Oog, Thanksgiving preparations taking too much out of me, I know we did pick up much speed but I'm going to put my posting on hold until after tomorrow. Happy holidays!
Search Posts
A collection of stalactites and stalagmites choke this low-ceilinged cavern, making it difficult to squeeze between them. Matching stalactites close in from the five-foot-high ceiling, giving the impression of a maw of needlelike teeth bearing down on one another. A dead female half-orc sprawls on the ground near the cave’s eastern entrance. A cursory examination reveals multiple stab wounds on the half-orc's body, likely made by a dagger or other short bladed weapon. While observing the body, you recall to mind a conversation you overheard between two townsfolk back in Torch. Their topic was that of a very popular half-orc brawler known as Parda Garr, who had recently entered the caves with a group of thugs and subsequently gone missing.
The frog thing seems to share your intention to avoid conflict - it's not long before you can no longer hear it splashing its way further into the crevasse. To the southwest is a branch - one path leading a tangle of stalagmites to the west, and the other cutting a longer path through the south.
Your claw connects solidly with the creature's flesh and the next thing you hear is a splash as the frog thing crashes into the pond. You can hear it swimming towards the narrow crevasse at the far end of the pond.
Certainly, thanks. Been going through some crazy times but everything's on the up and up now! By next week I'll have finished my show, so things should calm down then.
Attacks:
The frog thing reels as you bring your heel down onto it, but as you disable your vision you can sense it moving to prepare a counterattack. By some miracle, you manage to dodge its claws, but its bite attack catches you off guard.
No MM, or MM fails:
Frightfully busy right now - couldn't post yesterday. I should have something up later this afternoon.
The waterway branches off into two streams - to the northeast and southeast. The northeast stream quickly narrows to where exploration would be impossible, leaving you to explore the southeast branch. As you round a bend come to see that the stream opens into a dark cavern, its twenty-foot-high ceiling thick with stalactites. Overlooking the placid pool and stream is a rocky shore lined with a small garden of toadstools and dark mold. Crouching among the toadstools is a hideous frog-like creature with clawed hands and glowing white eyes. Before you can hide, the thing turns its head up at you, the light from its eyes cutting through the darkness like two lanterns. As it turns to look at you, some synapse in your knowledge base flares with recognition - a creature such as this must use its eyes as a defense mechanism and staring directly into would most likely have a blinding effect. You manage to turn your head just as the harsh light falls over you.
Fort DC 13:
The light sears through to the back of your skull, leaving you blinded! For how long, you do not know.
The main contents of the mounds are the halfling corpses - which seem to have been stripped of any equipment. You do however find a precious stone of decent quality hidden away in the vest of one of the corpses.
You quickly dispatch the first two slimes by sending them splattering into their surroundings, but the third slime takes you by surprise with its surprising swiftness, catching you with the full force of a body slam.
Upon manipulating the nearest mound it seethes with life and a blob of slime bursts forth and seems to move of it's own accord. This prompts the other two mounds to do likewise, each spawning another oozing blob. As the blobs push through the mounds you realize what lies beneath them - the corpses of some small humanoids - likely halflings. Upon awakening, the nearest slime mold attempts to slam into you but misses by a wide margin.
Following the shallow creek, you run into another cavern, where to the south a stony bank rises up from the water. Thick carpets of green and gray mold and fungus grow on the bank, particularly around a trio of three-foot-high, foul-smelling mounds.
The damp sand of the underground beach makes tracking anything difficult - you have no idea if indeed anyone has passed over this way. There is no change in the mysterious glows.
The short swim is uneventful until finally you surface in some sort of entry cave. Dampness hangs in the air, condensing into heavy moisture on the slick, stone walls. The calm, dark waters wind around to the east up north, along a stony, soot-scarred beach. A five-foot-high ledge sporting several stalagmites rises to the east, beyond which a low-ceilinged cave beckons. In addition, you notice a barely perceptible glow coming from some of the crevices in the walls lining the beach. The glow occasionally shifts from area to another - something is moving around.
