Ezren

GM Haladir's page

1,343 posts. Alias of Haladir.


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Your humble narrator

Hi, folks.

My diagnosis last week wasn't nearly as scary as it could have been. I had outpatient surgery on Friday, and things are looking up.

That said, since Thursday, my gaming brain has been concentrating on the Pathfinder Playtest... I'm going to be running Doomsday Dawn for my regular Thursday night group, and I still don't really have my head around the new rules yet.

I'm hoping to pick up the pace here shortly.

Thanks for bearing with me!


Your humble narrator

Hi, folks.

Sorry for disappearing again. I was at an outdoor music festival Thu-Sun of last week. I was set to pick up again Monday, but routine medical exam turned up something potentially scary. I spent Monday at the hospital having tests run, and I've not been in much of a gaming mood as I wait for the results.

I hope to pick things up again soon, regardless.


Your humble narrator
Piper 'Pip' Zappenpop wrote:
Wait... How do I have the least HP here? Did I do something wrong?

Fighter's hp = 10 + Constitution score (NOT Con modifier).

Pip should have 23 hp.


Your humble narrator

Hi, folks.

I am SO sorry for the delayed start of this game. I thought that it was going to be a quiet summer, but life keeps throwing me curve-balls.

I was at a four-day outdoor music festival this past weekend. It was a lot of fun, but not really conducive to online gaming.

While I'm back home now, we had a family health scare today, and I spent the afternoon at the hospital. I should know what's going on in that light tomorrow... and hopefully it's a false alarm.

Consequently, my head's just not in the game right now.

I do fully intend to start up this game for real, soon.

Thanks for bearing with me.


Your humble narrator

Hi, folks.

Sorry for the silence.

My personal life got suddenly busy and my boss dumped a "drop everything and do this" project in my lap...

I'm hoping to get a real post up tonight.

I thought the summer would be a lot less busy than it's turning out to be. Thanks for bearing with me!


Your humble narrator

Hi, folks.

Sorry for the silence.

My personal life got suddenly busy and my boss dumped a "drop everything and do this" project in my lap...

I'm hoping to get a real post up tonight.

Thanks for bearing with me!


Your humble narrator

Sounds awesome, folks!!

It looks like we're just about ready to wrap our "Session Zero", and I'm working on putting together a few Fronts to get us started. I'm hoping I'll get a for-real Gameplay starter in a day or two.

Sorry for not moving this as quickly as I had hoped... life has become busier than I had expected for the summer.

That said, I've put together a description on the Campaign tab, with the Basic Moves and Special Moves available for reference.

I'm also working on putting together a player map of Kaer Maga.

I'm getting excited for this, and we'll start playing "for real" soon!


Your humble narrator

GM screen:
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16 ....Hmmm...

Cerin steps into the undergrowth of the thistle maze and scouts around while Fluff flies recon overhead.

Cerin in the Thistle Maze...
The stench of death permeates the Thistle Maze, as the corpses of dead goblin-zombies and a carrion crawler fester in the humid, still air. Flies buzz around the bodies, and several rats scurry away when you approach. The only other sound is that of surf and water sloshing from the chasm in the largest room. Cerin makes it to the rope bridge witout finding any other dagers.

* * * *

Fluff shakes her head and mutters, "...and here I thought I'd get a little more respect after almost dying on your fool adventures... She then flutters into the air and flies over the thistle maze, out of sight.

About five minutes later, Fluff returns, landing on Gwyn's head. "Only thing of interest I saw was what I thought was a falcon, so I dropped low. Turns out it was only an osprey, and they don't have a taste for songbirds, so I kept going. Other than seagulls, I didn't see anything moving on the rock or in the courtyard. But I did see something big swimming around in the water below the bridge. I couldn't see what it was, but it didn't look like a fish."

What do you do?


Your humble narrator

Hi, folks.

In a few hours, I'm driving down to New York City for the weekend to attend a family event. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to post, if at all. I should be back home Sunday night, and will resume posting by Monday.


Your humble narrator

Hi, folks.

In a few hours, I'm driving down to New York City for the weekend to attend a family event. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to post, if at all. I should be back home Sunday night, and will resume posting by Monday.


Your humble narrator

Okay! Let's move on! Anyone can make any additional purchase of standard equipment from the Core Rulebook. This includes alchemical items. You can also find any potion or scroll of CL 3 or lower that's based on a spell from the Core Rulebook. If you want to find somehthing else specific, I can make a check to see if there's one to be had in town.

