Tylinhae's page

It seemed like an extreme grouping to me because you said "roleplaying" or "tactical wargame", but the nature of D&D and many tabletop RPGs afterwards are in fact both. Splitting people into two camps is often asking for troubles. There's a lot of gray area between those. For example, I myself am an avid roleplayer who puts a lot of detail in my characters, my NPCs, etc. I'm also something of a gygaxian simulationist where I want my dungeons and places in the world to seemingly make sense and take things like ecology and circumstances into consideration when designing adventures. Finally, I love the tactical aspects of the game as well and building exciting encounters and viable successful characters from a mechanical perspective.

In essence, I fall into BOTH of those categories, and as such it seems strange to me to lump people into either-or.

I see where you're coming from now. You're right, my comment about Roleplayers and Wargamers is a bit of a stretched assumption, but one that comes from various experiences over the years. In the various groups I've been in, there was a clear divide between those who wanted some RP in their wargame, versus those who wanted a little combat in their RP.

The RPers in my group always looked at a character and said "Alright, my character is highly flawed in this manner, how can I make that fun and interesting and more than just a number?" whereas the combat boardgamers looked at a dump as an irrelevant stat to the min/max effectiveness of their combat build.

My "raise the DC" idea was really not something I'd necessarily execute in an actual game, unless I felt the context of the story called for it. It was more of a "off the top of my head" alternative to flat out saying "No, you are too stupid to do that" to a player, if a DM was just itching for a reason. But I likewise wouldn't be unwilling to use it, either.

Admittedly however, I do not necessarily play the game RAW, either. Yes, a character with an Int Penalty is technically already penalized. But whether that is enough of a penalty is a whole different argument that would probalby take another 15+ pages. I personally find Pathfinder only a marginal improvement over the source material of Dungeons & Dragons 3.5, and remains highly flawed in many ways. You can score stunning successes and crippling failures that often just make no sense, just because of the way the game's mechanics have been cobbled together. I feel it often can't make up its mind between being fantastical, or strict and realistic.

Ultimately I play the game for fun, and I'm more likely to bend rules in favor of a player than against. But I'll bend against them if it just makes more sense to me. When you sit down at my table, my goal is for you to have fun, and I will work to that end; but we all see things differently, so if you do not, I wish you well at your next group.

I bet a slowly moving wall is much more talkative, but the falling spikes are more to the point.

I see what you did there...

Tylinhae wrote:

I for one have been inspired by this debate to create the first "respectful" death trap. It will be sentient, intelligent and have a smashing English demeanor. It will feel terrible about killing you, and apologize profusely.

Glados?

....curses! My brillaint plan, foiled!

I for one have been inspired by this debate to create the first "respectful" death trap. It will be sentient, intelligent and have a smashing English demeanor. It will feel terrible about killing you, and apologize profusely afterwards.

"Terribly sorry about the death spike to the cranium, old chap. Nothing personal, those are the hazards of the job eh? Cheerio!"

Kobold Cleaver wrote:

Man, I look away for thirty minutes to talk about my Season Four pony wishlist and boom, tons of posts. Fortunately, none of them address me, so I've decided to ignore them. ;D

I have to ask, what is a season four pony wishlist?

There, now you have a reason to come back.

Oh no, he's not getting off that easy. I'm calling you out, Kobold Cleaver! Your opinion is wrong! I have no idea what your opinion even is, but I oppose it, and call your IQ level into question for having it! This is war, man!

Bold it all you like, the disclaimer changes little about the assertion.

What if I used bold and italics....

...at the same time!!

You are likely now stunned speechless by my powers of stylized text formatting.
Happens to everyone. I'll give you a moment.

Seriously though, I think Vivianne was citing a pretty circumstantial scenario, and this entire thread is a pretty circumstantial argument. It all boils down to context, and everyone is going to disagree to agree to disagree.

I'm with you that a situation like this should be a majority rule. The entire group shouldn't have to conform to a single underdog. And a lot of times arbitrary RP death can happen because that single underdog did something stupid (often repeatedly).

Really though, that comes around to just playing the way you enjoy, with people who also enjoy playing that way. Otherwise you may as well just be arguing politics with an opposing viewpoint.

MrSin wrote:

shallowsoul wrote:

All I can say is if you are going to stick to your highly specialized style of gaming then expect the groups you find to play in to be few and far between.

Same to you aye?

