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As Shekla and William are mauled by the tree's mouth, Travoril hesitates, torn between fleeing and leaving his companions to die or standing firm and risking death himself. After a moment, however, he rushes back under the tree's boughs, trying to recall the words for a spell that might save the two battle-mages. "Here, Mister William! I can help!"
After he heals William, he turns to the Uriak sorcerer in the tree's grip. "Hold on, Miss Shekla! I will come to your aid as soon as I can!"
Travoril moves 30 ft back along the dock, trying to get out of range of the grasping tendrils, then fires a shot from his crossbow into the tree. "Ilyandrosara edarok! What in the Tarterian Depths of Carceri is this thing?" Draconic:
Treacherous plant
Would Saurian be Greyhawk's version of Draconic, or are the two separate languages? If the two are equivalent, I can try to help with the diplomacy part, but if not, I'm afraid I can't do much.
As the rain of darts sweeps across the boat, Travoril panics, dropping his oar as he raises his arms to shield his face. Most of the darts miss him, but one sinks into his arm, causing him to yelp in pain.
Cowering behind the boat's gunwale, he calls out to the unseen attackers in Kyolan. "Who's there? W-w-we mean you no harm!"
When he receives no response, however, he straightens back up somewhat sheepishly and retrieves his oar. As the boat is pulled along by the crocodile, the young priest scans the marsh to either side for enemies, his head swiveling back and forth as he searches for any other foes.
Your statements above and the overall tone of the game speak to a desire for promoting role-playing interactions between the players, which I can respect, and as an amateur GM myself, far be it from me to critique you harshly. However, as you have invited advice and asked for greater explanation on the advice I already gave, I would be doing both myself and you a disservice if I was dishonest with my analysis of the game. While as mentioned before I respect your dedication to role-playing, I feel that the approach used to foster it is somewhat counterproductive - from micro-managing the character creation process for close to a month to insisting that our characters are illiterate, I feel that most of the homebrew content so far has overly focused on the minutiae of the setting for maximum realism, which has hampered role-playing efforts. Though I have significant experience with in-person games, I am relatively new to the PbP forums, and I am currently participating in only one other campaign, which I was accepted to shortly before I applied to this one. However, the comparisons between the two have largely informed the suggestions I am making here. As mentioned before, both campaigns started at around the same time, but in the other campaign, we have managed to fit several meaningful roleplaying encounters and no less than four combat encounters into that time frame, whereas in this campaign, all we have managed to do is complete a number of tedious bookkeeping tasks and drive away three players. Likewise, I feel that your classification of both Vilma and myself as simply desirous of "combat mongering" or "hack and slash" is something of an oversimplification. Before she left, Vilma was one of the most prolific posters in the campaign, and I myself find role-playing vastly preferable to combat. Statistics-wise, the fact that both of us placed significant skill points into skills almost useless in combat, such as Diplomacy, Linguistics, Sense Motive, and Craft, would reinforce this idea. I cannot speak for Vilma's player, but my stance is actually coming from the opposite direction - I feel that the insistence on adhering to both realism and RAW detracts from the roleplaying experience for all involved. It's not that I want the game to be a dungeon crawl that takes no brainpower, it's simply that I would prefer a system where I can spend my time and energy on crafting roleplaying hooks and interacting with the other characters rather than fiddling with useless systems like the weapon versus armor class adjustment tables. The preparations for the expedition are a good example - the primary priority was on the specific items we purchased and whether we had the necessary expertise to use them, which is what I was referring to with my "two weeks squabbling over boots" comment. Personally, I feel that your goals of fostering roleplaying might be better served if we remove the tedium of an extended shopping trip - perhaps we make a Survival or Knowledge (nature) check and select an abstract "gear kit" with the items needed, rather than picking individual items? This way, our characters can still know what items we have in our packs and how to use them without either the players or the GM having to worry about the nuts and bolts of the exploration process, in much the same way that Travoril can decipher writing in an unknown language without his player needing a doctorate in computational linguistics. This streamlines the process while still facilitating roleplaying difficult encounters - if someone rolls low on the check, their "gear kit" can still be understocked or poorly chosen without having to worry about the largely meaningless details like which precise item fails. The end result is still the same, but the intermediate section, in this case the selection of the specific pieces of equipment, can be glossed for brevity without detracting from the roleplaying experience in any meaningful way. As for suggested alterations, I stated above my suggestion for reducing the process of equipment selection to abstracts. Regarding ammunition, perhaps we could further abstract a tedious mechanic by stating that you need to pay a sum, say 5 SP, and take a trip into town each week to restock? To your question about carrying capacity I suggest a middle ground between overly complex rules and anarchy - there are many systems that simplify but do not fully cut out the carrying capacity process, such as the intuitive and simple Bulk system successfully implemented into both Starfinder and PF2E. Finally, I have no issue with characters speaking different languages - my character is a linguist, after all - but I would prefer if we could be up-front about the limitations of the setting rather than implementing ad-hoc changes and retcons like "Common doesn't exist" or "you can't learn Aklo" midway through the character creation process and liberally interspersed with the gameplay itself. Overall, I feel that your concerns are valid to an extent, but the way they are presented presupposes a dilemma - either the overly complicated RAW or diceless roleplaying - in situations where I feel there is a middle ground between frustration and a power trip. While I understand Vilma's decision to leave the campaign, I will attempt to remain and believe that the campaign should continue, if not necessarily as-is. I hope we can have a productive discussion and come to a mutually agreeable conclusion that satisfies all parties.