The Sandpoint Heroes conclude their shopping at about 9:30 in the morning, and then head out the North Gate for one more foray into Thistletop.

Wandering monster check:
1d100 ⇒ 90 ...nope

It is about two hours past noon when you make your way out of Nettlewood and arrive at the thistle maze at the edge of the familair cliff. There is a bit of a cool sea breeze, and the air is thick with mist. You all hear the sound of surf crashing below. A faint but distinct stench of death permeates the area.

What do you do?


Your humble narrator

A little about world history for those not terribly familiar with Golarion.

As I have noted earlier, I am following the broad strokes of Golarion canon, but this game will not be beholden to canon if what we come up with is more interesting.

There are at least two characters on the run from Cheliax.

A little on Cheliax... The Empire of Cheliax is an expansionist state that lies about 1000 miles to the south. Once the favored nation of Aroden, the God of Humanity, the empire fell into civil war after the death of said god in the year 4606... which was 109 years ago. The Chelish Civil War occurred shortly thereafter, and ended about 70 years ago, when Duchess Abrogail of Egorian seized the throne and named herself Empress. The turning point in the war was when Abrogail signed a pact with Hell and bolstered her armies with legion of devils. To this day, the official state religion of Cheliax is worship of Asmodeus, Prince of Hell. Politics in Cheliax is very much "lawful evil," where the powerful use the letter of the (extremely complex) statute law to subjugate the weak. Political purges and assassinations are commonplace. The current Imperial Majestrix is Queen Abrogail II, the granddaughter of her namesake. Additionally: in Cheliax, halflings are a slave race; many attempt to escape to the relative freedom of the land of Varisia, where our campaign begins.

The land of Varisia is an unorganized border territory with no central government. The land is dotted with city-states, the largest of which control the lands around them. The five largest city-states in Varisia are Korvosa to the south, Magnimar to the west, Riddleport to the northwest, Janderhoff to the southeast, and Kaer Maga. The southern and coastal parts of Varisia are temperate and mostly forested; Korvosa, Magnimar, and Riddleport are located there. Janderhoff is located in a mountainous border region. The norther part of Varisia is an arid plateau that rises nearly a mile above the lowlands; Kaer Maga sits just on the edge of that plateau.


Your humble narrator

Ah, the lack of distinction between second-person singular and plural in English...

Yes, for "1" and "2", I meant each individual should answer.

Question "3" is a group project. ;-)


Your humble narrator

At Savah's...

The proprietor looks over Gwyn's bow, and says, "Yes, I do have something that might be more fitting..." She steps into a back room, and brings out an elegantly carved bow of ash, which she strings. The bow is clearly of Elven manufacture.

"That same merchant who sold me those arrows also sold me this. I bought it on spec, thinking that Shalelu might be interested in it. Turns out that her bow was a family heirloom, and she said that she was not looking to replace it. I'll let you have it for 300 ducats, plus your old bow. It's still in very good shape."

This is a masterwork longbow.

* * * *

At Cracktooth's...

The barman laughs at Orik's description of a boring play. "Oh, no! This play has action, romance, and derring-do! It's going to be a very fun show. You should come!" He then adds, "And glad you like the beer. I special-ordered it from Two Knights Brewing, and I'm the only one who sells it."


Your humble narrator

Now that I finally have a bit of free time, let's finalize fleshing out the start of the campaign and the characters...

Aegor 'The Beast' is a male half-elf druid. He's kind of a "wild man" who's seen all the wild places in Varisia, and now finds himself in the City of Strangers. He'll probably fit in just fine. Probably.

Chipluk is a male albino halfling with white hair and red eyes. He's a street-smart grifter who's always playing an angle, and a native of Kaer Maga.

Dahlia is a female human cleric of Abadar, the God of Civilization. She wants to help the downtrodden, while at the same time is fascinated by all the weirdness that's normal in Kaer Maga.

Halek is a male human ranger who's currently working for the Duskwardens: a group of professional guides who lead travelers along the Halflight Path, which is an underground passageway that's the fastest (and most dangerous) road that connects Kaer Maga to the rest of Varisia.

Pip is a female halfling street fighter known for her "ticklers": heavy, spiked boxing gloves wound with barbed wire.

Silas is a male human bard, in Kaer Maga for... reasons? (I'm not too clear on that.)

