SynchroniciticallyChallenged's page

Oh yeah. A troop transport helicoptor. With massive subwoofers for blasting a heavy metal version of Flight of the Valkyries while the twin submachine guns do their work.

I will spend some time shortly detailing more of what I'm looking for as the idea behind it comes together. Maybe someone else can use elements of it in another game.

I initially posted this because the guy I usually use as a sounding board for my hair-brained schemes is also now one of my players. As is my wife who does the same job from time to time.

I'm left wandering the corridors of my house mumbling like a mad hermit to myself and asking my four year old if she remembers the ability mods for goblins as she rolls her eyes and asks me for chocolate milk and to stop being weird.

Thank you for your input. I appreciate the nod to the direction of established lore. That was the next place I was gonna look for information to adapt.

That being said, the greatest and most powerful quality of a traitor in a narrative is not his own, but the trust that is given to him or her.

I think a Runelord (or anyone for that matter) out of time and with an ounce of caution would take great pains to work in shadows until greater knowledge of the situation is had.

Wrath, while often brash and given to immediacy, is also the slow burning fire driving the colder and more calculated acts of revenge. (See also: The Count of Monte Cristo)

Sure, a creature gifted with such strength as the runelords embody may find it easy to traipse across the continent gathering power and exploring Willy nilly all the places of lore and strength, but consider the Palpatine play, or Edmund Dantes and his long requited designs. A greater goal realized would require a greater amount of preparation and caution.

Hell, she may even have already explored and consolidated what she desired from those places, returning to her simple, but excellently placed station.

Also, for the record, I do plan to ignore most of the other supplementary material. I only have ROTR and don't plan to interject much else but things I've homebrewed with my players. Currently, I'm soaking up the supplementary lore and finding it a wonderful sandbox in which to play and build.

I honestly think most of the prepared story past book four or five will go out the window. I have three players who've been a part of Runelords before (one who's run it as GM) and I want to construct a unique experience for them.

I agree that the Palpatine thing may be hard to pull off, especially in the very heart of the AP, but that is why I made this thread. To find like minded folk and make this more feasible.

More and more, as my group and I play this game, they are seeming to enjoy and crave narrative depth rather than point-and-click bad guys.

Also, as another point of interest, I have never run a campaign out of a box before. This is the first. It's hard for me to color inside the lines.

So... my crew has just finished the glassworks. I've got a few side stories going alongside the main plot... (Such as: A contingent of physicians is in town from the Magnimar Physicians Collective due to a recent epidemic scare. Essentially, someone has tampered with Blackscour and turned it viral. Ties into a PC's backstory.) ...and my creative twitch alerted me to a possibility I haven't seen explored before. I'm hesitant to make such a grand stroke to the plot, but it seems so... perfect. I also realize that it could even be put in as a minor thing, coming to fruition around book 5 or 6.

But I'm tempted to simply make Big K an antagonist to the greater threat, fighting over territory with a foe that he himself has trouble locating and tracking.

But anyway, my idea is this:

Kendra Deverin was murdered some years ago, possibly around the time of the Chopper murders and before the great fire, and her likeness was stolen by the recently awakened Runelord Azlanist. Azlanist herself now masquerades as Mayor Deverin of Sandpoint, pulling strings from behind scenes and even pushing the PC's to foil Big K while she builds power undetected. She, rather than him, may in fact be responsible for all the Wrath killings in the region stoking the runewells. She may have just as large a plot to reclaim all the lands she held prior to the cataclysm.

Or she might just be a little deeper than that. I've yet to really plot it all out. Which is why I'm here.

If anyone on this forum can aid me with advice or criticism or wild speculation, I would be grateful. It seems like an idea with legs, but in the end it may simply be too convoluted to really pull off.

Thank you in advance. I've already gotten such great ideas for this game from this forum, and my players seem just as entertained and excited by them.

The group I'm GMing recently took to rubbing elbows around town (near the end of book 1) and heartily getting into role-playing with the population.

Some of the funniest moments:

Dhampir Fabulous

Scissor Me Timbers!

I have something to add and hopefully it will help someone.

I changed the whole thing from a "Damn, we just watched that happen and now feel failure at something we couldn't prevent but man do we hate us some goblins now," to something more like, "Woah, bad things are happening... let's investigate through all this confusion... Woah that was really bad, but at least we did what we could."

Ramped it up to a fully fleshed encounter with maps.

Explanation

Three of the characters are locals and one is the son of the (now single mother) proprietor of the House of Blue Stones.

