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Been wanting to post this on here for quite some time, but find as with most things in life, I tend to procrastinate. Unfortunately, that also means that most of my motes are long gone and my intial post won't be quite as I had initially envisioned. Anyway, I'm running a group of six (currently 5) through the Savage Tide Adventure Path on Wednesday nights. We're playing online using MapTool from www.rptools.net and using the core setting of "Greyhawk". (I say "Greyhawk" because to me, setting is not that important in this AP) We're about 4 months in now and I must say, I have a good group of fellows in which to DM. As with anything online, the pace is a little slower, but I still think we're having a good time. We're pretty much RAW so far, other than the turning variant from CD.
The group consists of:
Moors: A spiked chain wielding Hadozee fighter
Nyll: The charismatic and daring Human Rogue
Kavin: A helpful Human Sorceror
Cardozo: A Human Cleric of St. Cuthbert
Amrhil: A Human Druid (who has been beating stuff down lately along with his wolf companion, Barkley)
Jared: (Currently an NPC until I can fill this slot) A fleet of foot Cleric of Fharlanghn
I hope to see some posts on here from my players; including personal accounts of the happenings of the week and character backstories. I, being the most generous DM that I am, will also offer XP bonuses to such players that intrigue me with the aforementioned happenings. We will also discuss any rule discrepancy(yawn), character concepts, new PCs ( in the case of probable and unfortunate death(s)), etc. on this board. I'll try and get some session information stuff up on this link later this week.
By daring and charismatic, he means the ability to laugh in the face of his own inadequacy while picking his bloody body off the floor after his most recent bout with unconsciousness.
Nyll Greylocke
Nyll is the bastard son of a minor noble. While his childhood was far from difficult, he always felt that his life needed more. Partly to legitimize his own heritage, he decided to try and become rich and famous enough to buy into the Nobles Court. He has tried several things, all with little results to show for it. A small stint at his parents gem store has proven that he hasn't the buisness sense to succeed. He tried out for the Gladatorial pits, but was neither strong
enough nor flashy enough to do much more than slow down the rise of others. He contemplated theivery, but looking at the headsman's axe made his neck itch. Adventuring, however, seemed perfect. The only
requirement was the ability to risk your life, limb and sometimes soul for an unknown amount of treasure. Gearing himself up with the winnings from his last Gladatorial combat (including a Spiked Chain used against him. Now THAT was a flashy weapon with a practical use.) he outfitted himself the best he could, honed his skills to hopefully provide a needed service to any group, and began asking questions about
other adventurers in town.
Cardozo is an introspective cleric, new to adventuring and it shows in his actions and his words. He often observes his companions silently and marvels at their bravery and candor. After the recent loss of his mother Cardozo was now alone in the world and sought out an escape from the solitude of his family home. This newfound adventure provided just such an escape. He has
Typical of most of the residents of the Cudgel District of Sasserine, Card is a devotee of St. Cuthbert believing most vehemently in the notion that the punishment befit the crime. He reminds others that justice is the risk faced by evil men. The victimized and helpless must be vindicated; it is simply natural order.
Card has lived in the District all of his life but barely knows the city. As a young boy he often studied in the Hall of Records where his late father had worked. From this, Card developed an open and analytical mind and a devoted regard for law and order but maintained a guarded shyness. It remains to be seen how or whether this new adventure will change him.
Amrhil Taltos's History
Amrhil was born in the Sunrise district of Sasserine to plantation workers. He was the fifth child of seven and while his parents were poor he rarely went without food or other bare necessities. During the days Amrhil was looked after by his oldest sister. Because she was also looking after his other 5 brothers and sisters soon after he was able to walk he spent most of his early childhood in the Sunrise district of the city. He could be found most days enjoying himself in Standing Stone Park. The wonderful plants and animals fascinated him.
As he grew older he grew bored with the city and he ventured outside the city to explore the countryside. He became more and more at home out in the wilderness and found himself in trouble many times because he would spend the entire night out. He also became fascinated by the tale of an old hermit who lived out in the wilderness. Some say the man had been living there for hundreds of years other laughed at the stories and said he didn't exist at all. Amhril was determined to find him and spent almost a year searching for the hermit.
Finally after he started to believe the tale weren't true Amhril found him. With some tall tales there is an element of truth and this was no exception. Goodwin was a druid who tended to an ancient druidic ceremonial site far outside the city. Impressed that the boy had found him Goodwin invited the Amrhil in to his home and answered all the questions Amrhil had.
Goodwin laughed at first when Amrhil asked if he was hundreds of year old. While Goodwin was very old he had only been there the past 45 years. Goodwin explained that a druid had been tending to this site since the city of Sasserine was founded and he just happened to be the current caretaker. He went on to explain that he was a druid and told Amrhil of their beliefs. After a long talk Amrhil returned home that night thinking about everything Goodwin had told him. He returned to Goodwin many times and eventually asked if he could be trained as Goodwin's successor. Goodwin told Amrhil he would train him the druidic ways and soon after Amrhil went to live with Goodwin.
He spent several years with Goodwin learning all that the old man had to teach and eventually he was taught how to cast spells. He was a natural. Not long after he had mastered all the spells within his power Goodwin told him what the next step in his training was: going back to the city of Sasserine. Amrhil was in utter disbelief. He couldn't understand what the city would be able to teach him but Goodwin told him that there were three reasons for his return. First, he needed to learn how men depend and use nature so that he could find ways in which both man and nature could come together in harmony. Second, he needed to face challenges and learn from them so that he could gain power. The final and most important reason was due to some visions Goodwin had. He did not explain exactly what they were saying only that any vision could be misinterpreted but that something terrible could possibly fall upon the city and the land around it. He also said that Amrhil was predestined to have some part in the events which either led up to the tragedy or the prevention of such a tragedy.
Amrhil left feeling very confused for the first time in a long time. He returned to visit his parents and then made his way about the city hoping that whatever destiny had in store for him he would find that path soon.
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Glad to see everyone post their backstories on here; looks like I owe 3 of you some XP this Wednesday (06-27)! Nice work, Amrhil! Does anyone happen to have Jared's backstory lying around in their email by chance? I thought I'd kept it but I must have deleted it. I'll try and get a session recap up later today.