Overall Themes

From what you've written so far, it sounds like you want to be street-level characters looking to make a better life for yourselves in this weird city. Some of you have underground connections and/or have made unsavory life choices.

More questions...

I'm not particularly interested in contriving a story that brings you all together. Since you already have Bonds about each other, I would like to assume that you all have worked together in the past and know each other at least tolerably well.

As we continue the Session Zero part of this campaign, I have three more questions for all of you:

1) What brought you to Kaer Maga, and why do you stay here?

2) Who is your foe/rival/enemy, and what is the nature of your animosity?

3) What was your group's first adventure together?

I'm going to post some more general information about the City of Strangers shortly.

That said, this is Dungeon World, a game where you always leave gaps and ask questions that move the story forward. I am not holding this version of Kaer Maga to any sort of Golarion canon: Feel free to create names, locations, and organizations that sound interesting to your character. While we may very well have a bit of a meta-discussion about any new elements of the Fiction, you folks are fully empowered to do some world-building of your own!


Your humble narrator

Conclusion of the court case:
I've been following the case in local media. Turns out that with actual, y'know testimony, the story was a little more complex than the lawyers laid out in voir dire. The verdict came in: "not guilty."

One of the jurors was interviewed after the case. The anonymous juror reported that while the jury leaned toward believing the prosecution, there was enough reasonable doubt remaining that they had to acquit.

* * * *

Sorry for disappearing for a few days, and for this being a bit slower-going than I'd envisioned. A project deadline at work got moved up on me, and that's been sucking most of the free time I usually spend on gaming. It also seems that every time I do try to sit down and sort through what you folks have written so far, I get interrupted!

I am going to do just that: Sort through your characters' backstories a bit and summarize... hopefully before I head to bed for the night, and if not, tomorrow for sure.

One thing about Dungeon World: As players, you all get to do world-building, too! If you need the name of a gang or business or enemy or ally: Just name it! We'll work together to figure out where they fit in the story!

Once I've got a handle on who we are, we'll start in earnest!


Your humble narrator

Cracktooth's...

The barkeep smiles warmly at the compliment... the expression seems in stark contrast to his otherwise dangerous-looking features.

"Right! One bitter coming right up."

He produces a pewter tankard and pulls a draught of ale with a thick white head.

"I mostly cater to the theater crowd. Before or after a show, we're packed." He points his thumb over his shoulder at the stage. "I like to provide a bit of pre- and post-show entertainment here, too. That's a bit of a draw. And some of the regulars come any time I'm open... like right now."

The beer is cellar temperature, pale gold in color, light in body, with a pronounced bitterness without being too aggressive. All-in-all, a pretty darned good ale!

"What with the goblin attack last week, Cydrak had to put his opening night of The Harpy's Curse on hiatus because three of the actors he'd brought in from Magnimar rode back at first light the next day. But I hear that he's coaxed two of them back, and has talked a local into performing the third missing part for him. According to the posters he's putting up, it'll be opening this Starday."

Perception (DC 15):
Propped on a book stand behind the bar is a slim volume. It looks like a the script of a play.

* * * *

Savah's...

At Kyrian's question, Savah says, "Arrows? A day before the Swallowtail Festival, I bought some quality arrows from an elvish trader who'd come down from Crying Leaf."

You can purchase the following kinds of arrows (Note: These prices include a discount.)

Alchemical silver arrows (1 gp each) [max:30]
Cold iron arrows (1 sp each) [max: 10]
Masterwork arrows (5 gp each) [max: 50]
+1 arrows (40 gp each) [max: 20]

* * * *

I am happy to keep role-playing in Sandpoint for as long as you want. Let me know if you'd like to move this into narrative mode to speed things up. If so, what do you do?


Your humble narrator

I was not picked to be on the jury, so that will not be a hindrance to my posting rate.

Details of the case. Trigger warning:
Since I'm not on the jury, and the case will be a matter of public record, I am now free to speak about yesterday's voir dire.

(To non-US residents: In American jurispridence, voir dire is the process of jury selection, where potential jurors are questioned about their biases in the case at hand... such as having heard about the case in the news; knowing the defendant, counsel, or a witness personally; having been the victim of a similar crime; believing that if a person was arrested, they must be guilty of something; etc. Potential jurors who express such biases are dismissed from serving.)

One factor that made this jury hard to fill was that the incident had received a fair amout of coverage in the local media when it happened, and many of the potential jurors were familar with the media reporting. I had not heard of this incident before, which is why I thought that I would probably be picked for the jury.