During the raid, Mama Monk acted quickly to gather all the children in the streets and fortify the orphanage while the adults helped with the defense of the town. There is a standing and modestly trained militia in this version of sandpoint. All this matters now because in the aftermath, it takes some time to find the families to which the children belong.

Next Day

Ending the cemetery encounter in which Tobyn's body is found missing, the party is walking back around front of the church with Zantus. We introduced a couple more characters at this point and the encounter helped to knit it all together nicely. (Up to six players on and off)

It's about midday at this point and as one character joins the rest with information about goblin scouting parties north of town in the woods, the party is confronted by a lone frantic child running toward them down the street.

He is crying and (through some surprisingly soft coaxing by the party's mercenary Bloodrager) eventually gets out that he and the grownups have been looking all day and can't find his parents. The child is Aren Barret.

He directs them to his house which is just down the street. Cue arrival of new player who's just found that Vernah's Fine Clothing two doors down is closed to business.

The house itself is locked and all the windows are curtained. Doors are barred and immovable. The party, after some time of fiddling with different ideas, breaks a window and pushes down a table that had been set against it on a mound of junk inside.

Long Story Short

The party found the Barret house barred and trapped Tucker's Kobold style by three goblins left behind in the aftermath of the raid. Murderholes, boards with nails in strewn about the hallways (Alergast was a carpenter and had many tools upstairs), and every book in the house dumped and piled on the only stairway to the top floor, ready to be torched.

After negotiating the murderholes with a large table that had been used to bar the door and moving the dangerous spiked boards with a longspear to make a path, they turtled to the stairway. Party rogue and cleric both reacted swiftly enough to catch the oil and alchemists fire before it set the stairwell alight.

A little later, three goblins lay dead in the upper floor and a search turned up a couple of bags of mangled and sticky bones packed behind The nest they'd made in The corner. The goblins feasted well through the night. Three bodies were found and the party got a little torn up at this point. They'd even eaten the toddler and stuck the bones in a separate sack.

Reactions

I made my players cry. Literally. Emotionally hurt and charged to strike back at the goblins.

Yes. I hear you say that it's cruel and dark, but it led to some of the best role-playing I've ever seen the folk in this group get up to. And the best part is that they didn't feel like failures. They didn't feel helpless. They felt sympathy and disgust, sure, and it made them all care so much more for these people that are little more than numbers and names.

The cleric in particular solemnly and quietly had an aside with Zantus about the bodies and then smoothly picked Aeren up and began walking him about town on his hip. Silently. Sharing space with him and making him comfortable. Wanting to do anything to keep the kid from feeling alone.

Anyway. That's what we did.

I agree that it changed the tone significantly. I find that running it my way was an excellent counterpoint to the fun and frivolity of the fair the day before. It was even hit upon quickly enough that by this point the players hadn't had time to really process their situation or the town's, keeping them on their toes.

It's aliiive!

I apologize for my existential and technological maladies. Here in a few moments, I'll compose something and reinterject myself.

I have a new plan...

Hooah.

Nevermind. I like Conceal Spell better for this. Good find.

There was a metamagic feat in 3.5. Uhm... In Complete Scoundrel... I think. You could make the effects invisible or make it seem to come from an alternate origin. Perhaps it was a tactical feat.

Understandable. Just hastily said in a small voice. I won't make asides.

Hayden takes the time to pick and choose words that are just insensitive enough to provoke a reaction, but not quite hard enough to provoke a fight. There's a delicate art to being just the right kind of jackass.

Edit: When he thinks to, at any rate.

Dawwww...

You say the sweetest things.

Further, I would add that a campaign is best run by it's player characters. A story is best told by one that lived it. If things don't work in your world, the important thing to remember is that it's your world and you have as equal a share in it as the folk that populate it. Make it work.

For the record: conversation, investigation, postulation, inference, extrapolation, and adding to the exposition of any character including your own is just as important as any technical skill. For something so bogged in technicalities as running a starship, it is far more important to the telling of the story for everyone involved to try their own hand at this.

Star wars would be a boring and unknown franchise if it were simply full of folk turning hydrospanners and figuring out astrogation algorithms.

I was allowing someone *other* than me to push for some sort of dialogue. Hayden doesn't have any more questions to ask or anything to do until then.

Does the force use skill last one full round per caster level, or only til end of its last turn? I'm asking if I'll still have a +1 to attack rolls for the first half of my next turn. It seems like I would.

Knowledge (history), however, is. For those of us with background skills as real skills already, may we choose another 'real' skill and relegate those we have that fit to background?

