Upon closer inspection, each figure is wearing a motley suit of full plate made from scrap, with rusty, spiked edges and painted to give it a fearsome visage; the image of a hawk is most prominent.
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”I wonder if that cleric of Brigh is Konnor's friend? If we're able to find her first, that'd be a big help.”
Hearing Gaius encourage the them to follow Groog in--and increasingly uncertain about his plan to distract the hulking orc--he just responds, "Um. Uh. This is Raksasa. And snuggle is like a hug. But maybe we'll just follow you in. Lead on." Small Tarl tries not to let his anxiety show as they approach the immense wall of junk and rust, but he finds himself looking about furtively, and holding on tightly to Raksasa.
On the way to Scrapwall, Small Tarl and Raksasa hunt for game during the walk. Urging Raksasa to greater speed , Small Tarl catches up with Groog. He tries to get the orc's attention as he approaches...but he can't quite manage to get his voice loud enough to be heard. Sweet Savage Saurian Spirits, how do I stop this bonehead long enough for us to come up with a plan? Finally getting in front of him, Small Tarl waves and whispers urgently, "Wait! Hold on a minute!" When that doesn't have any effect, he continues, "Uhhh, Raksasa really wants to snuggle and wrestle with you. Don't you girl?"
Tarl starts to collect the loot, casting Detect Magic as he does so. He gathers the techy curiosities and brings them over to Scholar. He sets them down in front of her, nudges them toward her with his toe, and says. "Uh um. Any of these...do you understand them?" He then looks over and sees Groog's plan to thread the masked head and hurries over. "Um. That's gross. I wouldn't, but if it's...if you really want...here let me take that mask off of it first. Could be helpful." Could be helpful against , he thinks to himself, and shudders.
With a blink of his eyes, Small Tarl causes the aspect of the bull to fade from Raksasa, giving her the aspect of the stag instead. With that extra boost of speed, they run after the fleeing smiler. As they close, Tarl says (barely audibly), "Surrender. Talk to us. Or we kill you." Held action, if he does anything other than surrender:
Small Tarl and Raksasa manage to shred the final thug before them. Forcing out a whisper, he says, "Groog. You're a mess! Go to Scholar." he points. "She can heal you!" ________________
Small Tarl looks up from the two smilers assaulting him and Raksasa, and sees Groog hanging out in what looks like a toxic cloud. "Groog!" He tries to call (barely getting his voice above a whisper). "Get out of there!" Meanwhile, he and Raksasa continue to double-team the remaining smilers in reach, starting with the one who by rights should already be dead, muttering, "Why won't you things just drop?" ___________
Raksasa continues to rip into the crazed thugs, with Small Tarl doing his best to drive them toward the dinosaur's maw through flicks of his sword. Then he directs his companion back a few feet, where he heals him somewhat from the latest wounds. _________________
Tarl feints left as his dinosaur snaps right. Raksasa roars at just the right time to distract the smiler. Now that they're in motion together it's amazing how well they seem to assist each other. The smiler they'd injured manages to interpose his axe between the dinosaur's teeth and his face...but in doing so he opens himself up to her claws. The two continue to rip into the injured one before turning their attention to the one beside them. All the while, the furry little man seems to be hyperventilating: "Eeeee-huhgh--eeeee-huhgh--EEEEEIAAGH!" ______________
Tracker: Small Tarl hp 32/32 Raksasa
Frowning at their disfigured faces, Small Tarl lends Raksasa the aspect of the bull, and then urges her into a run. As the two come barrelling down on the thug, the spinosaurus opens her mouth wide, a lick of drool flying behind her. Meanwhile, Tarl begins to shriek--something that might be a mighty battle cry or could just be him screaming in terror.
Small Tarl keeps opening his mouth to protest...and then closing it again. "Tarl? Might wanting to be letting the Lady speak for herself, hmmmm?" She suggests to Small Tarl. Tarl shakes his head, confused, and whispers. "She can't talk, only growl." When the massive orc sets Raksasa down, Tarl moves toward her protectively...only to notice that she's nuzzling her head against the chest of the massive orc. ”I, uh, that is...maybe we can share her...” he shakes his head again, more bewildered than before. At Khonner's and Joram's request, Small Tarl begins to tremble. His fingers begin to nervously rub the twine 'robot' charm that he's crafted from the images in his nightmares. With a sad, serious nod, Tarl says ”We will do what must be done.”
