I haven't played pbp in a long time and this sounds horrifically fun to try to build around. I wonder if I can build a character in ten-ish days...
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I hope I'm not too late, I haven't been a player in a pbp game in a couple of years and figured it was time to check things out again, see what people have been brewing. I've never played Carrion Crown either so this could be fun. I'm building out a ranger (ilsurian archer) / alchemist (crypt breaker, trap breaker). Would goblin or hobgoblin be okay as a race? I'll flesh it out more if approved, but I'm thinking from Isger - the Goblinblood Wars ended ten years ago in 4701, but Lady Kaltessa Iyis (one of Mammon's favored) has been building an undead army out of the dead littering Isger almost since the moment they ended. My hobgoblin, rather than throw himself against such a foe on his own (especially since, after the defeat of Mammon's plans for Westcrown and Chammady as per Council of Thieves, she's likely to be even more focused on her own methods for enacting Mammon's plans in the area) has made his way to Ustalav to try to learn how best to counter undead directly, eventually intending to go back to Isger and teach the remaining goblinoid tribes how to do the same.
FYI, in case that was not a style choice and there might be another that you wanted: Primalist archetype for Bloodrager RAW stacks with every other bloodrager archetype.
Did we ever get a recruitment end date?
All good, I've played with both rulesets for a long time so feel free to ask. The interest check also mentioned crits possibly restoring HP/Spell points. Is that going to apply to class daily abilities? rage rounds/rage powers/bard performances/pinache/bombs/etc?
Hmmmm, if were killing them all and letting 'god' decide, maybe we need a paladin.... Walks around with a stereo blaring (because why not?) Johnny Cash's God's Gonna Cut You Down.
Regarding EitR feat tax rules and Automatic Bonus Progression (which was talked about on the interest thread but not mentioned here), they've got the same mindset for different parts of character progression. If you want the "best" stats for your character, you're almost required to buy things like the "headband of [mental stat]" or the "belt of [physical stat]" and the "+1-5" bonuses on your weapons and armor. Automatic Bonus Progression gets rid of that, making all of those numerical bonuses automatic (scaling) unlocks. It also means you can attune new weapons as something piques your interest and you're not pinching coppers trying to get that additional +1 on the same longsword you've had since level 1. Or if you want to keep the same longsword, you're not forced to choose between it and a new weapon with a higher enhancement bonus, especially when your feat selection is likely chosen around that specific weapon, instead of a weapon class, which segues into.... If you want the "best" feats for your character, you're required to invest in specific feat taxes for your build. Power Attack, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Finesse [weapon], Improved [combat maneuver], and a couple others. With the extremely limited amount of feat slots we get anyway, Elephant in the Room feat tax adjustments minimizes these requirements (or gives them by default - a melee character shouldn't need a feat to know how to hit harder or to know that doing so inherently makes the swing more "wild", and a TWF rogue/ranger/slayer/etc is basically required to wield twin weapons otherwise they need to invest another feat or three getting the secondary weapon up to the needed feats, where this ruleset helps those feats apply to weapon classes instead). Both of these rule adjustments free up builds to have that extra bit of freedom and flexibility to build a character you're happy with, not just one that just get's there. Also, this is my dotting in. Got a full on "Rip, Tear, Kill" barbarian/alchemist natural attacker I've always wanted to play. If possible, I'd like to use the Wereboar skinwalker race, if that's okay?
@Rizzenmagus have you happened to give any thought to the Elephant in the Room feat tax adjustments?
This'd be entertaining. After all the feats, someone walks into the Abyss with a x4 2-20 stick and nothing else.
this the rule you gents talking about? That's the one. Half wealth, and it means we don't need to always be picking out new gear or shelling out for another +1 on armor/weapons. But the real benefit of this is that it knocks out needing to pick up the +Stat items since (especially for a Slay Them All game) they'd become basically required. And since they no longer exist with these rules, we can pick up items that are more flavorful for the characters. Personally, I also combine this with the Elephant in the Room feat tax changes for the same reason.
That's funny, this is basically how I ran the only in person game I've ever GMd. Except mine was Diablo 1 instead of Doom since the group I was with hadn't played any of the games. I 100% want to play!