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Here is the opening notes and first session recap: During some down time in the seaside city of Sasserine, a wisened looking halfling woman walks up to you slowly. She smiles broadly and hands you a note. The note reads:
"Greetings, and I trust this missive finds you in good health! My name is Lavinia Vanderboren, and I humbly request your appearance at dinner at my estate on Festival Street and Blue Skink Lane tomorrow evening. I think that I can present you with an opportunity uniquely suited to your skills. Please inform the carrier of the letter of your response to this invitation and I hope to be speaking with you soon!"
After some thought, you decide to at least hear what the woman in the note has to say. After all, it might be an opportunity to make some gold coins and find some adventure. You recognize the name Vanderboren as one of minor nobility. The address in the note puts the estate in the Merchant district, which can't be all bad. As late afternoon rolls around, you start to make your way towards the Merchant district. As you make your way into the eastern part of the district you see what must be Vanderboren Manor.
The seven foot tall stone wall that surrounds Vanderboren Manor is impossible to miss as is the towering, gothic three story house that dominates the grounds within. Leering gargoyles and capering nymphs festoon the eaves of the manor’s roof, and several trees give the manor grounds a nice buffer from the bustle of the city. The front gates have been left open, and on a warm wooden door hangs a fancy, ornamental knocker.
Session 1 short recap: The group all met at the Vanderboren Manor and were served a meal and a business proposition by Lavinia Vanderboren. Just prior to eating, the group was insulted by another apparent group of adventurers who were on their way out. Lavinia was very polite and proper but seemed a little bothered by a question about her brother, Vanthus. Apparently, Lavinia's ship, the Blue Nixie has been taken by one Soller Vark, a man in the employ of the harbormaster Lord Islaran for non paid mooring fees. Lavinia also needs access to her family's vault under Castle Teraknian so she can begin to pay off some of the steep debt her parents have collected. She cannot gain access to the vault without her father's signet ring however, which is on the Blue Nixie. Lavinia apparently paid Vark the fees owed, but when she went to reclaim her ship, he acted as if he had never seen her. Lavinia stated that she had already taken the matter to the watch with no success- as there is no proof of wrong doing. She asked you not to throw the first punch, but to please get her money and ring back. She agreed to pay each member of the group 200 GP each as a reward for the return of the money and signet ring once she's gained access to the vault. The group wolfed down some food, took Lavinia up on her offer and headed out towards the Blue Nixie.
Upon arrival to the Blue Nixie's location, the group discovered the ship was moored approximately 150 feet from the pier. The group discussed various ideas for getting to the ship and then boarding it. It was noticed that the ship has at least 2 lookouts, one on the quarterdeck and one in the Crow's nest. The group located a small fishing boat on a nearby pier and were discussing it's possible use. The session ended there. Also, the Blue Nixie is basically a caravel (google it) for those of you who are interested. Access from the fishing boat (if you decide to go that route) could be interesting.
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Session 2 and 3 recap: The group decided to "borrow" the nearby fishing boat and try and stay out of the sight of the Nixie's lookouts. Barkley (Amrhil's animal companion)and Cardozo stayed on board the little watercraft and everyone else hung out on the side of the ship and attempted (quite futiliy) to muster the small boat out to sea. The plan was to paddle out past the Nixie and let the tide take the boat to within boarding range of the Nixie. If spotted and questioned prior to boarding, the group planned on concocting some sort of "I'm out fishing" story until they could get close enough to board.
The group managed to get the fishing boat out to sea without being spotted. Moors and Jared's experience played a crucial role in accomplishing this. (This took a great deal of time). The group managed to coast back slowly to within boarding range of the Nixie when everything went wrong. One of the divine casters in the group attempted to board the ship, failed his climb check and fell in the drink, which alerted the lookouts. One of the lookouts went to get help and warn the Captain of the ship of the intrusion, while the other thugs on deck took shots at the party while they continued to struggle with getting on the ship.
Nyll was shot down by a crossbow bolt prior to ever boarding the ship. Kavin finally got on board as did Moors, but reinforcements showed up. Several thugs meleeed with the party, while the thug in the crowe's nest rained pain on everything he could see. The party continued their assault on the current inhabitants of the Blue Nixie. Both the clerics fell into the drink again, Nyll bled alot, Kav got dropped by the thug in the crowe's nest and Soller Vark showed up. Moors took out three of the thugs and the clerics finally made their climb checks and healed some wounds. Amrhil also got dropped. One of the female thugs tried to beat feet and a newly healed Nyll jumped in the boat with her and dropped his rapier as they hit the water. Vark issued some sort of command to "Burn them all!" and defended himself in a corner of the boat after a nasty shot from Moors. The thug in the crowe's nest came down and also tryed to flee. Overall, the rolls were completely one sided (in the DM's favor) and the battle on the Blue Nixie continues.
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Session 4 and 5 recap: The bloody battle on the Nixie continued with both Kav and Amrhil joining the fray thanks to Jared's wand and Cardozo's spells. Nyll got dropped again by the female thug in the boat and both Vark and two (one in the 2nd rowboat) of his men went overboard in hopes of greener pastures. Jared killed the female in the boat with a well placed sling shot and Kav dove in to try and rescue Nyll. During the fight, screams and loud crashing were heard from the ship's hold as well as an awful and strange keening. Looks into the hold noted smashed cages, dead and bloodied monkeys and exotic birds. Some of the group could make out a strange spiderlike creature about the size of a pony eating what appeared to be some sort of humanoid. We ended the session with Nyll in grave danger, Vark and two thugs heading for the shore and a problem in the hold.
Rescued poor Nyll from certain death and reclaimed the Nixie from Vark's grip. The group easily dispatched a quite nasty monster with nary a scratch and Jared located the purpose of the group's run to the Blue Nixie, Lavinia's father's signet ring. The group returned the ring to Lavinia and recounted the events of the battle that took place on board. (NOTE TO SELF: Cut and paste the script from the session to make session recaps easier)
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More short session recaps: After briefing Lavinia on the night's events, the party was given a lucrative offer to stay in Lavinina's employ. The group wholeheartly agreed to take her up on her offer and would return to discuss a task she had for them later in the day. The group spent this time purchasing a few things, drinking at the Ticklish Ogre (for some) and securing rooms at Fenter's Place. The group returned to the Vanderboren Manor and met again with Lavinia, who wished them to accompy her to to the Vanderboren Vault at Castle Teraknian. She would then pay them their promised monies and would hopefully be able to settle some of her own family debt. The group agreed and was taken via coach to the Noble.