This morning, they continued voir dire and called abother 18 names to fill the remaining seats (12 jurors and 2 alternates). I was not called to the fourth panel, and all remaining potential jurors were dismissed (including me).

The defendant was charged with rape in the first degree.

The incident occured at a local bar, approximately three years ago.

The defendant and the accuser met each other at the bar on the night of the incident. They had been drinking and dancing together for a couple of hours. They both went into a single-occupancy restroom to snort some cocaine, and had sex in the restroom. The defendant says the sex was consensual; the accuser says it was rape. There were no other witnesses to the act itself.

Another factor that has to be addressed is race: The defendant is African-American; the accuser is white. As we all know, there is a long history in the US of extreme bias against black men having sex with white women, and how a black man accused of raping a white woman can be at at grave disadvantage in court. (c.f. the plot of the classic American novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.)

At the same time, women have traditionally been at a disadvantage when making accusations of rape, especially when they had been drinking and/or had willingly gone off alone with the accused.

It sounds like the whole case is going to boil down to a "he said/she said" situation, with race, the "Me Too" movement, and the chemical impairment of judgement on both parties all muddying the waters.

All-in-all, I am very happy not to have to sit in judgement of this one.


Your humble narrator

Hey, folks.

I'm not sure how much posting I'm going to get in this week.

I had jury duty today, and while I didn't get picked, they went through 54 potential jurors and have only called 9 so far. I have to go back tomorrow for a fourth round of jury selection, and I have a weird feeling that I am going to get picked for this one.

It's a criminal case that will be emotionally jarring. I can't say anything beyond that.

I'll let you know how things pan out.


Your humble narrator

Hey, folks.

I'm not sure how much posting I'm going to get in this week.

I had jury duty today, and while I didn't get picked, they went through 54 potential jurors and have only called 9 so far. I have to go back tomorrow for a fourth round of jury selection, and I have a weird feeling that I am going to get picked for this one.

It's a criminal case that will be emotionally jarring. I can't say anything beyond that.

I'll let you know how things pan out.


Your humble narrator

Cerin: I'm not exactly sure what your old shield was. Savah will offer you 50% of the standard sale price. The new shield counts as a magical light wooden shield. It is immune to acid damage, but does not convey that property to you.


Your humble narrator

This is great stuff!


Your humble narrator

On Bonds

Dungeon World Core Rulebook, p. 30 wrote:

Bonds are what make you a party of adventurers, and not just a random assortment of people. They're the feelings, thoughts, and shared history that tie you together. You'll always have at leat one Bond, and you'll often have more.

Each Bond is a simple statement that relates your character to another player character. Your class give you a few to start with; you'll replace your starting Bonds and gain new ones through play.

Bonds are a combination role-playing aid and a game mechanic to ensure that the PCs all have connections to each other. Everyone should have at least three Bonds, and each Bond should be with another PC. You can have a maximum of five Bonds, if you want: One with each of the other PCs.

The Bonds that are presented on the character sheet are guidelines: Anything in that vein is fine by me. Before you write down a Bond, make sure that the player of the character with whom you share that Bond is OK with what you have in mind. (That doesn't necessarily mean that the other player character is OK with it!) Bonds are one of the things that you as players need to work out among yourselves as you develop your backstories.

Dungeon World Core Rulebook, p.30 wrote:

At the end of each session, you may resolve one Bond. Resolution of a Bond depends on both you and the player of the character you share the Bond with: You may suggest that the Bond has been resolved through play, and if they agree, it is. When you resolve a Bond, mark an XP.

A Bond is resolved when it no longer describes how you feel about that person. That may be because circumstances have changed—Thelian used to have your back, but after he abandoned you to to those goblins, now you're not so sure. Or, it could be that it's no longer question—You guided Wesley before and he owed you, but he paid the debt when he saved your life with a well-timed spell.

Any time you look at a Bond and think, "That's not a big factor in how we relate anymore," the Bond is at a good place to resolve.

After you resolve a Bond, you should write a new one. The new Bond does not have to be with the same character, but it can be. When you write a new Bond, it should be about something that happened recently in the course of play. You should choose a thought or belief about that character that ties you together, and an action that's something you intend to do about it.

Here are some examples of new Bonds from the book...

  • Mouse's quick thinking saved me from the ice dragon's attack. I owe her a boon.