"What exactly is our pathing? The swamp seems ill at ease, but that can be many issues. What is our stated quest, so that we can guide properly. It is good to know the goals so we may work together." Travoril speaks up from his space behind Salaha. "Have you heard of the Wheezing Cough, Miss Salaha? It struck the town of Dunwich many years ago and killed many of the inhabitants." "At the moment, all signs point towards a resurgence of the disease, necessitating action on our part to keep the town safe. The town apothecary reported a cure for the Cough, but it needs a number of rare ingredients - Elder Moss, Rat's Tail, and Ironbloom Mushrooms. Somewhere in this swamp is rumored to be a source of Elder Moss, as well as an arcanist who knows more about the cure."
Respectfully, I'm forced to agree with Vilma. I know I haven't posted very much in this campaign, but that's because I'm not sure exactly what to do - quite frankly, we've been squabbling for two weeks about which kind of boots to bring on the expedition. My sincerest apologies if anything I'm doing is holding the game up, but I myself wouldn't mind a bit of a faster-paced game.
Travoril takes his seat across from Shekla - despite his earlier bravado in front of Lord Maldeghem, he is well aware of his own relative lack of strength, and he believes that he will cause the least damage with a seat near the back of the boat. Finding Shekla there, he gives the arcanist a brief smile before focusing on his task. As he rows, he hums a hymn from his decades at the temple. Though its original use was aiding meditation by allowing priests to focus on the rhythmic passage of each second, he hopes that its steady beat will aid his fellow explorers in their shared task.
In sharp contrast to Eritha's experienced traversal of the fog, it becomes clear that Travoril has rarely if ever visited the docks of Dunwich. Nevertheless, by following the aged human woman, he does manage to find his way to the docks, albeit with bruised shins attesting to the difficulties he faced along the way. At Salaha's appearance, he bows in greeting. "Well met, Miss Salaha. I am Travoril, servant of the Sage at Sunset." He gestures to each of his companions in turn. This is Dáin, our representative from the dwarven lands; William, a follower of Heironeous; La... Vilma, of Bale Keep; Shekla the arcanist; and... He looks around as if searching for someone else. "I believe there was a smith of some sort? After looking for a moment, he gives up, muttering an elven imprecation under his breath. "Lótesse i sage - o i núro curse sina hiswe!" Quenya:
May the Sage of the Sunset curse this fog! The young priest boards the boat somewhat cautiously. When he sees a hungry-looking reptile waiting in the surrounding water, a look of concern crosses his features, but he remains silent, confident that Salaha has the situation under control. He takes a seat at one of the rowing benches, unused to sailing but prepared to aid in whatever way he can.
Daily Spells:
0-lvl (4 slots): Detect Magic, Read Magic, Guidance, Vigor, Create Water, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Spark, Scrivener's Chant, Vigor, Virtue
1-lvl (4 slots): Magic Missile (domain slot), Cure Light Wounds, Protection from Evil, Summon Monster 1, Aspect of the Nightingale, Bless, Bless Water, Abstemiousness, Speechreader's Sight, Waterproof, Hidden Spring 2-lvl (3 slots): Detect Thoughts (domain slot), Cure Moderate Wounds, Owl's Wisdom, Alchemical Tinkering, Blinding Ray, Lay of the Land, Peacemaker's Parley, Share Language, Silence, Status Sorry for the delay, it's been a hectic week. I did try to take some spells focusing around exploration, as well as some to bolster Travoril's capabilities as a diplomat. The additional spells house rule is an interesting idea, but it does take some time for Travoril - his Int is 16 and his Wis is 18, so each day he has to pick seven spells on top of the ones he can already cast. As for the stat block, I think it automatically fills it in from the Race and Classes/Levels line in the profile.
