If anyone is interested in a play by post campiang I'll run one if there is sufficient interested. I'm looking for four to five first level players. Only the races out of PHB. IF there are any takers let me know.
Sounds interesting. Curious to know, how often you would require a person to post? Core Classes and point buy for stats? 28 point? I am game.
Yes, 28 point buy and core classes. The only posting requirements is that you post as often as possible. I understand that life is busy. All that we are waiting for is at lest three more players. Please send me your character's stats at wraith6@raresteeds.com.
I'd be interested in tossing my hat in the ring if you have enough space. Granted I'm blessed with a game of my own, so if you get more replies than there are spaces I'm more than happy to get bumped. Any campaign setting details you might have would be great to have too. I look forward to more pbp games showing up around here!
am curious how you work out backgrounds for characters in this type game.
Okay, sorry I didn't give more info. The campaign setting is homebrew that I have been setting campaigns in since I started playing. It is a time of choas, in the last great wars most of the large empires fell or began the steady descent from mighty empires to barabric tyrannies. You start out in the all but abandoned area of Sachura, where there is no real government. About a two hundred years ago a kind, wealthy family built a mansion and moved in, providing protection to the small community of Green Hollow. The community prospered, largley ignored by the wars raging in the rest of the world. Then, about a hundred years ago the wealthy family (the Grimmbolds) and almost all of their guards were killed by a still unknown force. Anyone who has gone near the mansion has been killed. Rumors of great wealth in Grimmbold Manor circulate and for those with a more noble goal than aquiring riches anyone who would remove the creatures that still inhabit Grimmbold Manor would then become the rightful owner of Grimmbold Manor and probably gain the allegiance of Brightwater Reach's inhabitants. It could even be the start of a new empire, if that is your goal. I'll post more information (such as a breif description of the nations) as soon as I get a chance but I'm afraid I'll be out of town unril tomarrow evening so if I get the chance I'll give you more info.
how often are posts expected; i am having trouble thinking of the timetable and how this works; is this a daily; weekly or some other schedule? It seems like people post their desired actions and the GM wraps it all up into a narrative. Is this pretty much the gist? I am very interested, but short on knowledge and willing to give it a go OJT.
|
Arctaris, I know you can't reply right away, but I'll fire away with my questions anyway...
Do you have a roster formed yet? Got the players you want?
I'm not sure if I'm in or out, but to be fair I should point out that like Aubrey I'm in a different time zone (East coast Australia in this case) and like Valegrim I'm not completely clear on how play by post games work. Also, I currently don't have internet access on weekends.
IF, given all that I'm in (and assuming I replied in time), I've got some very preliminary character ideas (although that additional background info you mentioned would help me a lot) - is this the place to post and discuss character ideas?
|
|
Arctaris: I've sent in my character, a Jayne Cobb-ish fighter/meat shield.
-The Eldritch Mr. Shiny
heh .... ok, scratch one character idea!
Well not that my fighter idea was Firefly inspired, but we probably don't need two pure meat-shields at this stage.
Nice idea by the way Shiny.
Sorry...
I usually play complex, angsty divine spellcasters, so I thought that having a less-complex character might be good for my psyche (it's good to get all of that COMPLEXITY out of one's RP once in a while).
|
|
Yes, 28 point buy and core classes. The only posting requirements is that you post as often as possible. I understand that life is busy. All that we are waiting for is at lest three more players. Please send me your character's stats at wraith6@raresteeds.com.
How are you going to handle leveling up?
I'm interested in playing. Time may be an issue As I'm in my own little timezone (Hawaii time) out here in the middle of the Pacific. If you are interested in having me I could use some info on character creation a pela.
|
|
Arctaris, when you get back, do you have a preference for format / style of character sheets or receiving character stats? I'm trying to find a good Word document character sheet with little success so far... (I tend to be old fashioned and write out most of my character sheets in pencil on a photocopied cs).
OK, I have a partial roster (If you are playing, please send me your character stats ASAP, I have three slots remaining) Grimcleaver and the Eldritch Mr. Shiny. Time zones don't matter since we don't all have to be online at the same time. The only posting schedule is as often as you have the time to post. Core deities and evil PCs are allowed. This is indeed the place to post character ideas (the elven necromancer sounds cool). I have built relatively safe locations for you to level up into the campaign. Format of the character sheets is relatively unimportant. As long as I can read it and it is organized in a reasonably logical way I am happy. The campaign will take place in the Campaign Journals section of this website in a thread titled "Grimmbold Manor". I am ready to start as soon as I receive three more character sheets. If I get more than three responses and no one is willing to give up their slot (perfectly understandable) than you can duel amongst yourselves. Once the campaign has started if you have any questions or comments (negative or positive, I can take both) you can post them on this thread. One thing that I will require is that all players watch their spelling and grammar (running a spell check if they have one) so that the rest of us don't have to wade through a bizzarely worded post with lots of misspelled words.