Also, is mechanics (Melee Weapon Hardware) too broad? I plan on using it for crafting on a workbench, identifying modification, and whatever else it may apply to.

If it's too narrow, then it's be Mechanics (Weapon Systems)

Im made of free time and stuffed animals.

Profession (sailor) let's you do *anything* on a boat.

Diplomacy has many of the qualities of a sphere of invulnerability and charm/dominate person.

Handle animal is much the same but subbing animals. Can be used for other things with class abilities.

As in most things, it's not the size or scope, but how you use it that matters.

I dunno, though. Make that a feat that doesn't cost a Spell point and it'll be similar in many respects to the one after which it's modeled.

I cannot think of another ability that you can spend a force point on for a weaker effect. Except the time sphere abilities at first level. Maybe some of the fate sphere stuff. In terms of enhancement effects and other buffs, it's a force pointless ability or close to it. Requires both a successful skill check and a force point in order to be moderately useful. Especially for only one check aided.

...profession (ventriloquist)

Craft (holocron)

Perform (Tuvan throat singing)

Hey now... If we can add this in now (cuz ya didn't tell us) does that mean I get my retroactive I've-had-this-all-along lightsaber?

Got a fix in mind. Take the mechanics from knowledge devotion. Move action +1fp = scaling bonus to next d20 roll per the table in the feat.

Questions. Have I got a sensor array or some other readout at my station to moderate or am I simply sitting with my thumb cramping while staring out a glass bubble?

If the latter is true, should I be making perception checks that the computer cannot, or would that be a waste of my time?

Further, I notice the +0 modifier on the turret. Is the check made using my ranged modifiers +0, or at a simple +0 based upon the ship's capabilities?

And, as most Jedi would want to, may I rely upon the force in any shape or form to influence any of the aforementioned actions? Like making a force use check to supplement another check similar to 'Aid Another' but more like 'give myself a hand.'

*Much crumpling of paper is heard*

Of course. I have a "deadpool" conscript somewhere. And a "blue mage" Thaumaturge. I will have something together in no time.

Additionally, if allowed, I'll be trading feats and proficiencies for a martial tradition and the adept progression for spheres of might. Should have him done and posted by the end of the day.

Goodness.

Very interested in anything that allows SOP and SOM. It's so hard to come by and my local group (me and my buddy) have adopted it to our theorycrafting shenanigans and most games we play.

I'm new to play by post, but have played rpg since I took over someone's sorcerer in Red Hand of Doom over ten years ago.

I would love to play this game if you'll have me.

Human Sphere Skald. Hamish "Mosh Mouth" Moshmoth. Voice like velveted gravel and mulled wine. He may or may not be modeled as a tribute to Tom Waits.

If raging song doesn't agree with many folk, he was originally a Spell Warrior. It required subbing the counterspell abilities for the counterspell feat chain from SOP. I would prefer the spell warrior archetype, but to save on DM work im happy to simplify.

Dude. I had that same thought when I was reading you the first time. I was thinking surely some hippie should be standing with a sign somewhere shouting a catchy slogan.

**We sing NO BLING!!**

"Rings are people too!!"

"Space-pox on the jailer jewelers!!"

It's hardly my fault. I don't force things upon people. I just give them compelling reasons to agree with me.

I don't make you play the game. I just show you how to enjoy it!

Hayden speaks droid. Hayden speaks mechanics. He doesn't trust a droid to pilot, but will totally trust a droid to plot a route through hyperspace. Definitely okay with acquiring a droid.

I'm pretty sure of who I am, anyway.

Well.

I hardly think this is the place for existential rumination.

I'm terribly excited to get to tenth level, at which point Hayden's high jump DC becomes 1 per 10'. Then all that Falling Lightsaber of Ridiculous Doom / Bakusai Tenketsu becomes all too real for mister BBEG whom he will also be able to scale like a parkour savant.

I've always thought, as a martial artist from the time I was tiny, that Ranma1/2 held secrets to ancient techniques hidden from normal folk. Always always always wanted there to be a secret village of Chinese Amazons that would teach me how to blow up mountains with my pinky.

I would sooner tell a story than point fingers. The story is moving at a snail's pace (and not that Ryan Reynolds snail, neither), but that's my only gripe. Every other consideration I can think of would be addressed by everyone posting so that everyone can continue posting. The times I've been unavailable have been due to tech issues unforseen and unavoidable, and I plan to keep it that way.

I'm creative. It's hard to piss me off or corner me with words. The English is my ally, and a powerful ally it is, indeed.

Hah! I love that. Mando gets manhandled by a girl in fancy dress. Theres gonna be *so* many jokes on the ride home. Poor mando commando.