Small Tarl yelps with terror when the orc picks up Raksasa and (somehow) manages to lift her over his head. As the spinosaur starts to bear her rows of sharp teeth, he says, "Rakasa, down. No bite." Seeing that his companion is at least tolerating the hug, Tarl relaxes a bit and tries to get the orc's attention by waiving (though still speaking in a strained whisper). "Groog, this is Raksasa. She's a spinosaur. I don't want her to hurt you. Please give her back."
hours before dawn, Small Tarl bolts upright: sweating, screaming, terrorized by nightmares of something he’s only seen in his dreams: ferocious metal monsters. These nightmares--sent to him by the spirits--reveal his fate. He knows this, and is resigned. Led by them, he has made the long and dangerous trek from the tropical mountains that surround Tolguth in the Realm of the Mammoth lords. He’s left his tribe behind and finds himself increasingly anxious about the strange new realm he’s entered. Each morning, he thinks longingly of turning around and going home...and feels the angry buzz of the spirits in the back of his mind. No. I must go on and confront these metal monsters face to face. It was a relief to meet the odd woman known as Scholar on the road, who seemed to know so much about this unsettling land. They’d been traveling together for several days now...and so far his screaming nightmares hadn’t made her change her mind.
A wild-eyed halfling walks into the tavern. He has unusually long and well muscled arms & legs, lightly covered with black fur. His face has an almost angelic perfection of features, though it’s hard to tell due to the expression of anxious dread he wears. He's dressed in furs with many small totems stitched into the seams or dangling from leather straps: teeth of great saurians, a disk cut from a mammoth tusk...and a miniature “robot” made from twisted twine (that he crafted from the images in his nightmares). Standing just behind him is Raksasa: an obviously predatory bipedal dinosaur, her hide a mottled mix of red and brown with a spray of crimson under her chin and on the spines that ridge her back. She stands 5’ at the shoulder and almost as wide, with three massive claws on each forearm, and jagged teeth visible between her gums. On her back is a saddle and a shirt of loose chain. The hairy halfling keeps one hand on it’s long thick neck, attempting to signal as best he’s able that the spinosaurus doesn’t need to be feared. When he opens his mouth, he speaks slowly and in barely more than a whisper. ”Hello. I’m Small Tarl. Thank you for the food. Yes, I will go and fight the metal monsters.” After forcing the words out of his mouth, he looks about realizes that noone seems to have heard him over the din in the tavern. With a grimace, he approaches closer to Khonnir, Groog, Gaius, and Sunset, waving to get their attention. ”We will help. Small Tarl and Raksasa.” he manages to say, glancing back over his shoulder at the spinosaurus who stands there, taking in the room with predatory eyes. Small Tarl tentatively grabs some mutton off a platter, handing some to Raksasa and then biting off some for himself.
Right. Cool. I'll add a loot/gear spreadsheet link to my profile. I like having one of those for myself anyway.
OK, I got a second wind and have his crunch pretty much in order. There may be one or two tweaks (or errors) but it's ready to review. BTW, we discussed the ability to craft skymetal in less-than-years on roll20 and Crusty's decided: not possible at our level, so we should assume we pay full value for skymetal weapons/armor. Cheers!
Ahhh, I think Crusty house-ruled it to be reasonable (in which case you could presumably make your own breastplate mithral). I forgot that RAW it takes years. I think he said it brought it to the same or slightly longer than the time to craft with iron...but he can correct me.
Hey Crusty. I'm considering taking a level of Cavalier (beastrider, order of the beast(acg)). Wondering if you're doing standard or fractional base bonuses? Scholar, I'm wondering if (a) you'd be open to having met on the road to Torch, and getting to know one another...and (b) if you'd be open to discounted pre-game crafting of non-magic, skymetal weapon/armor/barding? Story-wise, I think Scholar's ability to make sense of this strange land would be a big comfort to Small Tarl (who has spent little time outside of his tribal home in the dino-jungles hidden in the realm of the mammoth lords)...and perhaps Tarl and his spino would be welcome muscle on the road into town. You could even have told him that he can trade his gems for skymetal that can be worked into armor and weapons to help him defeat the metal monsters that disturb his dreams. Heck, happy to RP those parts at the beginning of the game as well...just thinking of suiting up before going out...and I don't think we'll get the chance to craft with skymetals again for some time.
I can be ready in a couple days. I think I'd like to start RPing meeting in Torch (or wherever it is we meet). Is that the plan?
Hoots has retired. Even if we continue at 4th level, I'll be bringing in Small Tarl (background in profile). Haven't decided if I'll make him a Barbarian or a Hunter. Either way, looking forward to this!
Heya! Gyrfalcon here. Definitely glad you're thinking about starting this back up. This is the character I'd play. His crunch could change a bit (specifically, I could see building him as a Barbarian or a Hunter. I lean a bit toward Barb but if Thron wants to stick with Groog, I'll happily go Hunter...but a small, anxious barbarian seems like a lot of fun to play.)