McDobb's afternoon:
McDobb takes the first mug of rum from Kroop and finds it staggeringly strong at first, but the aftertaste is muted. Surprisingly, for rum, this particular recipe is smooth enough to drink down in short order, but easily overpowering even with just a second mug. Kroop narrows his eyes at McDobb's not-so-polite "request" for a second cup, "Watch yerself, boy. Yer lucky ye get that much. Rum rations are one mug a'day and ye'll get that during the ev'ning meal. Take as much o' that as ye can stand withou' killin' yerself, but ye'll get more o' my personal when you bleeding well earn it." Kroop looks around and lowers his voice again, leaning close, "A word to the wise: Make sure ye drink it all - the captain and first mate're particular about rations not going to waste or about crew trading it away. I've seen men get lashes for refusin' their ration or fer not finishin' a ration they asked for. At yer own risk, but don' say I didn' warn you." "But if yeh want ter learn more about the post instead of risking running afoul of the crew, I suppose I can spare ye the effort. We've got a little bit of time before we'll need ter start preppin' supper." And so the afternoon passes without note. McDobb learns enough of the duties for his post to be able to pass off his duties as old hat instead of new knowledge.
Zeyla's afternoon:
Zeyla's new duties are physically grueling - she was put to work moving so much rope back and forth across the decks, that she's not clear if most of it served any real purpose. But she was moving around enough that nobody noticed her sneaking off for a minute or so at a time, poking around the maindeck learning the nooks and crannies around her. Even those moments weren't enough though to keep her energy up and as the sun gets lower in the sky, her limbs start to stiffen and she knows she's going to be sore in the morning. Near the end of the day, Zeyla is told to retrieve a couple sets of manacles and unwind two specific sections of what then appears to be a single rope that circles the girth of the ship. Mr. Plugg seems to have sought her out in particular for this task, though he doesn't indicate why.
Evening
Several minutes later, two of the four come back out from below deck, dragging a man who looks like he's been partially drowned. They lay him out on the deck and clasp his wrists and ankles in the manacles laid out, and then tie the manacles to the ends of a rope that disappears over the edge of the deck, through the gap in the bulwark railing where the gangplank would be set for on- or off-boarding. What happens next barely falls under the definition of an interrogation. Zeyla and McDobb learn the man's name is Jakes Magpie and he was caught stealing from the quartermaster's store the previous night while most of the crew were ashore. He admits to this crime and begs for mercy from the Captain, but before Captain Harrigan can do more than sneer, Mr. Plugg lashes out with his cat-o-nine-tails and calls out to the crew, "Feast yer eyes! Most o' ye already know what we do to thieves aboard this vessel, but for the stack o' shark bait who're new to the ship, let this be yer one and only lesson!" Mr. Plugg walks over to a winch, loops any slack remaining in the rope that Jakes is attached to, and winds it, nearly laughing in joy as Jakes' screams disappear over the edge of the deck and into the water. The roar and crash of the surf is the only sound as the crew doesn't dare utter anything that might gain Mr. Plugg's attention when he's in this mood. The scene is practically still aside from Mr. Plugg's efforts before what remains of Jakes' body is pulled up onto the deck from the other side. Mr. Plugg calls out to the crew again, "Dinner time ye rats!"
During dinner, the day's rum rations are doled out and the crew dutifully, even joyfully, consume their allotment. After dinner, the crew splits off into smaller groups and Zeyla and McDobb find themselves with their first true bit of free time since they woke this morning. Various entertainments take place on deck or below, for as long as people are sober enough to participate and Zeyla and McDobb have a few choices to make for the evening. Games available:
Heave: This potentially deadly drinking game is played with rum and takes place between any number of pirates, who bet to predict the winner beforehand. Each pirate drinks a half pint of rum in one swig. Pirates then take turns drinking until only one is left standing. Some tales tell of entire crews drinking themselves to death through this game, leaving ships of drunk ghosts wandering the shipping routes.
