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I would like to take a crack at a DMing a Second Darkness PbP game if there is enough interest.
We would use Pathfinder Beta Rules and anything from the Golarion setting is allowed.
20 point buy for abilities.
Max hit points for 1st level, for each level after your choice to take average rounded up hit points or gamble and roll.
Maximum starting gold for the class.
Pick traits as described in the Second Darkness Player's Guide (I highly recommend that players have access to this book - unfortunately it is not a free download).
I would like everyone to be able post daily (give or take).
How you roll is up to you, you can use invisiblecastle or real dice.
To speed up encounters I propose that I make initiative rolls, passive Perception rolls and perhaps attack of opportunity rolls. What do you think?
I will keep this thread open for a few days then I will choose no more than six characters.
A caveat - although I have been playing in a few PbP games for a while, I am a relatively inexperienced PbP DM, so bear with me.
Hi Rimrock,
I'd really like to get in on this! In fact, I've been looking around for a while waiting for just such an opportunity. I've been playing D&D in some fashion since 1982, but 4e just isn't quite my bag. So, I'm looking for a chance to try out Pathfinder Beta...haven't been able to drum up much interest in a face-to-face game. Here's hoping your pbp game will be my chance! If you'll have me, I'm leaning in the direction of playing a relatively straightforward tank...maybe a fighter, barbarian, or paladin. I'll need to delve into the beta rules more thoroughly. I'm available to post pretty regularly throughout the week, and some on weekends too, if that helps. And I'm totally in favor of anything you want to do to help keep the game moving.
Should I go ahead and start work on a character, or would you rather hold off on seeing how much interest you have? In any case, best of luck with this game! Should be a good one.
-David Nichols
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I'd love to get in on this. My first choice is to play a cleric (either a human or half-elf cleric of Desna or a half-orc cleric of Gorum; not sure if I have a preference yet). If, by some miracle, you have an over-abundance of folks wanting to play divine casters, I have also been wanting to try a fighter/rogue swashbuckler-type (with an aim towards duelist) or a gish to try out the new eldritch knight PrC.
Right now, I have a large amount of free time, so posting daily is not a problem. I do not currently have the Second Darkness Player's Guide, but if you accept me in the group, I'll get the pdf (never got it before because I don't have the AP and I'm not in any face-to-face games right now, so I didn't see a need ...)
I also have no problem with the things you've suggested to speed up encounters. Suggestion - a few of the PbPs I'm in just assume a base initiative roll of 10 for everyone, with initiative basically decided on each combatant's modifier. This means the order rarely changes, but it seems to work well (it does, however, make the Improved Initiative feat quite valuable). However you do it is fine by me, though.
Let me know!
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I also have no problem with the things you've suggested to speed up encounters. Suggestion - a few of the PbPs I'm in just assume a base initiative roll of 10 for everyone, with initiative basically decided on each combatant's modifier. This means the order rarely changes, but it seems to work well (it does, however, make the Improved Initiative feat quite valuable). However you do it is fine by me, though.
Let me know!
I play in a PbP game that uses a similar method where one player posts a single initiative roll, then initiative order is determined by everyone's modifier added to that.
Another method used in a PbP game I am is is every player posts several Initiative (and Perception) rolls up front in the discussion thread and the DM uses those.
Any of these methods are fine with me.
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I also have no problem with the things you've suggested to speed up encounters. Suggestion - a few of the PbPs I'm in just assume a base initiative roll of 10 for everyone, with initiative basically decided on each combatant's modifier. This means the order rarely changes, but it seems to work well (it does, however, make the Improved Initiative feat quite valuable). However you do it is fine by me, though.
Let me know!
I play in a PbP game that uses a similar method where one player posts a single initiative roll, then initiative order is determined by everyone's modifier added to that.
Another method used in a PbP game I am is is every player posts several Initiative (and Perception) rolls up front in the discussion thread and the DM uses those.
Any of these methods are fine with me.
All sound good to me. Again, just wanted to mention it as an option you could look at; whatever is most convenient for you!
Should I go ahead and start a character as well?
Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes! I've been waiting for a new Second Darknes PbP to start up! I've got a character concept I've been saving for just this AP! ;)
Does a crazy, horrifically scarred CN gnome rogue sound okay?(delusional crazy that is, not "random" crazy. And she could eventually become a bit more sane if she lives long enough to deal with her issues)
Fast-rough story
She wanders in the woods for a time, her mind broken, before being found and sent to an asylum. There her mind is healed a bit, but she cannot face up to the fact that she was responsible for her brother's death. She winds up constructing this house of cards in her head that still has her somewhat at fault, but not entirely. She also winds up entirely deluded that Sarenrae is actively out to get her, and all the other gods are in on it. This leads to a mistrust of most priests and an outright fear of those serving Sarenrae. I actually have Sarenrae as her deity because she lives in constant fear of her, constantly trying to hide from her sight, even though she's the deity that would do her the most good. It's just that it would also mean facing up to the truth of what she did.