Here's the background I initially wrote for him::
1. What does your character look like? Please describe their clothes, and if they openly display any recognizable symbols (such as the emblem of a nation or the holy symbol of a god)
Small Tarl is a wild-eyed halfling with unusually long arms & legs, covered with black fur. He’s quite muscled for a halfling. He wears furs with many small totems stitched into the seams or dangling from leather straps: teeth of great saurians, a disk cut from a mammoth tusk...and a miniature “robot” made from twisted twine (that he crafted from the images in his nightmares). Standing just behind him is Raksasa: an obviously predatory bipedal dinosaur, her hide a mottled mix of red and brown with a spray of crimson under her chin and on the spines that ridge her back. She stands 5’ at the shoulder and almost as wide, with three massive claws on each forearm, and jagged teeth visible between her gums. Small Tarl often keeps one hand on it’s long thick neck when around people, in order to signal as best she’s able that the spinosaurus doesn’t need to be feared. Spinosaurus Companion (Raksasa) reference image He is very clearly out of place in Numeria, and often looks as panicked by this strange new land as the locals do by the massive predatory dinosaur that accompanies him. 2. How long has your character been in Numeria?
3. What drives your character to adventure in Numeria? What will keep your character invested in this motley group?
His motivations are a mixture of terrified-yet-resolute desire to Do What Needs To Be Done (not that he knows what that is yet, apart from his nightmare visions ). He’s also quite loyal and after building a bond with other adventurers will be invested in keeping them safe. 4. How does your character feel about new technology?
5. How does your character feel about the Technic League?
6. Where is your character from?
7. What is their personality like?
8. What training did they undergo, if any, to become their class?
9. Why does your character wield the weapon(s) they use?
10. If your character is religious, describe what lead them to their deity.
11. Explain what your character's alignment means for them.
I'd be fine with starting from the beginning again or with continuing on from Book 2...though wherever we start I want him to be "fresh off the boat", just arrived in Numeria, driven by the nightmares he keeps having of Metal Monsters.
I totally understand. As I think about it, I think the (short but Medium sized) human option is fine. The dino is fun but isn't core to the concept. As I'm tweaking backstory, do you have a sense of Hunter, Mad Dog Barbarian, or Barbarian without companion fitting best in your game?
Why not just be a halfling: Well, I like the idea of a small STR-based warrior. This is really someone where I love the image of him (small warrior, terrorized by nightmare images of metal monsters he's never seen, barely able to speak above a whisper when not screaming in terror). I have a strong image of how to play him...but (while I don't need my character to be optimized), with a 20pt buy there's really no way to make that happen. (-2 to STR on a 20pt buy really kills his ability to function as a STR based character). Honestly, if Aasimar was off the table I might just make him an unusually short human. I could see his small size being more fluff than mechanical...but I like the image of an insular tribe of humans and halflings, where the halflings sometimes exhibit angel-touched characteristics. Why in Torch? The origin of this character was really the Robot Hunter trait. That's what I started with, and started thinking of an interesting Robot Hunter. I came up with the idea of someone whose dreams had been tormented by images he didn't understand, and who'd been compelled to journey to Torch by those images. I've thought about applying with this character to something other than Iron Gods...but I think for me this is the only AP he fits in. I should also note, the mechanics are more flexible for me than the overall concept. I could easily build him as a Hunter, a Mad Dog Barbarian, or even a vanilla unchained Barbarian with no pet, if one of those seems like a better fit for the game to you.
Hi Fabian. I have a concept I'm excited about, but that really hinges on being a (small) halfling-born aasimar. He was accepted into a previous Iron Gods...but then real life hit the DM over the head and the game never began. I'll post the fluff I'd written up for that game here, and you can read his previous stats in this profile.
Background:
1. What does your character look like? Please describe their clothes, and if they openly display any recognizable symbols (such as the emblem of a nation or the holy symbol of a god)
Small Tarl is a wild-eyed halfling with unusually long arms & legs, covered with black fur. He’s quite muscled for a halfling. He wears furs with many small totems stitched into the seams or dangling from leather straps: teeth of great saurians, a disk cut from a mammoth tusk...and a miniature “robot” made from twisted twine (that he crafted from the images in his nightmares). Standing just behind him is Raksasa: an obviously predatory bipedal dinosaur, her hide a mottled mix of red and brown with a spray of crimson under her chin and on the spines that ridge her back. She stands 5’ at the shoulder and almost as wide, with three massive claws on each forearm, and jagged teeth visible between her gums. Small Tarl often keeps one hand on it’s long thick neck when around people, in order to signal as best he’s able that the spinosaurus doesn’t need to be feared. Spinosaurus Companion (Raksasa) reference image He is very clearly out of place in Numeria, and often looks as panicked by this strange new land as the locals do by the massive predatory dinosaur that accompanies him. 2. How long has your character been in Numeria?