Score for making skill checks; Ranks + Int modifier for number of planets to which the checks apply.

Also, Should I revise my two knowledges to reflect that list? I think my designations are from a few ideas ago.

Edit: Changed them to Local and Traditions instead of history and lore.

It could be the planet you always dreamed of going to. I imagine most folk stuck on Nar Shaddaa have at least one of those planets.

Almost got him sold on a "firefly." Sadly, I don't think my pitch was very solid. "Ooooh this is nice..." *nudge and eyebrow wiggle* just wasn't enough. In my defense, it was the early AM.

Oh ya. I just lost my job. Gonna live the stay-at-home dad life for a bit. Problem is that the Missus has the only working phone cuz mine is still in the mail. When I do finally get it, I will be able to post with much more regularity. Life is good.

@ Yorick's:

I'm assuming for the story that HK has all the information on the mission that Hayden does (not only because he's helping to plan it, but to ensure that Hayden actually accomplishes it) as well as a basic outline of the steps necessary to get it done. Also, I'll PM you the basic information that's in the 'dossiers' of the organizations that we need to contact and an outline of the job so we're both up to speed. Soon. It's all on my whiteboard.

Also, har. Rush is only the name of a god-inspired rock band. I am always on time. Even if it's only on my time...

A few days before my new sim card shows up. Bought a brand new phone and it has a dud sim. Three days of tech support issues and work interspersed. But yeah. Using my wife's phone for now. Overall, I'm living up to my username.

I may not get a game play post up today, but I would like to know how much of my snippet shuttle story is basically intact for introductory purposes. I'll start composing in my head. Once that is known, feel free to post away, Yorick's, and I'll tag along probably by tomorrow.

I got distracted when finalizing gear and monies, but everything is mostly placed. Depending on excess funds, I may repack a little bit. The part I was in the middle of when distracted was converting gold to credits.

If I may present a different idea, it occurs to me that all ways for all players may be resolved by creating a system of karmic balance in the game. Taking into account the way folks think and act *in* the game and beyond the character sheet. Reward power gamer and munchkin alike for playing to their idiom flawlessly. Meet fudge with fudge and cheese with cheese. Meet stats with stats and challenge the way a given player likes to play by pushing the limits of what he or she wants to do right back at him. Works with meek players, too. Feed them with "you get what you give" mechanics and plot. All players see what happens to the others and often feel by proxy. Further, I feel this mindset pushes a teamwork ideal that I love to see in my games. Everyone gets celery!

Admittedly, this type of game is subjective and hard for a GM to pull off, but art mimics life and the other way 'round. It comes naturally when a little attention is devoted to making it so. Experienced storytellers should have no problem. Poetic justice and license is the name of the game.

Rebound Doors. They seem like normal doors and react in all ways as a locked door would, save that it's un-unlockable by any means attempted (because it's not a door) and force is always met with equal force. Had a character try to kick it in and it responded by throwing him prone. He then attempted it with a running start...

The door aforementioned was in a hallway with multiple doors of its nature and only one or two real ones. This particular door was directly across the hall from another rebound door. When the PC hit the door, it threw him across the five foot hallway into the other door that resulted in a reciprocal bouncy doom. It was ended by DM fiat in order to save the campaign. I believe we were only an hour or so in to the first session.

This may shed some light on bowser's mommy issues.

Oddly enough, she was invited to his wedding day before mario wrecked the chance. Awesome show. Love the 90's. To support the 'blood brother' theory, the entire show is like a stage play with costumes where nearly everyone is in on the gag. Much like the gentry and nobles playing chess with live pawns.

I fail to see how that wouldn't be awesome.

Could give them a bite attack. They have those pointy evil looking teeth that ruined a lot of fantasies for many a young nerd.

Two secondary tentacle attacks? =D

*quietly returns his bag full of canned worms to the Closet of Pointed Observations*

I figured, but traditionally, they applied basic armor bonuses without interfering with speed or dexterity. I figured there may be a delineation of some sort between the two types.

Hell, desh plating gave a boost to dex, didn't it?

Droid armors?

I concur. It's a common theme. Fives are also the harbingers of change.

There are meanings to all the numbers, but five always heralds change. Three is the god number. Two is the number of spirit guides. Etc.

I'm a pisces, so I'm subject to the rule of threes. Also the tendency to ignore rules. Hence the rule of threes. Something like that?

Gonna go with the type 2. I like the skills, but Hayden eschewed that part of school. Skipping class to plant whoopee cushions in the Senate auditorium.