Reminder for evening Ship Action choices: Each PC can normally take two ship actions each day, one during the day and one at night. A PC can also attempt to take up to two additional ship actions during the middle watch in the dead of night (any nighttime ship action marked with an asterisk), but to do so the PC must make a successful Constitution check (DC 10, +4 per extra ship action taken) or be fatigued for the next day. Sleep: Go to bed early and sleep through the night (automatically recover from fatigue)
With assignments meted out, the remaining crew scatter towards their assigned duties for the morning. McDobb's first day:
One man hustles to catch up to McDobb with a hurried warning, "Be careful. You've got about a fifty-fifty shot of Fishguts being drunk on any given day. Follow me, I'll lead you down to him and hope that today's a good day or it might just be a sink or swim trial for you - literally." The man takes you into the aft side of the middle deck and ushers you inside before heading off to his own tasks. You never even had an opportunity to get the man's name. Ambrose Kroop is inside the galley kitchen preparing the day's food. When you first lay eyes on him, he's in a sorry state. He's very clearly drunk, but it doesn't seem to be slowing him down at all - at least he's coherent enough at this point to start pointing out the important details of the kitchen and explaining the jobs you'll most commonly be assigned. After a while, the introductions end and he starts going off on tangents - telling stories and recounting various shenanigans he's either gotten into or been party to. He shoves a mug of rum into your hand, and then leans in close, whispering as if to impart some great piece of wisdom, “It’s poison, this ship, but don’t let anyone hear you say it aloud. The hull listens, see, and the cap’n hears it all. Poison the Wormwood is, though, rotten to the core. You’ll not meet a more nasty, sour piece of work than Cap’n Harrigan in all your days at sea, and his crew’s the same, ’specially the first mate, Mr. Plugg. Vicious little sod, he is. He’d take his own mother’s liver to the butcher to make pies with, he would. But they leave me alone, mostly. They know I can’t ’arm ’em.” "Now, drink 'er up and go get on with your day. I've had the day's work done at this point, but tomorrow will be a different story."
Zeyla's first day:
As the crew scatters about, Master Scourge gathers you and the other three new swabs and starts spouting off tasks, names, locations, and other instructions barely pausing to keep his breath, knowing that you'll either keep up or not - and he knows which outcome he'd prefer. He doesn't mince his words though and send all of you out to your respective tasks extremely quickly, hanging back to keep an eye on the lot and ensure there's no slacking off.
Information regarding Non work-related tasks (AKA Ship Actions): In addition to their normal jobs on the ship, the PCs can also utilize their time during the day (and night) to explore the ship, scrounge for gear, interact with their shipmates, or attempt to influence NPCs. The PCs’ activities aboard ship - carrying out their assigned tasks; exploring the ship; robbing, bullying, or befriending shipmates; working; or playing - are performed as part of ship actions. These actions reflect the time required to set up or complete an activity, such as gathering enough crew to play a game, scouting out a room to make sure it’s empty, and so on. Ship actions are meant to reflect the available time a PC can carve out from his or her work time without going into too much detail. Each PC can normally take two ship actions each day, one during the day and one at night. A PC can also attempt to take up to two additional ship actions during the middle watch in the dead of night (any nighttime ship action marked with an asterisk), but to do so the PC must make a successful Constitution check (DC 10, +4 per extra ship action taken) or be fatigued for the next day. Daytime Ship Actions
Nighttime Ship Actions
The remaining conscripts all shook their head and looked around at the others, hoping one of them would speak up but none daring to be put to the test. They all breathe a sigh of relief as McDobb speaks up knowing Mister Plugg and the Captain would be focused on him now. And indeed Mr Plugg looks over McDobb, though with the slightest hint of approval "Did ye now? Excellent. At least one o' ye lot might not be worth less than the salt spray in yer hair. Y'er a cook’s mate now. Report to Ambrose Kroop in the galley fer instructions. At the least mayhaps ye'll not poison us all yer first meal like the last failure of a cook we had." Meanwhile...:
Peppery Longfarthing was having a good day. She acquired a new tome while they were in port and while all the commotion was going on above deck, she was able to read in the quiet to her heart's content. So having someone come beat heavily on her door before even lunch time frayed her already short temper to its end. She gestures with her hand and the door slams open, "What?" she asks. Her voice promises nothing but pain if there is not a very good reason for the disturbance, but she doesn't even have to voice the threat. One of the actual crewmen responds, gesturing to the limp halfling in his hands, "Sorry to bother ye sir, but one of the new crew fell from the mast. Mister Plugg asks for yer assistance." Peppery sighs as if extremely put upon, but gestures towards her desk which organizes and clears itself. "Put him there and wait outside. This won't take long."[b] She opens a cabinet and pulls out a small vial filled with a blood-red liquid and pours it down the unconscious man's throat. He wakes up spluttering and very obviously confused, but the crewmen pull him out of the room before he can gather his wits. They close the door and Peppery has just enough time to sit down and open the tome back to her page when there's another knock on the door. [b]"It's going to be that kind of day, then?" she asks to nobody. The same sequence occurs again except the "patient" happens to be a female humanoid with extremely minimal vulpine features. As the new girl is shuffled away, Peppery sticks her head out the doorway to ensure there's not another disturbance heading her way before closing and locking the door and picking up her book again.
