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![]() One question before I put forward any ideas: I have done prepwork to GM this AP in the past, so I am rather familiar with the overall plot of the adventure. Would this disqualify me from applying? I like to think that I am generally good at keeping player knowledge separate from character knowledge, but I will respect your decision either way. :) ![]()
![]() Who is your character?
What is your character?
Why did your character join the Riftwardens?
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![]() Hi GM! Seeing as this game takes place years after every established AP, would you opposed to a character who worships Cassandalee? The only issue is that she has no official deity statblock (it is technically determinant), so a little bit of homebrew would be required. I imagine that some reverse engineering could be done from Starfinder's Triune. In brief, the character in question would be an android pilgrim (probably a cleric) from Numeria, seeking to spread their goddess's faith and to establish a new place where androids can live freely. (I am assuming that at this point, the Technic League as it was once known is history.) ![]()
![]() A new thread might be helpful for wiping the slate clean and giving us a bit of a fresh start, but I'd understand the appeal of keeping this one. Personally, I do not think we need to add anyone else to the party. The Thistletop dungeon got a little cramped, and I don't think poor Nualia stood much of a chance against so many of us. ![]()
![]() 4d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 1, 4) = 15 14
21 point buy. I'm not sure what class to go with just yet, but the plot hook has more or less cemented the djinni in my head. That would give me five class levels to play around with. Seeing leinathan's post as I'm typing this...
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![]() I’m sad that we won’t get to see this through to the end, but I understand completely. Honestly, I am surprised and grateful that you kept this game running for as long as you did. I know I was far from the most consistent player, and the player turnaround in general was a bit painful. Even so, I appreciate your patience and all the hard work you put into running this game. Happy gaming, everyone. I hope to see you all around sometime soon. :) ![]()
![]() Hey folks. I've given it a lot of thought over the past week and unfortunately, I've come to the decision to close the curtain on this little adventure. My previous excuses aside, I've more or less realized that I like the idea of play-by-post GMing a lot more than actually doing it. Delivering a meaningful, interactive narrative sounds fun, but it takes a crazy amount of work. Work which I am consistently unwilling or incapable of putting out. Maybe I'll experiment with running a game over Discord in the future, but until then, I think I am perfectly content with just being a player. :) ![]()
![]() Despite being in point-blank range, the gremlin's head makes for a difficult target, especially since said gremlin clearly has no intention of standing still. Anna's arrow zips right past the chortling gremlin. Likewise, when Dar'shyn attempts to snap at it with his jaws, the creature dances out of the way. Morgan and Fal are up! ![]()
![]() As evidence may suggest, it is mostly just the procrastinating. :P But I suppose my poor sleep schedule is to blame as well. I wake up early and stay up really late. Makes it really difficult to focus on posting in the mornings, when it would be most convenient for me to do so. Otherwise things are going fine, thankfully. ![]()
![]() Unfortunately for Wrixx, the tiny, nimble gremlin makes for a difficult target. It simply dances out of the way of his electric spell, which harmlessly strikes a nearby wall and dissipates. The jinkin sticks out its thin, lizard-like tongue and lets out another bout of irksome laughter. Further down the tunnel, with the disappearance of her quarry, Morgan is left standing alone. That is until another gremlin comes running from out of the dark, a tiny sword clutched high over its head. Unleashing a high-pitched battle cry, it makes a run for her leg - the only part of her it can even reach. It is an easy target for Morgan, who promptly greets the jinkin with her earthbreaker, bringing it down over the creature's head with a crack. Blood seeps from the gremlin's eyes, but by some miracle it is left standing. Teetering on its feet, it stumbles into the changeling and swings its blade at her ineffectually, far too disoriented to hits its target. Morgan AoO: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Jinkin 2 enters Morgan's square and provokes an attack of opportunity. Morgan hits it for 4 points of damage after damage reduction, wounding it. Anna, Morgan, and Fal are up! ![]()
![]() An unsubtle snicker alerts you to another nearby presence - standing by the ledge behind you is another jinkin, armed with a tiny sword. It jeers at your group with its high-pitched voice, speaking in a tongue you do not comprehend, though it is obviously being very rude. Cruodh passes his spear to Era. Era is up! ![]()
![]() Morgan runs right up to the wounded gremlin, her towering form casting a dark shadow over it. The tiny creature kooks up at her with its one good eye and lets out another shriek, not of pain, but of pure terror. The jinkin backs away from her, nearly tripping over its own feet in the process, before abruptly vanishing with a quiet pop. Fal is up! ![]()
![]() @Anna: No check, but treat the square before it as difficult terrain for the purpose of charging, etc. Seemingly rooted to the spot by Anna's arrow, the screaming gremlin is an easy target. This time she lands a hit on the scrawny creature's abdomen, but the arrow does not sink in nearly as deep as the first. Anna hits the jinkin for 1 point of damage. (Point-Blank Shot also adds a +1 bonus to damage rolls.) Morgan is still up! ![]()
