Search Posts
The councilman hurries in, seeming even more impatient than before, and calls for everyone to gather. Kendra peers out of the doorway, but refuses any seat she's offered, since the water is boiling and she wants to listen to it. Vashion produces a scoll case, showing the room that the professor's personal seal is unbroken, then breaks the wax and opens it. As he does, a small iron key falls out of the tab, clattering noisily onto the table. Undaunted by the key, he begins to read, eager to be done with this all and return home. I, Petros Lorrimor, being of sound mind, do hereby commit to this parchment my last will and testament. Let it be known that, with the exception of specific details below, I leave my home and personal belongings entire to my daughter Kendra. Use them or sell them as you see fit, my child. Yet, beyond bequeathing my personal effects, this document has other needs. I have arranged for the reading of this document to be delayed until all principals can be in attendance, for I have more than mere inheritance to apportion. I have two final favors to ask. To my old friends, I hate to impose upon you all, but there are few others who are capable of appreciating the true significance of what it is I have to ask. As some of you know, I have devoted many of my studies to all manner of evil, that I might know the enemy and inform those better positioned to stand against it. For knowledge of one's enemy is the surest path to victory over its plans. And so, over the course of my lifetime, I have seen fit to acquire a significant collection of valuable but dangerous tomes, any one of which in the wrong circumstances could have led to an awkward legal situation. While the majority of these tomes remain safe under lock and key at the Lepidstadt University, I fear that a few I have borrowed remain in a trunk in my Ravengro home. While invaluable for my work in life, in death, I would prefer not to burden my daughter with the darker side of my profession, or worse still, the danger of possessing these tomes herself. As such, I am entrusting my chest of tomes to you, posthumously. I ask that you please deliver the collection to my colleagues at the University of Lepidstadt, who will put them to good use for the betterment of the cause. Yet before you leave for Lepidstadt, there is a matter of another favor--please delay your journey one month and spend that period of time here in Ravengro to ensure that my daughter is safe and sound. She has no one to count on now that I am gone, and if you would aid her in setting things in order for whatever she desires over the course of this month, you would have my eternal gratitude. For my savings, I have also willed to each of you a sum of one hundred platinum coins. For safekeeping, I have left these funds with Embreth Daramid, one of my most trusted friends in Lepidstadt--she has been instructed to issue payment upon the safe delivery of the borrowed tomes no sooner than one month after the reading of this will. Once the will is read, Councilman Vashian looks to Kendra, who thanks him and dismisses him. He wordlessly gets up and leaves the house without saying another word. Kendra then puts on a brave face and turns to you all. "Thank you again for coming, it means a lot to me. I will need a few weeks to decide if I'm selling the house and to put other affairs into order. If you would please stay with me until the month is up, I would be very thankful for that, and you may stay here in this house, room and board without charge, until it's time for you to leave for Lepidstadt." She sighs, looking behind her to the kitchen, then to the study, whose door the councilman left open a little, then back to the kitchen. "Please, make yourselves at home. I will finish the tea and then retrieve the chest."
Kendra is surprised by Ysmerelda's insistence on aiding her. She looks wearily at the young girl, but gives her a sigh. "Thank you, dear. Could you carry the tray in for me, then? I'll be ready with the tea in a few moments."
For basic matters like this, just roll against the low DC, for the sake of speeding up the role playing. You can post preview your die roll results and write around that.
That's right.
Hearing such kind words and stories about her father makes Kendra smile a little, and even the wary villagers gathered seem to be a little less worried about you. On one final note, the cleric ends the ceremony, and the gravediggers begin to pile dirt over the coffin. The second the ceremony is done, Councilman Vashin Hearthmount steps up to Kendra and begins rushing you all to her home. He is required to be present for the reading of the will, being the closest thing Raveongro has to a solicitor, and does not wish to waste a single moment. He makes little effort to hide the fact he doesn't entirely approve of strangers being involved in local matters, but doesn't let that get in the way of business. You're ushered hastily to her home, and the councilman disappears to the Professor's study, where everything is prepared. Kendra does her best to be a good host given the hurried circumstances, and seats you all, offering you all tea and scurrying off before she can receive an answer from any of you.