Zeyla's sense come back as two burly sailors guide her back up to the main deck, just in time to hear Mister Plugg's pronouncement and for McDobb to be pointed down below decks to find the galley. Mister Plugg sees Zeyla being brought back on deck at the same time and nods sharply, exclaiming "Perfect timin' thank ye lads. Girl! You and ye three are hereby named swabs. Ye'll be under command of Master Scourge. Good luck!" He says the last bit with a wide grin, as if he knows what's in store.
Mr. Plugg critically eyes the final two new crewmembers as they make their way up the mast. Surprisingly, he says absolutely nothing as the goblin reaches the top, but the crew around take an instinctive step back at the look of sheer contempt on his face. After a few moments staring incredulously at the goblin's efforts, he just gestures to the vulpine humanoid as if to say "Get on with it." When she slips and falls off of the mast, he's turning and shouting before she even hits the ground, gesturing to two more crewmen "You. You. Take her to the infirmary. Same rule applies! If she dies, it's ten lashes to each of you!" He gestures to Dobb to join the remaining (conscious) crew over by Kroop the Cook. "Alrigh', first off. Any o' ye snot rags know how to cook? Or do ye know if'n one o' the two in the infirmary knows how to cook?"
Finally finding a moment during the Captain's monologue to gather your wits, you both notice the sweet aftertaste taste of oily nutmeg standing out on your tongue, even through the spices still lingering on your palate. Zeyla, you are starting to put some pieces together - you recognize the man who woke you. He was in the tavern last night as you were eating. 'Mister' Plugg steps forward and brandishes his cat-o'-nine-tails threateningly while critically eyeing each of the new crewmates. "Alright ye feculent, knee-knockin' buffoons! Each o' ye, up to the crow's nest!" A man only interested in results, he pauses for barely a breath's length and then starts lashing out at any of the six of you who hesitated even the slightest bit at his orders.
random crew #1 - Ka’kari Chigurh:
The first climber - a tiefling with surprisingly wolfish features - slips up a couple of times - it's not easy climbing the rigging at the best of times, much less learning how while already at sea - but makes it to the top without falling. Plugg grimaces as the first climber reaches the top. "As poor a showin' as I expect from you squiffy maggots. Get yer bedraggled arse over to Kroop and standby!" Mr. Plugg gestures to Kroop the Cook and turns back to the newcomers, "The rest o' ye either need to make it to the top faster than that, or die from the fall! " Ka'kari trots over to the aforementioned cook and stands silently nearby. random crew #2 - Worth:
The second climber, a halfling with a shortsword, crossbow, and a whip latched to his gear gets off to a rough start, slipping down the first couple of attempts to get a foothold off the deck. After that it looks to be smooth climbing, until it doesn't and he falls heavily to the deck with a sickening crunch. Plugg looks surprised that someone appears to have taken him up on the ultimatum but he lashes out with his whip, just to be sure. The crumpled form on the floor groans in pain and Mr. Plugg gestures to two of the official crew, barking orders, "Ye two! Get him into the infirmary. If he dies, it's ten lashes for each o' ye!" Two crewmen scramble out from the arrayed crowd and carry the halfling below deck. random crew #3 - Admaris Storm:
The third climber, a blue-haired, blue-skinned man has only a minor slip on his way up, but the ship lurches violently over the crest of a tall wave and he's not able to maintain his grip. He falls to the deck, though doesn't appear to be as wounded as the halfling was. "Gah!" Plugg exclaimed. "Yer just as bad as that rat-eating bilgesnipe a'fore ye. At least ye survived the fall! Get moving to Kroop before I start making examples outta ye lot! Sweet Besmara, please let there be one competent one among ye..." random crew #4 - Takaharkatan:
The fourth new crewmate, a massive human man springs up to the mainmast. He slips early but growls and reascends with vigor none of the previous climbers had shown. He nears the top before slowing down, not wanting to risk his progress - and likely death - by slipping in unnecessary haste, and he reaches the top very quickly. Plugg looks disappointed that there at least one more has reached the top, but impressed in spite of himself at the speed. "Now tha's more like it! That's the kind of intensity we expect aboard the Wormwood!" Plugg calls the human down and directs him to the cook station as well "Get over there and wait, but don't get too comfy - I got a feelin' yer gonna be our newest rigger." With only two new crewmen remaining, he looks at you both, fingering his whip in expectation.
