Search Posts
Arabeth's shout gives away another troll coming down a set of stairs from the south. The green troll blinks twice, then roars, steeling itself for battle.
Chuffy finds a way to dodge everything the blue troll throws at the intrepid thylacine, leaving the troll glaring and huffing after its furious attack misses completely.
"It began in the winter of 4710. The bandits came from the south. They came out of the Narlmarch, demanded tribute of us, and stole the wedding ring Grandfather Oleg had given me." Svetlana rocked in her chair. "We'd left Restov at Oleg's request, but I'd learned how to be a frontier wife. Still, with the bandits coming each month, there seemed to be little hope. Spring was on the horizon, the grass on the hills started to poke through the snow, and the bandits' selected day in Pharast grew nearer." "What happened?!" One of the little girls squeaked from the back of the carpet. "A group of adventurers happened. From Restov they came..." = = = = = = = = = = The spring sun breaks through a chilly morning cloud-cover as the six charter-bearers approach their assigned starting point - Oleg's Trading Post. Four days out of Restov, the last bit with no civilization save the South Rostland Road, which proved to be a dirt track big enough for one wagon. A handful of farmers and a woman dressed in furs and hides, lugging a huge elk, are all that they've seen on the road. The trading post doesn't look to be much more impressive than the dirt track winding through the hills, either. An old fort from days long gone, a row of logs, sharpened stockade-style, make the walls. Its gate hangs wide open, giving the impression that its yard is empty, but a thin line of smoke signals a potential late breakfast - or perhaps a warm lunch.
I am, but I'm at my cousin's graduation, with a phone and no computer. I'll kick this off on Sunday, when I get back. Sorry for all the delays.
Okay, waiting on our last member, then we'll get this thing kicked off.
The blue troll looks a bit more sluggish, its attacks a touch more telegraphed, as Asta's magic sets in. Further, its body bears many wounds, which each stitch much slower than they should. The red troll, meanwhile, isn't able to get away from Torod's fire, and continues to burn. It swings back at Torod, but is far too clumsy, thanks in part to Asta's magic and in part, perhaps, to its oafishness.
Arabeth:
You can hear something large lumbering down a set of stairs to the south. The sound of meat smacking into stone and a grunt rhythmically sounds from that direction.
Hello, and welcome to the party. Hopefully everyone's still here. I'll try to run 5 posts a week, maybe a few more if momentum stays high.
Dot and Delete!
Thanks for being patient with me, as it was really hard to make a decision, especially while being sick. In the end I decided on six PCs, although that was more than I'd anticipated. For those not selected, it was tough going cutting down to six. I think most of your characters are really cool, but I'd be overextending if I ran another table. Volundr the Wizard, Caerwyn the Rogue, Lorien the Cleric, Silviea the Witch, Faerin the Druid, and Wilster the Paladin, I'll be opening up the discussion and gameplay threads. Please dot and delete in Gameplay, and get to know each other in Discussion.
Sorry, it's been a rough last week of school, and I've been sick on top of that. I'll try to have a post up soon.
I promise I'm looking. Work's been crazy the last few days. It might be tomorrow when I figure this out.
Alright, and with that, I'm going to close submissions. I should have decisions made within a day, two at the latest (I've been asked to work a couple extra days at the school I work at, so my free time isn't as large as I thought it'd be). It'll be tough, and I'm not necessarily opposed to more than 4 or 5, given the number of submissions. Thanks for making my decisions difficult.
Cool submissions, everyone. We're at a little over 24 hours until I close this thing. I'll try to have characters picked about a day after that. Thanks for all the interest!
The blue troll takes Arctorus's first hit to the thigh, leaving a wound that, in spite of the monster's regeneration, is too deep to stitch completely shut. It bellows, returning blows to its two attackers.
The red troll is neither fast enough to dodge Torod's fire, nor is it able to shrug off Asta's magic. Chuffy is more than able to take out a chunk of the blue troll's leg.
The troll set ablaze by Torod's sphere rushing toward the half-elf and trying to get purchase with its huge jaws. However, its teeth scrabble on the man's armor.
Okay, going over a lot of the applications, I'm seeing a fair number that don't really have an appearance and personality section. If you incorporated those into your backstory, that's fine; same with the NPCs. If you don't have them at all, though, I'd recommend adding them. Hi Sunny.