The gathered mob of farming implement-weilding townsfolk stop, including the soldier, and they turn in to look at each other. They were not expecting civil responses, nor were they expecting the words of someone representing the Church of Pharasma to be present. They double-guess this plan, and without acknowledging any of your words or responding in any way, they turn tail and walk off. Occasionally they turne back and shoot venomous glances at you. Kendra turns to face them after they leave, sighing and putting her head down. "Thank you all for helping. It would mean a lot to father that you respected his honour and stood up to them like that." She faces Raldora in particular and shakes her head. "I doubt it. They wouldn't dare deface graves or risk trying to unearth him. I appreciate your concern, though." Ysmerelda:
You are able to tell that they did not intend violence, or at least not to gravely harm you. They were likely looking to chase you out of town more than they were looking to leave more bodies to be buried. One of the councilmen speaks up, explaining quickly that it's a surprise that those particular people would come to interrupt the ceremony, as they are simply farmhands of low character. He doesn't dwell too much on the issue though, and soon enough you are carrying the coffin once more. At the grave, you find yourselves in the same boat again, with Father Grimburrow giving a long, raspy sermon, following by Kendra giving a few words and recounting some of her father's more selfless moments. It's a long, teary speech as the pressures of the day finally get to her, and when she's done, she wipes her face and asks if anyone would like to tell a story about her father.
Kendra responses to each of the consolatory gestures with a faint smile, but remains mostly silent save for a low, "Thank you," whenever she feels she has a decent enough handle on the situation, and tries to give you each a warmer smile as you pass her. Her mood has been that way since the first of you arrived, as she's been according herself as well she could given the burial of her father that day. The only time she stops is when asked about the business vaguely alluded to in the notes. Each of you were asked to come down to attend the funeral and the reading of the will, but she insists each time with unsteady patience to wait until the reading and to focus on the proceedings first. Ysmerelda:
You can tell you're not making Kendra unhappy, but that she isn't feeling particularly more comfortable for having you beside her. Once everything is done, the crowd begins to part a little, easing up connections and forming into smaller groups. "It is time to carry the body to its final resting place," Father Grimburrow rasps, and looks toward you all. "I believe, Miss Lorrimor, that your father specified his guests be the six men to carry him?" "That is correct." The old man steps aside and Kendra takes her place at the head of the coffin; as the closest--and only--living relative, it's her job to lead the funeral procession to the grave. As each of you take your places at the coffin, you look down the Drewamwave, a gravel walkway winding through the cemetary. The coffin is very plain, save for a marking in the middle identifying the body within as Petros Lorrimor, but it's remarkably heavy, and you each need two hands to carry it up the road. The walk is slow and somber, Kendra leading the way and keeping a respectful pace, Petros's friends from around the town following after him in silence. The priest and his gravediggers move quickly ahead, cutting through the path and setting out to finish preparing the grave. As the procession reaches the halfway point along the Dreamwake, rounding a corner, you see the way ahead blocked by a group of a dozen surly-looking locals. The tallest and strongest-looking among them, carrying himself with the posture of a former soldier, steps forward and speaks. "That's far enough. We've been talking, and we don't want Lorrimor buried in the Restlands. You can take him upriver and bury him there if you want, but he ain't goin' in the ground here!" Kendra is swift to respond, her sadness swiftly transforming into anger. She cries out, "What are you talking about? I arranged it with Father Grimburrow. He's waiting for us! The grave's already been-" "You don't get it, woman. We won't have a necromancer buried in the same place as our kin. I suggest you move out while you still can. Folks are pretty upset about this right now."
I'm perfectly okay with that, yeah. Even if they aren't relevant, any background you wish to add to your character is going to make them deeper and more vivid in your mind, and if they've a more solid footing then you're likely to write them better.
Gameplay thread now up and running. I'll give everyone a chance to get a post in before I continue.
It's an ill day for a funeral, overcast and gloomy, at any moment a sweep of heavy rains threatening to bombard the strange crowd gathered in Ravengro. Each time someone turns their head, they can spot some new freak standing out. The townsfolk stand together, away from the six strange visitors who don't match or even, in some cases, appear to be wholely human. Suspicious glances keep peering over toward the scattered folks. Each of you have come from distant corners of Golarion to pay respects to Professor Petros Lorrimor, the recently deceased. To some, he was a friend. To others, a tutor. He sought the employ of some of you, and to study others. Each of you have kept in contact with him since crossing paths however many years ago, and find it strange that you've been called here. His body has been kept on ice for the time it's taken you all to arrive, and the ominous note of the letters you each received imply that there's a very good reason that you've been waited for. The cleric in charge of the funeral proceedings is a very old man who hasn't had hair on his head for several deacdes, but has a disconcertingly visible few whiskrs emerging from his ear. His face is worn and wrinkled in such a way that his face looks scrunched up, and his voice is a low, slightly raspy drone. Beside him, a woman in a long red dress whose youth provides a stark contrast to his age. Kendra Lorrimor, the daughter of the professor and only survivor of the old man's legacy. His endless droning leaves you a moment to think about everything that's happened the past few days, and to reflect on the professor.