I don't have that problem because I more or less stick with the default.

Disclaimer: I don't own a personal copy of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, so I am making some assumptions here.

That being said: If we're talking "default" as in "rules as written," every roleplaying game I have ever owned (and it's a fair sized list) has had at least a line or two that says- in essence- This is a game. Games should be fun. I don't play Pathfinder Society. I play a game with my friends to pass time and enjoy each other's company.

And that has always been my personal policy. If a character dies in combat, how will that death impact the player AND the group? How will it affect the fun we were all having before that unlucky roll? Can I work the death into the story, or is it going to just ruin our collective night?

The challenge and threat created by the looming spectre of death is totally necessary to a game; without it, combat is meaningless because your character is invincible. However, to me, this does NOT mean it should be the definition of "game over." The continued enjoyment of all my players is the final, and most important, factor in any decision I make. Unless you are running organized league play, the rules are guidelines to help a DM present a challenge.

Beyond a player's attachment to his or her character, arbitrary death can ruin games in other ways. For example: Unless you carry a box of premade alternates with you everywhere, the rest of the group has to wait for you to make a new character. This breaks the flow of the game and can potentially end a session prematurely. Who wants to call it a night after a half hour of play because we have to wait for one guy to reroll?

The alternative is to press on without that crucial 4th party member, which raises the risks of a TPK, which in turn potentially ruins an entire campaign prematurely.

If you and your group enjoy the challenge that adhering to arbitrary death brings, good for you! There is nothing wrong with that, and nothing of the sort should be implied or inferred.

There is likewise nothing wrong with "ignoring" or deus-ex-machina-ing an unlucky roll at a very unlucky moment, if it preserves the fun.

Ultimately you will play the way you want to play, because that is what is enjoyable to you. I can only assume it is natural to find like-minded people to play with. So what everyone else does is kind of redundant.

Opinions can be wrong. This is a pretty good candidate. Lumping people into extreme groups is rarely very accurate and I feel the same is true here. Again, Charisma is a mental statistic, and a character is defined by what they do.

You are absolutely correct, as far as opinions go. Everyone has one, and they'll all be different.

However, I'm not sure of your meaning of lumping people into "extreme groups." If you come to the table and claim to be wanting to roleplay, but then intentionally create a character with below-average intelligence... why would expecting that player's in-game persona to react as though they had below-average intelligence qualify as an extreme grouping?

Due to the way the mechanics work for example, if you want a character who grew up sheltered and under educated then you might represent that with a 7 Intelligence. But why would you represent it with a 7 Intelligence?

Because the 7 Intelligence gives -2 skill points (representing that you never learned as many practical skills during your youth and now everyone else has a head start on you).

Likewise, the 7 Intelligence means that you frequently miss common questions. Most people can take 10 and answer basic questions in any knowledge skill (Knowledge can be used untrained for up to DC 10), but your character may simply not know.

Character #1: "We'll need to speak to Sir Manfred Firestride and try to get his blessing on this if we want to remain inside the law on this job."

You: "Sir who?"

Character #3: "Sir Manfred Firestride, the lord of this land? Your land? Do you seriously not know the lord of your own land? Were you raised in a barn?"

You: "Um...a convent, actually."

Character #4: "Don't they like, teach people stuff in places like that?"

You: "Well, I know how to write in a lot of really interesting ways or make perfect copies of documents and books, learned a lot about medicinal arts, learned several languages including the celestial tongue of angels, and I'm pretty good at gardening."

Character #1: "But...you don't know the name of your landlord?"

You: "It never came up."

Character #3: "Hah, check this kid out."

^ The above shows a character that cannot take 10 on the Knowledge (Nobility & Royalty) or even Knowledge (Local) and succeed on a common DC to tell you much about the world...

Again, this above example seems an awful lot like roleplaying your character's flaws to me, especially the parts where you explain the character's background to give context to his low intelligence (i.e., not knowing things others might consider common knowledge). It actually seems like a pretty solid example of how a character's role in the game can shine through because of a negative stat. I like it.

But your argument in this case is rather contrary to the original poster. His complaint was that people take a -7 in a dump stat, but then expect that their character should be able to come up with complex solutions or creative answers because of foreknowledge by the player. Your example doesn't really fit that case, though I do understand the point you are making.