![]() Just a disclaimer, of sorts. Since I don't have interactive lighting, you can't really turn a corner and find an enemy standing there, since I have to manually reveal areas on the map. Which might make a few things a bit weird in some cases. While I can assure you that I won't use this fact to screw you all over, it is still rather inconvenient. There are a few potential solutions I can think of, but I'd like to hear any thoughts you might have. :) ![]()
![]() Despite its apparent "terror", the gremlin makes no effort to run away, a decision that it quickly comes to regret. Anna's arrow zips through the air and hits the jinkin's face, putting out its beady left eye. Only because of the tiny creature's supernatural resilience does the projectile fail to run through its head entirely. The gremlin shrieks with agony and clutches its wound, the arrow sticking out of its head itself being half the length of its body. Initiative Rolls
Initiative Order
In response to the gremlin's cries of pain, you all hear the patter of tiny little feet, running across the floor... Anna hits the jinkin for 3 points of damage. It is wounded. The red line on the map represents the tripwire. Era is up. ![]()
![]() Well aware that they are not alone in the cave, the group carefully presses forward and peers around the corner. Standing in the next cave is a scaly little creature with large pointed ears, glowing yellow eyes, and a mouthful of needle-like teeth, fixed in a seemingly perpetual grin. At first it does not seem to notice you, but when it does, it tosses up its small arms and lets out a shout of surprise. Perception DC 16:
Almost directly in front of the gremlin is a tripwire, identical to the first. Knowledge (nature) DC 6:
The creature is a jinkin, a type of gremlin that takes great delight in constructing traps and stealing people’s possessions. Their favorite tactic is to strike their victim from the shadows while they are unaware (sneak attack), and then “flee” deeper into their territory, where their traps can do their work for them. Knowledge (nature) DC 11:
Jinkin are by their very nature cowardly. The moment that they believe a fight is not going their way, they use dimension door to escape with any stolen goods in their possession. Knowledge (nature) DC 16: In groups of six, jinkin are capable of bestowing a curse on a helpless individual, an act usually committed as revenge. More often however, the gremlins instead tinker with a magic item, compromising its reliability. It is not uncommon for them to steal a magic item from its owner, tinker with it, and then return it in secret as an elaborate prank. ![]()
![]() Carefully stepping over the wire, Wrixx peers into the crevice and comes face to face with a thin, sharpened length of metal. Inspecting the concealed mechanism more closely, he finds that tripping the wire would have released the spring-loaded spike, propelling it into its unfortunate victim. Fortunately, the trap is hardly a sophisticated one. The metal spike is easily removable, sliding right out of the tightly coiled spring without any resistance, leaving you with a tripwire that triggers precisely nothing. As Wrixx, Era, and Tally work on the trap, Dar'shyn peers through the cavern entrance and emits a low growl. GM Rolls: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33 ![]()
![]() Thankfully, the ledge leading onto the caves is not very high. When you scramble onto the shelf, most of you find out right away that the ceiling here is not quite tall enough to accommodate your full height. Everyone but Cruodh and Wrixx (and Dar'shyn, of course) have little choice but to stoop their heads low. As you begin to proceed, you see that there are two apparent entrances to the gremlins' territory. Era or Perception DC 16: A rusty metal wire hangs low across either entrance of the cave, originating from thin crevices on the wall. ![]()
![]() Sef nods. "We'll be waiting," she says simply, before leading her followers into the adjacent cave. Right away, they start conversing among themselves in hushed voices, as though you were no longer present. The ceilings are about five feet off the ground. So most of you would have to stoop your heads, but it would not be considered squeezing. ![]()
![]() "You will have to come down from that ledge to get there. Come," Sef says, beckoning for your group to follow. When you reach the cavern floor, your lights fill the chamber, revealing its full breadth. Just south of the skulk tribe's makeshift huts, the ground drops away in a series of descending shelves, each dipping five feet lower before reaching a central shaft. A soft, cool breeze rises from the darkness of this shaft, which at a glance, has no discernible floor. Against the east wall of the vast cavern, a faint glint catches your eye. Standing out from the crags of the earthen wall is an unmistakable metallic surface. Five feet off the floor of the cave is a large, round opening that leads to someplace unseen. Sef and her tribesmen do not comment on these things, silently leading you to the northern section of the chamber and through another tunnel. The skulks step aside, entering an isolated cave containing a single hut of similar construction to the others. As they come to a stop, Sef gestures northwards at a short ledge. On the ledge you can see two openings leading to even more tunnels, both with low-hanging ceilings. "Those passages lead into the gremlins’ territory. Be wary of them. They are puny and weak, but they are also cunning." ![]()
![]() Her terms agreed to, Sef's expression softens, but only somewhat. "Excellent," she says, before looking to Cruodh once more. "There are innumerable crevices within these caves that even we cannot fit into, that lead to places we cannot reach. The gremlins are tiny, and can cover distances in the blink of an eye. It makes them especially difficult to catch. I do not know how many there are - they breed like vermin. "As for where they are... their section of the caves is north of here. I can lead you there, if you so choose." ![]()