Torod's arrow punches into the (blue) troll's side, and it snaps around to howl at its attacker. The other (red) troll shakes its head, then shrugs off Asta's spell - or at least most of it.
Okay, picking up from Friday. @Arden Kain Brandt: I’m not opposed to the monstrous mount feats. If selected, we’ll figure out a good way to introduce a griffon for you, depending on how things go. As for an alternate crafting system, I’m not sure. I’d have to see one that I liked. @caps: I’ll look into the rules and see if it’s something I want to get into. I think that’s all the questions I need to directly answer. Keep ‘em coming!
The party manages to make their way to the doorstep. Inside, the two trolls back away from each other, panting heavily as their wounds slowly knit shut. One sniffs the air, then shrugs.
@Sapiens/Mark Thomas 66: The Druidic Herbalism stuff looks cool, and it's sourced, so I'm good with it. @Silvea Beltreice: I generally use an NPC named Swordlord Teodor Aldori-Koenig when I'm looking for one who'd likely be involved in...well, whatever. He's a former drinker, a history/geography enthusiast, and a respected and high-ranking swordlord. He used to be hot-headed, but he's slowed down as he aged, and he owns an extensive library. Hope this helps, or you can create your own. @J Scot Hardy: I'm aiming for four PCs, but may go with five if I can't choose. @SkaTalon: Aging penalties/modifiers should be okay, but be expected to role-play your age. @Kothrin Shadowstone: I'm going to be changing it, in some places significantly, so I'm not aiming for PFS credit for it. @Anyone I Missed: Sorry if I missed you. Please say something, I'm not ignoring you, I just missed you.
Sorry, sorry! Campaign Traits: Kingmaker ones only. The other trait can be from any non-campaign list, but I want the KM traits in play.
Thanks for the link, The Emerald Duke. I'm going to stick with default PF1 with regards to the Feat Tax Rule. I'll go over submissions and see if I have any questions today/over the weekend.
@theasl: I generally deal with animal companions and summons by just letting the player manage them. It’s a lot easier for everyone that way. @Lord Christain D’Elegante: I’m planning on including a few more of the stereotypical fairy-tale tropes while keeping it more or less by the book. I won’t be phasing Restov and Brevoy out, but they certainly won’t be the focus. I don’t want to go into too much detail to avoid spoiling anything. @The Emerald Duke:
If I missed something, or you need more clarification, let me know.
”Gather around, grandchildren.” The wind outside howled against the thatched roof and stone-and-mortar walls of the cottage as the old woman gathered her grandchildren around her. She shivered. ”Alfric, be a kind boy and fetch some more wood. It’s going to be a long, cold night. Now, do you want to hear a story? Good, good, now be quiet, Olga, or you’ll be sent to bed instead.” She settled into her rocker and wrapped her shawl around her. ”This, younglings, is a tale of bygone empires and upstart baronies. It’s a tale of the Greenbelt we call home, and of the far-away Tors of Levenies we can barely see on a clear morning. And it’s a tale of tricky fae and heroic lords. This is the tale of how Oleg and I came to live here, and it starts with a bandit king, a far-away plot, and, of course, the heroes of this tale.” ”Who were they?” A small boy no more than five piped up as he crawled onto the old woman’s lap. ”I’m glad you asked.” The old woman patted the boy’s arm. ”I’m glad you asked…” ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== Hello, this is GM Aest, opening recruitment for a brand new Kingmaker game with, hopefully, a different feel. In contrast to a lot of the political, gritty, Game of Thrones games I’ve seen recently, I’d like to run a fairy-tale, one that emphasizes the residents and visitors of the Stolen Lands rather than the political machinations of the surrounding kingdoms. Character Creation:
Races: Let’s stick with Core races. I’d be open to a Changeling with a compelling backstory, but it’ll take a solid application and working with me before you submit anything. Classes:
Point Buy:
Starting Gold:
Traits:
Backstory:
Alignment: This is a fairy-tale. Please pick an alignment that fits that genre. (If you can find a fairy-tale with a Chaotic Evil hero who’s actually the hero, show me, and I might let it slide.) 3PP?: No thanks. I don’t know any 3PP material well enough to say if it’s balanced or not, and I don’t have the funds/time to learn it all. There’s a multitude of choices in Paizo’s material.