Lavinia and the group secured passage to the Castle and made their way to the Vanderboren family vault. After some finagaling, entry was gained via Lavinia's signet ring and the group found themselves suprised and attacked by a metal snake construct. After being unable to do much but nick the snake, Amrhil noticed that the snake seemed to be avoiding Lavinia and ordered her to show her ring to the snake. After doing so, the snake broke off the battle and returned to its hiding place, whih left the group to figure out how to gain entry in the vault room. The room had many strange creatures depicted in statue form and strange symbols as well. The group managed to figure out that entry to the room could only be gained thru a puzzling lock. Much discussion ensued and the group finally made entry after figuring out the complex puzzle with the help of a note they found with Lavinia's ring on the Nixie.
The vault had been plundered, which brought despair on Lavinia; though there were still enough monies to pay the PCs and get started on paying back some of the debt owed. Lavinia also spoke with the clerk who told her that someone else had recently been to the vault and bore the same signet ring, she had used to get in. Next, Lavinia asked the PCs to try and find her brother, Vanthus (without hurting him if possible). Nyll was able to discern some information over the next few days and met a man named Shefton Rusk who told Nyll and the other PCs he could lead them to Vanthus, who was hiding out in the old smuggler tunnels underneath Parrot Island. After securing passage to the island via boat, the group and Shefton made their way to a tunnel entrance which the group proceeded down carefully. While exploring the first bits of the tunnel, Amrhil heard a thump and moved to see Shefton Rusk' dead body in the tunnel entryway.
The rest of the group joined Amrhil, where they located the severed rope they had used to get down into the tunnels. A mocking voice called down to the PCs "That's what you get for messing with my sister, you scoundrels!" and the PCs realized none other than Vanthus Vanderboren was now looking down upon them. After some quick banter between the PCs and Vanthus, Vanthus secured the tunnel hatch and apparently placed something on top of the door as Moors tried but could not move the door. The PCs were now trapped under the island.
The group made their way through the tunnels, and were met with many swollen shut doors and gloomy uninhabited passageways. It was apparent that the tunnels had not been occupied for some time. Locating a large cavern with lapping seawater, a body was found half eaten lying in the water. Nyll began to check the body and was suddenly attacked by some foul tempered brown crabs. The party defeated the pesky crabs and after finding nothing on the body, began exploring again. Jared decided to go back and check the water under the body and found a silvered dagger on the pool's bottom. Jared rejoined the group after retrieving the dagger, and the group's exploration continued. That's when they were attacked by zombies.
The group was attacked by three zombies and realized that they were not alone in the tunnels. Most of the party member's weapons were ineffective against the zombies, but the group managed to get through the fight. Three of the PCs were knocked unconscious in the fight. The group trekked on thanks to healing magic from Jared and Cardozo though and met with another group of zombies elsewhere in the tunnels, whom they were able to defeat (Nyll went down again). The group managed to find another passage and cavern to the west and tried getting through it which was somewhat difficult due to the colorful sea urchins and slippery surface (which Jared fell on), but were unble to get across due to the current. The group decided to come back to the cavern later after they had searched elsewhere for a way out.
After finding no other ways out, the group returned to the sea cavern and very carefully made their way across after much swimming, armor removal and lighting issues. Cardozo and Moors made their way across the water and noticed a short tunnel that led to a door. Cardozo stayed put and Moors went and assisted the others across. Moors also retrieved Card's armor and with help from a spell of Kav's, he was able to return it the cleric. The group readied itself to get out of the tunnels, but were unable to find an exit until Amrhil located a secret door. After opening the door, the group found three locked sea chests and Nyll spent an agregious amount of time opening them. The group found several potions, a wand, and a few other items. The group stiil did not have a way out of the tunnels though.
One thing I wanted to ask everyone in the group is: When do (Or do we) want to upgrade to use MapTool 1.2? It's out now.
Re: the map tool, I will leave it to the others' discretion. I'm of course okay with what we're using but have no means of comparison. If the new version is superior in some manner then maybe it should be used. If the differences are minimal in the opinions of the experienced players then it may not be worth the effort.
Card
By the way, I smell wet monkey.
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From what I can gather, it seems everyone is ok with the double PC thing if someone can't make it. As I've stated before, as long as we have 4 players, we'll play that night. Card, I'll assign you an extra PC first, then randonly pick from there. One obvious thing I'd also like to humbly request is that my players stay out of the STAP adventures (and the STAP messageboard here to some extent) in the magazine the best you can. I know most of you are DMs and may have taken a look through before we started this AP, but it sure can take the fun out of things if you know where everyone secret door, important NPC, etc. is. Anyways, I'm having fun DMing the lot of you and hope to "see" eveyone soon!
Hello everyone. I thought I'd drop by to say how wrapped I am to be invited to join this game and I'm really looking forward to adventuring with you guys.
One thing I wanted to ask everyone in the group is: When do (Or do we) want to upgrade to use MapTool 1.2? It's out now.Re: the map tool, I will leave it to the others' discretion. I'm of course okay with what we're using but have no means of comparison. If the new version is superior in some manner then maybe it should be used. If the differences are minimal in the opinions of the experienced players then it may not be worth the effort.
Personally I think MapTool 1.2 is a great improvement and I highly recommend it. I might be a bit biased, since I already have it installed and use it fairly regularly, but it's easy enough to upgrade. Of course, it's also easy enough for me to run 1.1, so I can go either way.
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Session recap: The group managed to get in another confrontation with a skeletal cleric and 3 more hungry zombies after locating another room. The combat was fierce with several PCs dropping to near death (some more than once). Unable to hurt the skeletal priest, the group resorted to spells, potions (nice idea Nyll!) and trip tactics which finally ended in doom for the undead. They also located another sea chest which Nyll carefully searched and unlocked, finding thousands of lower end coins and bags of gems. After still being unable to locate an exit from the tunnels, the group began to throughly search the sea caves for an exit, but could not find one.
