Reign of Winter Every 100 years, the Witch Queen Baba Yaga returns to the nation of Irrisen to place a new daughter on the throne, but this time, something has gone wrong. Far to the south, winter cloaks the forest near the village of Heldren with summer snows. The heroes venture into the wood and discover a magical portal to the frozen land of Irrisen, whose supernatural winter will soon engulf all of Golarion unless they can discover the fate of the otherworldly witch Baba Yaga—a quest that will take them through snowbound Irrisen to even stranger lands beyond.
Building a character
We currently have four players at level 2, and we are looking for one more. Specifically, we are looking for a healer, and other non-healing roles will not be considered at this time.
Characters should be built using point-buy rules with 20 points and be at level 2. Any material from the Reign of Winter Player's Guide (RoW PG), Core Rulebook (CRB), Advanced Player's Guide (APG), Ultimate Magic (UM), Ultimate Combat (UC) and Ultimate Equipment (UE) are allowed. I am not allowing any material from the Advanced Race Guide (ARG) in this game. All classes and archetypes from the allowed materials are permitted. Supplemental materials may be allowed on request, but the details must be publicly available online and I must okay the details first.
All characters must be non-evil alignment, and have two traits, one from the RoW PG, and one from the APG. I am open to traits from other sources, but please let me know first.
All players will receive maximum hit points (HP) for their class at Level 1, and average HP + 1 thereafter. (So for example, a class with d8 hit die will receive 8 HP at start, and 5 HP each level after that, plus bonuses from other sources.)
Players will start with 1000 gp that can be used to buy any starting equipment. Any non-magical equipment, weapons and armor from CRB or UE can be purchased. If there are any magic items needed, please clear them with me first.
How it works
I track character wealth, money, magical/rare items, food and rations, and experience points (XP). We will be following the medium advancement track. I will be using Google Docs to track all this information, and you can see the current state here. I use Google Docs for maps and coordination as well, which you can see in the gameplay thread if you are interested.
Most players post on average of once per day, with a bit more frequently posting during the week, and a bit less frequently on weekends. You can checkout our gameplay thread if you are interested in seeing how things go right now.
I plan on running everything mostly by the "official" rules. I'd like to have as few house rules as possible. (No hero points, words of power, armor as damage reduction, etc.)
In terms of the general tone of the game, I'm going to try and follow the notes in the adventure path. To this end, I'm aiming for a generally up-beat "exciting adventure" game, with dark elements sprinkled (like snowflakes) every once in awhile in a villain or back-story.
Character backgrounds
In your character submission, I'd like a paragraph or two of back-story, a physical description of the character, and a brief summary of their personality. Keep in mind characters either live in or are passing through the Taldor town of Heldren (see the RoW PG for more details). I'm especially interested in characters that are able to draw from their traits, race, class, or even starting equipment (their favorite weapon, for example) and skills (with an interesting profession rank, for example). I am also interested in seeing submissions that can tie in with our existing characters.
Finally, please also give me an idea of how many other PbP games you are actively participating in.
Timing
Recruitment will be open for four days from the time I post this thread (Tuesday, February 11th, 1:30 UTC). I will announce when recruitment is closed, and then take one or two days to review applications to select the player. I will be consulting with the existing players for my selections, who may also post here as well. Then I will incorporate those player(s) into the gameplay thread (likely as being captured by the next villain).
Reign of Winter Every 100 years, the Witch Queen Baba Yaga returns to the nation of Irrisen to place a new daughter on the throne, but this time, something has gone wrong. Far to the south, winter cloaks the forest near the village of Heldren with summer snows. The heroes venture into the wood and discover a magical portal to the frozen land of Irrisen, whose supernatural winter will soon engulf all of Golarion unless they can discover the fate of the otherworldly witch Baba Yaga—a quest that will take them through snowbound Irrisen to even stranger lands beyond.
Building a character
We currently have four players, and we are looking for 1 or 2 more. Most players post on average of once per day, with a bit more frequently posting during the week, and a bit less frequently on weekends. You can checkout our gameplay thread if you are interested in seeing how things go right now.
