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Got knocked out way longer than I intended, but such is life. Fear not though, I don't intend to doom you to talking about flowers forever - I'll be going out to lunch with some friends right now but the moment I get back it's time to finally meet the Jarl's daughters and off to the meadows!
You'll have to pardon me, I'm having some minor health issues nothing serious, I will be back posting tomorrow hopefully.
Got a bit sidetracked, but gameplay is now live!
Winter has so far been marked by, if anything, a great deal of boredom. Snows are deep and travel is largely cut off. Few merchants or other travelers make it through, and cabin fever is not uncommon. Other than feasting and drinking, there is often little to do over the harsh winter months of the North. As a result, when there are days good enough to go outdoors, all manner of brash contests and dares are set forth and participated in with alacrity — even if the occasional knocked skull or broken bone is the inevitable result. In addition to these physical contests or wrestling, hunting, and general feats of strength (or idiocy), there are also riddling contests, singing or chanting the sagas by skalds and would-be skalds, and games of hnefatafl and other types of challenges that you've participated in.
You have been ordered to appear before your jarl, Olaf Henrikson, Jarl of Halfstead, greatest city of the Northlands. For young members in service to his household or visitors who have wintered there but have no immediate plans for pursuing their wyrd, this is a moment of both hope and fear. Hope that he assigns you a glorious task that allows you to prove your mettle, but tinged with fear of his wrath should you fail. Your jarl is a good man, strong and battle-tested, with many famed heroic deeds to his name. Most importantly, he is a ring-giver, one who is generous to those in his service who prove themselves deserving. After making yourself presentable, you and a few of his other retainers and guests walk through the gates of the great hall’s stockade and present yourselves to the guards at the carved wooden doors that mark the main entrance. After exchanging a few jests with these household warriors that you have known for as long as you’ve been a part of the jarl’s household, Ari Hrokson, your jarl’s herald, comes for you. "I needn’t remind you to keep polite and let the jarl speak first. And do not keep too much of his time, this is a busy day," the old skald states. He then announces you to the jarl, in order of your social precedence. "My lord. I present Aella Iceeyes, daughter of Thollvar the Unslain and Brida the Wyrdweaver - huscarls Aðalbjörn and Haldorr - Dvallar, Hirdwoman of Bloodrock Farm - the godi O∂ørn the Drowned - and Helle Stinar, a cunning woman." The hall is dimly lit, for this is a normal day and not a cause for feasting. Only a few huscarls stand about the room, but several thralls busy themselves putting up garlands of flowers and green boughs, preparations for the upcoming Feast of Freyja. The jarl is seated at the end of the feasting table in his chair, an ornate piece of work carved from the trunk of an oak. He is leaning in and talking with a stranger, a well-dressed man with the bearing of an envoy. As you approach, you hear the jarl say, "...and thirty-five cattle, that’s all her dowry will be." The jarl turns to you. "Good, you have come quickly and well comported. This speaks kindly of you and your kin. Sit and partake of an early meal; you will need it, for I have a task for you. My three daughters, Inga, Fastvi, and Runa, wish to go out this afternoon and gather flowers for the feast. As this is a rightful thing for young girls to do, I am allowing it. They need to be guarded, and this is the task I set before you." "I know you have longed for a chance to prove yourselves and rise in my favor as well as allow your mind’s-worth to shine, but there is no spear-din today and no chance to shed battle-dew. All I have is this task: Spend a spring afternoon watching young girls as they pick flowers in the meadows. When you have your own halls and have seen the swans of blood sip on many a foeman’s wound-sea, such a day as this will be a boon beyond naming. So remember it well and pray that you have many more like it. Now, let us eat. But before that, allow me to introduce our bread-brother this morning, Ottar Gundrikson, skald and herald to the Jarl Ref Solumundson of the Vale." The meal consists of black bread, butter, the last of the winter’s pickled flounder, fresh spring greens (cooked with white beans and a ham hock) - in addition the beer flows freely.
Jarl Solumundson: DC 10 Knowledge(nobility): The jarl is a landholder of middling importance in the Storstrøm Vale but more importantly is joined by blood though his wife to the powerful Gat family, one of the two most-powerful clans in the Northlands. Jarl Ref Solumundson has three sons of marrying age, all well accomplished in deed. Considering that Jarl Henrikson’s eldest daughter is sixteen, and thus of marrying age, you have likely intruded upon a discussion over her dowry.
Looks like we're about ready to start, I'll kick off gameplay within the hour but feel free to keep hashing out whatever needs be here. Also, Dvallar, you need a stats line and it'd be great if Aðalbjörn can unspoiled his.