After escaping from the asylum, she eventually found her way to Riddleport where she lives in part of someone's attic she either rents or is allowed to live in. She hires out for light jobs involving breaking security, etc. in order to have enough to eat. The only places she feels genuinely safe(ish) is her home and the temple-tavern of Cayden Cailean, the only god she thinks isn't out to get her to some degree. If she winds up with a friend or a party, she sticks with them, because that means safety. She's utterly delusional, but she's still functional. It's just that she still wakes up shrieking sometimes.
I'll try and pull her towards CG eventually, but she would definitely need help. And while a cleric of a good god would probably be the best source of that help, she's going to be highly resistant to it at first. Iit could be an ongoing RP challenge for any good aligned character! ;)
I'll have the barebones backstory up tonight if this is alright!
I would be interested if ya still have room
Rimrock
Human wizard (possibly specialist). I'll keep drafting him but this is a start.
He wants to become Cyphermage, one day. For that, he needs wealth, position and above all, a reputation. Ambitious and driven to accomplish as a spellcaster when his noble family said he would fail.
Dave here.
I present Ulli 'The Ox' Dagmarssen, an Ulfmen barbarian who likes repairing boats on the docks of Riddleport, fighting, drinking, and fathering illegitimate children...not necessarily in that order. :)
He's my first concept for this game, but noting that Scribbling Rambler is also interested in a barbarian, I too would be happy to play any sort of character for this game. Here's hoping I make it in.
Well, I figure I'll put my name down. Inclining towards Sorcerer/Fighter type human here.
The wizard, Sorda, is slowly taking shape. Bits done and the spoilered bits to do.
Let me know if the traits and/or anything else needs adjusting.
Cheers
And now the waiting... :)
You know, it occurs to me that I could build Ulli as a martially oriented cleric, rather than as a barbarian, if that would be more party balance friendly. In any case, I'll hold off on crunching numbers until we see who gets into the game. Here's hoping!
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And now the waiting... :)
You know, it occurs to me that I could build Ulli as a martially oriented cleric, rather than as a barbarian, if that would be more party balance friendly. In any case, I'll hold off on crunching numbers until we see who gets into the game. Here's hoping!
DD, I'd also be happy to take a Bard, if we both make it in. No sense re-statting Ulli.
DD, I'd also be happy to take a Bard, if we both make it in. No sense re-statting Ulli.
lol, no 're-statting' would be required, since there hasn't yet been any statting to begin with. :) Ulli's just a concept at the moment, but I have a pretty clear vision for him in my head. It's probably a bit of a 'viking' or 'Norseman' stereotype, but that doesn't mean it won't be fun! :)
Zavos Szmyr, Varisian Bard, is mostly done on paper. I will finish up his profile should I be lucky enough to get in.
Okay, the rough backstory draft is done:
Eventually, both Oris and Paera were killed in a venture that went bad, and Zindit and Maldin were left orphaned. Oris had arranged with one of his companions, a minor mage and alchemist named Ilya Soldare. Ilya was a stern, but good, woman who took the children according to their parents' wishes. She had butted heads with her gnomish companions before, but they felt she would be more than able to keep their children safe should anything happen to them.
This arrangement kept Zindit and Maldin off the streets and out of the orphanage, but Ilya's home was a jarring change for them from their carefree days with their parents. It seemed a cold place to them, with more rules than they were used to. Since Ilya's home was also her workplace(an alchemist's lab and shop), there were rooms they were forbidden to enter. Zindit chafed against this change in environment and grew rebellious and resentful of Ilya's stricter ways while Maldin seemed more accepting of it. Ilya, a devout worshipper of Sarenrae, tried to be patient with her charges and punished them with an even hand when they misbehaved. She tried to guide them towards righteousness, but Zindit wrote her off more and more simply for not being their father and mother. The fact that her brother was going along with it grated on her as well. She felt she needed to get herself and her brother out of there, to be free and go where they wanted just like their parents.
One night in the fading winter, a few years after moving in to Ilya's, Zindit coerced her brother into going along with a plan to run away and find their fortunes. Her brother, fearful and reluctant though he was, was guilt-tripped into it by Zindit claiming "It's what our parents would have wanted us to do!" That and she was his older sister. She knew what would be best, right?
They sneaked into Ilya's laboratory to steal just enough of what Zindit thought they could sell or use to help them get by. She had broken in before, much to Ilya's anger, and she thought she knew what did what. She was still convinced that Ilya was one of those "gold-makers". Her brother was becoming more and more nervous, but she assured him they were doing the right thing. Ilya was rich enough that this wouldn't bother her for too long, right?
Then it happened. As they made their way through the lab, taking whatever items Zindit thought would be valuable, Maldin accidentally stumbled against a shelf containing strange glassware filled with stranger liquids. They fell, and everything nearby, including Maldin, burst into flame.
His screams would echo in Zindit's dreams for the rest of her life.
Zindit stood in shock. Her brother cried out for her, and all she could do was stand in place, her heart siezed by terror at what was taking place. She screamed for her brother, for anyone to help, but she couldn't brave the flame to reach her brother. She was just too scared. She couldn't quite believe this was happening.