Bolstered by Kyte's magic, you venture off in search of the entrance to the caves. The weeping pond is filled with fairly stagnant water, making it easy to reach the entrance to the underground river - luckily due to your unique physiology you are able to safely ignore any possible contamination from swimming in such waters. The darkened opening of the caves now loom ahead of you.
Using Dolga's directions, you find Kyte at the Crowfeather Palace, a miniaturized palatial facade built next to a lake filled with brackish water. A pipe runs out of the Palace and into the lake and the water immediately surrounding the pipe seems to be cleaner than the rest of the lake. "Admiring the purification system are we?" Joram Kyte wears a simple set of priests robes displaying the holy symbol of Brigh. "Khonnir and I developed them - part divine magic, part arcane, and part scavenged technology, the Palace is responsible for the only clean drinking water other than the rain around here. I'm guessing you're not just here to marvel though - you must be another seeking to test yourself in the caves? You'll have to swim through the Weeping Pond just upriver if you are. I'll be able to weave a water-breathing spell that'll last for 24 hours - hopefully more than enough time for you to get in and out."
Are you good to use Roll20 for maps? I figured I should make sure before I upload all the maps from Book 1.
"So you are searching for my father! I had a hunch the moment I saw you - I don't know why but you just had such a look about you!" Val throws her arms wide and then wraps them around you, then pulls away to think. "Advice you say? Hmm. Father told me a bit about what he saw in the caves after his first expedition - I remember him mentioning some giant vermin, some strange creatures who could blend into the shadows, and some things called gremlins. What he was really excited about though was this metal wall made of skymetal he found down there. It was formed into some kind of structure with two doors - one locked and one unlocked. Inside one of those doors was where he found that robot." Val looks down at the disabled robot and nudges it with her foot. "I can't think of much more that I can tell you, but you're welcome to stay in the tavern as long as you're here. And I'll be happy to cook you all the delicious meals you'd like! Anyways if you find my father make sure to let him know that I'm taking care of everything and even practicing my spells!"
The single strike from your palm is enough to send the thing crashing into the ground - its eye flickers out a second later. After a few seconds of silence a young woman, or perhaps an older child, pokes her head through the door frame. Her eyes dart from the creature and then back to you and her eyes go wide. "Did you do this?! I mean, if you did I'm glad for it, I'm not sure what that thing would've done if you hadn't stopped it. Father told me it was a robot, one that repairs things, and it thought it was deactivated but it just turned on all of a sudden and obviously didn't want to repair anything - father found it in those caves. I do hope he's okay down there, they've put out a reward for him, but I'm still worried." She stops for a moment to catch her breath. "Oh! I'm Val by the way. Val Baine."
I've only just now realized how foolishly I planned the start of the game - I'm right in the middle of teching a show right now so my posting rare might be a little slower than usual. I'll still be posting daily, but things should ramp up to full speed in about a week or so.
"I still can't make heads nor tails of that, er, dialect of yours but good luck to ya all the same!" +++ The Foundry has the look of any respectable tavern, or at least what you assume to be a respectable tavern, given your limited experience. No sound comes from inside, but smoke rises from the chimney of what appears to be an adjoined residence. As you move in closer, a scream of terror rings out from inside the small stone house! Before you can react, a strange metallic creature crashes through one of the side doors, teetering perilously on its three spidery legs. Its torso and arms and head are vaguely humanoid, with one blazing “eye” in the center of its head and a four-fingered hand on each arm. Bits and pieces of its chassis are missing, exposing the delicate circuitry within, and it makes loud and tortured grinding noises as it moves. The thing is currently invested in trying to dismantle the door frame of the house, and seems entirely unaware of your presence.