3. What drives your character to adventure in Numeria? What will keep your character invested in this motley group?
His motivations are a mixture of terrified-yet-resolute desire to Do What Needs To Be Done (not that he knows what that is yet, apart from his nightmare visions ). He’s also quite loyal and after building a bond with other adventurers will be invested in keeping them safe. 4. How does your character feel about new technology?
5. How does your character feel about the Technic League?
6. Where is your character from?
7. What is their personality like?
8. What training did they undergo, if any, to become their class?
9. Why does your character wield the weapon(s) they use?
10. If your character is religious, describe what lead them to their deity.
11. Explain what your character's alignment means for them.
I'm happy to write out a more detailed Background answer in the format you've requested...but first I wanted to ask if I should continue, since you've asked for only Core + Android and I'm not sure how this character could survive a transition to another race. Thanks!
Fixed! Thanks.
Kiora, FYI, the game seems to have shifted automatically to inactive since the last gameplay post was 3 months ago. Do you have the power to set it back to active? (OK, I guess we all do by posting to gameplay...but I think maybe you have a switch you can flip too?)
Kiora, are we going to be a 5 player party, or is there a 6th (your husband or otherwise) in the works as well?
Fun to read Zarzuket's, Kaziya's, and Citrine's backgrounds. Citrine, I'm totally curious to hear more of how a dwarf living in a dwarfy place got turned on to Desna and the (very undwarfy) sky. I like it, and hope more comes out in play. It seems like interesting fodder for RP!
Kiora, a couple more things: - I've revised my build slightly, so apologies if you've already begun your detailed review.
There are regional traits that are identical to reckless, e.g. Rice runner ...but my backstory isn't from the far East. Would you allow a "Jungle runner" regional trait that's mechanically identical to Rice Runner, but that comes from swinging on vines and tumbling over fallen logs to avoid the great saurians that roam in the tropical jungles that surround Tolguth?
Hey, just toying with some ideas but...if Small Tarl takes a level or more of Cavalier, can those stack for advancing his spinosaurus companion?
Thanks so much! I'm really happy with the way he's come together in my head, now I'm looking forward to getting to 'road test' him.
OK, I had some fun with the background questions. Also, real name: Small Tarl (and his spinosaurus, Raksasa). His profile is ready for review (though I expect to buy a bit more gear still). 1. What does your character look like? Please describe their clothes, and if they openly display any recognizable symbols (such as the emblem of a nation or the holy symbol of a god)
Standing just behind him is Raksasa: an obviously predatory bipedal dinosaur, her hide a mottled mix of red and brown with a spray of crimson under her chin and on the spines that ridge her back. She stands 5’ at the shoulder and almost as wide, with three massive claws on each forearm, and jagged teeth visible between her gums. Small Tarl often keeps one hand on it’s long thick neck when around people, in order to signal as best she’s able that the spinosaurus doesn’t need to be feared. Spinosaurus Companion (Raksasa) reference image He is very clearly out of place in Numeria, and often looks as panicked by this strange new land as the locals do by the massive predatory dinosaur that accompanies him. 2. How long has your character been in Numeria?
3. What drives your character to adventure in Numeria? What will keep your character invested in this motley group?
His motivations are a mixture of terrified-yet-resolute desire to Do What Needs To Be Done (not that he knows what that is yet, apart from his nightmare visions ). He’s also quite loyal and after building a bond with other adventurers will be invested in keeping them safe. 4. How does your character feel about new technology?
5. How does your character feel about the Technic League?
6. Where is your character from?
7. What is their personality like?
8. What training did they undergo, if any, to become their class?
9. Why does your character wield the weapon(s) they use?
10. If your character is religious, describe what lead them to their deity.
11. Explain what your character's alignment means for them.
Cool. Munboi the furry proto-halfling and his spinosaurus companion are shaping up nicely. Draft crunch in profile. Angel-blooded would've let me get to 18 STR but agathion-blooded makes so much thematic sense I'll make due with the 17 until L4. In sketchy form for now: - Appearance: a wild-eyed halfling with long arms & legs, covered with black fur. quite muscled for a halfling. - Background / personality / motivations: very clearly out of place in Numeria, often looks a bit panicked. sometimes wakes screaming with nightmares about something he's never seen--metal monsters. His dreams have led him to make the dangerous journey from the LotLKings to Torch. Speaks common but tends to talk in a whisper. Quick to charge into battle but not always clear if that's his fearsome battle cry or if he's just screaming in terror. ---- Nothing final yet but those're my thoughts so far. Feedback welcome. Are you OK with retraining? If so I'll probably take toughness at 1st and retrain it to power attack at 2nd, when I qualify for it. If not I wouldn't mind improved initiative.
Hey, when do you want characters built by? When is this planned to start? BTW, I'm toying with building Moon Boy as a (small) Aasimar-Halfling. We'll see. ;0)
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