Keep in mind, in case I haven't made myself clear, I am not advocating some sort of "automatic failure" because the character created a dump stat. However, I can fully justify some mild penalties to the character that might be appropriate. If your Int 7 fighter is attempting to singlehandedly crack a complicated cypher or old riddle, you might set the DC slightly higher than a knowledge-based character might face, in addition to his natural Int penalty. I agree that nothing should penalize a character to uselessness. But (again, opinions) I also don't see a problem with challenging a character's chosen flaws as much as their chosen strengths.

To support what Kazaan said, we have to remember that Charisma is a MENTAL statistic. Not a physical one. Mental. It's in your head. All of it. It has nothing to do with how you look directly.

Also the word appearance is defined as:

Quote:

ap·pear·ance

[uh-peer-uhns] Show IPA
noun
1. the act or fact of appearing, as to the eye or mind or before the public: the unannounced appearance of dinner guests; the last appearance of Caruso in Aïda; her first appearance at a stockholders' meeting.
2. the state, condition, manner, or style in which a person or object appears; outward look or aspect: a table of antique appearance; a man of noble appearance.
3. outward show or seeming; semblance: to avoid the appearance of coveting an honor.
4. Law. the coming into court of either party to a suit or action.
5. appearances, outward impressions, indications, or circumstances: By all appearances, he enjoyed himself.

Most of these indicate not a physical appearance but the ability to project your desired state of being intentionally.

Actually, based on their cited examples most of these fit physical appearance quite nicely.

1- To appear to the eye or mind, or before the pulic, such as a stockholder's meeting. You have physically made yourself present to be seen or interacted with. If you called in via phone, nobody would say you "made an appearance."

2- The state, condition, or style; outward look. The table looked antique. The table did not project its state of being by acting antique and speaking in Olde Tyme English. I put the table in my immediate center of view and it physically appeared old.

5- This example can be argued for both sides, as "He appeared to enjoy himself" would encompass as much physical (smiling, laughing) as it would emotional presentation (convincingly smiling and laughing when you're really not having fun).

Ignoring #4 as a legal term doesn't really seem to fit either side of the argument, so we end up with (debatably) 50/50 for all examples.

In my opinion, it all boils down to whether or not you come to the table wanting a roleplaying game or a tactical boardgame.

Bonuses and penalties are a mechanical function, but also represent the realities of that character. An INT 7 rogue is going to have fewer skill points, and penalties to Int skills because he's less intelligent and less receptive to new information than an above-average Int 12 character.

It is not at all unreasonable for a GM to expect your character to reflect his or her penalties. Now, I'm not saying every int 7 character has to be Gomer Pyle. Maybe the other party members just have to explain "the plan" more than once for him/her to finally "get" the whole thing. But penalties should reflect more than just raw numbers, because it's the role you have chosen for yourself as an actor.

On the other hand, if you just want a tactical combat boardgame with an interesting story in between... go nuts. Who cares if you have 3 INT and 25 STR? The idea is to kill monsters and win the game.

Well certainly, but I couldn't have created such an overly elaborate post in that case!

As with any roleplaying game, you have the freedom to make of it whatever you want. However, D&D/Pathfinder was never meant to be morally ambiguous. The alignments are strict and fairly cut and dry: Good people are Heroes and should act heroically. Evil people are Villains and are expected to be heinous. Neutrals are neither. So here's how I see the tale of Yeebin the Cleric:

A police officer, like a paladin, is "lawful good." They are expected to act in the interests of the innocent, but within the boundaries of law; there is a process to law that they must follow. This is why a police officer will not kill you for shoplifting, but rather apprehend you and take you to justice as the law demands. However, should you draw your gun on them, a police officer WILL shoot you dead, and will be completely within the bounds of law and righteousness. If that same police officer happens to get a few jollies from killing scum like you, he's still the hero in this little fable. He followed the law, and killed you for just reasons.

On the other side of town, you have Dirty Harry (Chaotic Good). He knows that criminals abuse the constraints of law and he's sick of it. Laws be damned when good people suffer. He's gonna crack skulls, blow up cars and shoot bad guys in their bad guy faces. But he's not doing it for himself- oh no, he's doing it FOR GREAT JUSTICE. Sure, he shot you in the gut and smiled as you bled out. Still not evil!

Then there's Spartacus the Gladiator (neutral). He kills people in the arena. Lots of people. But he's not doing it for the pleasure of killing (thrill of victory being something else entirely) and he's not doing it for justice. He's doing it to survive. Sure, sometimes he cuts off all your limbs while you're still alive and paints his face with your blood as you watch, but hey, the crowd loves it! Kind of a jerk, technically not evil.