  • Avon proved himself a coward in the Dungeons of Xax'Takar. He is a dangerous liability to the party and must be watched.

  • Valeria's kindness to the Gnomes of the Vale has swayed my heart. I will prove to her that I am not the callous thug she thinks I am.

  • Xotoq won the Bone-And-Whispers Axe through trickery! That prize is rightfully mine, and I swear I shall have it.


Your humble narrator

At Cracktooth's Tavern...

The first thing that Orik notices when he walks into this tavern is how spacious the barroom is. The second is the stage set up on the far wall opposite the bar. Even though it's barely midday, there are about a dozen people in the tavern, and several of them nod in your direction when you enter.

Behind the bar, wiping pewter tankards with a rag, stands a tall man with thick black hair tied in a long ponytail, a distinct greenish complexion, and a severe underbite. His two lower canines sick up through his lips, and one of them is obviously chipped. Despite his thuggish expression, he is wearing stylish clothing. He smiles as you enter.

"Afternoon, stranger! What can I get ya?"

* * * *

At Savah's Armory...

Savah nods at Cerin's question. "Hmm... Yes, I do have an oversized wood-and-leather buckler that's just about the size of that one. Give me a moment..." She heads over to one of the walls that displays several shields. While most are metal, one round shield is made of thick leather stretched over a wooden frame. The black leather looks like it may have been from a giant lizard of some sort, and the scales glisten in the sunlight. "Here we go! I traded for this shield last time I was in Magnimar. According to what I was told, this shield is made of the hide of a swamp dragon that had lived in the Mushfens, and was hunted down and slain after it attacked a riverboat on the Yondabarki. A master craftsman made a few suits of armor from its hide... and this shield. Don't let the leather fool you: It's nearly as strong as steel! Normally, I would ask 1350 ducats for it, but since you're the Heroes of Goblin Day, you can have it for 1200."

This is a +1 black dragonhide light shield.


Your humble narrator

Welcome everyone!!

Before we begin, I want to start out by posting my usual blurb about my GMing style...

GM Haladir wrote:

To me, the magic of a role-playing game is the collective storytelling aspect. When I GM, I strive to spin a fun, engaging story where the players take on the roles of the protagonists. As a collective experience, I very much encourage players to add to the story. Go ahead and build references to your own (or other PCs'!) backstories in your posts. When appropriate, make up minor NPCs to interact with. Take the story down an unexpected path.

I'm not a fan of pointless PC death. It's one thing to make a heroic sacrifice to defeat the Big Bad, or to hold the pass to let innocents escape. It's quite another to get decapitated by an owlbear in a random forest encounter, or to get your throat cut during a fight with Thug#3 who happened to score a two critical hits and roll max damage both times. Consequently, my philosophy is not to let a bad die roll derail the plot. (Complicate the plot? Certainly. Derail? No.) That said, the life of an adventurer is inherently dangerous. I'm far less merciful with PCs making bad decisions than I am with bad dice rolls.

I'm not a huge stickler for rules-as-written, and try to live by rules-as-intended. (This is why I'd make a lousy GM in PFS.) I have no problem with ruling "No. Because that's dumb." Usually, I'm pretty liberal with interpretations, unless it leads to absurdity.

It's less a thing with PbPs, but in the case of rules questions, I like to make a table ruling to keep the encounter moving, and then figure out the real rule between sessions.

I wrote that about Pathfinder. I have found the Dungeon World is nearly perfect for for my GM style, as several of those aspects are baked right in.

So... let's get started!

I'd like to start with the big picture: What kind of story do we want to tell?

Kaer Maga is a weird and interesting enough place that all kinds of stories are equally appropriate.

Are you street rats or petty criminals who want a bigger piece of the action?

Are you freedom fighters who want to elevate the downtrodden?

Are you explorers who wish to unearth the city's secrets (and treasures) buried by the past?

Or something else entirely?


Okay, folks...

This was a tough choice.

Would the following characters please dot-and-delete in the Gameplay thread, and then post in the Discussion thread...

Aegor the Beast (AdamWarnock)
Dahlia, Servant of Abadar (Archpaladin Zousha)
Halek (James Keegan)
Pip (Choon)
Rook (Mishima)
Silas Asgavan (King HotTrash)

...if you haven't yet created an Alias, please do so.

Thanks again to everyone who submitted a character or expressed interest. I honestly wish that I could have accepted everyone.


Your humble narrator

Discussion thread for GM Haladir's Dungeon World: City of Strangers campaign.


