OK so thought I'd set up a discussion thread for character stuff, setting thoughts. As you've probably read from the campaign outline a lot of the world remains fairly hazy and I want to encourage a colloborative approach. So if you're character hails from the war-torn steppes of the Rus feel free to fill in those blanks in the world so far.
So the first post is some more detail on the starting point of Raudurfoss:
Raudurfoss
Fall has come to Norvanbard. The long sunlight of summer has begun to wane giving way to gray ashen skies with icy rains and longer nights. In the mornings a touch of frost blankets the ground and patches of thin ice have appeared on the River Wend.
In Raudurfoss the preparations for winter have begun in earnest. It is much like most years; farmers finishing the harvest, boys stocking wood for winter, the closing days of the traders market, and Earl Thorolf’s loggers clearing the final tracts of Waleska trees for the last shipment before the Wend freezes over.
However, a pall has been cast over the small town. In the last few weeks disease has come to Raudurfoss. It began with a few aging servants of Thorolf’s household. They were wracked by a violent coughing, then disgorging of black sputum from their hoarse lungs, a fever and then inevitably a painful wheezing death.
Since then many more especially the very young or elderly have fallen to this disease. Some hardier souls have successfully fought off the affliction but several dozen souls remain in dire jeopardy from the disease. It is feared that many households will be unprepared for the hardship of winters without members of their family. Among the sickened is the respected Earl Thorolf. The old warrior has seen many winters and had already been prone to fits of ague. Yet the Earl clings tenaciously to life but many fear that he cannot last much longer.
In his stead, Thorolf’s son, Egil, has taken charge of the town. On the advice of Unn the Deep-Minded, an old herbalist and matriarch of her esteemed household, Egil has forbidden the use of the north well. This has seemed to check the progress of the disease yet Egil has done little more to find a cure for the disease instead he busies himself with ensuring the final shipment of lumber is sent out and maintaining the patrols watching for goblin incursions. The bullying son of the Earl has never been popular but now many openly curse his name calling him Black-Heart Egil.
Unn has called a meeting that will be held at the Alf this evening. Little is known but she has said she has a plan to save the town.
Locales of Note
1.Jokul’s Forge: The aged Jokul, a jovial prankster who once sailed with Earl Thorolf has ran this forge after settling on lands provided to him by the Earl. He once had the reputation of a rabid womanizer and great drinker but has mellowed in age. However, his appetite for jests and pranks has not lessened to the annoyance of many locals. His family and sons tend to his small farm while he busies his days in the smithy. Several apprentices and other craftsmen work with old man. In addition, to providing a smithy Jokul sells various other goods and is the closest thing to a general store in Raudurfoss. Most locals simply barter their goods with each other. However, Jokul has contracted the disease. He is still alive though bedridden. He may pull through but only time will tell.
2.The Alf: A ramshackle hall that serves as the village’s public watering hole. It is mostly frequented by loggers and traders. The establishment is run by the sharp-tongued Thora, the wife of the late ‘Alf’ (so named for his duck like waddle) who died three winters ago no doubt hastened by his own fierce brew of ‘Raudur-mead’(a potent concoction of local herbs that spice the mead and give it a distinctly reddish hue).
Kjartan Bloodeye a fierce looking one-eyed half orc serves as the Alf’s settler of disputes. Surprisingly, for a half-orc he has a poetic wit and many of his biting verses have shamed unruly patrons in leaving. However, his strength and his skill with the axe has often been called upon to send out many into the cold winter night.
The Alf also boasts a few rooms in some buildings behind for traders and other transients.
3.Thorolf’s Hall: This is the homestead of Earl Thorolf. Perched at the edge of town where a small brook runs through emptying into the River Wend, a significant tract of fertile farmland rings the wooden hall. The Earl possesses an abundance of livestock and has rights to most of the forest groves where the Waleska trees can be found.
4.The Unn Homestead: The household of Unn the Deep Minded is a simple home but next to Thorolf, Unn and her sons possess the richest farmland in the region. Unn is the daughter of one of the original settlers of this area and is a respected wise-woman and herbalist. A few people that have run afoul of her sons whisper that she is an enchanter who gives her enemies bad luck by inscribing runes but most give little credit to such malicious gossip.
5.The Docks: Several piers line the bank of the river providing berth for at least four knorrs. The lumberyard sits at the north end in a small bay of the river. Logs that had been sent down from the logging camps are collected here to be loaded onto to the knorrs.