I don't think I really have the time or care to go through everyone's characters and explain my process behind not choosing them, but it was definitely not a matter of being wildly unhappy with all the other applications. Especially because of how different GMs look for very different things, it's not particularly the best way to go about things, either. I will say that overall, I selected the party based not only on balance, but on how much I felt they could be played with in the campaign, gearing some of the horror around them and pulling them in personal directions here and there to help make it something deeper than just whatever the book called spooky. Some applicants didn't provide me with any hooks at all, nor could I really get any ideas flowing to accomodate them, so they were definitely cut from consideration pretty quickly. From there, it was just a matter of figuring out how I could get a balanced party out of characters I liked, and I'll readily admit that I had to cut a fair amount of characters who I thought would have potential. Overall though, my dissections wouldn't be of much use because everyone has their own ideas of what their game will be and even another Carrion Crown GM is likely to go in a different direction entirely. I might tell someone to flavour their character more toward the tone of the book and away from more generic, general fantasy stuff, but then they'll get a game where the person is looking to run the adventure straight out of the book and it won't get you any points at all.
Definitely not. No required reading, no insights, no suggestions. And yeah, we'll see where things take us, I guess.
As promised, I've whipped up some boni that have some kind of root in your backstories. As this is a horror campaign and I want to preserve some of that mood, they will not be straightforward, simple things that lead to just handing you extra s&&*, so there will be drawbacks and things that can be preyed on within. I want to add some personal notes when it comes to the horror, and so by giving penalties and weaknesses it can be something beyond just general 'you run into something spooky, roll to save versus fear effect'. If you take extreme issue with what I've given you, let me know and we'll see what we can do. However, I tried to keep the drawbacks as things that can happen in story or mechnically, but without trying to change anyone's characters or make them behave differently. Also, they're kept numerically vague for plenty of reasons. I'm very much into keeping things from you and adjusting based on situations to keep you on-edge, and also because sometimes a Will save penalty ought to have more weight to it during an important moment than during a random encounter on a road. Also, if it seems like you got a harsher penalty than someone else, don't worry, I'm keeping vague about some stuff I intend to weave into the plot for everyone, so it should all even out by the end of it. You may find some growth in these bonuses and drawbacks as we progress in the game, but that would be a long way away, so don't worry too much about that. I'd also like everyone to format their Class bar like Ysmerelda has, so that I can have quick reference to things. Again, because of mood, I'm going to be making a fair amount of rolls for you. Also, please modify your character sheets so that certain skills that, though untrained, might come up, are listed for quick reference. Things like Climb or Swim. This would be where anyone with gripes with RAW who'd like to houserule something would be wise to ask. I'd also like to know how you guys feel about progressing through the book. Would you be open to side-quests and some other content, or are you all the sort who just want to rush the adventure path and leave no time for anything else? Dr. Aconitus:
Part of Professor Lorrimor's therapy to wean you off of the concoction was rooted in steeling your resolve and making you a man of stronger will. You gain a +1 bonus to Will saves except for those related to your Rage Mutagen. However, you rely on what he taught you to keep yourself together, and so a failed Will save may leave your mental state more fragile than others.
As you received study from the professor himself on how to hunt the undead, you've become particularly studied in the field. You gain a +2 bonus to all Knowledge rolls made to identify the abilities and weaknesses of undead creatures. You were also entrusted with a very rare piece of knowledge that allows you to create Holy Water as a normal alchemical item. For the purpose of item creation, consider it to be Acid. House rule: Failing your Rage Mutagen save the first time will provide a -2 to Intelligence and Will saving throws as written. However, subsequent failures of the throw will only provide further penalties to Intelligence. That way, you still have the issue of succumbing to the rage, but your character still has the ability to come back from it and reclaim himself. Rhia Van Der Geist:
The presence of your family around you calms you, granting you a +1 bonus to saving throws against fear spells and effects. You may also consult them for guidance, allowing you to cast Know Direction and Identify at will as a spell-like ability. You may also use the spirits around you as an avenue for divination, allowing you eschew the material costs of the spells Divination and Augury when casting them.