Your humble narrator

In the outcast city of Kaer Maga, your business is YOUR business, and no ware is too dangerous or taboo to find a buyer. Within the walls of this ancient and half-ruined fortress, refugees and criminals from every nation disappear into the swirling crowds of gangs and monsters.

Here, leech-covered bloatmages haggle with religious zealots who sew their own lips shut, while naga crime lords squeeze self-mutilating troll prophets for protection money. And these are just the city’s anarchic residents, not the fearsome beasts barely contained in the mysterious dungeons beneath the streets, held at bay by the elite rangers known as the Duskwardens.

Welcome to the City of Strangers, a haven of freedom and independence—assuming you survive.

Players: Please dot-and-delete in this thread to add this campaign to your list of active campaigns. Then, please go to the Discussion thread so we can all create the starting Fiction for this game. Thanks!


Recruitment is closed.

Here are the final applicants...

KingHotTrash: Silas Asgavan (human bard)
CCCXLII: Sen the Undefeated (human barbarian)
Mishima: Rook (halfling thief)
The Unthinker: Elohiir Minathas (elf fighter)
Archpaladin Zousha: Dahlia, Servant of Abadar (human cleric)
Choon: Pip (halfling fighter)
Bookrat: Orgud (dwarf fighter)
James Keegan: Halek (human ranger)
AdamWarnock: Aegor the Beast (elf druid)

I really wish I could run a table of nine! These are all great characters, and you all seem so enthusiastic for this game.

I will make my final decision sometime tomorrow.

Thanks so much for your interest in this game!


Note on Playbooks: Playbooks themselves include all of the special rules for the character. The only other Moves you'll need to know are the Basic Moves and Special Moves available to all characters.

Some folks have said that the link to the Improved Fighter playbook was broken. This link goes to a MediaFire page, where you should be able to download a copy for free. I don't see this playbook on DriveThruRPG, and I think it was originally somebody's homebrew.

Here are the applicants so far...

KingHotTrash: An Arcane Duelist (no submitted stats yet)
CCCXLII: Sen the Undefeated (human barbarian)
Mishima: Rook (halfling thief)
The Unthinker: Elohiir Minathas (elf fighter)
Archpaladin Zousha: Dahlia, Servant of Abadar (human cleric)
Choon: Pip (halfling fighter)
Bookrat: Orgud (dwarf fighter)
James Keegan: Halek (human ranger)
AdamWarnock: Aegor the Beast (elf druid)

Did I miss anybody?


If anyone is leaning toward Fighter, I would recommend looking at Improved Fighter instead. I really like the Battle Instincts move: it adds a lot of possibilities in combat.


AdamWarnock wrote:
Definitely interested. Will you allow us to use Class Warfare if we have it?

I am not familiar with that supplement. Let me see if I can find a copy...

[EDITED to add...]

After reading the description over at DriveThruRPG, Class Warfare looks like an alternate class creation system, rather than a set of playbooks. I'm already over my monthly gaming budget, so I'm going to have to say "no" at this time.


It looks like we already have more than six players interested!

Cool!

It looks like I will have to make a choice as to which characters to add. I would like you to come up with character concepts, and I'll have to make some hard choices.

Let's leave Recruitment up until: Saturday 6/22/2018.

As for playbooks...

Any of the following playbooks are fine:

Basic Playbooks:

  • Barbarian
  • Bard
  • Cleric
  • Druid
  • Figher
  • Immolator
  • Paladin
  • Ranger
  • Thief
  • Wizard

Third-Party Playbooks:

I am happy to consider other playbooks. I have played previously with the above third-party playbooks, and they all seemed to work just fine.

If you want to use a race/class combo that's not supported by the playbook (e.g. an elf Thief), we can certainly work out an alternative race move for you.


KingHotTrash wrote:
What kind of story are we looking to play in and what kind of story are you looking to run? Seedy underworld characters? Good guys trying to make a difference? I'm for whatever, really.

I'm planning for us to figure that out in the Discussion thread once we have our players assemble.

One reason I picked Kaer Maga for the setting is that you can tell all kinds of different stories. That said, I tend to prefer GMing games where the PCs are the good guys.


Your humble narrator

In case anyone is interested...

I just posted a Recruitment thread for an experimental sandbox campaign, set in the city of Kaer Maga, using the Dungeon World game system.