6.The Market: A wide muddy flat area within a stone’s throw of the piers forms the local ‘market’. It is only used in the warmer months when there is enough traffic going up and down the river to warrant it. Various tools, crafts, weapons or commodities such as fish, mead and other foodstuffs are common items for sale. At the time of the adventure the market is still operating but will be closing in a week’s time when the last shipment of lumber is sent out.
Hello Wyrd Wiklund,
Ragnarr the Fatherless, reporting for duty (all character stats, background, etc. can be found in my profile).
I like the info you've provided in this section.
Let me know if I need to make any modifications to my character.
Let's play!!!
OK so thought I'd set up a discussion thread for character stuff, setting thoughts. As you've probably read from the campaign outline a lot of the world remains fairly hazy and I want to encourage a colloborative approach. So if you're character hails from the war-torn steppes of the Rus feel free to fill in those blanks in the world so far.
Hrafn is written up - I haven't duplicated the character sheet in the profile, but I might later if its useful.
Looks like we're going to have a Barbarian, a Knight, a Cleric and a Druid. Should be a great group, so long as we don't have any traps to get past! Look forward to getting going soon.
Hrafn is sat in a corner of The Alf, with a cup of barley ale, on one of his rare visits to the market. Seems like a lot more people are here than last time... and there's an air of expectancy. What's going on?
Hey Wyrd Wiklund,
I made my few first few skill checks using actual d20s, rather than by linking up through Invisible Castle. Is that a problem? Rolling physical d20s is a rare treat for me, given how rarely I get to play in table top games. And if you have concerns about my honesty, feel free to get in touch with my other current PbP DMs (I'm in Mothman's Age of Darkness and Sean's Age of Worms, and was in Utak's Erian's Glen until the game ended a few days ago)... they can vouch for my honesty. I think I hold the record for crappy PbP rolls (you think that would make me want to forgo real dice in favour of cyber-rolling! ;-)... anyway, let me know what you think...
OK, and we're under way. Good luck to everyone, hope we have fun!
Hey Wyrd Wiklund,
I made my few first few skill checks using actual d20s, rather than by linking up through Invisible Castle. Is that a problem? Rolling physical d20s is a rare treat for me, given how rarely I get to play in table top games. And if you have concerns about my honesty, feel free to get in touch with my other current PbP DMs (I'm in Mothman's Age of Darkness and Sean's Age of Worms, and was in Utak's Erian's Glen until the game ended a few days ago)... they can vouch for my honesty. I think I hold the record for crappy PbP rolls (you think that would make me want to forgo real dice in favour of cyber-rolling! ;-)... anyway, let me know what you think...
No worries it was really just a suggestion (helpful if you don't have dice handy). I'm a pretty trusting guy. If you always roll natural 20s I might say something but otherwise...
Re updating I will try to post each day Mon-Fri in the evening (7-8ish) Pacific time. That said it may be a little later on Tues and Thurs once I get the drama rehearsals for the school I work at underway.
Re updating I will try to post each day Mon-Fri in the evening (7-8ish) Pacific time. That said it may be a little later on Tues and Thurs once I get the drama rehearsals for the school I work at underway.
Good luck with the drama - that can eat time :-) FYI I'm posting from Auckland; I try to check threads either before or after work. If I'm late then it probably means work got crazy and I won't get to it for another few hours; so don't feel bad if you need to move the story on without me.
BTW I assume a knorr is a type of boat; is that right?
Re updating I will try to post each day Mon-Fri in the evening (7-8ish) Pacific time. That said it may be a little later on Tues and Thurs once I get the drama rehearsals for the school I work at underway.
Good luck with the drama - that can eat time :-) FYI I'm posting from Auckland; I try to check threads either before or after work. If I'm late then it probably means work got crazy and I won't get to it for another few hours; so don't feel bad if you need to move the story on without me.
BTW I assume a knorr is a type of boat; is that right?
Yes a knorr is a type of boat. It shares the basic longship configuration but it is smaller than a warship. It's generally used by merchants.
Hey guys... sorry for my absence from the boards! I won't be able to post until Sunday evening... sorry for the inconvenience! DM, feel free to move things along without me!
Thanks for your patience with my posting delays, guys. I expected to be back by Sunday evening, but... we had a long weekend here in Alberta, and the extra and unplanned time off/away/out of town enabled my girlfriend and I to reconnect in a really good way (we were experiencing some issues lately)...
And now I'm on vacation for a week... whoo-hoo!
These bloody goblins, eh?