Characters should be built using point-buy rules with 20 points. Any material from the Reign of Winter Player's Guide (RoW PG), Core Rulebook (CRB), Advanced Player's Guide (APG), Ultimate Magic (UM), Ultimate Combat (UC) and Ultimate Equipment (UE) are allowed. I am not allowing any material from the Advanced Race Guide (ARG) in this game. All classes and archetypes from the allowed materials are permitted. Supplemental materials may be allowed on request, but the details must be publicly available online and I must okay the details first.
All characters must be non-evil alignment, and have two traits, one from the RoW PG, and one from the APG. I am open to traits from other sources, but please let me know first.
All players will receive maximum hit points (HP) for their class at Level 1, and average HP + 1 thereafter. (So for example, a class with d8 hit die will receive 8 HP at start, and 5 HP each level after that, plus bonuses from other sources.)
Players will start with the average starting wealth for their class. Any non-magical equipment, weapons and armor from CRB or UE can be purchased. If there are any magic items needed, please clear them with me first. For any potential gunslingers, firearms are emerging, the default assumption for the Golarion setting.
You have the option of assuming control of one of the characters whose player's have dropped out, Caelia Taviskin, a Cleric of Sarenrae or Sarya Melisandra, a simple Druid. If you want to do this, you still need to make a unique character submission to demonstrate your knowledge of the system.
How it works
I track character wealth, money, magical/rare items, food and rations, and experience points (XP). We will be following the medium advancement track. I will be using Google Docs to track all this information, and you can see the current state here. I use Google Docs for maps and coordination as well, which you can see in the gameplay thread if you are interested.
Other than the above details, I plan on running everything mostly by the "official" rules. I'd like to have as few house rules as possible. (No hero points, words of power, armor as damage reduction, etc.)
In terms of the general tone of the game, I'm going to try and follow the notes in the adventure path. To this end, I'm aiming for a generally up-beat "exciting adventure" game, with dark elements sprinkled (like snowflakes) every once in awhile in a villain or back-story.
Character backgrounds
In your character submission, I'd like a paragraph or two of back-story, a physical description of the character, and a brief summary of their personality. Keep in mind characters either live in or are passing through the Taldor town of Heldren (see the RoW PG for more details). I'm especially interested in characters that are able to draw from their traits, race, class, or even starting equipment (their favorite weapon, for example) and skills (with an interesting profession rank, for example). I am also interested in seeing submissions that can tie in with our existing characters.
Finally, please also give me an idea of how many other PbP games you are actively participating in.
Timing
Recruitment will be open for four days from the time I post this thread (Monday, August 5th, 2:00 UTC). I will announce when recruitment is closed, and then take one or two days to review applications to select the player(s). I will be consulting with the existing players for my selections. Then I will incorporate those player(s) into the gameplay thread.
Summary
To recap the main details:
5-6 players
RoW PG, CRB, APG, UM, UC, UE all permitted (ARG is not permitted)
20 point buy, non-evil, all classes/archetypes, two traits (one from RoW PG)
Max HP at Level 1, 1/2 + 1 for subsequent levels
Average starting wealth, all non-magical equipment is available
4-5 posts per week
Include back-story, physical description, personality summary
Entries open for 4 days, and pick players 1-2 days later
The sleepy village of Heldren has rarely seen so much excitement or concern. Hunters from the nearby Border Wood speak of unnaturally cold weather at the height of summer that descended on the forest just days ago. Heavy snows followed, and those who returned spoke of an uneasy presence in the woods, as well as new, dangerous predators. No one knows what this event means, but the town's soothsayer, Old Mother Theodora, claims dark times lie ahead.
As in proof of that dire prophecy, a badly wounded mercenary arrived in town yesterday, claiming to be a bodyguard of Lady Argentea Malassene. He told the village council that the noblewoman's escort came under attack by bandits and strange, wintry creatures near the edge of the Border Wood. He alone escaped, and Lady Argentea was dragged away into the forest. Now the townsfolk cast fearful eyes toward the snowy forest, worried what else might emerge to threaten the peaceful village.
Igmar, Arkady and Yagello:
Igmar Cratebearer, Arkady Szriakou and Yagello all arrived in Heledren yesterday, each one arriving from a different direction and also intending to depart the next day their own way. With no formal inn to speak of, the three converged on a tavern named The White Stoat in the town square. Inside, husband and wife proprietors Menander and Kale Garimos welcomed the travelers inside, offering hot food, and at least a corner of the room to sleep in for the night. While the three were an unlikely group, they sat down to a meal together at the remaining free bench.