Let’s run recruitment until May 23rd, roughly at 10pm Mountain Standard Time. I'll pick four PCs, possibly five if there's one I can't pass up. Feel free to ask questions or PM me if you have a wild concept that doesn't fit the guidelines. No promises, but a really interesting character might get me to bend rules (not the 3PP one, though).
GM Rolls, Nothing to Worry About Here:
Chuffy sends an avalanche of rocks careening down the slope as he and Torod approach the tower. However, at exactly that moment, there's a deafening roar from inside, then another, and the sounds of huge amounts of meat on meat. Torod nearly trips over the shattered remains of the stone door, only to see two trolls slamming into each other, claws extended, in the dim light the arrow-slits around the room let in.
Okay, that's fine. Sorry about my lack of posting. Things get hectic at the school I work at the last few weeks of school. That's not really an excuse, I need to do better. Battle Map is up!
Thanks for the run! What's this about a boon check? Didn't know about it.
DM Rolls, Nothing to Worry About Here:
With Kesten Garess in place to help keep the peace at home and their shopping done, the rulers of Stagland leave their town and head south. Their path takes them through the grassy hills of the Kamelands. Before too long, however, they find themselves passing through the already-falling leaves of the Narlmarch. Fall is upon the Stolen Lands, and with it, the harvest comes soon. As you enter the southern, deep forest, the weather takes a turn for the worse, and though the foliage is still thick above the narrow path through the Narlmarch, cold rainwater drips from the leaves and soaks each member of the party. It's in this rain that you pick up troll signs, and lots of them; the trolls aren't being subtle about their home. Nor is their home subtle. From the edge of a clearing in the woods, you can see the wall of a dwarven outpost jutting from a wall of rock. Far up on the hill, only a narrow approach offers a way up to its door - and if there's anyone keeping watch from the tower on the top of the sheer hill, any approach will be easy to spot.
With the two-headed troll dead and looted, the party returns to their city. Their pockets are only slightly lighter, though they've paid for their new-found tools in other ways. Now, all that remains (as their advisors remind them) is to strike out for the trolls' lair and put an end to the threat they pose.
Have fun, you two!
Any news?
Between Arctorus, Chuffy, and Torod, the troll shudders, then slowly falls to its hands and knees. It glares defiance at Arctorus, but it quickly succumbs to its wounds. The flaming sphere continues to char its flesh, making it impossible to regenerate, and before long, it's well and truly dead. On its corpse, there are two amulets. The first sits around the troll's left neck like a choker, almost cutting into its flesh. The second is wrapped in a filthy cloth and shoved in a bag Necklace #1 (Spellcraft DC 21):
This is an Amulet of Natural Armor +2. Necklace #2 (Spellcraft DC 24): This is a Necklace of Fireballs. It has at least one big fireball in it, two smaller ones, and two medium ones.
Looking forward to seeing who's exploring the Stolen Lands.
Alright, here's Elfriede Voss, minus the crunch. She's a changeling on the run from her mother, who's joined the expedition because it gets her further away from the pursuing hag. If you have comments, questions, or anything else, I'll have something more akin to a 5-minute background that's, maybe, easier to parse up in a bit.
Alright, I'm going to go for a changeling witch/alchemist (mindchemist). I've ok'd it with you, and I'll have a proper background/personality/appearance up soonish.
Torod's ball of fire lands on the big troll's foot. He seems to try to go both ways, but fails at either, and the ball's flame chars his wound, which stops closing. Chuffy tries to harry the troll's other leg, but can't find purchase. Asta's spell takes hold - her foe's hide cracks in a few places, offering the promise of weak spots if a weapon can find them.
Arctorus's axe-swing catches on the troll's hide, scraping skin off but doing little in the way of actual damage. Arabeth continues throwing Life Links around, this time tying herself to Arctorus, and she readies...something.
The troll lashes out with its claws, raking across Arctorus's chest, then follows with a vicious bite to his shoulder with its right head. Its left head, however, is much more interested in the little (to it) thylacine harassing its feet. It reaches down and chomps on Chuffy, opening a massive wound on either side of the beast's chest.
Okay, no worries!
Should I just go ahead and bot Asta and Torod?
The big troll rocks from the fury of Arctorus's blow, a huge wound opening it his chest, but he roars defiance, and even as he does, the wound begins to close. (Arctorus is Shaken (-2 to attacks, saves, and skill/ability checks) for 1 round.)
Okay. Combat map is up in my profile, where your stat blocks are in discussion/gameplay, and in the campaign info.