More world info:
The Illvessan Empire was one of the mightiest empires of all, rich and powerful with a happy populous, peace and fair rulers but then the rulers became more and more corrupt and less and less interested in the people's welfare and soon the kingdom had began its descent into an evil corrupt society where the strong rule the weak with an iron fist through fear; anger and despair are constant companions.
The Ruhera (name subject to change) Imperium: Still a mighty empire founded upon law and order over chaos the Ruhera are Lawful Neutral, and take little interest in the rest of the world except when the conquer useful areas or defend their borders.
The Thlev Islanders: A loose association of of relatively primitives living on a small series of islands. They fight a minor war with the Ruhera. They are modeled after the ancient Celts so for the most part their culture is the same. Certain classes are forbidden to members of the Thlev tribes; Paladin and Wizard. Fighters are rare but not unheard of, as barbarians fill that place in the Thlev armies.
There are also hundreds of small city-states, mostly the remnants of older empires that while surviving languish in their current state, rarely progressing.
The Alliance of Free Cities: The Alliance of Free Cities is a group of large cities that broke away from the various empires or are all that remains of them. They have a series of free trade agreements and mutual defense pacts so are one of the most powerful forces in the world.
All in all it is not a happy world. Few people have happy backgrounds and those that do soon lose their optimism and hope once exposed to the world at large. There are often attempts to resurrect the old empires but these are often used as a means to acquire a corrupt individual even more power.
If you want to make up a town or empire or culture or history feel free do so, I would be happy to receive any input. If anyone has any other questions just let me know.
Updated roster; Grimcleaver, Mothman, Aubrey the Malformed and the Eldritch Mr. Shiny. There is still one more slot open. So far we have a Necromancer, Sorcerer, Fighter and Monk. Please send your character info to me if you haven't joined in and wish to and I believe that a few of you need to finalize your characters.
Some more info: The Free City of Eastport: The free city of Eastport is one of the Largest cities in the world, well over 100,000 inhabitants. It is wealthy and safe, with well patrolled streets and well defended borders. It is a port city and is one of the major shipping locations. In Eastport as long as an undead can avoid breaking the law and can fulfill any feeding requirements it might have without eating Eastport guests or inhabitants, it is welcome in Eastport. Many respected members of society are undead; zombies perform hard manual labor and mummy guards patrol the streets by night while vampires run taverns, shops, hold governmental positions, or, in one case conducts an orchestra composed of various undead that is famous for its eerie orchestral pieces. There are a series of strict laws that are enforced but they don't seek out evil to destroy it unless it is harming society. Eastport is also famous for its mages. There is a small island near Eastport that has one of the finest mage academies in existence.
I hope this isn't an unintentional ripoff of Greyhawk or Waterdeep which I haven't read.
The roster is now complete! The players are: Aubrey the Malformed, the Shiny Mr. Eldritch, Grimcleaver, Mothman and David Trueheart. The campaign will start tonight in the Campaign Journals section in a thread labeld "Grimmbold Manor". I will send rough world maps and somewhat more specific territory maps before we start.
Some more world info:
The tech level is a little higher than in the standard D&D game, basic machines are more common.
The gods are the same as the normal D&D gods until I can get my own pantheon finished.
Much of the world is unexplored and it is beleived that there are at least two more large continents and many small islands that are completley unexplored and unknown. All expiditions to find these rumored lands have failed, often ending in tradgedy.
Rumor has it that Amarath eats amaranth in the aftermath. You didn't hear it from me.
Alright, a few minor changes: the Ruhera are now called the Vrakkir. There probably aren't any unknown continents but there are several unexplored ones that were found just before the wars. I would prefer that the you folks figure out how your characters met now on this thread. Please also post whatever parts of your character's history you want your companions to know and your physical description. I have just sent you the maps for the campaign. Please post here when you are ready and I will start the campaign thread.
|
|
Anarath Coldblood Description
Anarath is a high elven wizard, specialising in the school of Necromancy.
Anarath has long, straight dark hair which hangs down to just above his mid back. He does not wash it nearly often enough, and it hangs limply without lustre. He usually wears it tied back in a functional ponytail, but usually a stray lock hangs partially obscuring his face, or is tucked back behind one of his long ears.