And finally, there's Yeebin the Cleric. He started off one of those sucker LG's. All he wanted to do was help people. But years of battle wears on a man's soul, and after a while righteousness just didn't seem to matter as much. But Yeebin still did his best to follow the rules of the Church, because it's his job (LN). But lately he's started to notice that the thrill of battle and the rush of victory have started to alleviate the crushing apathy he's been feeling. And suddenly it's not enough to just beat a powerful foe. Now you have to crush your enemies. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women! Motorboat their entrails and teabag them! Coincidentally, not a lot of people hang out with Yeebin much anymore. He's kind of creepy. But hey, he doesn't go looking for trouble, he only gets weird when trouble comes looking for him. Let's give him a pass for now. Yeebin is now the Diet Coke of Evil. Just one calorie! Not quite evil enough. (CN)

And finally, the sad end of Yeebin's tale. It's not longer about doing good (who cares about that anyway?). It's no longer about being the best. It's about pain. The delightful music that screams make. The myriad of colors that blood can turn. Puppies? Delicious. Babies? Hate 'em. Set 'em on fire. Yeebin is now Evil. Time to reroll!

So needlessly longwinded post, short version: I'd say by straight alignment you've had one instance of a Chaotic Neutral act at the absolute worst. However, RP-wise your character could arguably be showing signs of slowly heading down a dark path. This is indeed something your deity may start to take issue with.

Flurry of Blows takes the entire Two-Weapon Fighting line, and condenses it into one Superfeat, and you have the same bonuses and negatives of an equivalent level fighter using Greater Two Weapon Fighting. Whether or not you are using a "single weapon," (i.e., a single Temple sword, or a quarterstaff held in both hands) or no weapon at all, is mechanically irrelevant to the ability; Flurry of Blows both assumes and penalizes as though you are always fighting with a secondary, light weapon, because a monk's body is that secondary weapon.

For example, a monk using a quarterstaff (a two-handed weapon) could block an incoming attack with his staff, and then deliver a kick in order to give himself room to make a follow-up strike with both ends of the staff.

Likewise, a completely unarmed monk might deliver a chop to the wrist (disarm attack), a knee to the kidneys, follow up with an elbow to the face, and then sweep your legs with a kick (trip attack).

Yes, one could claim an armed monk mechanically is just bashing with the same weapon seven times; the rules certainly grant you that option. But the spirit behind the mechanic is that you are a vastly superior two-weapon fighter who can attack with any limb, and can never truly be caught unarmed or be disarmed, unlike a TWF-using Fighter, who is mechanically limited to strictly what he is holding in his right and left hands. Just like you might expect from a kung fu movie, your monk become a virtual whirlwind (one might even say a flurry) of kicks, punches, sword swipes, elbow strikes and flying knees.

For comparison's sake, a 20th level fighter with the entire TWF line will have an attack chain like this:

Main hand: 20/15/10/5
Off hand: 20/15/10

Assuming that fighter is using a light weapon in his off-hand, you apply standard two-weapon penalties of -2/-2 to all attacks, and his chain now looks like this:

18 / 13 / 8 / 3
18 / 13 / 8

18, 18, 13, 13, 8, 8, 3. Identical to a 20th monk's flurry chart.

Darnek is now the supreme overlord of all things living. Destroyer of worlds! and owner of the largest harem this side of Darkhollow!

That's right. You win all of D&D!

Darnek: The patron sighs, glancing at you from his beer, but trying hard not to make eye-contact. "What's not to be gloomy about? Murders! Witches! Hexes! Disappearing bodies! The bloody walking dead! The very wrath of the Gods is upon us, and there's not a damn thing we can do about it!!"

Raistlin: You enter the Church and immediately upon crossing the threshold, an intense feeling of nausea washes over you. Too much goodness and purity in one place for your liking... An elderly man with graying hair is giving a speech at a podium to your east. It seems you have stepped into the middle of afternoon mass. A few heads turn and give you irritated scowls as the door creaks shut behind you.