"You're a bit of an odd one aren't ya, miss?" Freddert eyes you wearily, frowning as she attempts to make sense of your odd speech patterns. She let's out a resigned chuckle. "But you're the best I've got at the moment! I suppose I'd better get you up to speed then. I've not doubt you've heard talk of the how the flame on Black Hill went out - the whole town's been abuzz with rumors. If you've just arrived though, then you might not have actually seen the flames - they're a great purple affair that usually lights up Black Hill in the center of town. These flames are essential to the well being of all of us see, because they're one of the few places where you can smelt skymetal. No flames, means no trade, no money, and no way to pay those damned taxes that the Technic League lays on us in returned for butting out of our business!" Based on her posturing and increase in vocal energy, it's clear that Dolga feels strongly about this Technic League. "Anyhow, turns out there’s an underwater passage that leads underneath Black Hill just by the Weeping Pond. Khonnir, that's the councilman, noticed a large number of human footprints on the pond’s banks — he was there the day the fires went out testing the water to ensure it hadn’t suddenly grown more toxic — and he realized that a sizable group of people had entered the pond but had not emerged. As to what made those prints, we don’t know. Word about town puts blame on the Technic League, but I think that’s too convenient and obvious an answer. Khonnir made a few expeditions down into the caves hoping to find out more, but he last entered the caves two days ago. Who knows what he found in there... or indeed, if he’s even still alive?” Before she's overcome with emotion, the councilwoman hurries behind her desk and begins riffling through it's scattered contents. "As far as 'financial resources' go, I’ll give of you a writ that you can show to any of the merchants in town for a flat 20% discount on any gear you need to purchase — I wish I could offer a greater discount than that, but that’s the best I can do." Finally, she finds herself paper and writing instruments and begins to make out the writ. "Further, Val, Khonnir’s adopted daughter, has closed down her father’s tavern, the Foundry, for the time being. She’s told me that anyone that’s going into the caves to look for her father can use the tavern, free of charge, as a headquarters and a place to rest between forays. Finally, the entrance to the caves is flooded. You’ll need to swim a bit to get to the caves. Joram Kyte - another council member - has agreed to cast a spell of water breathing to aid in entering the caves — free of charge, of course. You can find him at the temple of Brigh or up at Crowfeather Palace when you’re ready to go. I do hope that's not too much for you to remember - feel free to borrow some paper if you'd like to take any notes."
Looks good, but I can't seem to find your evolutions listed anywhere. Just a quick list would be fine.
The final decision has been made! I almost gave in to temptation to run multiple tables but decided to stick with one game so as to be absolutely sure I don't overextend myself. Perhaps I may open up another table in the future but for now I'll be taking on Eir as played by Rednal. Discussion and gameplay should be working, so let's get this thing started! My utmost gratitude, of course, goes out to all those who applied and encouraged.
The first time I seen that purple fire shoot up into the sky, it liked to scare all my damn goats. They started bleating something fierce and then they up and bolted straight through the pen, knocking down half the posts. It took me two days to get 'em all together again and back in the pen, and after that the nanny goats wouldn't give milk for a week. And the goats weren't the only ones frightened to hell! I shot up out of bed and darted to the window as the ground rumbled - I got tangled up in my blankets and damn near fell flat on my face! The sky was cloudy that night. And that purple flame lit up the whole thing in an eerie glow. I thought them demons from up north had attacked us for sure.
Finding the town hall proved no difficult task - as one of the grander buildings in town its ceramic roof and metal molding stood out among the bleak stone buildings nearby. The activity within the town hall is currently very much akin to that of Torch's namesake - extinguished. Other than yourself, the only spark of life in the room comes from an old dwarven woman, who might easily be pushing 100 years. In spite of her age, she reacts swiftly to your presence, almost leaping from her desk as you approach. A new face in town? Please tell me you're here about the whole Black Hill debacle. Four teams have already been lost down there. Four! Personally I'd rather be out solving the problem myself, Her hand slides down to an elegant black stone warhammer at her hip, But I'm stuck here desk riding! Now wait... don't tell me you've come alone? But then you do have the look of someone with quite some confidence, perhaps you will manage... The dwarf throws up her hands and manages to calm her speech. Ah, but look at me, shouting at you without even introducing myself. I'm Dolga Freddert, a proud member of the town council. I wish the full council could be here to greet you, but as you can imagine, we're all quite tied up in this rather nasty business. Business! Yes, that why you're here, no? The reward's good - 4,000 gold for the return of Councilman Baine's body - dead or alive. Dolga scans your face, desperately trying to read at least something. Or perhaps you're here for other reasons?
It's showtime!
Yep, should've clarified that, I did mean 10 PM.