You groggily stumble up from the darkness of the hold into the bright sunlight of the main deck where you quickly confirm that you're on a sizable ship in the middle of the ocean, far from any land. You can make out a shadow, a sliver of land in the distance already dropping below the horizon, when not hidden by the eddies of the sea.
Being roughly guided by the men who woke you, the next thing you notice as you look around is a cluster of figures grouped around the ship's mainmast, looking above you towards the higher stern, where two figures stand. One of them is a broad, muscular Garuni man with a shaven head, a long beard bound with gold rings, and an eye patch - clearly the captain. The other is a younger, balding man with a long black ponytail, wearing a long coat and carrying a well-used cat-o'-nine-tails. You also understand that you're not the only new 'recruits' as you're shoved into place next to a group of four already set up before the captain. These four stand out clearly, being relatively cleaner and visibly uneasy with their (and your) newfound situation. A dozen or so other pirates, obviously existing members of the crew, stand about on the deck or in the ship's rigging. Once you're in your designated place, the captain addresses you and the crew. “Glad you could join us at last! Welcome to the Wormwood! My thanks for ‘volunteering’ to join my crew. I’m Barnabas Harrigan. That’s Captain Barnabas Harrigan to you, not that you’ll ever need to address me. I have only one rule — don’t speak to me. I like talk, but I don’t like your talk. Follow that rule and we’ll all get along fine. “Oh, and one more thing. Even with you new recruits, we’re still short-handed, and I aim to keep what crew I have. There’ll be a keelhaulin’ for anyone caught killin’ anyone. Mr. Plugg! If you’d be so kind as to make pirates out of these landlubbers, it’ll save me having to put them in the sweatbox for a year and a day before I make pies out of ’em.” At the end of his speech, the captain walks away, leaving behind the man with the cat-o’-nine-tails, who looks down at the six of you and smiles unpleasantly.
The familiar rhythmic rocking of the sea and the smell of fresh salt spray is what wakes you. In the darkness, your head pounds as memories of the previous night assert themselves over the constant sound of creaking wood around you - laughter ringing out throughout the establishment, rich scents of stewed meat and perfume you swear still lingers in your nostrils, the acrid taste of cheap wine and somehow cheaper ale, all blurring together with no indication of how the night ended. Except for the missing nausea, you'd think you were still drunk. Before you can do much more than sit up, several pairs of heavy footsteps enter the dark room, and the harsh light of a lantern painfully spears your eyes. Seven extremely rough-looking pirates enter the hold, one yelling before his feet even touch the deck, “Still abed with the sun over the yardarm? On your feet, ye filthy swabs! Get up on deck and report for duty before Cap’n Harrigan flays your flesh into sausage skins and has Fishguts fry ye up for breakfast!”