[DUNGEON WORLD] City of Strangers - A Sandbox Campaign

Dot or post if you might be interested!


In the outcast city of Kaer Maga, your business is YOUR business, and no ware is too dangerous or taboo to find a buyer. Within the walls of this ancient and half-ruined fortress, refugees and criminals from every nation disappear into the swirling crowds of gangs and monsters.

Here, leech-covered bloatmages haggle with religious zealots who sew their own lips shut, while naga crime lords squeeze self-mutilating troll prophets for protection money. And these are just the city’s anarchic residents, not the fearsome beasts barely contained in the mysterious dungeons beneath the streets, held at bay by the elite rangers known as the Duskwardens.

Welcome to the City of Strangers, a haven of freedom and independence—assuming you survive.

* * * *

This is an open recruitment thread for a sandbox-style campaign set in Kaer Maga, the City of Strangers.

This campaign will be using the Dungeon World game system.

What is Dungeon World?

Dungeon World is a table-top role-playing game system that is narrative-focued, fast-paced, and open-ended. In Dungeon World, every roll of the dice means that someting exciting happens. There are no dead-ends in Dungeon World: Every move always pushes the story forward, often in unexpectedly surprising and delightful ways.

Dungeon World uses the Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) game engine to re-create the look-and-feel and open-ended excitement of the early days of heroic fantasy role-playing gaming, while presenting a modern, simple-to-learn, unified game mechanic. In Dungeon World, the GM never touches the dice.

How is gameplay different than OGL systems (like Pathfinder)?

DW is still a level-based system, where you pick your class and race. Each class has unique abilities, and as your character increases in power, you gain new abilites that you can choose from.

The rules are much simpler, with far fewer fiddly bits, and there is a higher level of abstraction. You can create your character and be ready to play in about five minutes, and all the rules you need to know will be on your character sheet. Players and the GM spend far more time knee-deep in the narrative, describing actions and consequences, and very little time looking up rules.

Dungeon World focuses on narrative play. The central tenet is "Ask questions, leave gaps." Gameplay is more of a conversation than anything else. You say something, another player replies, and maybe someone else chimes in. The GM will frequently refer to the Fiction, which is the storyline of the characters and the world around them. Players have a strong hand in world-building.

In my 30+ years of playing TT RPGs, I have never encountered a system better-suited to sandbox-style play.

Does Dungeon World have an SRD?

Why, yes. Yes, it does.

So, how does a game like Dungeon World work in play-by-post?

Honestly, I'm not quite sure. This part is an experiment.

What is the setting?

Kaer Maga, Varisia, Inner Sea Region, Golarion.

The City of Strangers is a weird enough place that I think it would be very cool area to explore as a sandbox. We'll start out with everything painted in broad strokes, but as we play, we'll be fleshing out the city in the Fiction.

I will be using Pathfinder Chronicles: City of Strangers as a starting point, but I am not strictly beholden to Golarion canon in this campaign. I want to explore where the players send the storyline, and if we come up with cooler stuff than James Sutter did, then that's awesome!

What posting rate are you expecting?

I'd like to shoot for a post-a-day or so... maybe five posts per player per week? DW is faster-paced that OGL games, and I'm still not exactly sure how well it will work as a PbP. I'm interested to see how it goes!

What's next?

Are you interested? Then post below!

I will be looking for 4-6 players. I will need to cap at 6 players. If more than that are interested, I'll need to make some hard decisions...


Your humble narrator

...AAAAAAND... We're back!!

As the Sandpoint Heroes enter Savah's Armory, Gwyn trips on the threshold of the door. She grabs Kyrian's arm to steady herself, but does so just as he's mid-stride. He spins and falls on his rump, with Gwyn landing right in his lap.

Fluff, of course, flutters off her master's shoulder as Gwyn starts to fall, alighting on Gwyn's head. The bird bends over, looking at Gwyn upside-down and scolds, "Gwyn! Don't be so forward! I heard that the Vindler girl gets jealous and has a mean streak!"

Savah herself then rushes out from behind the counter, checking to see if everyone is OK. Realizing that nobody is bruised but for their egos, she adds, "Hey-- I have a new ad slogan! 'Come to Savah's Armory! Even the Sandpoint Heroes are tripping over themselves to get in the front door!'"

After a chuckle, she helps Kyrian and Gwyn up to their feet, and both get a strong inkling about just how strong Savah might be...

