Tales of the Royal Archaeological Society, Group 3 (Inactive)

Game Master Doomed Hero

This thread will be for Out Of Character discussion for Doomed Hero's Tales of the Royal Explorer's Society campaign.

Dorian Maule, warrior and scholar, reporting in.

With final selection made I will get to the detaily things like trail rations and encumbrance.

I will be running two games, concurrently. Both games will be using the same discussion thread. I'll have that set up shortly.

For now, I'd like everyone to pick two other players and create backstory links to them. Everyone is assumed to know each other to some degree, if for no other reason than you just spent a few days on a wagon train together coming to this site.

You are currently in the south west of "england" near where what would be called Wales in another time and place.

Pre-mission Information

Divinations on the site indicate that it was originally the manor of an exiled Imperial politician and academic. The old empire was renowned for it's excess and debauchery, so whatever this person did to deserve exile must surely have been dark.

All that is left of the manor is the foundation and the old basement structure. Apparently the Exile had an entire complex built beneath his home. A cave in has separated the complex into two areas. It is unsure if one side still has access to the other.

Local sitings of abnormally large insects were what drew attention to this place. Cattle and sheep have gone missing or found dead and stripped of flesh in the nearby area. The closest town has reported a number of recent grave robbings, though that may be unrelated.

Royal Diviners suspect the weather is due to take a serious turn in the coming weeks, so due to the time-sensitive nature of the expedition, both areas of the complex will be explored and surveyed simultaneously.

Dorian Maule, warrior and scholar, reporting in.

With final selection made I will get to the detaily things like trail rations and encumbrance.

Don't worry too much about that stuff. How much food and water you have won't be necessary for this game. You have a fully stocked campsite at your disposal.

I just need to know basic encumbrance of the important things like armor, weapons and tools.

In that case, allow me to change a trait. Create water seems less vital to pick up now.

Btw, how do you handle initiative of summons and cohorts/eidolons/animal companions?

In that case, allow me to change a trait. Create water seems less vital to pick up now.

Btw, how do you handle initiative of summons and cohorts/eidolons/animal companions?

They act on your initiative, but I am a stickler for the proper rules regarding what Summons can do and how they behave.

Summons don't show up knowing why they've been summoned. They have to be told what to do. Talking is a free action, within reason, so this isn't normally that big a deal, however you do need to speak their language in order to give them instructions.

Non-intelligent summons are assumed to understand basic instructions in your own language, but are incapable of sophisticated action.

In all cases, summoned creatures will not act against their nature without a Diplomacy or Handle Animal check (depending on the summoned creature).

These rules are often glossed over by GMs, especially in tabletop games where "talking to yourself" is frowned upon, but in PbP they create some awesome opportunities for role-play.

Basically whenever you summon something, if you're asking it to put itself in danger, you'll need to make a check to convince it (in a language it understands).

For some creatures, this will be really easy (summoning a Celestial creature to attack undead or fiendish creatures is pretty much always going to work. Even if you don't give it any instructions, that's probably what they will do).

Sometimes checks won't even be necessary, depending on what you want done. If you summon a fire elemental in the middle of a library it's going to happily go to town. You might need to make checks to convince it to stop lighting things on fire.

Essentially, any summoned creature, in lieu of instruction, will act according to it's nature. Knowing the natures of the creatures they can summon creates a sort of "toolbox" at a summoner's disposal. Any attempt to make a summon act outside it's nature requires a check from the Summoner.

Does that make sense?

Yup. Already invested in diplomacy and linguistics because I thought the same. As well as knowledge (planes).
Was just wondering if investing in Eidolon initiative would be wise.

No. For simplicity's sake I'd prefer your eidolon and summoned creatures act on your initiative, so improved initiative would be a good investment, but eidolon initiative wouldn't be.

reporting for duty.

Your Gameplay thread uses Explorer's Society instead of Archaeological.

Are we supposed to split ourselves into two groups? Or will they be assigned?

Are you doing a final review of avatars before we start? If yes, Dvalin is ready.

cheers

I know. I can't edit that one. We're stuck with it.

Groups will be assigned once everyone has checked in. I think I'm going to let you guys split yourselves.

Since the games take place in the same location, there's definitely the possibility of groups trading members if need be.

Dorian, I'm looking over your sheet and it looks like your whip attack damage with power attack is one point too high. Please take a look at my power attack house rules.

Also, I know some people make the argument that whips can be used 2 handed. Having used a whip, I know it doesn't really work that way, so I don't allow it.

Yeah, was still unedited from before the nerf. Some other things were also still off like init and languages.
Now that the alias will see use I plan to fix all that.
The scorpion whip is a light weapon either way. Can't 2-hand a light weapon.