However, you are still surrounded by spirits of the dead. You are may be discovered by spells such as Detect Undead, and are easier to track by those who know about the ghosts around you. Creatures who somehow feed off of the undead or are otherwise attracted to such energies will find themselves drawn toward you. Should you ever lose connection with the spirits, or they somehow be restrained by magical means, you lose both the benefits and drawbacks of these abilities. Ysmerelda:
Being raised by halflings left you with a peculiar upbringing. You may take another Halfling trait as per the Adopted trait, and you gain the Halfling racial ability "Halfling Luck", giving you a +1 racial bonus to all saving throws. You also feel your Changeling heritage begin to take root, granting you the ability to cast Pass Without A Trace and Ghost Sound as spell-like abilities once per day. At times, they may warn you of incoming threats, granting you a +2 to Initiative rolls in combat involving ghosts and other creatures of the Etheral Plane, as well as a +2 to Perception to spot such creatures.
There is a lot you don't yet know about your mother, or about your future. You are more susceptible to the attacks and abilities of hags, and may find yourself uneasy when in the sorts of places that hags may make their homes or around creatures or groups that remind you of them. Raldora:
Due to the time spent both settled and on the road, you've come to be more rounded in your knowledge than most fetchlings. As a result, you gain the World Walker modification to your Skilled racial trait (+1 to Knowledge (Local) and Knowledge (Nature)), but you do not lose the +2 to Knowledge (Planes) in the process.
Your connection to the Shadow Plane makes your senses keener regarding other planes and their crossover with the real world, granting you a +2 to Initiative rolls in combat involving ghosts and other creatures of the Transitive planes (Astral, Ethereal, and Shadow) as well as a +2 to Perception to spot such creatures. Your appearance is unsettling for the superstitious folk of Ustalav, and those who do not know what fetchlings are will likely suspect you of being an infernal creature of some manner. When undisguised, you take a penalty to Diplomacy and Bluff skills when trying to interact with townsfolk who are wary of you. You gain a +2 to Intimidate, but striking fear into the hearts of too many people may have repurcussions. House rule: You may. Windom:
There may be some silver lining yet to your tragic life. Spending so long in the midst of the undead has honed your senses. You gain a +1 bonus to Perception checks to find undead creatures not invisible or otherwise obscured by magical means, a +1 bonus to Survival when tracking or evading undead creatures, and a +1 bonus to Sense Motive when determining if someone is an undead creature, possessed, or otherwise twisted by dark forces. During your time as an Inquisitor, you also picked up the art of picking locks so that you could find the more secury of your quarry. Disable Device is a class skill for you.
That isn't to say your life is any manner of blessing. Though you've become skilled at hunting the undead, you carry personal scars with you, and sometimes may find a sight that triggers terrible memories. In addition, Candis may no longer haunt you, but the toll she left on your mind hasn't fully healed. You take a penalty to Will checks against enchantment spells and effects. Dr. Alderly: Though you've never been sure if your imaginary friends were truly real, occasionally you have found yourself in a strange spot of luck. Once per day you may modify a skill or attack roll by +2. You must declare this once you have rolled but before you know if it is a success.
You've also honed your skill as a physician to remarkable ability, and though not a very personable fellow you excell at noticing the subtle signs of illness or injury in others. You gain a +2 to Perception checks to notice these signs, or a +2 to Sense Motive to oppose Bluff checks to hide such signs. The mystery of your childhood still lingers, and even before the burgeoning of your magical talent, some who could detect such lingering spirits were wary of you. Some who are sensitive to such energies may zero in with suspicion on you. This includes a stealth penalty against certain creatures. Your near-obsessive desire to learn about the worlds beyond is a huge potential weakness, and the allure of forbidden knowledge may wear down your will.
That is the exact same choice I offered to the real life group I have. Although probably for the better; with how they're running through S&S I know damn well that all the mood and point of CC would be lost on them.
Alright, after an hour of considerations and re-reading after my excruciating Psych class, I've finally settled on the final party. Wasn't easy, but thanks to everyone for coming out and giving it a shot. I'll keep some of you in consideration if there are any drop-outs early on. The final roster is:
Because half-divine party sounds like such a marvelous idea. So yeah, everyone selected please report to the discussion thread.
Alright guys, welcome to the game. Opening post for the gameplay thread will be a while, since I have to scurry home and deep clean my bedroom, so for now just get settled in here. Questions will be answered when possible.