Recruitment closes tomorrow at, let's say, 10 o'clock central US time! Gregory Leichardt, Trissandra, and Eir are currently the only submissions, but even if it stays that way it'll be a tough pick, as they all look like they fit fantastically into the game.
Although I prefer leveling up at appropriate points, I'm considering keeping track of exp for this game considering that the one character will be levelling much faster.
It looks like he's using the Unchained Barbarian (which is perfectly acceptable) which gives untyped bonuses instead of morale.
So far I've made quite a bit more progress than I expected in my prep, and at this rate I should be fully ready to go by this Monday, so I think I set that as the closing of the recruitment and the beginning of the game! So far there's only two completed applications (and of course I'd be more than happy to accept either of them) but if you've set forth interest previously or are just now stumbling upon this thread there's still time to submit a character. Also, so that we can hit the ground running, I'd like any potential applicants to indicate where they'd like to start the adventure. The books assume that the adventure opens at the town hall (and this might suit you fine), but this is YOUR story - maybe you've gone straight to Black Hill or are even just languishing about in the tavern. The town map from the player's guide and the following information (which is assumed character knowledge, unless you want your character to be a completely fresh arrival in town) may be helpful. Three Points of Interest: Extinguished Torch: The violet flame that has burned atop Black Hill for over a century has gone out, leaving a strangely seeping pit of rubble and bubbling fluids where the town’s livelihood once glowed day and night.
Missing Councilor: Ever since Councilor Khonnir Baine, one of Torch’s more powerful wizards and a well-liked individual, went missing on his second expedition under Black Hill, the citizens of the nervous town have edged closer to outright panic. With their hands full handling the growing refuse and waste problems in town now that their primary disposal method is gone, the town council is eager to find out what happened to Khonnir and rescue him — they’ve made public a reward of 4,000 gp to any group that can recover Khonnir’s body; if he can be returned alive, they’ve promised to throw in the scroll of resurrection they’ve been holding on to in case they need to revive him. Interested parties are invited to speak to the council at Town Hall. Black Hill Caves: Khonnir Baine discovered the signs of unusual traffic on the banks of Weeping Pond, and shortly thereafter, the submerged tunnel that provides access to several heretofore unknown tunnels under Black Hill. His emergence from the caves with a deactivated semi-humanoid automaton sparked worries that something strange might be going on in the caverns, but when he failed to return from his second expedition a few days ago, those worries turned to outright fear. Several other adventuring parties have gone missing in the caves, and Torch finds itself running short on new volunteers.
I'd actually rule that most androids can't cast psychic spells without the Empathy feat. The player android will be the exception to this rule for, of course, Secret (and perhaps Sinister!) Story Reasons.
Just realized the neat synergy between androids and psychic magic - androids are immune to anything that would make them lose their emotion component! Anyways, I guess we can just consider this the official recruitment thread now. As far as closing recruitment, I've got a bit of a crazy week ahead, so I'm not sure on an exact date yet, but it definitely won't be this week.
Alchemist extracts would be acceptable as well.
Another note: while it is in no way necessary to enjoy this adventure path, I'm ruling that the Technomancer prestige class may be accessed through and advance the ability to cast any types of spells, not just arcane spells.
By all means, feel free to start working on whatever you've got. To aid you in creating your android characters (remember androids ONLY) I've compiled some helpful information below. Not all androids necessarily adhere strictly to some or even any of these conventions and some may not even be fully aware of all of this information, depending on their level of contact with other androids. Android Primer: My mother was a machine. My father was the android who gifted his life to me. He lived his life in our body. His father occupied it before him, and so on through the mists of history, back to the day the first of our line crawled forth from the wreckage of the ship from beyond the stars. In my time, I've lived and loved and lost, known suffering, known hope, known joy. I have had a long life, but I feel the constant tread of time. My mind grows old, my body sore, and so I lie down at last to sleep, the only sleep our kind can ever know. The future belongs to you, my child that I can never meet. My hope is that you wear this body well and have a more fruitful life than I have.