GM Rolls, Nothing to Worry About Here!:
The troll stomps his way out of the Witchmarket, then stops, sniffs, and turns. "Nag smells a man!" "Rundi sees a rat!" The troll fumbles with the necklace he's been carrying, clips it around his neck, and stomps toward Torod, claws out!
Arctorus raises a good question? Do you want to see about setting an ambush for this two-headed troll, or let him go?
Arabeth (asking about scheduling):
The denizens of the Witchmarket don't have any firm ideas about when they'll return. They don't seem to follow any rhyme or reason in their path through the world - or at least, they only go where Aggys says to go. The box clicks and clatters before coughing out the requested wands, each with an identifying paper attached. As the first (a Wand of Cure Light Wounds, 50 Charges, 750 coins) falls out of the box, it creaks to a halt for a moment and Arabeth feels her coin purse grow noticeably lighter. The tag changes to (Cure Light Wounds, 50 charges - 18 Pre-Paid, 750 coins - 266 coins Pre-Paid). The other wands have similar tags (Fiery Runes, 50 Charges, 4,500 coins), (Fire Sneeze, 50 Charges, 4,500 Coins), and (Flaming Sphere, 50 Charges, 4,500 coins). With their wands purchased, the party regroups, re-collects their weapons, and is faced with a choice. Back to the city, or off to fight the trolls?
Sorry, sorry. It was Spring Break, and I sort of lost track of things while I was on vacation. I'm a teacher, so things get really undisciplined during Spring Break. I'll have posts rolling later today. And I suppose we could have a chat with locals in spoilers as we move the main story on. It's time.
Arabeth is able to dodge, tiptoe past, and otherwise avoid a swarm of grigs and two red-hatted, angry-looking little men who are arguing with each other as they make their way through the Witchmarket. After wandering for a while, she and Asta find themselves in front of a locked box on a stand. Nearby is a handwritten sign: Back in a few moments - Pay-What-You-Will Wands. Near the locking mechanism is a small slit and a pile of papers, along with a pen and ink. Papers:
Desired Effects:
Perception (DC 25):
Near the box, in the shadows, it's possible to make out a few figures moving. When they stray into the light of the lamp above, however, they disappear. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = As Torod and Arctorus (I think) make their way back to the edge of the Witchmarket, they see a single troll with two heads talking to a green-skinned shopkeep at a tinker's stand. Perception (DC 15): Though the troll (or trolls, perhaps) is trying to be quiet, it's easy to overhear that he's trying to get a necklace's clasp fixed. "For the boss, you understand. Have to fix it for the boss!"
Hello. I'm not 100% sure what to do here. It seems like Torod is sort of done with the Witchmarket, but Asta and Arabeth want to shop for wands. We could take care of the wands with gold if you have enough, that way we can move on.
"Wonderful! I now pronounce you...er...lizard and axe." The shopkeeper pulls Arctorus aside. "The marriage oath will suffice, for an oath to defeat the woodcutter's daughter's enemy. And, since she never got to marry in life, it'll help her experience it in death, at least until she can have a peaceful afterlife. She likes poetry, long walks in the woods, and slaying trolls." Arctorus:
[ooc]The axe is, functionally at least, a +1 great axe. However, it may have some other powers... The impromptu weapon wedding completed, the shopkeep hurries back past the cloth barrier. He returns with two bows and a quiver of arrows. "The arrows are recovered from a Kellid hunter who stalked mammoths. They're Hushing Arrows. The worst thing you can do when hunting a mammoth is let it trumpet, since it can send the rest of the herd into a panicked stampede - at least that's what the hunter told me. Their price is your voice, six seconds per arrow." He points to the first bow. It's a shorter bow, the kind a cavalryman might carry, made from layers of horn and yew. "This was a crusader's bow in the second Mendevian Crusade. Arrows fired from it that miss return to your quiver. Though the crusader fought hard, he wasn't able to stem the flow of the demons from the Worldwound, and in defeat, he traded it to me for a song. Unfortunately, the cost of this item is in coin - 8300 of your finest, to be precise." He sniffs, turning up his nose at the weapon. ”It’s the price it was consigned to me for, not one I’d ask.” The second bow is a greatbow, formed from a single branch. "If you know much about your target, this bow will be of great help. It was an elven bow, wielded by an archer against Treerazer in Kyonin. Its shots will, on occasion, be more effective when placed against enemies you know something about. However, its price is antithetical to its power - a loss of knowledge.”