Next time, I'm buying a real warhorse, and I'll save all this "make a Ride check every round to tell my stupid horse where to go" malarkey... [/rant]
I'm enjoying the game though, this is shaping up to be a lot of fun. And on an odd note, I've just been playing Call of Duty 4, so I'm expecting a lot of running round and taking cover, then pointing my sword at people. Pity it doesn't work that way. :)
Brendan, I love the flavour of your 'world'. What kind of things inspired you for it?
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Thanks for your patience with my posting delays, guys. I expected to be back by Sunday evening, but... we had a long weekend here in Alberta, and the extra and unplanned time off/away/out of town enabled my girlfriend and I to reconnect in a really good way (we were experiencing some issues lately)...
And now I'm on vacation for a week... whoo-hoo!
Hey no problem. Its been a bit of a hectic week up here too though I'm now on a long weekend (and of course am coming down with a cold just in time). I think we've been keeping up a pretty good pace. Hope you've had some good downtime.
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These bloody goblins, eh?
Next time, I'm buying a real warhorse, and I'll save all this "make a Ride check every round to tell my stupid horse where to go" malarkey... [/rant]
I'm enjoying the game though, this is shaping up to be a lot of fun. And on an odd note, I've just been playing Call of Duty 4, so I'm expecting a lot of running round and taking cover, then pointing my sword at people. Pity it doesn't work that way. :)
Brendan, I love the flavour of your 'world'. What kind of things inspired you for it?
Ride checks and goblins oh my!
Glad to hear you're liking it thus far. Re combats again just let me know anyone if you have any suggestions to keep things clear. It seems to be going all right (though a few hiccups on my part). Re the world really most of it was inspired from reading the Icelandic sagas and just living in the north myself. Also some friends of mine had gone to Iceland this summer and came back with some great pics and a few books. That and certainly the Uhtred novels by Bernard Cornwell (Last Kingdom, Pale Horseman, Lords of the North, Swordsong). I highly recommend them. Good historical action-adventure stuff. That and oddly enough I would say westerns. A lot of the Icelandic sagas read like something out of a western (outlaws, feuds over property, defending the homestead etc.)
Iceland was a good model mainly because I didn't have to create an entire world just needed to flesh out the one nation. Well I'm having an exciting night of trying to stave off this cold and hopefully be able to enjoy the rest of the weekend (the temperatures here have been amazingly pleasant for this time of year).
Hey guys, I might not be able to post until Sunday... thanks for your patience!
For Wyrd Wiklund:
Hey guys, just a quick note to let you know that I'll be out of town until Monday, and unable to post (going to spend a few nights sleeping in the snow... quite literally...).
Please accept my apologies for my slow posting lately, folks... I've had internet connection problems at home since last week (finally fixed), and I'm busy planning our agency's AGM, which is scheduled for this Thursday... And a heads up - I will probably be away from May 17-19. Sorry for the inconvenience! I'll hopefully be able to post more regularly starting next week...
Hey guys - I'll be unable to post from June 27 - 30.
I'm gonna be at GenCon Oz, and I'll be stealing my wife's computer, so hopefully I can find a place with a wireless hot spot, otherwise I'll be incommunicado for July 1st-7th.
Hey there guys, quick note could spellcasters input their prepared spells on their profile?
To keep things going ahead how do people feel about me posting their action if they haven't posted one after a day or two?
Yes please! As long as you try to be consistent with the way the character has been portrayed thus far, that should be fine... I have to admit that the game's been feeling a little on the slow side lately (I know that you've been away on a few trips, but we players have been a tad sluggish lately).
Is everyone still into the game?
I know that I am, and I enjoy the different personalities we have in this party. I'd hate to see this game grind to a halt in mid-adventure... but the posting rate does need to pick up, for things to remain interesting.
Just a quick note to inform you all that I will be away and without access to the internet for the coming week (from now until the evening of August 4). I apologize for the inconvenience. DM, please NPC my character as you see fit.
Thanks!
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Hey there guys, quick note could spellcasters input their prepared spells on their profile?
To keep things going ahead how do people feel about me posting their action if they haven't posted one after a day or two?
Yes please! As long as you try to be consistent with the way the character has been portrayed thus far, that should be fine... I have to admit that the game's been feeling a little on the slow side lately (I know that you've been away on a few trips, but we players have been a tad sluggish lately).
Is everyone still into the game?
I know that I am, and I enjoy the different personalities we have in this party. I'd hate to see this game grind to a halt in mid-adventure... but the posting rate does need to pick up, for things to remain interesting.
I'm still good and will up the posting. Summer has been rather busy (trips, work projects, entertaining relatives including a 3 year old the past two weeks). So I'll try to keep the pace going.