After more searching, the group determined that the current in the sea caves must have originated somewhere else and Nyll located a small tunnel, which Cardozo and Moors began to swim through in hopes of finding freedom . The crafty sorceror cast a spell on the last sea chest and he and the druid ferried it across the cave, coins intact. Unfortunately, Kavin and Amrhil both slipped on the shiny urchins and Kavin felt very sick after he pulled himself from their spines. The group now waits for results from Moors and Cardozo underwater excursion.
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I'd like to humbly request a few things in the interest of our game:
1. When attacking, making a skill check, damage roll etc., please add the appropriate descriptive text for that check or action, then make your roll. I'll add descriptive text for the result. Doing all the descriptive text takes up tons of time for me, and slows the game down a bit. Old example (player): "Smith attacks Orc 1." DM: "Smith bears down hard on the orc warrior with his mace, attempting to smash through its formidable defenses and bring pain to its piggish existence." Player: "Roll (to hit):6+3=9, Damage: 3+1=4" DM: "Several swings from Smith's mace whizz above the orc's head, coming close, but not connecting. The orc grins evilly as it dodges the incoming blows."
2. Try and give me a chance to respond to your action, question or request prior to doing it. Sometimes someone gets ahead, moves their PC through somewhere they can't go or does something they can't do and I end up missing something, because I'm still dealing with something someone else asked me.
3. I'm a very nice DM to 1st level PCs. Now that you're 2nd level and beyond, I'll probably run it a little tighter, just to give you a heads up.
Man, this sure sounds whiny now that I look at it. Don't get me wrong, I'm having a ball DMing you guys, just want to make my job as DM a little easier ;).
When attacking, making a skill check, damage roll etc., please add the appropriate descriptive text for that check or action, then make your roll.
Something else that seems relevant to this are the macros in MapTool. I'm not sure how much you guys use them, but they're very handy for doing common rolls to speed things up. You could set up button 1, for example, to look like this-
Label: Initiative
Command: /r 1d20+2
If we upgrade, MapTool 1.2 also supports multi-line macros. So you can set buttons up to look something like...
Label: Greatsword
Command:
/me swings his greatsword.
/r 1d20+3
/r 2d6+3
In MapTool 1.2, you can have up to 100 different macros (they have a separate window). I keep macros for rolling a private d20 (/rme 1d20), initiative, various weapon attacks, spells, skill checks like spot and listen, and saving throws.
Of course, having the line "Smith swings his mace" as a precursor to every attack and damage roll might get stale very quickly, so maybe we can still write that part ourselves.
Of course, having the line "Smith swings his mace" as a precursor to every attack and damage roll might get stale very quickly, so maybe we can still write that part ourselves.
I suppose another speedy solution to this would be to use a number of aliases for various types of attacks. So, to paraphrase your example-
/alias att1 /me bears down hard on the ${2} with his ${1}, attempting to bring pain to its ${3} existence.
After which, you could just type /att1 mace "orc warrior" piggish
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Yeah, I think everyone is using the macros. I haven't heard much interest in upgrading to MapTool 1.2 yet, so we'll see on that. The thing that is taking extra time is in the actual descriptive text. I don't want to go to "Smith swings his mace" everytime, I think that will take away from the game. So far, everyone's PC level up looks good; just need Moors to fix his skills and a few other things.
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Session recap: Moors and Cardozo swam out of the tunnel and found the surface. After swimming to the shore, they located a harbor and Cardozo talked an elven Captain who was in port into letting he and Moors use a rowboat to return to the island to try and rescue the rest of the PCs. Moors and Cardozo made it back to Parrot Island but had difficulty finding the trail that led to the entrance to the tunnels. The rest of the group milled about in the tunnels, waiting their return.
After quite some time, Nyll decided he ha waited long enough and swam back to try and get some supplies from one of the rooms to the east. After making it back with an empty sea chest (which he intended to use for firewood), Moors and Cardozo located the trap door which lay covered underneath two large boulders. After rolling them away, Moors decided a prank was in order and acted as Vanthus Vanderboren. While not well received, the joke was all the more laughable as the resourceful party tried to get everything out of the tunnels that they could.
Working as a team, Moors, Card, Jared and Amrhil got the chest and most of the equipment back up to the top. Nyll and Kav tried to return to retrieve Cardozo's armor, but both fell on the urchins, which knocked Kavin unconscious.
PCs: If any of you are interested in the complete version of our sessions, email me and I'll send you one (Finally figured out how to save the messages- Thanks Michael).
Do you guys want to try an integrate Skype or some other kind of voice chat software to use ingame as well? Not quite sure how well it would work out, but sure would be cool to have the audio aspect as well. Whadda ya think?
That'll put an end to the message logs, but it could be fun to try.
It won't do much to speed up my responses, since I'm not very chatty anyway. I spend far more time typing than I do talking at home/work/university, so I'm used to it.
If you think it'll help move the game along though, then I'm all for the idea. The biggest problem for me would be trying to understand what you guys are saying with your kooky American accents. :p
Note to history:
So, I'm on my way to my fortune. Its baby steps of course, but I can at least SEE progress. However, I've noticed a slight trend in this new career path. I tend to get knocked around and spend entirely too much time on deaths door. So, in an attempt to ensure that I don't spend the rest of my (possibly short) life in obscurity, I have decided to keep this small journal detailing my quest for fame and fortune.