Bale Keep:
Travoril rises with the sun, accustomed by his time in the temple to awakening early for morning prayers. Following Vilma's lead, he takes a small loaf of bread as his breakfast, though for Vilma's sake he avoids eating until after he has arrived at Dunwich. Back in Dunwich, Travoril dismounts somewhat shakily from Vilma' horse Folatise. At Vilma's statements, he speaks up. "I also have fifty feet of rope, Lady Vilma, as well as food for a week. As far as water is concerned, I believe I once read something about boiling water to make it safe, and I have an iron pot and a tinderbox for this purpose, but I have little knowledge in this area - perhaps others have more experience surviving in the wild than I do?"
I will likely be able to do only one post a day, but I will attempt to make it a content-filled one.
Somehow, Travoril manages to remain on the horse's back and avoid being ill on Vilma as the two travel to Bale Keep, but once they reach the fortress, he collapses sideways off the horse by way of dismounting. He swiftly gets to his feet and bows when introduced to Vilma's father, grateful for the help he is providing to the expedition. "I am holding both of you personally accountable for my daughters well being." Travoril smiles. "You need not fear, Lord Maldeghem. In addition to Lady Vilma's own considerable martial prowess and Brother William's magical talents, Brother Aldwin once told me that I was more suited to combat than most within my order." Knowledge (religion) DC 15:
As almost all of Labelas Enoreth's worshipers are rather elderly historians and librarians, most of whom have never held a weapon in their lives, Travoril may have attained this feat by dint of knowing which end of his mace to hold and which end to hit people with. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Travoril does his utmost to interact with Lord and Lady Maldeghem, but he is clearly more comfortable in a scholar's refectory than a noble's banquet hall. His topics tend towards high-level theology, but he occasionally catches himself and attempts to refocus the conversation on a topic his fellow diners can understand.
He recognizes the tension between Vilma and her parents, but aside from a few concerned glances between the three, he tries to remain tactful throughout the dinner. At the discussion of Numen Eor's downfall, he looks concerned for a moment, but then speaks up, a note of hope in his voice. "Perhaps the Lizardmen of the Marshes will see reason, Lifegiver willing. After all, conflict weakens them as much as it does us - we may be able to reach a resolution by words rather than by the sword."
After fetching his equipment from his cottage, Travoril waits outside his home for Vilma and her horse. He now wears several pieces of plate armor over his simple robes, and a sizeable mace is attached to his belt. His breastplate looks well-made, but it has clearly seen little use. The temple elders gave me this equipment when I left, but I have never had cause to use it. If it becomes necessary, do I have the necessary willpower to kill someone with these weapons? The young scribe thinks for a moment. For that matter, do I have the necessary skill? Brother Aldwin's "words of encouragement" were that I couldn't possibly be any worse with a mace than I was at transcribing the Analects of Miovar... He nods in gratitude to Vilma as she shows him how to ride the horse. "My thanks, Lady Maldeghem. I understand the principles of how to ride, but I confess that I find the rocking motion involved in prolonged travel quite nauseating."
"I'd really appreciate your help Travoril. Maybe it would be easier if you rode with me rather than taking a horse of your own? Mine is plenty stout enough for the both of us, and the ride isn't far." Travoril looks somewhat nervous as Vilma speaks, but he indicates his willingness to accompany the paladin to Bale Keep. "If you feel my expertise would be useful, Lady Maldeghem, I would be willing to travel with you to your father's keep. As I mentioned before, I will need a moment to retrieve my arms and armor from my cottage, however."
"I had initially remain here in Dunwich - horses and I have never really got along - but would be willing to accompany you to copy the map if needed, Lady Maldeghem. Either way, I will retrieve my equipment and return here tomorrow."
Travoril nods at Vilma. "I agree, Lady Maldeghem. I will need a moment to retrieve my arms and armor, but every moment we lose, whether here or later, could be the difference between life and death for the people of Dunwich."
Travoril speaks up after a moment of thought. "I have heard of pickled Rat's Tail, and I could make it if I had the right ingredients... but I highly doubt we could make it in enough time to help Dunwich. The Balsam Acētum alone would take years to make correctly, and pickling it would take over a month. We could purchase it, but I doubt there is any in town. We might have some more luck near Seaton, however."
Travoril thinks back over his time in Dunwich - though his primary training was as a scribe, his true talents mostly were in alchemy. He attempts to recall whether or not he has ever encountered ingredients matching the descriptions of the various reagents, but his primary focus is on the mysterious Rat's Tail - has he ever come across a root with a passing resemblance to a rat's tail that has medicinal properties when pickled?