-Kariand, written on his day of renewal
By and large, android communities stay quiet and hope to be left alone. They know the Technic League seeks the secret behind android life, and employs vivisection to find it. Such communities routinely go to great lengths to disguise their nature, often donning robes and cowls to meet with strangers. If asked about their obscuring clothing, they plead the shame of deformity or some disfiguring disease. Such ruses rarely hold up to lengthy contact, and it’s not unheard of for an uncovered android village to simply pull up stakes and vanish. As creations of advanced science, androids find themselves drawn to the mysteries of technology. They eschew any fears and superstitions of technological advancement, taking a practical view of advanced technology as a tool to be understood and mastered. Androids tend to have a healthy respect for the dangers brought on by ignorance, and take a slow, cautious approaching to unlocking the secrets of new discoveries. Android villages usually feature a few impressive technological treasures and a number of more minor trinkets, though as a rule they keep such marvels hidden from outsiders. In the thousands of years since the Rain of Stars, androids have lost nearly all the history of their kind. All that remains are myths and legends, distorted by the lens of time. They know their history lies beyond Golarion, on a great ship that traveled beyond the stars. They know that androids are built, not born, and made in the image of humanity. And they know of the foundries that labor still to create more of their kind, but they don’t know the purpose of their existence. On the subjects of their home world of Androffa, why they were built, the mission of the ship beyond the stars, why it crashed, and why they ended up on this of all possible worlds, most know nothing. This desire to know where they came from and why they exist consumes many androids, all the more because of the apparent futility of their search. Together with their inability to reproduce and their alien nature, this lack of history gives many androids a deep-rooted sense of inadequacy or self-doubt. Thanks to renewal, however, androids have eternal life — after a fashion. During the course of its life, an android sees many old friends pass on into the mystery of death. Yet for an android, “normal” death is replaced by a sort of rebirth, the body living on with a new spirit after the original soul and personality depart. Most androids don’t fear renewal, but they certainly fear the death of their bodies, all the more because they cannot reproduce. Each death of an android permanently diminishes the species. After thousands of years, only a few of the android foundries still function, their locations hidden across Numeria. Brave androids search to find those of their kind that are newly born and wandering the wastes. Most work alone or in pairs, the better to avoid capture by the Technic League. Androids find religion and spirituality fascinating. Belief in and worship of creators strikes some as illogical, as they do not deify their own lost creators. Androids listen patiently to other races explain their faiths, and some become life-long converts. Brigh, the Whisperer in Bronze, speaks to many androids, who see themselves as the ultimate union of life and invention. Gozreh appeals to androids who reject their artificial nature and hope to find meaning in service to the natural order. Any faith in pursuit of grand ideals has a chance of attracting android adherents, and androids beholden to Iomedae and Sarenrae battle shoulder to shoulder with other holy crusaders in Mendev, or seek enlightenment in remote Iroran monasteries. Androids are not limited in their reverence to goodly religions. Cruel and manipulative androids gravitate to the worship of Norgorber, and many evil androids in Numeria consider Zyphus their divine patron. This fascination with religion has lead to androids creating philosophies unique to their kind.
Due to fear of being snatched up by the Technic League for experimentation or worse, few androids live openly in Numeria. Settlements in southern Numeria are some of the few places where androids can feel comfortable living openly, and even then they tend to all live in the same neighborhoods, or even on the same blocks. This is the case in Hajoth Hakados, where the androids maintain safe houses to take shelter in when the Technic League rides into town. In cities like Chesed and Starfall, the situation is much more dangerous. Any androids openly living in Starfall are property of the Black Sovereign or the Technic League, protected by law from harm, but living as nothing more than slaves or walking experiments. Since the Technic League — or anyone attempting to collect bounties from the Technic League — frequently visits Chesed, androids living there must take precautions against being recognized as an android. Rumors tell of a group of the Constructed who have built an underground complex called Szamrak’s Haven in the western edge of the Numerian Plains. A scattering of enlightened settlements such as Graymoor welcome androids as near-equals, but in the main, androids discovered in human lands risk enslavement, execution, or vivisection.
Empathy
Extra Surge
Nanite Disruption
Rapid Recovery
Rapid Repair
Race Traits
Hmmm. Let's say a 30 point buy, keep things nice and high powered.