"Yes, it did talk. Or, more accurately, it talked to you only." The shopkeep picks up the axe. "I told you that Gorum allowed the woodcutter's daughter to live on inside of it. There's one thing that must be done, if you are to embark on the sad Miss Elena's vengeance quest. Do you, Arctorus, take Miss Elena to be your lawfully-wedded axe, to cherish and protect, in sickness and in health, 'till death do you part?" Having asked the question of Arctorus, the shopkeep turns to Asta and Arabeth. "It's a fine staff, to be sure, but the value of a weapon is the stories it's been part of. Tell me the weapon's story, and I'll tell you its value. And no, miss, not all of my weapons are magic, but all of them have a tale, and all of them wish to continue it."
The axe's haft is longer and thicker than is usual for a human woodcutter's felling axe, although the head is more-or-less correctly-sized. Its grips feel about the right size for Actorus's claws, as well. It's clear that, whoever this woodcutter was, he was a big man. As Asta and Torod talk, they make their way toward Replaced Weapons. There, the shopkeep looks up, double-takes, and looks at both Asta and Torod expectantly. "Greetings, adventurers. Are you looking to buy? I have a wonderful selection of used and pre-owned weapons."
The Crone's Cart "A wonderful lie. I'm sure your enemy will believe it." Aggys claps her hands twice. "Vitalion!" The satyr appears in the door scant seconds later, as if he'd been listening outside the entire time. He bows, and the hag speaks. "Deliver the following lie to an enemy of our queen. You'll know the one, I think. And then, deliver the truth about their child to both Oleg and Svetlana." Once again, Vitalion bows and then disappears out of the wagon's door. "To answer, you'll know the truth if the truth's recipients deem sharing a good choice. Now, Torod, you wished for a better weapon? There are a great many weapon smiths in the Witchmarket, but if you'd prefer to negotiate with me instead, that can be arranged. A bow, is it? What are you looking for in a bow?" = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Replaced Weapons Arabeth arrives at Replaced Weapons just in time to see Arctorus talking to an axe sitting on the counter. The shopkeeper glances, then double-takes. He looks at Arabeth expectantly. ""Greetings, adventurer. Are you looking to buy? I have a wonderful selection of used and pre-owned weapons." Arctorus's sits there, listening for the axe to speak. As he does, a short rhyme bounces into his head, though no one else seems able to hear it. Arctorus:
"In dead of night, trolls did come, led by a titanic one." Though it seems like a small bit of information, no more is forthcoming, no matter how long Arctorus waits. The shopkeeper clears his throat. "You got the first rhyme, I presume. To be clear, she's talked to me before, but I'm a salesman, not a warrior. If you agree to help her, be prepared to commit to it. Will you take her?"
The Crone's Cart "Hahahaha, hehehe..." Aggys shines her lantern's light on Asta, looking her in the eye with a single, rheumy orb. "You...I like you. Heh. You may craft the lie, but I will deliver it. Once you've done your part, your friend shall know the truth of the child." She holds out a gnarled, arthritic hand to shake. "Agreed?" = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The Witchmarket A few smaller fae move out of Arabeth's path as she makes her way through the Witchmarket. Before long, she can see Replaced Weapons, and Arctorus's huge form inside it. Meanwhile, at Replaced Weapons, the shop's proprietor looks Arctorus over as he resheathes the sword and picks up the spear. "A...big axe? Very well, I'll see what I have in the back." His voice gets fainter as he steps through the cloth barrier. Not much call for big axes anymore. Heroes and adventurers all seem to want swords or bows, and no one gives a tinker's cuss for the weapon of the common folk." The man comes back and lays a beautiful felling axe on the table. The haft is nearly a yard long, made of thick oak and inscribed in Ulfen runes, while the blade, clearly not made for war, is nevertheless sharp and solid. "This one has a sad story, if a short one. It was used by a woodcutter only a few miles from here. He and his daughter lived in the Narlmarches near here, until the trolls came. They slew the woodcutter first, and then his daughter when she took up his axe. However, Gorum saw her bravery and blessed the axe; it carries her spirit. The price is an oath to find her killer and defeat him, but it could be a challenge, as she's never spoken the troll's name, nor described what he looks like." |