Travoril, who had been staring fixedly into his (still untouched) glass of wine, lost in thought, looks up at Shekla's question. After a moment of contemplation, he speaks. "I cannot speak for the clergy of Heironeus, but the prophet Cadavix is said to have communed with the spirit of his murdered brother at the battle of Baklun. Of course, I would feel more confident having spoken with my temple elders, but I doubt it would be considered a blasphemy." The scribe pauses for a second, seemingly embarrassed. "Unfortunately, the rituals needed to speak with the spirits of the departed are rather complex, and I'm afraid I lack the necessary skill to perform them with any hope of success." At Eritha's addendum, he shakes his head. I don't recall seeing anything about manipulation of the weather in any holy text I've transcribed. Perhaps Heironeus's representative may be more useful in that regard?
Apologies - I should likely have made my intentions more clear. My Knowledge check was intended to determine if a cure was ever found for the plague, and if so whether or not the records from that time would still be accessible.
The scrawny young man who has been attempting to remain unnoticed since his arrival somewhat reluctantly clears his throat to speak. He resembles a wood elf to some degree, but several features, such as his more rounded ears, mark him as one of the fFolk - those with both elven and human blood. The young man's fingers are stained with ink, and he wears a simple light gray robe. Around his neck rests a wooden amulet engraved with an image of the setting sun, well-worn as though frequently handled. As is his custom, he had answered the summons without taking his weapons or armor, though he does wear a satchel containing his tools - writing implements, paper, alchemical equipment, and the like. He accepted a glass of wine out of politeness when offered one, though he has not actually started drinking. He seems extremely uncomfortable around the warriors and nobles present. "Brother Eldrin once told me that the past is akin to a road, guiding our footsteps as we move towards the future, though we can choose whether or not to heed it." Noticing that some of the others present cannot immediately determine the relevance of Brother Eldrin's somewhat obscure metaphor, he quickly clarifies. "What I mean to say is that our forerunners may have created records when this plague first struck - to keep it from menacing the town again, that is. If these records exist, might they contain the recipe and the locations of the necessary reagents? That this Ulizmila might not still live is a distinct possibility." As he finishes talking, he immediately begins to work himself into a paroxysm of anxiety, worrying about whether or not his question was appropriate. Was that acceptable? I'd certainly feel foolish if I brought up a possibility that they have already explored, but to ignore an obvious possibility that nobody else thought of would be just as bad! All these nobles and champions gathered here... am I truly worthy to undertake this endeavor?
Apologies, I know my backstory's a little light right now. My plan was to flesh it out as more information becomes available about Dunwich, and I'd be happy to take everyone else's backstories into account when filling it out.
I've made the requested changes, marking the background skills as appropriate. However, rather than distributing the extra skill points over a number of skills as you suggested, I opted to consolidate them into my existing skills to ensure I can function at the expected level in a few rather than at a diminished level in many, if that's acceptable. I have no problems with switching out the two traits, and looking back on it, I feel that Disdainful Defender was a poor choice for my character. Travoril as written is currently quite enthusiastic if inexperienced, and I think only minor adjustments would be needed to make him a conspiracy theorist character (quite possibly with the traditional Billboard of Crazy the name Conspiracy Hunter conjures to mind).
I believe I have made the requested changes to my character. If you could look over him and ensure I haven't missed anything, I would appreciate it. ...the town is called Dunwich and many have already surmised that means the Cthulhu Mythos in some flavor... I have read several of Lovecraft's short stories, including The Dunwich Horror, hence why I had initially taken Aklo as one of my bonus languages. In hindsight, I'm actually glad I changed it - Cthulhu Mythos plus the special fear rules mentioned in the beginning of the recruitment thread suggest to me certain tidbits of Call of Cthulhu wisdom may come in useful in this campaign. Specifically, DO NOT READ THE BOOKS unless you want points in Mythos Lore and are ready for the bumpy ride to 0 SAN.
Thanks so much for your suggestions! I'll implement them today and will hopefully have the finalized character ready by tonight. I especially appreciate the notes on languages - as the party linguist, a knowledge of the primary languages of the area will be incredibly useful, and I have only limited knowledge of Greyhawk. Also, I have a quick question for you before I finish adjusting my character. You posted the statistics for the fFolk in the Campaign Info section, but I'm not seeing any significant differences from the standard Pathfinder half-elf statistics apart from the name. Is there something I'm missing?
Travoril the Scrivener I have under the Campaign tab outlined the basics of Masterwork items -- if you have any particular questions please do ask. Apologies, I seem to have missed that. After reviewing the rules presented there, I have finalized my character's crunch and equipment, and I hope to finish the backstory either today or tomorrow.
Here's Mokmurian's submission - a half-elven cleric of Labelas Enorath, the elven god of time and causality, selected to proselytize in Dunwich to keep his enthusiasm from annoying the temple elders who trained him. I selected Magic and Knowledge as his domains, but if you feel this is inappropriate, I will be happy to change. The character is done for the most part, but I could probably stand to flesh out the backstory a bit more, and I'm waiting to finish the equipment section until the altered rules for masterwork items are revealed.
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