All good with me - if there's something questionable in any backgrounds I'll address it, otherwise tweak to your heart's content.
Aella's parent stuff looks good, once I get some crunch from Dvallar we'll be ready to go!
Nørsk pretty much covers the language for most Northlands folk. A particularly educated dwarf might know Westerling (the Northlanders name for common) if their clan had trade dealings with foreigners. Horse is non-combat trained. Mounts are used almost exclusively for transport and not combat in the Northlands. As for Graf, the book does give his level, and while I don't want to give away any "secret" npc info and I can confidently say that he'd have higher crafting numbers than Dvallar... at least for now!
@Dvallar: The Bondi trait only gives an initial starting gold bonus of 150 gp (you don't get the 100 per year until a year has actually passed. The Andøvan died out thousands of year ago. Very little of their lore survived to the present day. The bondi trait stands as it is, but you may of course sell the items at half value as usual, so the upgrade would be 16.5 for the shield and 150 for the breastplate. Smith Graf doesn't have any official place within the plot, so you're free to take any liberties you wish in deciding his age and other details, as long as you update me. @Everyone: Hordaland (the region where the game begins) is listed as having a "High Middle Ages" tech level. Below is a very rough guide to what High Middle Ages would entail, the most relevant piece of information being that things like crossbows do not fall in this tech level and thus are exceedingly rare.
High Middle Ages: Materials: adamantine, mithral
Armor: half-plate armor Weapons: composite longbow, greatsword, lance Warfare: castles, cavalry Social Organization: guilds Transportation: stern rudder, stirrup; General: Gothic arch, lantern, spinning wheel, waterclock, windmill
Anyone who hasn't already: make sure to copy your background onto the end of your alias profile so I'll have easy access.
All Paizo material is allowed, but obviously stay away from any inappropriately themed or Golarion-specific regional options. *** Quick note on Shield Wall: Be aware that you can only gain the AC bonus from Shield Wall once; not once per ally. "Bonuses without a type always stack, unless they are from the same source."
Yes and yes.
The background skills follow the same rules as regular skills, no need to denote them any differently. The background skills list is made up of skills that by their nature tend to see less use in play, such as Profession or Craft. Regular skill points can of course still be spent on skills considered background skills.
Traits are 1+campaign, with drawback available for a third.
The party has been selected! Those listed below can head to the discussion thread and get to building characters. Thanks to everyone who applied. Helle Stinar
Character Creation Parameters:
I'd like all character sheets to be in Hero Lab format or something similar. Here's a copyable template for those of you who need one. The gender/race/class field should be formatted in the following manner, dropping anything that doesn't apply to your character of course:
The following are some skill suggestions from GM Rednal's Northlands campaign, make of them what you will.
Usefull Skills:
Ability Checks: In addition to the skill checks below, the publisher of the Northlands Saga - Frog God Games - often includes ability checks in challenges. Accordingly, any negative modifiers might be even more of a problem than usual.
Acrobatics: Many areas of the Northlands have a lot of ice and snow. Acrobatics will often help you navigate treacherous areas, and perhaps even avoid a (deadly) fall. Climb: Similarly, not everywhere you can explore is flat and easy to walk around on. The Climb skill will help you move up and reach places otherwise inaccessible to you. Diplomacy: The people of the North do not react well to lies or threats. While you may still attempt those, failure might have repercussions more severe than usual, making Diplomacy the best social skill. This can also help you avoid being rude to others (a major consideration). Handle Animal: Many Northlanders ride to their destinations, and at least a basic training in handling animals can help avert trouble. Knowledge (Local): At many points in the campaign, having some local knowledge will make things drastically easier. Linguistics: Other peoples have inhabited the Northlands, and their ruins still dot the area. Some ability to translate their messages might help. Perception: This is the most-used skill in the game. It is literally never a bad idea to be trained in it. Perform: Storytellers and musicians are popular in the North because they make it much easier to pass the time. Good performers tend to be popular guests, and this would definitely be a valuable skill for someone in the party to have. Singing and Oratory are especially useful - the former for performances, the latter for influencing people at a Thing. Profession (Farmer): The primary income-earning skill for Downtime. Profession (Sailor): As a Norse-themed campaign, you can expect to go on boats and sail to some of your destinations. Training in this Profession will help you avoid damage to your ship, stop the loss of supplies, and generally succeed in getting where you want to go. Ride: Goes hand-in-hand with Handle Animal. While you may not need to max either, having at least moderate training can help. Survival: It's not uncommon for the people of the North to need to track down their foes, or navigate through the untamed wilderness. Swim: There's a lot of water during some parts of the campaign... I'll be around to answer any questions as everyone finishes up their characters - feel free to plan among yourselves and figure out preexisting relationships as well. Once everyone's crunch is mostly complete we can move on to the game.