First off, I hired on with a motley crew of... UNIQUE... individuals. All around good guys though. They seem to be getting proficient in patching me up, which in all honesty is a sight better than the alternative. The bunch of us headed out and re-appropriated a ship for our employer (who I shall endeavor to keep nameless should one of these bouts with unconsciousness become permanent and this journal become my last Will and Testament) along with a signet ring onboard that gave her access to her family vaults. We escorted her through the vaults (with a few minor issues regarding... er... guards) to a smaller fortune than she expected. Turns out her estranged brother may have appropriated a good portion of her monies. She then asked us to investigate the rumors about him for a sizeable reward. We of course agreed, and off we went. I managed to hear some rumors about him hiding out on Parrot Island, and with the assistance of the snitch we headed there. Shortly after entering the hide-out our snitch was tossed down after us (dead, of course and not even the practiced members of our party were able to patch him up). And who do we see? The estranged brother. For a split second as he closes the trap door on us and proceeds to place heavy objects on it. Now, I'm not scared of the dark or small spaces or anything but the thought of being trapped underground for the remainder of our lives seemed like a bad choice. Luckily, my previous pay had gone to buying one of the handiest things I had ever seen. A torch that burns brighter than a real one, and lasts forever. Very handy to have in the damp and dark caves. We managed to fumble around the decrepit hide-out, stumbling upon some dead, some undead, and some soon to be dead. Surprisingly, we ended up with a decent amount of "Finders Keepers" treasure. A bunch of coins, some gems, a few potions, etc. All in all, not bad for a couple of days work. Of course, none of this did us any good as we were stuck in this stinking cave. 2 of the guys who were good a swimming decided to chance it and follow an underground current out. We waited for a long time, and just when we were going to write them off as fish food, they showed up outside the trapdoor with a rope. Man, I don't think I've ever been that glad to see something that hairy.
So, we managed to get back to S-Town, and have holed up in the Thrice Born Phoenix counting our bounty. Not sure what our next step is yet.
Current fortune is around 250 gold, but I have a feeling that most of that will be spent on gear. If there's one thing I've learned in the last week, it's you need to invest gold in staying alive long enough to earn more gold.
Man, that's what I get for not paying more attention to this thread.
I'll be sure to be a little more graphic in my manauvers as long as you don't mind a little artistic license (Nyll has a little Swashbuckler in him, not enough to be swinging from every chandelier but enough to give it a try once or twice).
As for Skype, I'd prefer to stay in chat mode. I find I have an easier time with staying in 1st person in chat than voice. Not to mention it's easier to type descriptive text and backspace out mistakes than to make mistakes while speaking. :p Though I'll go along with everyone if they decide to switch.
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The last two sessions have basically consisted of roleplay, getting out of the tunnels via a small underwater tunnel, shopping and resting. Moors contracted a disease from the skeletal cleric in the tunnels and had to be healed by a cleric at the Temple of St. Cuthbert. Nyll and Card both pitched in on the cost to have the monkey man cured, which was honestly a little shocking. The group purchased some needed items, including float bladders as their experiences thus far have them trying to prepare better. The group reported back to Lavinia, asked some questions and decided to continue the search for Vanthus.
...after freaking out the new guy with talk of cannibalism and orphanage-related arson.
As for Skype, I'd prefer to stay in chat mode. I find I have an easier time with staying in 1st person in chat than voice. Not to mention it's easier to type descriptive text and backspace out mistakes than to make mistakes while speaking.
I completely agree, though it's Clay that does the bulk of the typing, so even if he was the only one on a mic it could help to speed up the game.
Excerpts from "Shades of Gray", a self-written biography by Dalamiir Stormscribe.
My mother used to tell me that, as a child, I would look at people as though I could see through them and into their souls. Perhaps I could; certainly stranger things are possible, and it could help explain my knack for divination. Sometimes I think about that, and wonder what I saw when I looked at the citizens of Sasserine then, before Orren's witch hunt, before the Sea Princes came, before our lives were thrown into turmoil.
_
I've never considered my small elven family to be noble, though my parents clearly had other ideas. We've lived in the noble district for most of my life, and while I've always been content with my studies, my mother and father had much greater ambitions. Their social status was almost assured for a time, but the rule of the Sea Princes hit my father's business hard and life became difficult for us all.
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It was my parents ambition that saved us then. Without their friends and associates, and the loans we received, we would never have survived. It was also their ambition that gradually turned everything around in the trailing decades of the Sea Princes' reign, when my father converted his humble book & magic shop into a front for something far more profitable.
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I was accepted into the House of the Dragon, and several years later began my arcane studies with the Witchwardens. People say that knowledge is power. If this is true, divination must surely be the most underestimated school of magic. Diviners are the masters of time and space. All the knowledge that ever was, is, and will be is within their reach. If only I had fully understood that sooner, I might have been able to foresee our impending tragedy.
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In truth, only my father's carelessness was to blame. The Sea Princes discovered he'd sold some legitimate sea charts to a ship captain and were merciless in their punishment. They killed him, looted his wares and burnt the shop to the ground. Three years later the Scarlet Brotherhood intervened and brought an end to their tyranny. Too little, too late for us.
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Mother took the loss the hardest and quickly fell into a deep state of depression. Kyriana, my elder sister, left shortly after. She said couldn't bare to watch our mother continue to destroy herself. I receive correspondence from her from time to time, laden with pleasantries but scarce on detail. Now it's just the two of us, mother trying desperately to numb her pain with drugs and alcohol, while I try desperately to salvage our rapidly deteriorating financial situation. However, so far my education and magical talents have yet to save us from inevitable bankruptcy - I don't need to be a diviner to see that coming.
I guess we'll pass on voice and stay with chat, which is fine with me. Nice journal entry, Dalamiir!
Sorry for jumping in on this discussion super late but it seems to me it might speed up the game a little. I guess I'm in the minority on this but I know there are times things slow way down because we are asking out of character questions, discussing plans, etc. I'm good with whatever but anything to increase the speed of our sessions would be welcome. I guess I'm still getting used to the speed of an online game vs. face to face.
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Session recap: The group decided to seek out further clues for Vanthus whereabouts at the Taxidermist's Guild Hall in the Sunrise. A letter (apparently written by one "Penkus") they found on a dead, bloated body under Parrot Island seemed to point to this location as some sort of tie to the dastardly folk that Vanthus seemed to be running around with calling themselves the "Lotus Dragons". After locating the guildhall, Moors, Dalamiir and Nyll (of course) entered with the others staying outside. Noting a bell near the door, the group summoned the proprieter of the shop, a lanky man with a golden tooth, delicately trimmed goatee and fashionable green hat. After discerning that the PCs were not interested in his wares or services, the taxidermist asked that the group be on their way. This did not sit well with the PCs who had many questions for the man that he refused to answer.