His face, once quite handsome, even beautiful by the reckoning of his race now looks somewhat … strange. His pale blue eyes tend to either squint angrily or else stare vacantly. Faint, pin-prick scars are visible on his eyelids, as though his eyes had at one time been stitched shut – or open. His eyebrows are shaved, and in their place two thin black ribbons are laced through the pierced flesh of his brows and hang down on either side of his eyes, framing his face. Unusually for an elf he has dark circles under his eyes. He often draws a single vertical line in charcoal or kohl under each eye, running down his cheek. Anarath’s skin is pale, almost pallid, his nose long and straight. His lips (and teeth) are stained a deep purple from the small red and blue berries that he continuously chews.
Whilst his face looks almost gaunt, hollow cheeked, his frame is close to average for a male of his race – although his height of 5’4” makes him look thinner than he is. He often holds himself slightly hunched, shoulders dropped – but when casting a spell, or angry, he holds himself tall and straight, exuding a measure of hidden power.
Anarath’s normal attire consists of a battered, travel stained charcoal grey greatcoat with many pockets, and a matching wide brimmed hat. Beneath this he wears functional black clothing. He often leans heavily on his iron shod quarterstaff (although he seems to walk well without it as well), and somewhat incongruously carries a short bow of elven design and a quiver of arrows slung over a shoulder. A large, glossy feathered black raven often sits perched on a shoulder, or atop his staff, muttering to itself in a strange language – or circles in the air over-head. He wears a cheap looking copper amulet or locket in the shape of a stylised heart around his neck.
Anarath comes across as distant and mysterious. He talks little, although he is normally quiet and courteous when he does speak. While considerate to his companions he avoids getting very close to other people, and normally has little to contribute at campside discussions where the talk turns to matters other than the mission at hand. He reveals almost nothing about his past. Although he appears uncomfortable in most humanoid company, strangely he seems most discomforted when in the company of fellow elves.
Cool, how does he meet the rest of the party?
I'm sorry if your maps haven't come yet but I'm having some problems with my email. I'll get them to you as soon as I can.
|
|
Cool, how does he meet the rest of the party?
I'm sorry if your maps haven't come yet but I'm having some problems with my email. I'll get them to you as soon as I can.
I got the maps ok, haven't had a chance to look at them in detail as yet.
Post some ideas on how he meets the rest of the party shortly...
|
|
Despite the fact that Anarath is a loner, he actually doesn’t like being alone for long periods. Apart from understanding the dangers of travelling alone in these wild and lawless times, he actually secretly craves company.
He is interested in exploring old ruins particularly pertaining to ancient abodes of wizards or abandoned temples. He may have joined up with a group who were looking to loot such an area.
If it is the goal of the rest of the party to loot Grimmbold Manor he may join them for this purpose, hoping to acquire magic or knowledge therein. It is also an almost subconscious desire for him to find somewhere to call home, so if the rest of the party’s purpose in seeking the manor is more altruistic, he would go along with that as well.
If any member of the group had announced in their travels that they intended to seek Grimmbold Manor, Anarath may approach and offer his services as a competent wizard. If there is known to be any undead plaguing the area he might also mention that he is something of an expert on the topic. He will ask for an equal share of any loot / treasure that may be discovered.
If anyone else has any better ideas on how to get the group together, please go for it! There may be an opportunity for Anarath to have been a longer term companion for one or more of the other group members, but it’s unlikely that any association would go back more than a decade.
EDIT: Gents, I'm only going to be in a position to post probably for the next hour or so, and then I'll be offline for the next 48 hours or there abouts. If you all want to go ahead and get started, that's cool - Anarath will either be slow to react, stay silent in the background, or be off on an errand of his own and join the others shortly...
Also, are the rest of you going to post on the Campaign journal thread under your current log-in names and avatars, or are you creating new log-ins under your character names?
Sharp, insightful, and polished in a way that reflects a classical education--more politician's son than adventurer by all accounts. His polished, well oiled weapons, the waft of fresh leather smell from his travelling outfit, all seem to suggest that adventuring has been for him more theory than fact. Nonetheless there is something genuinely likeable and trustworthy in this noble's kid--something that suggests that beneath all the poise and white teeth that perhaps he might not be entirely useless.
But something is also a bit creepy--like the crackle of magic whafting in his path. Little flashes of light, twists of shadow, things around him not falling right, little half-heard whispers in his wake that suggest that whatever power is in him is not entirely in his control.
He does seem earnestly eager to begin exploring the creepy old manor, having taken great pains to research and study it and walk about the grounds a safe distance away with local guides.