Also, I call dibs on the dwarf rogue. I wuv me some trapper. Not that we can call dibs on party-members, but still.
Hmm, actually...with exotic weapon prof being a trait my eidolon took extra traits as a feat. It could take that trapfinding trait that was linked earlier and maybe make a decent trapper if I swap a skillpoint and evolution around.

Still putting Bladud together. I'm making some equipment adjustments, and I'm making him more of a trap-breaker so we have two.

Posting. Will add background details soon and look at the others to see who would be good to link with.

Lyla's sort of a Lara Croft type with a twist, surviving daughter of two society members who died on an expedition. Her family has been part of the Society since its inception.

Nisfeollyn, the elven wizard (divination specialist), checking in.

Reporting in. Anyone want to have worked with me in the past and be one of my background links + most likely be the one that steered me in the direction of this esteemed society?

My main skill lies in being a bodyguard, but I also have some knowledge of history, religion and the planes, which I picked up while working for scholars.

Will update my character with his total carried weight later today.

Background added.

Caderyn, Nisfeollyn could have hired you as a bodyguard. Even helped with studying history, religion, and the planes. But by this point, Caderyn probably knows more than Nisfeollyn since that’s only a minor interest to him — in fact he doesn’t have any ranks in Knowledge (planes).

Lyla, perhaps your parents brought Nisfeollyn into the Royal Archeological Society? Nisfeollyn could be a bit like an uncle to you.

Bladud could round that group out as the added muscle, scout, guide, and trap-breaker. If we go that direction, I'd actually like to tie him to Lyla... specifically in that he was a rookie explorer on the mission where she had the incident that unlocked her oracular powers. He can't remember the details of that mission (or the months around it), but since then he's felt a compulsion to protect her... like a really violent, protective older brother.

I like both of those ideas. Works for me.

Which leaves us with a fifth spot, but it's be nice to see if the other team has any suggestions before we totally fill ours up. Though we have a good enough spread that nearly any of the others would work.

Looks like things are coming along nicely. We just need to wait for the others to show up.

I'm hoping that everyone will have ties to enough other members of the group that we can avoid the obnoxious "who are you and why should we work together" phase of establishing a new party. I'd prefer everyone started with the mindset of professionals who already know each other, and are comfortable with each other.

Ties to other characters don't have to be detailed or fully fleshed out. It could be as simple as saying "Cadeyern and Dorian are from the same clan, and came south together to seek their fortunes." Or something like that.

There will be two groups. The absolutely neccessary roles to fill are:

Trapspringer

Medic

Academic

As long as each group has those roles filled, it doesn't matter what the precise party makeup is.

Once everyone checks we'll split up into two groups.

For now, anyone who would like to engage in pre-mission roleplaying, go ahead and jump into the gameplay thread for group 1.

Everyone is coming in on the same wagon train.

There are two wagons and it has taken 10 days to get here. At this point everyone is a little road weary.

Lyla

Why are you paging a cleric in recruitment? Dvalin has been here before you.

cheers

She just hatin on miners #yolo #swag

Torgan reporting for duty.

He is half-orc raised by dwarves. The idea is that he was found as a small child by dwarven raiding party after his village was destroyed (not by the dwarves).

Grew up among the dwarves and is more or less one of them. He always felt comfortable underground and helped them explore caves and underground sites.

So he should know any dwarves and may be blood related to any half-orc. Also during the exploration could have met any other member of the party.

Bladud should be updated and input correctly, DH. I made some adjustments since first proposing him. Swapped a trait to get Trap Finder, his Slayer Talent out to get Trap Spotter, swapped his favored bonuses into skill ranks to max out Disable Device (dropping his HP to 27), and I swapped out Quick-draw for Extra Rage (given some of the house rules and my desire for him to have a little more fun with rage in combat).

Otherwise, I'm ready to roll. I'll get an introductory post up in the game 1 thread some time today.

As for rounding out the first team... picking up one of the clerics is smart. Since Dvalin and Torgan are both here, I'd suggest one of them. I don't have a heavy preference between the two, both characters look fun and useful. :)

(I may switch out his avatar image... there's a decent half-orc one that looks as good as this one for Bladud).

Ok, that's our first five. Let's kick this off.

We'll call you guys wagon 1. The other wagon must have broken a wheel and needed to stop, or something.

As for background ties, how about this-

Torgan and Dvalin are from the same clan.

Bladud and Dorian served together as hired guards for a while.

Dorian and Cad are from the same highland clan.

Torgan doesn't know much about orcs so Bladud and Dorian have been telling him about the culture.

Nisfeollyn is an old friend of Jonas the Archivist (an NPC) who taught Nisfeollyn much of what he knows.

Nisfeollyn was the one who taught Lyla magic, and he brought Lyra into the Society when she came of age.

Lyra has known Bladud for years after he helped her get away from a group of drunken mercenaries who didn't want to take no for an answer. She told him about the Society, and he told Dorian, who told Cad. This is the quartet's second ruin expidition together.