The group was about to leave when Moors began to snoop around the shop. This did not sit well with the taxidermist, who flew into a rage and began screaming that the PCs leave immediately. Claiming that they obviously thieves, the stage was beginning to be set for bloodshed. Nyll attempted to both con and scare the man, but the man seemed unfazed and in fact was quite calm, even after the rest of the PCs cam inside to investigate the noise. Nyll got into another argument with the taxidermist which led to combat being intiated. Nyll got first move during the brief encounter and made it count as he stepped inside the shopkeepers defenses and yanked his head off with his spiked chain. Much shock occured (even on Nyll's part) as the taxidermist slumped to the floor lifeless.
Dalamiir, Amrhil and Kavin hid the body (and head) inside a nearby storeroom in the shop as Moors and Nyll began searching the rest of the shop for clues to Vanthus' whereabouts. Dalamiir used a spell to clean up the mess Nyll had made and within minutes, the front showroom of the shop was back to normal. The body of the shopkeeper had several nice items on it, including a (probable) potion and 2 wands. Further investigation of the shop revealed a chest in what looked to be the taxidermist's bedroom. The body of the shopkeeper also had a key ring, with which Nyll used to unlock the key to the chest. Inside the chest was a good bit of gold, platinum and a small bag with gemstones in it.
The rest of the shop contained nothing unusual upon inspection, though it appeared the taxidermist had been at work stuffing some sort of jungle cat. Flustered at the lack of information, the group began to search for hidden doors or passages, but came up empty. Kavin used his innate ability to find secret doors and was able to locate one near the north wall of the shop. After opening the door, the group proceeded down the hall, eager to see where it led.
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The last 3 sessions have seen the PCs head down a stairwell (beneath the trap door) and into some mildewed, wet tunnels below the guildhall. After some exploration, the group ran into what appeared to be some barracks and surprised a group of sleeping bandits. A fierce combat ensued, with the PCs dealing hearty damage to most of the rogues, who unprepared for the fight, were not very effective. That was, until one fled and rousted Cruncher.
Dalamiir and Kavin gave hot pursuit, but were unable to stop the rogue from his course of action. Cruncher joined the fray, chomping on Dalamiir first, who managed to get away after casting a Color Spray (which dropped the fleeing rogue for a bit). Moors and Nyll stepped in to battle the worg next, but were both dropped below 0 thanks to the DM not rolling below a 14 for the night. Cruncher continued down the hall, eventually meeting with Amrhil and his wolf companion. Amrhil was immediately wounded, as was Barkley, but Amrhil drew the dark beast into the hall and flanked him with a Summon Nature's Ally I (wolf). The wolf and Barkley dropped poor Cruncher, but only after Nyll had bled out and died.
Cardozo managed to get to Moors in time (barely), but couldn't get to Nyll. The PCs quickly looted the rogues and dragged Nyll's lifeless body back to the guildhall above. What to do now.....
Since Nyll has departed for a place where his HP no longer matter, here is what Tiir has been forthcoming with reguarding his past.
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He grew up in the Azure district of Sasserine. Born to a loving, though very poor, family he spent his youth constantly in the company of his best friend, his twin sister. Being twins, they thought very much alike and both learned at an early age that it was better to have someone else do something for you, than to do it for yourself. Tiira would use her girlish pout and dimples to get extra candy, Tiir would use his charming smile and wink to talk the gate sentries into allowing them free reign from one district to the next. Together they could pretty much get anything they wanted, and get out of any trouble they got in.
As is typical, they grew apart as they grew into adulthood. After his 16th naming day, Tiir apprenticed himself to Dhalven Miomar (before he rose to Lord of the Merchants Guild) by convincing Dhalven to buy an unmarked potion he was holding, then convincing him to sell it back to Tiir for half of what Dhalven paid. Tiir was immediately sent to Perival, Dhalven's lead envoy. For the next 5 years, Tiir traveled with Perival throughout the known world, brokering deals and establishing contacts and contracts for the Miomar House, and for the last 4 years was doing these by himself, unable to learn anything else from Perival. It was on his most recent return that he heard about Tiira.
While he had worked to establish himself as a charismatic negotiator, Tiira had continued to live by her charm. She never had to work hard to find someone to keep her "happy," there were many men who would be swept in by her beauty, then held hostage by her will. As the years went by, she became colder, more distant from her brother, and began to develop a cruel sense of humor. Tiir always tried to get her back to the little sister he knew, and hoped that she would grow out of it.
Tiira has been missing for months now. His parents haven't seen her, and she hasn't been seen at any courtier's ball in even longer. Convinced that something has happened, Tiir withdrew his name for the time being from the Miomar house payroll and began using his talents to find his sister.
Tiir is a striking figure. Rugged good looks and a disarming smile are the first things you see. He is a born talker, and used to getting others to do what he wants. He dislikes compulsion spells, but is not above using them if needed. Usually calm, especially when in some form of negotiations or diplomacy, when something does push him over his emotions burst forth like an avalanche. (If you play Magic the Gathering, he would be the epitome of Red-Blue). Somewhat selfish, he cares little for the common man though he is fiercely loyal to his family or those who earn his friendship. While he won't put others above himself, he is willing to sacrifice anything to protect those close to him, especially his sister.
I just joined the game tonight with my half-orc Barbarian/Cleric of Kord, Urgur Gurg.
Urgur was born and raised in an orcish tribe nestled in the jungles southeast of Sasserine, near the small city of Cauldron. He was born to half-orc parents and learned as a half-blood to rely upon strength of arms to survive in this barbaric environment.
His father was a shaman who dedicated his life to interpreting the will of Gruumsh and protecting his Yellowskull tribe from frequent raids by gnolls of the nearby Demonskar and from the depredations of other nearby orc clans and tribes. Seeking to balance the spirituality of his father's calling with the might bound within his muscles, he took the name Urgur Gurg at his naming ritual. In the orcish tongue, urgur means "Bear", the wisest of the ancient ones who taught the Orcs the value of waiting and building strength in the winter of one's life in order to emerge hungry and strong and victorious over one's enemies. Gurg is the word for "strong" and was chosen as a constant reminder of what he must remain in order to grow and thrive in this savage world.