Sorry guys, some emergency stuff came up this weekend. Party selection is probably going to be delayed to either an unreasonable hour of the night or until tomorrow. All-divine is an awful idea and I was actually flirting with letting nobody with Channel Energy in, but I decided to not do that ecause it's also an awful idea. I'm definitely aiming for rounded party, but also with consideration to backgrounds and how well I think they'll mess with the setting. Not just for things that might say typical horror, but for things I can maybe toy with and twist some of the campaign's horror to help play with/prey on. But yeah, will try to get everything done by tomorrow afternoon. It's a pretty anomalous week as far as continued distractions go, but usually I'm not this bad about being so busy.
Yeah, that's fair. I've run games where I houserule certain Cha-based Cleric abilities to be Wis-based, and I see no problem gonig in the other direction for Oracle.
Alright, sorry about vanishing for a few days, it's been crunch time on some school work. Final party selection will definitely be taking place Sunday-ish now, to give people time any feedback or last-minute additions to be made in time. Very important since it makes my job of sorting so much easier, I'd like you to give me a quick rundown of your mechnical uses. Not necessarily a deep strategy paragraph, but a sentence or two just detailing what your character does; if they're leaning toward support magic, going to be focusing on certain skills or sub-roles beyond the typical Martial/Arcane/Divine/Skill split. @Tyrnvald: Much like Max, I'm interested to know how you'd be playing out his code relative to the rest of the party. @Aconitus: Inspiration's coming in loud and clear, but that's okay; the classics are a good ground for this sort of thing. @Mortimer: A ghost from his past who could just kind of slip in one day? Perfect. I'm interested to see how he might react with certain other applied characters. @Balin: Well, there was going to be an Undead Lord eventually. As for your levels, might want to plan out, because if we go by book XP you'll be around 15th by the adventure's end. Not sure if that'll change your plans at all. @James: Yeah, we can reflavour it a little, sure. @Lilien: No, everything looks to be in place. @Dr. Alderly: Everything seems to be in place here. @Cydrius: It would be interesting to see, definitely. I guess if 'interesting roleplay' for you is having a crowd of people part like the Red Sea whenever you walk in? I'm totally okay with reflavouring the trait to be that. @Windom: Very traditional-looking, but traditional isn't always bad. @Izzyraen: If he's hooded and masked he ought to be fine. There is an issue of his 'skin condition' being seen as an excuse for being a demonic entity since Ustalav is a place of deep superstition, so it would create some interesting roleplay opportunities, but definitely might want to consider it down the road, depending on how things go. @Raldora: Interesting to see what her new approach will be to not getting chased out of Ustalav this time. And I have no questions for the rest of you and don't feel like typing out "Everything looks fine," in four different ways, so going to leave it at that.
There will be crafting time open for you to prepare potions and alchemical items.
Oh, Hobgoblin, right. I didn't look at your background before making that, and race only says "Humanoid (Goblinoid)" so I ended up checking out the Goblin stats. My bad, hadn't even finished making my morning coffee when I wrote up my post.
@Rhia: Looks like you missed a spot on downgrading your Revelations back to first. The Ancestral Weapon weapon only becomes Masterwork at 3rd. And your equipment is still pretty up there for 1st level. @Max: That's good to hear, characters who run around being righteous, insufferable gits will make no friends in the party or in Ustalav. @Arven: Seeing a bit of a problem in your Point Buy. For one, it's well over 20, and I can't there isn't even a value given for bumping a stat up to 19 (which you'd have to, to get strength at 17 after racial) @Ixos: At a quick glance, not seeing any issues. I'm intrigued; never seen a cleric go weaponless in a game before. @Izzyraen: I'd suggest grabbing a Disguise Kit or an item that will help you appear as a human; it might be one of the worst places in Golarion to be walking around looking like a Drow. @El Ronza: No questions just from her crunch, no. Everything except traits looks in order to me.
@Ravenica: I sadly don't know any guides, but I definitely have no bias toward new players. @Rhia: Looking solid. No complaints or concerns from her fluff. @Aldra: Right, I forgot Psionics. Yes, they are the definite exception to my "everything is open" rule; will fix the OP to reflect that.
Looking to run a Carrion Crown game, with about 5-ish PCs, to be played here on the Paizo forums. Character Creation:
Rules/Expectations/Etc.:
If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and I'll get to them as soon as I can. Recruitment will run through until either this coming Friday or Sunday, depending on how many apply and how quickly I get around to making my decisions. |