"Well, that was exciting. So, what can I do for you fine people this morning? That magical repeating crossbow is still for sale... and I recently acquired this..." She points to a greataxe hanging on the wall, obviously of orcish manufacture, but crafted with great skill and artistry... in the brutally effective manner of orchish weaponry. "And it's magical, too! See?" She takes it off the wall, and as she approaches Gwyn, it begins to glow blood-red. "It glows whenever elves or dwarves are nearby!"


Your humble narrator

I am hoping to finally get this off the ground this weekend.

On a completely unrelated note...

As I may have mentioned previously, outside of the Paizo boards, I am primarily playing the RPG Dungeon World to scratch the fantasy gaming itch. It's a rules-light system than emphasizes the storyline and fast-paced action, without ever getting bogged down in complex rules. I have really been singing the praises of this game system for years now.

Right now, Bundle of Holding is offering a Dungeon World bundle, which gets you PDFs of the DW rulebook, plus several supplements, all for $6 (basic), or with an additional eight supplements for $15.

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/DungeonWorld3/

I can't praise Dungeon World enough. My Thursday night fantasy game these days is a DW campaign I'm running that we're calling "DungeonFinder": a sandbox game set in Varisia, with the PCs being DW-conversions of Ezren, Merisiel, Kyra, and Amiri. We've been having a ball!

If you've got $6 to spare, I really would encourage you to check out Dungeon World!

Thanks for letting me plug this, and now we return to our regularly-scheduled Discussion thread.


Your humble narrator

I'm still reading through notes and prepping maps. I hope to get things started again later today.


Your humble narrator

Ain't no party like an adventuring party!

I'll try to get a new gameplay post up shortly for our triumphant return!


Your humble narrator

Nate: I sent you a PM about some tinkering I'd done with the transition from Burnt Offerings to Skinsaw Murders.


Your humble narrator

Hooray!

I'll wait a couple more days to see if Misroi or Kyle check in, but I'll call this a quorum!


Your humble narrator

I am hopefully about to cast resurrection on this campaign, if enough players are interested. Please check in at the Discussion thread of you are so inclined!


Your humble narrator

Hey, folks.

My enthusiasm for gaming in general and Pathfinder in particular has really been rekindled by attending PaizoCon.

I think that my life as calmed down sufficiently to give this campaign another good ol' college try.

Are people up for dusting off their characters and giving this one another go?


Your humble narrator

As much as it pains me to say it, I need to put this game on official hiatus for the foreseeable future. See the Discussion thread for details.


Your humble narrator

Hi, folks.

I am still alive, if anyone was wondering.

As you can tell from my lack of posts in over a month, I am still having great difgiculty carving out time to GM at this time. I think it is time to be realistic and say that I don't really see this changing any time in the foreseeable future.

I think is it time to say that I really can't continue running this game in good conscience.

I want to thank you all for playing. I have had tons of fun with you all, and have really enjoyed this game immensely. You folks have been great!

If there comes a time when I have the time and resources to return, I'll contact you to see if you would be interested in picking this game back up where we left off.

Thanks again for being a part of this game, and best of luck to everyone!

BTW, barring a repeat of last year's travel hell, I will be at Paizocon this year. If any of you will be there, I hope we can meet up!

Thanks again for so many hours of fun and excitement!

--Mike "Haladir" Ferdinando


Your humble narrator

As much as it pains me to say it, I need to put this game on hiatus for the foreseeable future. See the Discussion thread for details.


Your humble narrator

Hi, folks.

As you can tell from my lack of posts in a month, I am still having a very hard time carving out time to GM this game. I think it is time to be realistic and say that I don't really see this changing any time in the foreseeable future.

I think is it time to say that I really can't continue running this game in good conscience.

I want to thank you all for playing. I have had a lot of fun with you all, and have really enjoyed this game immensely. You folks have been great!

If there comes a time when I have the time and resources to return, I'll contact you to see if you would be interested in picking this game back up where we left off.

Thanks again for being a part of this game, and best of luck to everyone!

BTW, barring a repeat of last year's travel hell, I will be at Paizocon this year. If any of you will be there, I hope we can meet up!


Your humble narrator

Hi, folks.

I am suddenly dealing with some elder care issues from 300 miles away. I'm not sure when I'll be able to resume regular posting.

Thanks for understanding.


Your humble narrator

Hi, folks.

I am suddenly dealing with some elder care issues from 300 miles away. I'm not sure when I'll be able to resume regular posting.

Thanks for understanding.

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