The shipping lanes of Golarion’s seas and oceans are filled with fat merchant vessels laden with trade goods both mundane and exotic, as well as the pirates and freebooters who prey on them. Under the banner of their Hurricane King, these buccaneers sally forth from that archipelago of lawless pirate ports and anchorages known as the Shackles, plundering the shipping of countless countries and trade consortiums, then vanishing back into the maze of islands and reefs they call home. The nations of the Inner Sea would like nothing more than to end the pirate menace once and for all, but the eternal hurricane known as the Eye of Abendego has thus far shielded the Free Captains of the Shackles from the threat of retaliation. Port Peril is the largest port in the Shackles and its de facto capital. It is situated on the mainland, rather than on one of the outlying islands, on the edge of the Terwa Uplands and overlooking Jeopardy Bay. The city is protected by walls, and the stronghold of Fort Hazard. All manner of vices can be found in its twisting streets, and its busy markets thrive on the sale of stolen goods. Rumour has it that the plunder from decades of piracy is hidden in sea caves beneath the city. The harbour is deep enough to accommodate even the largest and most heavily laden of vessels. Visitors to Port Peril are required to dock at the Crescent Harbor, which is overseen by surly harbour-master Tsojmin Kreidoros. There, their vessels have their cargoes inspected before they are allowed to continue on to the main docks. The city's poorest (and often, toughest) inhabitants live in the Beggarbriar district. Many of them earn a living crafting ropes, sails and other nautical supplies. Eastwind is another well-known district, and is home to both rich and poor. It is built on the bluffs overlooking the city, and is divided into Low and High Eastwind. Kerdak Bonefist makes his home in the fortress of Lucrehold, on the bluffs above Besmara's Beacon, the city's lighthouse.
Retcon: Hammer Bro's charge attack did not apply the +2 to attack for charging. With this update, the attack does hit Kvit's (blinded) AC of 28, dealing 69 damage, bringing HP to -58, killing him outright. Kvit's defensive action has no effective change to calculate for. Qul Vozo's non-action also has no effective change to calculate for. With this change, Bob-Omb!'s bomb goes towards Qul Vozo, hits his 18 Touch AC, dealing 24 fire damage and blinding him for 1 round (QV now to 31hp). Hammer Bro's 23 attack roll hits QV's blinded AC, dealing 56 damage (bringing him to -25hp) and killing QV outright. Round 6 has ended. Points:
Totals:
Character and Team Totals:
Kenshiro - 31
Kvit - 15
The arena finally seems to have stopped targeting the combatants and crates a new wall on the other side of the arena.
The spiked wall that rises from the sand, this time interferes with nobody - at least, no live bodies.
The arena shakes yet again and another platform raises from the ground.
The now familiar rumble shakes the arena. In a surprising twist, the new platform appears almost directly underneath Broozer and cutting Tawum off from his teammates!
With a much shorter wait compared to how long it took the first wall to appear, the arena shakes and another spiked platform appears, rising from the sand and merging with the first, expanding it.
Without warning, the arena shakes as if in an earthquake. Then, out of the sand a solid wall of rock rises. None are caught in its path but even in the darkness, all can see rows upon rows of metallic spikes protruding from the top. The wall rises 30ft before stilling and only the settling of the falling sand is heard in the silence before your senses catch up and the combat resumes.
Initiative order:
(Team avg 16.3)
(Team avg 16)
The last remaining opponent has been incapacitated.
Round four has concluded. Points:
Player Points for round 3:
Character and Team Totals:
Kenshiro - 28
Kvit - 9
Initiative order:
(Team avg 12)
(Team avg 10)
The last remaining opponent has been incapacitated.
Round four has concluded. Points:
Player Points for round 3:
Character and Team Totals:
Kenshiro - 18
Kvit - 5
Initiative order:
(Team avg 18)
(Team avg 12)
The last remaining opponent has been incapacitated.
Round three has concluded. Points:
Player Points for round 3:
Character and Team Totals:
Kenshiro - 14
Kvit - 3
Initiative order:
(Team avg 15)
(Team avg 13)
Final opponent has been incapacitated.
Points:
Character and Team Totals:
Johnny - 11
Kvit - 0
Round three. Roll initiative!
Initiative order:
(Team avg 16)
(Team avg 13)
Points:
Character Totals:
Player Totals:
Round two. Fight!
Initiative order:
Nice Hollyrock
Bob-Omb!
Map link: https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1Gnsk6OkdGg78UdTkXq6dg73ScbVw-siYbW-Ogj8 hJ_o/edit?usp=sharing
The tournament has begun. Roll initiative. |