Darnek: The Witches' Brew is not so much a "seedy" establishment as it is a "dead" one. The building that houses it looks old and decrepit, as though it has not seen any reasonable upkeep in years. The floorboards creak and groan under your steps, and the air has a dusty, stale scent to it. Only about four of it's eight tables look usable, the rest being in various states of disrepair. A few are even turned over on their sides, legs broken and tabletops splintered. Five, weary, life-worn looking men sit nursing drinks, three at the table furthest from the door, the other two at the bar. The atmosphere has a very oppressive melancholy to it, as though everyone here has generally given up on life. The tavernmaster glances up at you as you enter, and gives you a halfhearted nod, but otherwise says nothing. The rest do not even bother a glance in your direction, but stare listlessly into their drinks.

Raistlin: You pass by numerous tiny street-corner chapels to various gods, but the primary center of your attention is the massive chapel of Morrow, god of truth, virtue and justice, and twin brother of your own goddess Thamar. Its glittering white walls look pristine in this otherwise dirty city, and Cygnarian banners wave proudly from its pinnacles.

You enter the city via the Northwestern Gate, which lies just to the west of the river. Towering spires of marble rise into the sky, each with a distinct glimmer of gold at the very tips. Banners roll lazily in the wind, each bearing the distinctive gold-on-blue heraldry of Cygnar.

Darnek and Raistlin separate for a time to seek out individual goals within the city.

Darnek, the first tavern you discover is a rather run-down, weary looking establishment bearing the sign of a scantily-clad, but menacing woman ensorcelling a tankard of frothy ale. "The Witches' Brew" can be seen clearly below.

Raistlin seeks out the more disreputable areas of Corvis in hope of finding an indication of some secret sect or cult to his dark Goddess, Thamar. Unfortunately, after about an hour of looking, he is unable to discover any clues that might hint to such a cabal.

After hours of seemingly endless trudging, you arrive at the bustling city of Corvis, dubiously nicknamed the "City of Ghosts" by locals. Corvis is a very large, bustling town divided in two halves by the massive shores of the Black River, and is home to a large and still-growing population of at least 10,000 people.

You arrive in town at around noontime, and the city is a chaotic mishmash of life. Merchants mill about hawking wares, some quality, some questionable. Citizens wander from place to place, some on errands or daily work activities, others are simply travelers exploring what the city has to offer. The shouts of men and loud bellowing of shiphorns fill the air from the Docks, and armed guards march down city streets, followed by massive steel behemoths known as Warjacks.

Your lively band of vagrants doesn't even warrant a second glance to these people, which is a refreshing change from the paranoid stares of Halfriver.

The sun sits high in the sky as the fire rages in the forest behind you. Thick plumes of smoke rise into the otherwise cloudless sky.

It's a beautiful day for a forest fire, and your spirits are high as you set off down the road towards new horizons. You are tempted briefly to return to Halfriver and salvage any loot you can, but it has become apparent that very little would conceivably remain. Littler still that would be of any value.

You head instead for the port town of Five-Fingers, a seedy place known for its reputation as a den of debauchery and misconduct. Sounds like your kinda place!

Suddenly, a loud bang jerks you all from your drunken stupor. You find yourself back in the Sultry Strumpet, still at the tables you passed out at the night before, and with ale-mugs still in hand.

looks back at the ranger

"sorry for this but you are weak"
magic missle: 4+1=5

Several bolts of magical energy strike ranger in the face, which swells with the chaotic ether of the spell. He lets out a startled scream, which is abruptly cut off as his skull detonates in a particularly gruesome fashion.

Chunky bits of Ranger rain down all around, when suddenly the pack of ravenous mole rats descend on the lifeless body. In what seems like an instant, they have picked the body clean, down to the bone, and each let out surprisingly large burps.

In desperation, Ranger grabs an arrow from his quiver and begins stabbing downward, hoping to strike Hak and force the orc to release his grip. He comes into contact a few times, but doesn't seem to cause any serious damage.

Hak lets out a gleeful laugh, reels back and hurls Ranger's body at Darnek. "WE'RE HAVIN' SOME FUN NOW, MATES!" he laughs.

Darnek, seeing the form flying towards him, manages to dive out of the way at the last minute, rolling under the body to come face to face with Hak.

Ranger lands with an unpleasant thud moments later, and rolls to a stop. Just when it seems like the worst is over, a stinging pain rushes through his shin, as a blunt wooden object clubs him in the legs.

From above, chittering noises erupt, followed by a shout as the thin form of Raistlin plummets from the tree and lands on the unsuspecting forms of Hak and Darnek.