![]() "As you might imagine, we are not the only inhabitants of this cave," Sef explains, visibly pleased by your willingness to listen to her proposition. "A band of gremlins has built their nest north of here. The loathsome pests have made a habit of stealing what few supplies we already have. Not only that, but they've filled their tunnels with traps. Considering that we are stranded here, I would rather we not have to share living space with them. Our numbers are few, and they are bound to grow more bold as time goes on. I want you to kill them, or at the very least drive them away. That would make life here much less... insufferable." ![]()
![]() Sef is an attentive listener, her dark eyes boring into everyone as they speak in turn. "I know nothing of your flame, or of the hill it sits on. But seeing as you are merely the latest ones to pass through here, I suppose that the others must have had the very same purpose, no?" she asks with an inquisitive tone. However, she shakes her head and continues without waiting for an answer. "What you seek is likely beyond the metal wall. That is where the ones that came before you went. The world beyond is taboo to my tribe. Only you surfacers have claimed more of our lives. Nonetheless, an exchange is precisely what I had in mind." "I offer you free passage through our territory, answers to your questions, and payment. All I ask in return is that you inflict no further harm to our tribe, and that you do us the favor of dealing with a nuisance for us." ![]()
![]() "Folt hawressae. Udos zhal'la inbal elggen nind vel'drav nind naut'kyn," the irate skulk hisses to his companions without taking his eyes off Morgan, his grip on his dagger visibly tightening. The other two exchange glances, making no move to discourage this behavior. At least, not until Cruodh speaks. The tension relaxes somewhat and yet another whispered discussion ensues. It does not last very long. "Very well. I find your suggestion agreeable, gnome," the leader of the trio says. Looking to the female skulk, he nods and passes her his torch. He turns his back to you and starts to walk into the darkness. "You'd best hope that Sef agrees with me. For your sake. I shall retrieve her now." The skulk exits the torchlight, stepping deeper into the cave. About two minutes later he returns, accompanied by another female skulk. Her clothing can barely be described as such. You count no less than eight sheathed blades strategically strapped to her body, leaving very little to the imagination. As with the others, her abundance of exposed skin shifts colors and textures as she moves, blending into the stone almost perfectly. She looks up at your group indignantly, her mouth pressed into a thin line. "I am Sef, chieftain of this tribe," she says flatly, her eyes darting from person to person. She then gestures to her companions one by one, starting with the skulk that retrieved her, and ending with the annoyed one. "You have already met Brath, Yadriss, and Luepel. Now tell me, who are you, and why are you down here? There is nothing beyond here but death." ![]()
![]() The other male sneers at Morgan's response. "So we are to let you enter our territory and do as you please?" he asks, his voice an angry hiss, "Or perhaps you wish to kill even more of us." His two companions give him a sharp look that silences him immediately. The leader of the trio looks back to Morgan, shaking his head. "As it stands, your numbers exceed our own. But if it is a fight you want, then we would be happy to oblige you. Sef did not say we could not defend ourselves." He grins crookedly. "Make no mistake, orc - diplomacy does not suit us. What our chieftain wants is not for us to say. Nonetheless, we will cede to her wisdom. Whether you will do so as well..." He shrugs indifferently. The skulk then looks Era with mild interest. "Your people's tongue is hardly a rare thing in the depths. Over generations, many of our tribes have visited the surface. Such things are learned and passed down. They are... useful." ![]()
![]() Another whispered discussion ensues, longer and more feverish than the last. "We are coming out. No tricks, interloper," the same voice from before says, finally. One by one, a trio of long-limbed humanoids - two males and one female - emerges from the makeshift hut. They wear little in the way of clothing, their simple cloth and fur garments just barely preserving their modesty. Their exposed gray skin seems to shift as they move, mimicking the colors and patterns of rough stone. All three of them wield crude metal daggers, but the apparent leader of the group carries a lit torch. He holds it aloft, looking above to where Morgan is standing. "Here we are. As I said, we have no intention of shedding any blood. Our leader has expressed her wish to speak to anyone that intrudes on our domain." ![]()
![]() The members of the party that can see in the dark go down the tunnel, entering the cavern that Morgan peeked into earlier. They draw closer to the ledge overlooking the cave floor, until... "Who goes there?" a raspy voice calls out from within the hut below, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of blades being unsheathed. A brief exchange of whispers between unseen participants follows, before the speaker adds, "We mean you no harm, but we will not hesitate to kill you if you give us no choice!" GM Stuff: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 ![]()
![]() The Perception check was technically meant for Morgan or anyone who followed after her, but I really should have listed it as such. You are more than welcome to take Wrixx's warning into account. I will go ahead and list Dar'shyn as the carrier of the silverdisks. Cruodh:
Unfortunately, the drawings are far too crude to make any definitive statements about what they depict. You know that there is any number of plants with spiky vines, or creatures with four arms.
It does occur to you however, that the three-legged creatures resemble something you've seen recently. Cruodh has suggested preparing an ambush. Any other plans of action? ![]()
![]() Morgan: The ledge you are on runs north and south against the cave walls, leading to places beyond the reach of your darkvision. However, the southern side of the ledge does gradually slope down, to the open floor of the chamber.
You see another hut further ahead, but no signs of present habitation. The floor is empty, bare.
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