While the majority of the patrons appeared to be locals that knew each other, the group noticed a weathered but young woman enter the tavern late in the evening, who did not converse with others in the room. She spoke briefly to Kale Garimos, but other than that did not converse with the other patrons at the tavern.
The White Stoat was filled with rumors over the evening meal, and many were gossiping over the cold and snow just a short journey away. Despite the relative tranquility of the morning meal the next day, the stories from visitors to the tavern had grown even more outlandish overnight, speaking of the injured Ulfen bodyguard that arrived late yesterday. Even the woman from the day before, still sitting apart from the others, appeared to be listening.
The villagers coming in to the tavern to break their fast were noticeably uneasy. Even though most of the stories were contradictory or impossible, the three travelers did all agree that the weather was noticeably cooler from the day before. The air felt more like the first wisps of winter rather than the warmth of a midsummer day that was normal for the month of Erastus.
The woman in the tavern is Sarya.
Caelia:
Caelia Taviskin had been not yet been summoned by Elder Natharen Safander for her services. Heldren was a small town, and the only temple was dedicated to Erastil. Natharen, who was the head cleric of the temple and sat on the village council, permitted a variety of faiths to be worshiped at the site, and Caelia's power with the sick was frequently called upon by worshipers of all types. So when she heard from Alma that an injured man was being tended to by Elder Natharen himself, Caelia knew that this was not the usual farming mishap or nettle rash.
The temple was not immune to gossip, and in the morning Caelia heard that the man had been stabilized, and that he had spoken with the town council as well. Intrigued, Caelia wondered if her friend Aishe had heard anything from Old Mother Theodora, who would probably have been called to town council for advice.
Aishe:
Aishe Grynne had heard nothing but warnings from Old Mother Theodora since the weather turned cold, and had been casually dismissing them since they started. Aishe appreciated everything Theodora had helped her with, especially helping her control and use her innate magical abilities. Aishe never really understood Theodora's prophecies, and she couldn't help but laugh off the old woman's warnings of eternal cold.
Aishe became more convinced when she heard the stories villagers were telling about the cold in the Border Wood, and when Theodora was called away to come to the town hall yesterday, Aishe exerted a great amount of patience to wait at home for Theodora to come back late that night.
Theodora did not speak of what had happened in town, only pausing in her nightly rituals of prophecy to shake her head sadly or cluck her tongue. In the morning, Theodora only spoke in vague terms, hoping her warnings would not come to pass in this age of lost omens.
Sarya:
Sarya Melisandra entered town late yesterday, not wanting to draw attention to herself. She went directly to only tavern in town and took up in inconspicuous place in The White Stoat, listening to the rumors being passed around the room. She recognized the majority of the patrons, but there were a group of three strangers at one table in the opposite corner of the room that clearly stood out, two humans and a dwarf. These three were obviously passing through, but were clearly caught up in the rumors as well.
Sarya asked Kale Garimos, who co-owned The White Stoat with her husband, permission to stay the night. Kale recognized Sarya after studying her for a few moments, and immediately offered a corner of the tavern floor to pass the night. The three strangers also spent the night, but did not approach Sarya.
In the morning, Sarya heard many stories from the villagers coming into the tavern for the morning meal, speaking of a injured Ulfen bodyguard that arrived late yesterday. Sarya wondered if Caelia had been working on healing the man overnight, and if Aishe would know anything about this weather. The weather had grown colder over the night, and she could feel the chill in the air.
The three travelers are Igmar, Arkady and Yagello
Here is a map of Heldren, along with a few key locations. I will add additional details to this map as they are encountered.
Igmar, Arkady and Yagello are now acquaintances, having spent the last night together as the only traveling coming through town yesterday. They are aware of Sarya, but have not been formally introduced. They know little of Heldren at this point.
Sarya is aware of Igmar, Arkady and Yagello, but has not formally introduced herself. Sarya knows most people and places in town, but may be slightly unfamiliar with things, having been away for a couple of years. She knows Caelia and Aishe, but her weathered appearance means she can chose to appear as a stranger for the time being. At this point, only Kale Garimos in the tavern knows Sarya is in town.