Recruitment is indeed now closed. If you've submitted a character but I don't have you on the list, please let me know. I'll finalize my decision later tonight, so that we can move onto the formal character building process. Submitted Characters:
About a week left of recruitment! Here's my current submissions list, let me know if I've left your character off: Uđđi the Icewalker
Harkani: To answer your question about the dwarves, they are mechanically identical, and culturally fairly similar as well. If I missed anyone else's questions please don't hesitate to ask again, although that should cover everything so far.
Let me know your initial thoughts - pushed for time at the moment (am in Scotland) so will have a more detailed concept/background & personal intro up on the morrow. Seems good so far, go ahead and get that background up.
The Child of Heroes trait will be used as is, the only requirement being that you must also come up with a suitably heroic backstory for your heroic parents/parent. While this trait is obviously more powerful than the others, it does not come without certain drawbacks such as listed in the trait description: "You are expected to live up to your parent or parents’ reputation." Also, you can expect that with such a reputation preceding the character, your parent's old allies or enemies may very well show up to complicate matters...
Drat this sickness, I may have to make some sacrifices to the appropriate powers myself! I'm bedridden and slow on the updates for a bit, but the submission list can now be found on my profile, for convenience's sake.
hey, i'd still like to join ya. I can come along with a human rogue, too. Under the premise you allow unchained. Story would be similar to the dhampir post. My apologies, must've missed ya. Added to the list. I have a couple questions about the Spear Maiden archetype: 1. Perfectly fine. 2. Sure, I'm not a big fan of alignment restrictions anyways. 3. Freyja could definitely work as well. While it's true that Northlander women do enjoy many freedoms not found everywhere else, you are right about marriage: "Most of these warrior-women spend only part of their youth as fulltime warriors, for it is greatly frowned upon for a woman to continue her fighting and adventuring ways after she has wed and borne children," so a Spear Maiden of Freyja seeking to change this would definitely be in line.
Current state of things. Ideas:
Submitted Characters:
Good to see those submissions rolling in. Updated list of submitted concepts incoming.
If you were thinking about a really famous family, the Hrolfs and the Gats are probably the two most famous throughout the Northlands (and bitter enemies at that!). I believe that they also both have campaign traits tied to them as well.
For anyone interested, here's a map of the Northlands. Its a bit low res, so I'll upload a better one when I get the chance. The adventure will open in Silvermeade Hall, which is about halfway between Halfstead and Galvë on the map. Harakani: "Of dwarves, there are only the few enclaves in Halfstead and Trotheim, plus the occasional dwarf who has found his way into the household of a jarl." See the map.
There are actually a few places where a dwarf could fit in. Off the top of my head, I know that Halfstead (the largest city near Silvermeade Hall) has a sizable dwarven population. I'll get you some more info when I have the book later.
I copied that part directly from the book, but I'll assume it's a typo. It has been fixed.
Haldorr: Yeah, that's definitely much more believable, while still being a deed worthy of earning one's freedom. Cuàn: I'd normally be hesitant to throw Occult into a setting like this, but the spiritualist idea would actually be quite workable.
Rough list of those who've put forth even the smallest inklings of a concept: Fyird Olaafson - older skald, possible drunkard
Individual Notes: Haldor: The one part of the background that I'd recommend changing is the "slaying ten Ulfhanders singlehandedly" bit. Even at a distance with arrows, this is easily a legendary feat far beyond the scope of a first level character and would put you among the Jarl's innermost circle, an honor which you'd have to earn in game. You can still earn your freedom through some display of combat prowess, but tone it down a bit. Aðalbjörn: "Olaf Henrikson and Aðalbjörn were once equals, rivals even." By Northlander custom, all freemen are technically equals. In combat, the Jarl himself certainly wouldn't have considered Aðalbjörn his equal, even back then, but still could've been impressed by his fighting skill.
I'll probably do a bulk review of whatever's been submitted so far sometime this week. Having passed our first weekend, I think now would be a good tome to mention weekend posting. Since most people are often busy (myself included) I'm not requiring any commitment on the weekends. However, I will still try to keep up with some light posting on the weekends that I can. If you can as well, all the better; if you can't, its nothing against you.