Urgur knew in his heart that he was destined to be a leader among his people and was always eager to take up his axe and fight for his tribe, to preserve what was theirs and to take what others were too weak to hold onto. He often participated in raids against other tribes and it was on one such raid that he was seperated from his raiding party and became surrounded by members of the enemy tribe. He called upon the might of Gruumsh and as his muscles bulged and swelled with inner power, his axe became a whilrling blur leaving a wake of blood and corpses. He slew so many of the enemy that when he was finally forced into unconciousness the tribal elder decided that Urgur would be enslaved in order to become their new champion.
Urgur was nearly dead when he fell but was slowly nursed back to health by the Bloody Fang tribe's aging shaman of Kord. The shaman explained that the power of Kord could have easily brought him back to full health in a moment, but the shaman wanted Urgur to learn the importance of internal strength and the healing powers that it brings. Urgur was a willing student of this new philosophy and he found that this strength of will was both a comfort and a calling to him. He understood the shaman's message that strength is what empowers all creatures to rise up, to grow in power, to retain that which is rightfully theirs and to reshape the world.
When his heart grew strong enough, he knew that his body would follow. The old shaman of Kord knew without telling the elders that this tribe was too small to contain Urgur and did not try to stop him when he fled enslavement. Having regained his freedom, Urgur knew he must decide upon a destination. He knew that his people, devout followers of Gruumsh, would never accept this new philosophy of encouraging strength in all peoples, instead of just his tribe alone.
Urgur has decided to head northwest, to the port city of Sasserine where he hopes to spread this new-found philosophy. He believes that by ensuring strength of character and strength of arms in all people, that everyone will be able to fight for themselves and no one group will be able to completely dominate another. Unlike many of his tribesmen, he does not believe that his tribe is inherently better than all other peoples, though he does believe them to be stronger than most.
It is his goal to help bring that strength to others so they can learn to control their own destiny.
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After hiding poor Nyll's body in the Taxidermists bedroom, the group decided to head back to the Thrice Born Phoenix in the Cudgel to recoup, buy a Wand of CLW and say goodbye to Cardozo (Greg had to leave due to a new job offer). While at the inn, the group met two new adventurers and convinced them to join the efforts. Urgur, a half orc barbarian/cleric and Tiir, a human Beguiler. After much conversation and how do ya dos, etc., the group set back for the Guildhall (with Tiir buying the CLW wand from the Temple of St. Cuthbert in the Cudgel). After careful inspection, the group went down through the trapdoor, ready to exact revenge for Nyll's murder and hopefully locate Vanthus in the process. Going a different route than the one they had tried previously, the group found itself in what appeared to be a training room of some sort. Urgur and Dalamiir thought they noticed something odd about the training dummies in the room, but before they could react, more rogues, dressed as training dummies, drew their weapons and attacked.
The initial round went poorly for both the PCs and the rogues as Dalamiir got flanked, sneak attacked and dropped to near death. Three of the rogues got dropped by a Color Spray from Tiir and Amrhil and Barkley double teamed another rogue to near death. The next round spelled the end for poor Dal, who got dropped in the negatives by one rogue and then coup de graced by another despite Moors best efforts(AoO). The remaining members angrily took out the remaining two rogues, followed by killing two of the 3 unconscious ones. Tiir charmed the last rogue, extracted some information concerning the rest of the locale, and then promptly ordered the monkey man to execute him. The rest of the group prepared for the rogue's death as well, with Am guarding the door and everyone but Urgur having an opportunity to attack the surprised rogue (with the exception of Urgur) before he knew what hit him.
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The group ensured Dal was indeed deceased and carefully laid his lifeless body in a nearby room, planning to grab it after more exploration was completed. Continuing on,the party moved forward and was attacked by another rhagodessa which was tethered via collar and chain to a winch mechanism. Easily defeating the beastie thanks to Moors and the newly acquired Urgur, the party forced another door and walked into what appeared to be some sort of planning room. A huge map of Sasserine was present, marked with red, blue and the occasional gold flag. The Vanderboren estate as well as several of the city watch garrisons were marked with a golden flag. Tiir also located a note indicating the Lotus Dragons were onto the PCs as on it was scrawled "Vanthus! Fix this now!" followed by the PCs names (with the exception of Tiir and Urgur). A log was located detailing ships normal arrival and departure times in the harbor and other nefarious plans. Moors was able to translate a note written in Aquan that read "Remember to pay ixits at month's end!" After some discussion, the group ventured forth and was met by a large, furry humanoid some 7 feet tall, with lifeless haunting eyes.....
Been wanting to post this on here for quite some time, but find as with most things in life, I tend to procrastinate. Unfortunately, that also means that most of my motes are long gone and my intial post won't be quite as I had initially envisioned. Anyway, I'm running a group of six (currently 5) through the Savage Tide Adventure Path on Wednesday nights. We're playing online using MapTool from www.rptools.net and using the core setting of "Greyhawk". (I say "Greyhawk" because to me, setting is not that important in this AP) We're about 4 months in now and I must say, I have a good group of fellows in which to DM. As with anything online, the pace is a little slower, but I still think we're having a good time. We're pretty much RAW so far, other than the turning variant from CD.
The group consists of:
Moors: A spiked chain wielding Hadozee fighter
Nyll: The charismatic and daring Human Rogue
Kavin: A helpful Human Sorceror
Cardozo: A Human Cleric of St. Cuthbert
Amrhil: A Human Druid (who has been beating stuff down lately along with his wolf companion, Barkley)
Jared: (Currently an NPC until I can fill this slot) A fleet of foot Cleric of FharlanghnI hope to see some posts on here from my players; including personal accounts of the happenings of the week and character backstories. I, being the most generous DM that I am, will also offer XP bonuses to such players that intrigue me with the aforementioned happenings. We will also discuss any rule discrepancy(yawn), character concepts, new PCs ( in the case of probable and unfortunate death(s)), etc. on this board. I'll try and get some session information stuff up on this link later this week.
Thus far I think this thread is really fun to read. I love the player entries alongside your synopsis of the sessions. You really feel like you're getting to know the characters involved and even though I know the story backwards and forwards I'm interested in seeing what happens.