I wasn't making any kind of criticism about the 'page 37' thing, it was just a nice reminder of all my books on the shelf with the neon-green spines. Ah, Fighting Fantasy novels...
BTW, I'm still enjoying this game, you won't lose me! :)
Re level up:
*Remembers feats are every even level (so you get one this level).
*Add 2 skill points to your class (so 2+Int modifier becomes 4+Int modifier)
*Your reserve points go up with your hp.
Please remind me... do you distinguish between class skills and cross-class skills, or is everything considered a class skill (within reason)? Ragnarr has been updated, save for his skill ranks...
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Please remind me... do you distinguish between class skills and cross-class skills, or is everything considered a class skill (within reason)? Ragnarr has been updated, save for his skill ranks...Re level up:
*Remembers feats are every even level (so you get one this level).
*Add 2 skill points to your class (so 2+Int modifier becomes 4+Int modifier)
*Your reserve points go up with your hp.
All skills can be purchased as class skills. The only caveat is to use some rationale based on your character's experiences rather than consigned limitations. (eg You could put points into Craft(Alchemy) but given your recent activities there isn't really a connection. Survival or Knowledge(geo) or Knowledge(nature) or even Diplomacy (think the mead hall scene or even Vladimir's bargaining with the goblin) on the other hand make perfect sense.) For the most part I'll leave it your guy's discretion.
Like the feat progression, reserve points this is pretty well taken from Iron Heroes.|
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I wasn't making any kind of criticism about the 'page 37' thing, it was just a nice reminder of all my books on the shelf with the neon-green spines. Ah, Fighting Fantasy novels...BTW, I'm still enjoying this game, you won't lose me! :)
Ah Fighting Fantasy good times were had... Yeah I wasn't sure since the post was sort of just by itself and I did actually did have a similar thought when I wrote the post. Like I said just trying to pick up the pace as discussed above. Glad you're still getting a kick out of it.
I wasn't making any kind of criticism about the 'page 37' thing, it was just a nice reminder of all my books on the shelf with the neon-green spines. Ah, Fighting Fantasy novels...BTW, I'm still enjoying this game, you won't lose me! :)Ah Fighting Fantasy good times were had... Yeah I wasn't sure since the post was sort of just by itself and I did actually did have a similar thought when I wrote the post. Like I said just trying to pick up the pace as discussed above. Glad you're still getting a kick out of it.
I'm definitely still enjoying, and I'll try to post more regularly too. Got rid of all my FF books a long long time ago; but I still remember Scorpion Swamp :-)
Thanks for the reminder about the feat, I had missed that.
Yeah, I tried to make a map of Scorpion Swamp a few times. What a waste... the geography didn't even make sense! It's like it was created as a series of encounters loosely linked by a plot. Sheesh, books these days?
Yeah, I tried to make a map of Scorpion Swamp a few times. What a waste... the geography didn't even make sense! It's like it was created as a series of encounters loosely linked by a plot. Sheesh, books these days?
True. But the spell-imbued gems just blew me away. Guess I was easily impressed :-)
Hey folks! Just a quick note to inform you that I'll be unable to post for the coming weeks -- I anticipate anywhere between 3 and 6 weeks. I just found out that the deadlines for grant proposals that will keep my organization alive have been moved forward and are now too close for comfort, so I have to work day and night for the next little while (I'm also supposed to be away on a trip to Quebec during the last two weeks of September)... I'll keep you posted as time goes by...
I'm really sorry about the inconvenience... and if it's too great an inconvenience for the DM to NPC my character, then please feel free to arrange a spectacular death for him!
Cheers!
-- X
I'm really sorry about the inconvenience... and if it's too great an inconvenience for the DM to NPC my character, then please feel free to arrange a spectacular death for him!Cheers!
-- X
NPC him -- we'll barely notice the difference. Barbarians are just walking damage dice anyway.
:-)
Not! But would much rather NPC Ragnarr and welcome you back in a month than kill him off...
I must admit, I'm a little lost with the riddle. I can't quite figure where it's headed... I'm usually good at these. A nice change of pace, though!
I must admit, I'm a little lost with the riddle. I can't quite figure where it's headed... I'm usually good at these. A nice change of pace, though!
Yes. Very skaldic, very mythic, and bluddy confusing.
I have a nasty feeling that we'll end up taking a punt that's almost but not quite completely wrong, albeit very clever, and then kick ourselves while our characters go insane and slowly kill each other then themselves.