As Raistlin clings to the tree, the hideous virmin, 10 in all, surge forward towards him, chittering and gnashing their teeth as they do. A few more seconds they'll be upon yuo, and you're fairly sure the result will not be pretty.

Below, Darnek lets out a grunt of pain as something grazes his upper thigh. Turning, he sees that Ranger has inexplicably shot him, and charges forward, landing a solid punch to his gut that knocks the wind free of the other man.

Suddenly, Darnek grunts again, as something heavy lands on his foot. A shrill voice cries out "SMASHEM DA TOESES!"

Hak leaps forward, a huge grin on his face, grabs hold of Ranger and lifts the surprised man over his head,, pumping him up and down as he might a weight set.

"HAR! IT'S BRAWLIN TIME, MATES!!" he roars with a huge grin.'

The tree wobbles again, but Raistlin manages to hold on. Suddenly, a chorus of growls erupts from the nest, as several small creatures pour out of it.

They are each not very big, each roughly the size of a small dog. They are pink, hairless and remind you somewhat of woodland vermin from other lands, with an important exception: These vermin each have two large, very sharp looking horns jutting from their skulls, and a very wicked-looking pair of incisors that protrude from their upper jaw.

The tree shakes slightly, and the growls from within the nest get louder.

There is a strange sound coming from the nest, almost like a half purr, half-growl.

The forest is deathly quiet. Though likely only 1 or 2:00 by now, very few of the sun's rays are able to penetrate the dense treeline.

The silence is broken suddenly as something in the distance lets out a chilling roar, and then all is silent once more.

Your group flees deep into a nearby forest, running until your lungs feel as though they're about to burst. After what seems like an eternity, you finally feel confidant that you have lost your pursuers.

The downside is, you are now very, very lost.

The front door flies open with a crash and enraged miners begin to pour in. Shouts of "Murderers!" and "Kill 'em all!" fill the air.

Hak, Darnek and Dur have fled out the rear exit. Raistlin and Ranger, you are the only two left in the tavern.

Darnek:

As the shouts get louder, Ezmeralda points at a large double door in the back. "There's only one other exit, through the kitchen! It's out that way!"

Ranger:

The bartender looks at you in a mix of shock and confusion. "L..l..Listen fellers, I don't want nos touble, 'hear? I'll take yer word this man'll pay for the damages, but I'd like y'all to leave my establishment now."

Darnek's thug has a small pouch worth 15 silver.

Everyone make listen check, DC 10.

Ranger:

Darnek: The man groans but does not respond to you in any way. He is half unconscious from your strike and seems very disoriented.

Ezmeralda runs up and hugs you each in turn, thanking you all profusely for saving her.

The combat has now ended.

The first thug groans loudly from the pile of rubble that once was a table.

His friends advance forward looking for a little payback, when suddenly Ranger leaps to his feet. His bow flies to his hands, and an arrow rockets from it with a satisfying "Twang!" He strikes one of the muscular man's associates in the stomach, doubling him over with a cry of pain, right before a bolt of magical energy smashes him in the face, sending him backwards.

At almost the same time, Hak leaps to his feet and cracks a random taverngoer across the face with a beer stein, not seeming to care that this person is a simple observer, and not part of the original group.

Chaos erupts in the tavern as the second thug's life bleeds out of him through the arrow wound in his stomach. He lets out a sickly gurgle and stops moving, making it painfully obvious to onlookers that he is very, very dead.

Screams erupt from the waitresses, and in the blink of an eye taverngoers begin stampeding for the door. Even the two remaining thugs have given a second thought to dying over a stupid bar brawl, and have fled.

Darnek pounces on one of the thugs as he flees, striking him hard in the back of the skull, which drops him to his knees, dazed.

Next round actions now.

Acting initiative order is:

Ranger
Raistlin & Hak
Darnek
Dur
Thugs

Ranger, you're up first. Name your actions. You may take 1 Standard Action & 1 Move Action per turn, or 1 Full Round Action.

The man turns to Raistlin with a scowl.
"Hey pal! I wasn't done teaching that clumsy oaf a lesson! Maybe you want some of this too?"

He gives you a hard shove, sending you stumbling back a foot or two, but before he can react further, Darnek clotheslines him with a shout of OI!
Caught off guard, the man does a half-flip backwards and crashes into a table which collapses beneath his weight. Three other men that were sitting with him leap to their feet and start grabbing for nearby objects: Bottles, chairs, mugs, forks, anything that might be used as a weapon.

