stranger' motif tends to not work well in a social game like this. For getting the stats to show up in your posts like mine do - that's called a tagline. To make your tagline, type in stuff in the Gender, Class, and Race sections (in that order). See my profile for an example. I try to only type in what will fit without having to scroll over, and I put in all info the DM will need to see for my PC that won't require him to click any links.
I ended up making the switch to fire genasi. Not as good a fit, mechanically, but it worked better for the image I was going for. So no tail. :)
Here is Merek. Also, a request: Please use URL tags for links. If you don't know how to do that, click the "how to format your text" button below the text box on this page. When you post full url's, it stretches out the page so it no longer all fits the width of my phone. Now I have to pan left and right to read posts, or zoom out far enough to the point where the text is too small to read. GM Requests: Can I change up some of the mechanics for the Draconic sorcerer to better fit the fluff of this PC? Instead of learning Draconic and having a bonus to charisma checks for dragons, I'd rather it be something more thematically appropriate. I'm not sure what, have any ideas? Also, there's a Tiefling only feat in the new XGtE book. It's also thematically appropriate for this PC. Can I ignore the race requirements for it? I'd be taking it at level 4, so we have some time. Some of the feat benefits are also a bit redundant.
Merek eyes Castell knowingly. If you say so, Castell, I will choose to believe you. As for now, I, too, am leaving for the Lizardfolk camps in the morning. The body retrieval was a fools errand, as we should all be ashamed to have been so selfish about retrieving our corpses that we endangered each other's lives needlessly. Between the healing and a night's rest, Merek will be back to full health.
|