I'm about to collapse from exhaustion right now but here's the pitch: Iron Gods is an adventure path with opportunity for an absolutely epic payoff and I'm dying to run it, but real life is too unstable and PbP is a bit slow for my taste. So I'd like to propose a challenging, fast paced, player-driven romp through at the very least the 1st book, and then as much of the series as the Iron Gods will allow us. I've thrown together a quick and dirty mini-recruitment blurb to give a rough idea of the details. Any interest? The Quick and Dirty: Once, when he was only ten years old, long before the first signs of progress had appeared in his village, an Englishman had shown him a cigarette lighter and told him: "All sufficiently advanced technology is indiscernible from magic." At the time, the child had not understood. So the man had explained: "What that means, quite simply, is that things which are banal for me can seem magical to you; it all depends on the technological level of the society in which you grow up." Little sparks then leapt from the foreigner's thumb, before coalescing into a beautiful, hot, dazzling blue flame.
-The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe Players: Only 1. I will for the most part not be scaling down encounters, so be ready to use your wits and make careful use of all that extra treasure and experience. Starting Level: 1 - with gestalt rules. Note that you'll also receive two favored class bonuses at every level. Races: IMPORTANT: For story reasons yet to be revealed the only allowable race will be the Android. You should assume that your character knows next to nothing about their past “incarnations.” Allowable Content: Anything Paizo. All Occult content and subsystems will be fully supported. Feats: All characters receive the Technologist feat for free as well as any bonus feat at every even level. HP: Max at every level. Traits: 3 traits, no drawbacks. One trait must be from the player’s guide, which you should obviously check out. Skills: Background skills will be used and characters receive two extra normal skill ranks at every level. Starting Gold: 150 gp. Expectations: Be able to post multiple times per day and commit to at least the first book. The ability to post on weekends is not necessary but would be nice.
Ah, brothers, I see some glances at my hands. The man before you stretches his arms out, hands parallel to the floor, revealing words tattooed on his hands and then running down his arms. "FREEDOM" reads the right hand. "TYRANNY" reads the left. Would you like me to tell you the little story of right-hand and left-hand? The story of freedom and tyranny? TYRANNY! It was with this left hand that old brother Asmodeus struck the blow that laid his brother Ihys low. FREEDOM! You see these fingers, dear hearts? These fingers has veins that run straight to the soul of man. The right hand, friends, the hand of freedom. Now watch, and I'll show you the story of life. The odd man brings his hands together, interlocking his fingers as he plays out the imaginary struggle. Those fingers, dear hearts, is always a-warring and a-tugging, one against other. Now watch 'em! Old brother left hand, left hand he's a fighting, and it looks like freedom's a goner. But wait a minute! Hot dog, freedom's a winning! Yessirree! It's freedom that's won, and old left hand tyrrany is down for the count! His voice rings with an odd cadence. Like he's practiced this speech a hundred times but he's only just remembering it. But what's an Asmodean like me doin' all this "freedom" talk for? Well I'll tell you, you see it's plain knowledge that Ihys and Asmodeus were brothers, and that Ihys brought freedom to all of creation, and that Asmodeus done killed him for it. But what all of you forget is that brother Tyranny fully well could've taken back the gift of freedom from mankind - but he didn't. Why? I'm not sure. He's a strange one indeed - his dress is patchwork and at the same time overly theatrical - like a gaudy beggar. In his hand he clutches a makeshift holy symbol of Asmodeus forged from bits of wire that didn't know what they were getting themselves into. But I'll tell you a thing or two 'bout what this all means. See, all of history runs in patterns. Men born and men live and men die. Same as it was, same as it always will be. An' the way I see it now, good brother Thrune is makin' his move to lay blows to old Freedom. That's right we've heard this before, he strikes at the very same freedom that the the Prince of Hell himself allowed to thrive. And while I see the forces of Tyranny assemblin' each and every day, I say it's about time we give Freedom a bit of an edge. In the name of Asmodeus, of course. A murmur from someone behind you - who in the nine hells is he? My name? Reverend... Clench... Jaw. Yes. Reverend Clenchjaw. Oh? That the name of a tavern? Hadn't realized, pure coincidence. Or not. No such thing as pure coincidence. The Reverend grins. He grins the grin of man who knows he isn't fooling anybody but himself. |