Minutes pass, and you see Ezmeralda approaching your table, loaded down with a huge tray of food. As she passes another table, one of the patrons bumps her and sends her flying. Your food crashes down onto a group of rowdy looking men sitting at the table to your right, who leap to their feet.

"Stupid woman!" A tall, muscular human barks. "Learn how to use those feet of yours you fat cow!"

As Ezmeralda attempts to return to her feet, the man gives her a swift kick to the stomach, sending her back to the floor. All conversation suddenly stops, and all eyes turn towards the man.

However, nobody seems to be attempting to stop him.

Ezmeralda chuckles nervously and jots down your respective orders, and scurries off. You get the distinct feeling she wants to spend as little time at your table as possible.

As she finishes with the last order, ignoring the comments from Raistlin Jr, Darnek hefts a small dinner plate and lets fly. It sails a small distance across the table and bounces with a metallic "Doink!" off the side of Ranger's head.

It's midday, presumably around the time the mines empty out for lunch, as the Tavern is packed. There are all manner of workers here: tall, short, fat and thin. Most are human, but you can make out a few dwarves and even a few miners with some faint elven qualities to them. As it is though, you see no demihuman workers. Dur and Wix seem to be the only humanoid patrons at this time, and are drawing the occasional odd look. Most people though, are too busy talking loudly, laughing and singing crude songs to notice, as waitresses dart between tables collecting tips and delivering food. In the center of the room along the southern wall lies a large firepit, that is currently cold. Along the north wall is the bar itself, lined with a very limited selection of liquors and drinks. Like the tables, the bar seating is packed with mine workers.

Ezmeralda appears once again, finally stopping in one place long enough for you to get a good look at her: She is a slightly heavy-set woman, in her late 30s or early 40s. There are hints to her that she may once have been very beautiful, but stress and tiredness have worn her features. Not only that, but she has on far too much makeup to be complimentary to anyone.

"Can I be takin' yer ordahs, gen'tamen?" She says with a thick rural accent, looking expectantly at you each in turn.

It is a dark and windy night in the city of Silverymoon...

Fortunately for our adventurers, they're a good 200 miles away in the small burg of Halfriver, where it is currently sunny and a comfortable 72 degrees. Nobody is really sure why the town is called Halfriver, as it is nowhere near any bodies of water. Nevertheless, our lively band of adventurers has gathered there today to set out on what they hope will be a legendary journey of mayhem, glory, and destruction. Preferably destruction of someone else.

Halfriver is not much to speak of, being little more than a collection of hovels set up for a small mining operation in an effort to make the miners feel more at home. Its main attraction is the local tavern known as the Sultry Strumpet, so called because of the tavern's bawdy reputation for offering questionable services above and beyond that of a normal roadside inn. Beyond that, little else is available save for a small General Supply store and the Miner's Guild.

It is approximately 1:00 in the afternoon as you, our weary travelers, step into the seedy common room of the Strumpet. A plump waitress named Ezmeralda approaches you and leads you to a rather unkempt table in the back. She doesn't bother to clean the mugs or dishes of the previous patrons, and scurries off to other duties with a hasty promise of "I'll be back to take yer ordah!"

Hate to wast my time on simple crap and decided to do something that was usefule to me.

In Today's Episode of "Saved by the Bell," Ranger will be played by Xecuter19. I'm not sure if that means he's xecuted 19 people, or he's the 19th xecuter to apply for the job. But frankly I'm not even sure what an xecuter is.

When Raistlin was a boy he was always causing trouble in town he could never do anything right and when he tried to help he just made the matters worse. In school when he used to get picked on, bolts of lightning would come out of him stricking the bullies. Feeling this mass energy that surges through his body he wanted more and the more he wanted the crueler he got. Not able to control his maddness for this remarkable power his mom and sister tried to stop him but they where no match for his incredible power, leaving the town lale behind to find the temple of his father Raistlin the new god of destruction in hopes to gain incredible power and to get his hands on the book of the Necronomicon which was hidden away in the temple after the dragon wars. With this book no one will be able to stand in his way and he will do what his father could not, for his father let his feeling get in the way of things. Raistlin has no feelings if he did it would destract his dreams of becoming a god. So Raistlin doesnt let anyone get in his way and if they do his disposes of them with his remarakable power.