That's how he'd be met. He'd notice a fellow adventurer, make some broad gesture toward the building, and rattle off some obscure but interesting trivia about the design, or some anecdote about the journal left behind from an adventurer who never returned. Nothing ghastly mind you, nor boring, just strange that a kid like this would be trying so hard to impress you and that he would put this kind of effort into just knowing the background of the building he's apparently getting set to sack.
|
Dohrlok is a member of a relatively obscure sect of dwarven monks, the Stone Fists, from the Khurak'lan Mountains. This sect does not worship the dwarven deities directly, but instead venerates the elemental earth, which is seen as the origins of the dwarven race and its pantheon. The martial disciplines of the sect emphasise physical toughness, mighty blows and grappling moves, which the dwarves are particulalry adept at given their high CON and low centre of gravity. A member of the sect advances through surviving physical rigours, as these strengthen both the body and the spirit. On a social level, dwarven taciturnity is considered a great virtue - the earth seldom speaks and most worldly issues are an irrelevance to it, but its anger is mighty. Members of this sect are also quite obvious from the fact that they shave their hair and beards.
Dohrlok is adventuring as part of his physical and spirtiual quest to improve himself. His skin is ruddy, and he his head and face is covered in a low red stubble. He seldom speaks though he is a keen observer. He is generally very controlled, eschewing alcohol and revelry, and takes the disciplines of his sect seriously. He is, however, not without a sly sense of humour.
Dohrlok has heard of the Grimbold Manor and wishes to explore it in order to test himself against its dangers. He has heard of the other adventurers also considering an exploration of the place and offers to join them.
I forgot to tell you an extra statistic you would need. Sanity Score! You multiply your wisdom score by five. I have already made the modifications to the character sheets that you sent me.
Mothman, since your going to be out of town I can arrange for a dramatic entrance for your character. We probably won't get that far in 2 days.
Sorry, I have trouble with names.
Mr. Shiny's note: The character description has changed from the orginal email to more closely match the avatar picture.
Corvin Kilgannon: Chaotic neutral 1st-level human fighter
Corvin hails from the (former) small town of Narroway. When the town burned to the ground in a battle, Corvin was the only survivor. While preparing to leave the burned-out shell of his home, a few enemy soliers spotted the seventeen-year-old Corvin. In a fit of rage, he killed their leader with his bare hands. The other soldiers were so scared that they fled, and Corvin looted the corpse of the leader, and took the leader's suit of spiked scale mail. Now twenty-two, corvin wanders the land, selling his services as a mercenery, hit man, and armed gofer to the highest bidder. However, Corvin will do anything to make a buck, and an opportunity to find treasure is too hard for him to pass up.
Standing a bit above average for a human, Corvin's wiry frame is clad from the neck down in a suit of spiked leather-and-scale armor trimmed with tattered cloth and ratty bits of fur. His skin is sallow, and his hair is greasy and colorless. However, his eyes are an extremely clear shade of crystal blue, and his piercing stare alone can be enough to make a patron settle for a higher fee. In battle, Corvin carries no weapons, but instead throws himself bodily into the fray, lashing out with his mailed fists.
Corvin has been hired by Greis Rashire to help explore the ruins of Grimmbold manor, and has been promised a share of the treasure in return.
Corvin Kilgannon
No Job Too Small
No Fee Too Large
Just to let you know, I won't be posting much this weekend as I'm off the the mother-in-law's.
Gawlak Ironstone 1st level cleric of Kord
Growing up in Brightwater with his family Gawlak constantly saw the hardships of life around him. He knew that the only way life could change for himself and all the people that he grew up with over the decades was to do it himself. Hearing the rumors of the Grimmbold Manor's riches he thought that he would be able to take those riches and improve life of the common person. He will not fall to the folly of greed and pride that has been the down fall of others.
Gawlak is your average to do dwarf. Red hair and full beard. Brown eyes always darting around. He never learned his father's trade or much else for that matter. He never even learned to speak the common tongue. He did learn about matter of the heart and soul. He is a quick study of people and like to strike at the matter at heart.
Rumor has it that Amarath eats amaranth in the aftermath. You didn't hear it from me.
...and listens to Amon Amarth while drinking absinthe.
So then what does Gawlak eat? *passes out from his reply*
I am about to start it. As soon as I finish this post in fact. Once the campaign has started we can use this thread to ask out of game questions and any out of game discussion.
I am going to read along in the Campaign's thread. This sounds fascinating.
What are your thoughts about people kibitzing in this thread? Would you hate that?