(I followed the link on your profile to the Zero Punctuation reviews - great stuff and thanks for the pointer!)
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Hey folks! Just a quick note to inform you that I'll be unable to post for the coming weeks -- I anticipate anywhere between 3 and 6 weeks. I just found out that the deadlines for grant proposals that will keep my organization alive have been moved forward and are now too close for comfort, so I have to work day and night for the next little while (I'm also supposed to be away on a trip to Quebec during the last two weeks of September)... I'll keep you posted as time goes by...
I'm really sorry about the inconvenience... and if it's too great an inconvenience for the DM to NPC my character, then please feel free to arrange a spectacular death for him!
Cheers!
-- X
Hey there Twiceborn. Sounds like good times with work! Yeah I wouldn't worry about it I'd rather NPC your character for a little while than arrange a spectacular death. No real inconvenience. Barbarians aren't ninja/dragon shaman/clerics. And sorry for missing you when I was down in Calgary. Got a little caught up with catching up stuff and toss in a day trip to Banff and other outings and my time down there went pretty quick. Also think the heat and Greyhound trip damaged brain cells. But sounds like you got a pretty busy schedule there so maybe for the best.
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I must admit, I'm a little lost with the riddle. I can't quite figure where it's headed... I'm usually good at these. A nice change of pace, though!Yes. Very skaldic, very mythic, and bluddy confusing.
I have a nasty feeling that we'll end up taking a punt that's almost but not quite completely wrong, albeit very clever, and then kick ourselves while our characters go insane and slowly kill each other then themselves.
(I followed the link on your profile to the Zero Punctuation reviews - great stuff and thanks for the pointer!)
Well there's only one way to find out... (hehehhe, siniser laugh)
But no seriously, also wanted to see what people thought of this riddle thing. Is this the kind of stuff you guys want to see in the game or should I steer clear of this type in the future. Want to keep it fun and breezy without being frustrating. (Though to be fair there have been hints in the Knowledge (religion) check and the Int check.)
Yes to more riddles... no to ones I can't figure out! Heh heh heh.
Um, perhaps less cryptic riddles would be good, I think I've dead-ended on this one a couple of times. I'm just trusting Will and Boxhead to get me out of this one without turning me into rusalka-food.
Yes to more riddles... no to ones I can't figure out! Heh heh heh.
Um, perhaps less cryptic riddles would be good, I think I've dead-ended on this one a couple of times. I'm just trusting Will and Boxhead to get me out of this one without turning me into rusalka-food.
Ah cryptic's better than obvious, so long as its not an insta-kill for a wrong answer... I like the change of pace and it keeps us on our toes.
Anyway taken a punt. Please excuse the bad mix of alliterative rhyming doggerel. Snorri's saga it aint :/
Yes to more riddles... no to ones I can't figure out! Heh heh heh.
Um, perhaps less cryptic riddles would be good, I think I've dead-ended on this one a couple of times. I'm just trusting Will and Boxhead to get me out of this one without turning me into rusalka-food.Ah cryptic's better than obvious, so long as its not an insta-kill for a wrong answer... I like the change of pace and it keeps us on our toes.
Anyway taken a punt. Please excuse the bad mix of alliterative rhyming doggerel. Snorri's saga it aint :/
Riddle solved! Yeah I was a little amused by the overthinking. Though I suppose the fact that there were Three Sisters was an unintentional red herring. But no insta-kill (fighting them was certainly an option if saving throws went south it could've got ugly.)
As per riddles and the like I hope people got a kick out of it. I won't do it very often but yeah change of pace felt like it was in order. (That and the original encounter in Falcon's Hollow while not bad was a little run-of-the mill.)
Sorry for the long silence, guys. I just returned this weekend from Quebec. One grant application will be handed in tomorrow (the funders called me today at 4:30 to mention that they had neglected to share some important feedback with me during my meeting with them two weeks prior... which meant a lot of last minute work... grrr...). I have the first draft of another proposal due on the 10th, and alot of other stuff to handle in between (interviews for new staff, board meetings, clients, etc.)... and I'll be out of town during the next two weekends I'm in a little over my head these days...
All that to say, I'm not sure when I'll be able to return to the game... maybe after the 24th, once the final draft of the second proposal will have been turned in, and once the hiring process will (hopefully) be complete?
It might be best to retire Ragnarr for the time being, and leave a window open for him to return (if that's not practical, no worries... do what you have to do...). I'm really sorry that I've been holding things up (I rarely check the Paizo boards these days). And thanks for your patience and understanding...