Edit: since the martial artist doesn't get any ki abilitys, could he not be a outlander? Ki would definitely be out of the question for a Northlander, but even without it the martial artist is a still a little unusual. Still, I think a creative background could make it work, I'll wait to see when you have the idea a little more developed.
That would certainly be doable. Also, just in case those who've posted character ideas that I haven't commented on were wondering, you've got workable concepts so far as well.
If you do decide to go back with the old plan, this bloodline would be acceptable. So, say I was considering playing a Nûklander cavalier who rode one of these 'war reindeer', would I be able to just take it as my mount or would you like me to take the beast rider archetype to have such a mount? Is there stats for such a creature? The only stats given in the book are for pack reindeer which are the equivalent to antelope. I could probably convert this into something more "war reindeer" so that it would be compatible with beast rider. The other option would be to just purchase a war reindeer as an exotic mount later on. Fair warning however, not all parts of this adventure are "mount friendly," so you might not want to build your character entirely around mounted combat.
how likely would you accept a magic user? along the lines of the Loki type. Arcane magic is generally distrusted but not outright banned from civilization in the Northlands. In order for such a character to fit in they'd most likely need to either keep their powers hidden, have some very close ties to someone of power such as the Jarl, be the thrall of another, or be a Cunning Woman (see archetypes). Remember too that honesty is one of the highest values among Northlanders. A trickster character would need to take care not to earn a reputation as an "oath-breaker," although that could make for some interesting roleplaying indeed. In short, it's all in the presentation and background.
Question: would a druid be acceptable? I'm thinking either a bear shaman or arctic druid or something thematic like that. Absolutely, a druid would likely be a godi or godi in training. Read the section in campaign info titled "The Gods of the North."
I'd like to keep third party off the table since this is my first PbP and I'd rather not add in too many new elements. If there is some piece of utterly fantastic 3rd party that you're dying to use and feel would really enhance the game, you're more than welcome to bring it to my attention, but don't let that make or break your character. As for build details, I'll most likely go with 20 point buy and background skills, so if you want to start statting something use that, but be open to revision. It bears repeating, however, that a statblock is entirely unnecessary until after the players have been selected so that those chosen will be better able to avoid any excessive overlap in abilities.
Mmmm, lots of dots! StreamDust: A dhampir wouldn't be really fit into the setting unless they were an outlander from far away - I'd recommend sticking with human. Also, as a note, the Jarl currently inhabits Silvermeade Hall - a small settlement a little ways off from Halfstead. Digger: Check my profile for info on the Bearsarker archetype if you go with shapeshifter ranger. The archetype is for barbarians, but the fluff could work with a shapeshifter ranger. Even if you don't want to specifically be a member of the Bearsarker cult, you could definitely expect to be mistaken for one. Rednal: Thanks Rednal, I've been following your Northlands game and it only has me too excited to start my own! Brayden Foxley: Yeah, the backstory is a bit of a stretch. For one, Golarion isn't the assumed setting of the Northlands (it fits in to the Lost Lands with the rest of this publisher's products). Secondly, even if it did, the church of Iomedae wouldn't really have any presence in the Northlands. I'd recommend something fresh, but ultimately the choice is yours. If you want to stick with the Outlander concept, just remember that I'm taking one Outlander character max.
Great! Which classes are you okay with? Check out "Northlands Characters" section under Campaign info for more info on classes typical to the setting. If you're wondering what won't fit as well: gunslingers, alchemists, samurai, ninja, monks, inquisitors, and occult classes aren't native to the Northlands and would have a tough time meshing with this AP. That isn't to say they're outright banned, but you'd need a pretty convincing backstory and I definitely wouldn't want more than 1 in the party, if any.
Fimbulljóð níu nam ek af inum frægja syniBölþórs Bestlu föður ok ek drykk of gat ins dýra mjaðar ausinn Óðreri A dot indeed!
In this vein, I'd like make it clear up front that what the only thing I'm committing to at this point, and the only thing I'm asking you to commit to is the first book (Book 0) of the adventure path (levels 1-5). I have every intention of continuing onwards from there, but in the interest of future unpredictability Book 0 is realistically the most I can promise at this point... Certainly!
First off: As Painlord writes in his lovely guide ~ "Don't set out to start a PbP. Set out to close a PbP." In this vein, I'd like make it clear up front that what the only thing I'm committing to at this point, and the only thing I'm asking you to commit to is the first book (Book 0) of the adventure path (levels 1-5). I have every intention of continuing onwards from there, but in the interest of future unpredictability Book 0 is realistically the most I can promise at this point. Still here? Great! Deliver us, O Lord, from the fury of the Northmen...