How's that sound?

By my count we have 6. Two more and we can do two groups of 4.

Edit: oops. Missed Cad. Fixed.

That's seven. Enough for one group of 4 and another group of 3.

I'll let you guys discuss possible group makeup. You have about 5 hours, then I'll post a final decision.

Remember that group assignments aren't permanent. We can always rearrange things later.

That's six folks, and it excludes Caderyn. Not that I have any problems with any of the people on that list. The group that had grouped up previously were: Bludad, Caderyn, Nisfeollyn, and Lyra (with an open slot).

Bladud: Trapspringer, muscle, scout
Lyla: Academic, Medic, support
Nisfeollyn: Academic, support/cc
Cadeyrn: Medic, muscle, support

Dorian: Academic, muscle/support
Dvalin: Medic, muscle/support
Torgan: Medic, muscle/support

Having only one trap springer is fine. One of the dungeons is really light on traps. (You'll just have to hope you get Bladud in the right dungeon)

Well, actually, Bladud is good either way... it's the team without a trapspringer that should worry about it. :)

And I'd be fine with 2 teams of 4, if that's what we have. I liked the connections we'd made so far, so I'll run with that. If we get split onto different teams, that's fine.

I'm going to post in the game thread, though.

Please do. Everyone jump into gameplay as soon as you're ready.

I'm checking in - just got in from being out of town and such.

In short, Brak is a pretty easy-going, intelligent guy...who occasionally rages himself into a mad frenzy, killing everything in his path. :)

He knows quite a few languages and is quite knowledgeable, though that magic stuff is still beyond him for now. He figures as long as he has his favorite giant hammer "Stompy" by his side, he doesn't need magic!

Brak could work as a trapspringer as long as you don't want to keep the trap and he has some healing help of course. Otherwise, he's more damage with a side course of intelligence.

Alright, I am giving my Eidolon that trapfinder trait, and changing a skill and evolution point around. We now have a pocket rogue. Without all the backstabby and evady bits.

Dorian, can you make an Alias for your Eidolon?

Ok, here we go!

With Brak added to the list we have two groups of 4. Here's the breakdown:

Bladud: Trapspringer
Nisfeollyn: Academic
Dorian: Academic
Brak: Academic
Lyla: Academic, Medic
Cadeyrn: Medic
Dvalin: Medic
Torgan: Medic

Jeebus. You guys are going to be one healthy crew.

Ok, so here's my proposed party split:

Group 1
Bladud
Nisfeolyn
Dvalin
Cadeyrn

Group 2
Dorian
Lyra
Brak
Torgan

After looking at the characters, I think these groups have the best synergies and spread out abilities that would overlap.

If there are any issues for any reason we can trade people around later.

For now, we're going to keep everyone in Group 1 Gameplay until we actually split up when the groups enter the dungeon.

If you haven't done an introductory gameplay post, please do. As soon as everyone has posted I'm going to move things forward and get to the action!

I is confused... I got a PM saying to report here?

I will post my intro this morning sometime.

Doomed - I'm going to go over my sheet one more time, I think I may have mixed up one or two things. I'll let you know if I need to chance anything.

Also - love the "Jeebus" reference. I use that one all the time at mass and my wife can't stand it. ;)

I is confused... I got a PM saying to report here?

Yes, you were one of the few that hadn't joined. Since I sent out that PM, most have checked in. If you are still interested, we have a slot for you. If not, that's fine. Your choice.

What gods are in the setting?

If you were raised by Dwarves, you follow the Norse gods.

The groupings look good to me. Hate to miss out on Lyla, but the guys in Group 1 all look like solid chaps, too. I say game on!

And as a cleric may I follow the whole pantheon or just on of the gods?
In that case it would probably be Loki, as I have no idea if any other gods have trickery... But he probably has evil alignment and maybe even chaotic. In that case I would change my alignment to CN.
Or being a follower of Loki, I could pretend to follow any other one of them...

Loki seems fitting, for the Norse (dwarven) god of trickery. And I'd think CN would work fine enough... PF clerics just need to be within one step of their deity, right?

I think Bladud would find you most frustrating... a highlander-descended, norse-raised gent who follows a god of deceit and trickery. ;P

Dont be afraid to hit Wiki - some of the Old Celt gods are mean mean bastards. May be suited to Half Orcs as well.

@Bladud> Yeah, I imagine Torgan could be frustrating, but as he follows the god of trickery, he will not announce it too loudly and can even pretend to follow someone else... One step in PF is right, I just am not sure about Loki being CE.

@Hallcardr> Celt gods would be perfect for half-orcs, but Torgan was raised by dwarves, so he will follow a Norse god - and those ones I checked on Wiki

I'd say Loki the God was CN. Loki the super-villain is CE.
His children were a tad more evil though I believe.

Will make an eidolon alt and IC post shortly.