Caelia and Aishe are friends and know each other well. Both also know of Sarya and would recognize her if they were looking for her, but otherwise have not heard from Sarya for a couple of years, and are not expecting to see her. Caelia and Aishe also know most people and places in Heldren
Due to being from Heldren, Caelia, Aishe & Sarya can perform Knowledge(Local) checks untrained. Additionally, Caelia and Aishe receive a +10 bonus and Sarya receives a +5 bonus to these checks. These modifications to Knowledge(Local) checks only apply while within Heldren.
This is the place for any out-of-character discussion.
Please take a moment to introduce yourselves while I prepare the first post to kick this off!
I am going to be reviewing the characters in more detail (mainly for bookkeeping), and I'll be posting any questions I have about the character builds here.
Hello everyone, uncomfortably warm weather is here (at least up here in Canada), and I felt the best way to beat the awful heat and gloomy sunshine was to run the Reign of Winter Adventure Path! I'm looking for 4-5 players to start a play-by-post (PbP) campaign here on these boards.
Reign of Winter Every 100 years, the Witch Queen Baba Yaga returns to the nation of Irrisen to place a new daughter on the throne, but this time, something has gone wrong. Far to the south, winter cloaks the forest near the village of Heldren with summer snows. The heroes venture into the wood and discover a magical portal to the frozen land of Irrisen, whose supernatural winter will soon engulf all of Golarion unless they can discover the fate of the otherworldly witch Baba Yaga—a quest that will take them through snowbound Irrisen to even stranger lands beyond.
Building a character
As I said, I am looking to form a party of 4 or 5. My posting expectation is 4-5 times per week, with posting gaps of no more than two days.
Characters should be built using point-buy rules with 20 points. Any material from the Reign of Winter Player's Guide (RoW PG), Core Rulebook (CRB), Advanced Player's Guide (APG), Ultimate Magic (UM), Ultimate Combat (UC) and Ultimate Equipment (UE) are allowed. I am not allowing any material from the Advanced Race Guide (ARG) in this game. All classes and archetypes from the allowed materials are permitted. Supplemental materials may be allowed on request, but the details must be publicly available online and I must okay the details first.
All characters must be non-evil alignment, and have two traits, one from the RoW PG, and one from the APG. I am open to traits from other sources, but please let me know first.
All players will receive maximum hit points (HP) for their class at Level 1, and average HP + 1 thereafter. (So for example, a class with d8 hit die will receive 8 HP at start, and 5 HP each level after that, plus bonuses from other sources.)
Players will start with the average starting wealth for their class. Any non-magical equipment, weapons and armor from CRB or UE can be purchased. If there are any magic items needed, please clear them with me first. For any potential gunslingers, firearms are emerging, the default assumption for the Golarion setting.
How it will work
I will be tracking character wealth, money, magical/rare items, food and rations, and experience points (XP). We will be following the medium advancement track. I will be using Google Docs to track all this information, which I will be sharing for group reference.
I will also be using Google Docs for maps and coordination. I haven't used it before for this purpose, but hopefully after the first encounter I should have that part figured out.
Other than the above details, I plan on running everything mostly by the "official" rules. I'd like to have as few house rules as possible. (No hero points, words of power, armor as damage reduction, etc.)
In terms of the general tone of the game, I'm going to try and follow the notes in the adventure path. To this end, I'm aiming for a generally up-beat "exciting adventure" game, with dark elements sprinkled (like snowflakes) every once in awhile in a villain or back-story.
Character backgrounds
In your character submission, I'd like a paragraph or two of back-story, a physical description of the character, and a brief summary of their personality. Keep in mind characters either live in or are passing through the Taldor town of Heldren (see the RoW PG for more details). I'm especially interested in characters that are able to draw from their traits, race, class, or even starting equipment (their favorite weapon, for example) and skills (with an interesting profession rank, for example).
Finally, please also give me an idea of how many other PbP games you are actively participating in.
Recruitment will be open until there are enough applicants to choose from. I will announce when recruitment is closed, and then take two or three days to review applications to determine the final party.
Summary
To recap the main details:
4-5 players
RoW PG, CRB, APG, UM, UC, UE all permitted (ARG is not permitted)
20 point buy, non-evil, all classes/archetypes, two traits (one from RoW PG)
Max HP at Level 1, 1/2 + 1 for subsequent levels
Average starting wealth, all non-magical equipment is available
4-5 posts per week
Include back-story, physical description, personality summary
I will announce when entry is closed, and pick players 2-3 days later