In the Jarl's House:
Jarl Olaf Henrikson is one of the most powerful men in the North. He is not a member of one of the great families such as the Gats or the Hrolfs, nor is he a resident of Storstrøm Vale where dwells the true old blood of the Northlander peoples. But he is nevertheless jarl of the most populace and cosmopolitan settlement in the Northlands and, as such, commands a great deal of respect and power. He is not even the ruler of Hordaland wherein his city of Halfstead lies, but even the køenig of Hordaland (the closest Northlands equivalent to a king) respects and listens to the words that Jarl Olaf speaks in the mead hall or at the Thing.
It is well know that Olaf Henrikson began his career as a sellsword in the Southlands, where he gained his reputation as a leader of men and as a generous ring-giver. He also amassed his fortune with plunder from his days of fighting for foreign lords before attaining command of his own ships and reaving against the settlements of those same lords. Upon returning to the North at the head of his own fleet of sixteen ships, he landed at Halfstead, at that time a stockaded port town known more for its surly jarl and acerbic residents than anything else, and put the place to the torch. Those residents who did not yield or flee were put to the sword, and a new banner raised over Halfstead — the boar and rings of Olaf Henrikson. That Køenig Ragi Steinson raised no hand against the newcomer brought forth more than a few suspicions as to whether or not the crafty ruler had not paid Olaf to raze Halfstead in the first place. Regardless of any real or imagined collusion, the result was a port rebuilt by Henrikson into a large and prosperous settlement open to trade from abroad and a powerful jarl loyal to the køenig and with a fleet of ships at his command that only grew as his reputation spread. Today, twenty years later, Jarl Olaf is a settled man raising a family, and Halfstead is a booming Northlands port largely left to its own devices. The local Thing makes most of the decision for the town, though Jarl Olaf does keep a hall within the city from where he holds court and feast twice a month in which to hear complaints and settle legal cases and give rings to the worthy. This also allows him to claim his sizable share of the duties collected from the many visiting merchant ships. The fleet of longships Jarl Olaf maintains is down to four, and these are more prone to patrolling the waters off the peninsula for raiders than going a-viking on their own. But many rightfully expect that should the need arise, the jarl could raise the call and gather a fleet of loyal ships twice as large as what he had before. A self-made man, Jarl Olaf is enjoying his quiet semi-retirement despite even the recent turmoil for the crown of Hordaland. He remains loyal to Leif Ragison, the young køenig, but holds Halfstead carefully neutral in the current political machinations to keep the port open and prosperous. In his mind, a healthy Halfstead is good for all of Hordaland and the North, regardless of who rules the country. As such, he and his family spend most of their time at his personal hall of Silvermeade, which is situated on the coast halfway between Halfstead and Galvë. It is here that they winter and here that you begin your careers in his service.
Recruitment will close at the end of the month, February 29th, 12:00 AM midnight US Central time. I shall select 6 players.
More points well-made, thanks for the input.
Ooooh, I promised myself I wasn't going to commit to anything before I got my own game up and running, but you're doing a fine job of tempting me! Not sure if I'll throw my hat in for sure, but I'd highly recommend any interested parties to consider checking this out. There's some great fun to be had in the world of Mouse Guard, especially if you're a fan of the Redwall series, which Mouse Guard shares some definite similarities in tone with.
Lots of great input, thanks to all of you. I've done a little bit of nosing around in some of your games and it seems that Google Drawing is one of the more popular options. I had a little time to experiment with it today and I'm definitely starting to see some potential. Thankfully as I'm still early in the planning phase I'll plenty of time to make a final decision before starting up a game.
So here's the sitch: I'm new to PbP and I'd honestly rather hit the ground GMing rather than as a player (why play one character when you can play ALL the characters, right?). I've hit up the stickied guides here, all excellent, and done a little additional reading, but I still have a few issues I want to mull over before I dive into a game. If there are any GMs or even wise players out there who could share a few thoughts I'd be eternally indebted. 1. Optimum Number of Players: From what I've read it seems there's quite some division on this issue - some seem to say recruit high as a buffer for dropouts, others say keep player count low or it'll slow your game to a crawl. In practice, which approach seems to be more effective? 2. Combat: I've looked over a bunch of the recommended mapping tools and honestly they all feel too clunky for me. I know if there was one thing that would really kill my pace it would be having to crank out maps on a regular basis. So, any tips, tricks, or advice for theater of mind style combat? A link to a solid mapless game that I can snoop on would be tops as well. |