Technically speaking, I don't think two castings of "Magic Missle" count as a remarkable power just yet. But that's okay, we're working on that. A few more chickens and sheep and he'll have sacrificed enough livestock to buy himself a new Demonic Tome.

Name called Hak. I hit stuff. What else to know?

Well spoken, Hak. Very diplomatic. Welcome aboard!

This string of wacky hijinks and humorous misadventures is designed for my buddies out there who have never played by post before and would like to give it a try. It's going to be fast and loose, very rules-light the first time out, and will probably end spectacularly and hilariously badly for everyone involved. That being said, there is one slot open if anybody is bored and wants to screw around in a very lighthearted, experimental comedy of errors. Feel free to drop in and say hi, but understand that participation will probably have an affect on your overall level of sanity. If that thought should somehow interest you, you should probably seek professional help. But maybe we can make some room for you anyway. So without further ado...ROBOT ROLL CALL!!

Player list so far:

Raistlin Jr. - Delusional sorcerer with a Dragonlance fetish. Wants to rule the world by seeking out the dreaded Necronomicon. Is not currently aware that the Necronomicon is actually an adult publication for the undead seeking a little extra thrill.

Darnek Ghul - Elven monk with a love for things that go well with peanut butter and a love for fire. Especially loves things that go well with peanut butter and fire.

Hak'thulgromp Elfsplitter - Better known as "Hak" to his friends. At least, he would be if he had any friends. Not-so-bright Half-orc who likes to hit things. A lot.

Durwix Anklebiter - The goblin known as "Dur" is the closest you can come to Hak'thelgromp's "lil' buddy." also the party's resident cleric. He's a crafty, cowardly goblin who also likes to hit things. Unfortunately he's not very good at hitting things, so usually he has to pay Hak to hit things for him.

Ranger - Sadly, budget cuts and labor problems have left Ranger with little backstory to speak of. He couldn't even afford a name, and so the rest of the party knows him only as Ranger. At least until he pays licensing fees. Ranger is human who likes trees perhaps more than is socially acceptable.

I think you're doing a fine job as DM, Vissigoth. I'm good with the idea of a small break until you get back.

Have a great vacation!

Arctaris wrote:

Sorry about that, I'm usually pretty good with words but I guess I didn't get that one right.

It's totally OK, dude. I'm just a little OCD about it. Sorry if you took it personally.

...Tylinhae attempts to drive Shiny (more) insane...

Of coarse he took it personably! You probably hurt his fillings with your insensible latitude!

I enjoyed it for what it was, and I didn't find myself checking my watch every five minutes to see if it was almost over yet.

That being said, I'll have to cast my lot in with the "not as great as it could have been" crowd. I mean seriously, Calypso? Now we have a goddess throwing her weight around?

The focus seemed to drift too far away from "Arrr! I be piratey!" to something that wanted to be far more epic than it could manage.

As for the ending? Sucked, in my opinion. Sure, I'd rather have a mushy, happy ending, but in this case I think even a heartwrenching "Will is dead, Elizabeth must carry on." would have been more satisfying than what we got.

Honestly, I was expecting a very Disney "Calypso, the forsaken love of Davy Jones, sees the purity of Will And Elizabeth's bond, and decides to remove the curse" sort of ending. I would have been good with that.

Sadly, much like Spiderman 3, I think they tried to cram too much into too little. This storyline could have easily brought them to-- at minimum-- Pirates 5, with a lot more craft, care and thought given to the overall plot in each.

Bottom line though, is that I didn't regret spending the $10 to see it, and as far as movies go these days, any flick that I don't regret spending money on is a winner in my book.

Laucian Liadon wrote:

WOW, you make this so cool with that map! you rock dude!!!

Thanks. I really have no life at all (besides the Halo 3 Beta) other than D&D.

Hehe, well, neither do any of us, most likely. Seriously though, the map is a godsend when it comes to combat. It makes it a lot easier to keep track of who I'm shooting at.

Just to let you all know that the DM is away... that JERK! and Mr. shiny too! URRRGGG!!!! Don't know when they will be back maybe sunday? or if they have a computer with them sooooo, yeah i just don't know.

AWED

And so, our heroes didst follow the strange Jotnir, and walked....and walked....and walked....and walked....

We're off to see the Shaman! The wonderful Shaman of... uh..the Jotnir...?
Follow the yellow-brick halfing! THE BASTARD STOLE MY WALLET!