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Thus far I think this thread is really fun to read. I love the player entries alongside your synopsis of the sessions. You really feel like you're getting to know the characters involved and even though I know the story backwards and forwards I'm interested in seeing what happens.Been wanting to post this on here for quite some time, but find as with most things in life, I tend to procrastinate. Unfortunately, that also means that most of my motes are long gone and my intial post won't be quite as I had initially envisioned. Anyway, I'm running a group of six (currently 5) through the Savage Tide Adventure Path on Wednesday nights. We're playing online using MapTool from www.rptools.net and using the core setting of "Greyhawk". (I say "Greyhawk" because to me, setting is not that important in this AP) We're about 4 months in now and I must say, I have a good group of fellows in which to DM. As with anything online, the pace is a little slower, but I still think we're having a good time. We're pretty much RAW so far, other than the turning variant from CD.
The group consists of:
Moors: A spiked chain wielding Hadozee fighter
Nyll: The charismatic and daring Human Rogue
Kavin: A helpful Human Sorceror
Cardozo: A Human Cleric of St. Cuthbert
Amrhil: A Human Druid (who has been beating stuff down lately along with his wolf companion, Barkley)
Jared: (Currently an NPC until I can fill this slot) A fleet of foot Cleric of FharlanghnI hope to see some posts on here from my players; including personal accounts of the happenings of the week and character backstories. I, being the most generous DM that I am, will also offer XP bonuses to such players that intrigue me with the aforementioned happenings. We will also discuss any rule discrepancy(yawn), character concepts, new PCs ( in the case of probable and unfortunate death(s)), etc. on this board. I'll try and get some session information stuff up on this link later this week.
Thanks, Mr. Fish! Our group now consists of:
Tiir, Human Beguiler 2. (Nyll's replacement after his unfortunate demise)
Urgur, Cleric 1/Barbarian 1. A half orc who joined the group at the Thrice Born Phoenix Inn in the Cudgel
Amrhil, Druid 2 (with his ever present animal companion, Barkley)
Kavin, Human Sorceror 2
Moors, Hadozee Fighter 2
I'm hoping to add another PC within two weeks to replace the deceased Dalamiir.
In prayer to Kord:
Mighty Kord, Urgur is want for to thank Kord for lend strength to Urgur. Urgur fear maybe no will get chance for to show group how Kord make group strong, but Urgur have good chance!
When first join group, Urgur say to group that Urgur can heal, for to make group stronger. Urgur fear maybe that group only will let Urgur stay in back and heal, but Urgur now is in front most. Power of Kord is strong in Urgur so Urgur open door and fight in front with axe and shield. Urgur is want for to fight with greataxe, but is need more stronger armor before can give up shield.
In first fight against rogues, faith of Urgur no is strong enough. Urgur miss with axe because no have faith in Kord. Urgur miss because think only of Urgur and try for to keep group alive. Dalamiir die because faith of Urgur no is strong enough. Urgur learn lesson.
In second fight against spidery suckery thing, Urgur put faith in Kord and is do much gooder! Monkey man Moors is get caught by suckery things but Urgur pray to Kord and drive axe through suckery arm and into spidery thing for to kill fast, fast. Urgur show group strength of Kord!
In three fight... err... in... second second fight... no... in... errr... in next fight against ugly hairy zombie thing, Urgur is pray to Kord and Kord make arm of Urgur strong so zombie thing no can get past shield of Urgur. Monkey man Moors is have good idea for to fight in other room and Urgur hold strong against zombie thing so group can go back to room for to fight gooder (no can fight good in small hall). Urgur swing and Kord lend strength to Urgur for to make axe bite deep, then Urgur is go back to room and wait for zombie thing for to follow. When zombie thing is follow, wolf bite and trip zombie thing and Urgur raise axe high and pray to Kord. Kord answer pray and axe chop off head of zombie thing.
In most last fight, Urgur pray to Kord for to make arm strong in case fire-hair woman no will surrender. Fire-hair woman no surrender and Kord make arm strong for to cut fire-hair woman deep with axe. Fire-hair woman have lizardy dragony pet thing what bite Urgur deep, but Urgur fight still.
Urgur know for to pray to Kord now and no think of Urgur strong, think of Kord strong. Urgur pray to Kord for to make Urgur strong in heart and strong in arm for to beat fire-hair woman and pet lizardy dragony thing. Them want for to make Urgur dead but not know what Urgur know. Urgur know that maybe can beat strength of Urgur, but no can beat strength of Kord!
Mom, Da:
I've come across a few hints here and there of where Tiira may have disappeared to. My query's have led me to a strange band of men and monkeys that are knee deep looking for a man who also happened to be the last person to see Tiira. I've managed to convince them that I could help their own search while simultaneously learning more about what happened to Tiira.
This may be hard to hear, but I am coming to the realization that she may have fallen in with a bad crowd. Remember that silly tattoo she just got? It turns out that a group of unsavory characters calling themselves the "Lotus Dragons" or some such bear that same mark. Don't worry though. When I find her, I'll be sure to talk some sense into her. Knowing her, I'm sure she's just gotten herself in a little over her head.
I know I said that my "retirement" would only be until I found Tiira, but now I'm beginning to wonder. While the constant danger and threat of death seems a decided downside, the thrill of overcoming obstacles that are not as simple as greedy merchants is a refreshing change for me. I'll stay safe though, and let you know how things go.
Do me a favor, will you? I've enclosed a small gem that was... well, let's call it a payment from someone who neither deserves it nor will be able to use it anymore. Would you go and see if there is anyone in town that was related to a Dalimar? He was one of that motley crew that unfortunately was killed by one of those "Lotus Dragons" I was talking about. I know it isn't much compared to a life, but I just want them to know that he was a good man who I wish I could have known better.
Anyway, hope everything is well there. I'll stop by sometime when I know more. I'm sure I can convince of few of these fellows to make a stop by especially if Ale or Food is involved. Talk to you then.
Love, Tiir.
I would love to do voice chat. I think the primary benefit is that we can get more done each game, especially in sessions like the ones coming up where we'll be doing a lot of roleplaying and talking to NPC's as well as talking amongst ourselves to figure out what's next.
I understand that some people find it easier to get "in character" if they don't have to speak and can do it all by text, but that really slows down the sessions and I think if we try we can get past that and do the same roleplaying in voice that we do in text.
That's my thought on the matter.