Ilya burst into the room, horror in her eyes as she saw the scene. She screamed at Zindit, "What did you do?" before diving in to save Maldin. She called out for Zindit to help move the shelf away, but the girl was still too terrified. The fire quickly spread, and more vials exploded, setting more of the lab ablaze, and Ilya along with it. Zindit reached out even as she stepped back, it was all like some horrible nightmare. This couldn't be happening! Her brother, Ilya...
The fire spread again, this time catching the bag Zindit had dropped. The bag full of strange chemicals and substances that had caught her eye. She was caught in the alchemical explosion of flame and acid that flung her out the doorway. The pain was greater than anything she felt before or since. The sheer sensory and emotional overload finally made her snap as she rolled around screaming in pain and finally scrambling out of the house into the night. Fleeing unthinking out into the snow, she writhed around until the worst of the pain passed. But the agony still persisted, everything still hurt, and she the only thing that registered in her brain was the need to run and keep running.
She continued her flight, not thinking of the direction and only mindful of the need to keep moving, to outrun the pain and the fire and the hell that she had seen.
Ilsa's house burned to the ground that night. The townspeople were barely able to keep the fire contained to her building alone. It was assumed all inside had perished. In a way, they were right.
A week later, Zindit was miles away and near death. She had repeatedly run herself until she dropped from exhaustion. She had not eaten, her wounds were infected, and her mind was entirely broken. She certainly would have died in the forest if not for the intervention of some native fey. Taking sympathy on the girl, they healed the worst of her wounds and fed her, but their capricious nature did little to help heal her mind. The results were more akin to nursing a sick animal back to health. After a time, she was moving again, dazed and confused, but still driven to keep on the move.
A few months later, a caravan happened upon the wild girl. Thinking that she was a lost human child, some of the caravan guard chased her down and brought her back, now aware that she was an older gnome youth and mindful of her thrashing, kicking, and screaming. The were astounded by the horrific scars the girl bore, and the fact that she was still alive. They tied her up and carried her along with them, taking her to monastery they passed during their journey.
The monastery was one dedicated to healing and the care of the mentally ill. The monks and priests gave Zindit what meager divine healing they could, but the damage of her wounds being infected and healing naturally had been done. Her left eye was destroyed entirely, and the upper left quarter of her face was marked by the same ruin that trailed down the left side of her head, along the length of her arms and legs, and the left side of her torso. It no longer hurt, but she would never look "normal" again. Her mind was utterly broken though, and it was this that the monk who cared for her turned his attention.
Zindit spent most of the next three years in a padded cell, being taught how to think coherently all over again. Her mind was pieced back together bit by bit, but it was constructed as a house of cards. She knew deep down in her heart of hearts that it was her fault that Maldin and Ilya died, but she absolutely could not bring herself to face that fact. She convinced herself that Ilya had been cruel to her and her brother, that she was only thinking of the best for her brother when she made him come along, and that she had tried to help when the accident happened. Still, this avoidance of total responsibility did not shield her from all of her guilt, but it allowed her to believe that she was the victim of circumstance to a degree.
This faulty foundation upon which she was being rebuilt, along with her scattered and blurry memories of her time with the fey, led to further delusions taking root in her mind. The greatest among them was brought about by both her conscious and subconscious guilt: That Sarenrae, the goddess invoked to watch over them in their childhood, knew was she did and was actively out to punish her. The memories of how the flames and acid felt helped enforce this belief. She just knew that Sarenrae was looking for her, and more punishment was still to come. Sarenrae's light became not a symbol of hope for her, but something to flee, to hide from. Because deep down, she knew that to face Sarenrae would be to face the truth. So she believes herself to be a victim of chance and unfair judgment.
During her recovery, the monks made the mistake of letting her see her reflection. This led to another breakdown, during which she would scream and go into hysterics if anyone looked at her. She just knew those marks were laid on her by Sarenrae, that they marked her as a wicked thing. She could not bare to be seen like that. Eventually, the monks got around the problem by wrapping the scarred parts of her body in bandages, which covered most of her body. This eased her mind, and she settled into the routine of recovery again. Later, one kind monk would present a special set of clothing to her: A simple gray bodysuit that covered all of her body save the unscarred portion of her face. This made her more at ease, but it led to another delusion that the close-fitting cowl was part of her face now, which led to even more horror at the idea of anyone seeing what lay underneath.
While she became more coherent in thought, her delusions became more pronounced. She became convinced that almost all the gods were in league with Sarenrae to some degree or another, and thus all their priests were as well. She came to suspect that the monks and priests were keeping her here in order to hand her over to the priests of Sarenrae later, and when she thought she heard someone speak of one of the sun goddess' clerics being invited to come speak with her, she knew she had to get out. During one of the periods where she was allowed to walk outside in the gardens, she managed to get away from the monk escorting her and fled into the wilderness once more.
She slowly made her way across western Varisia, from town to town, hitching rides, stealing for food, and sometimes wandering aimlessly until she found herself in Riddleport. She had heard that there were few priests of the sort she feared confronting her there, and so it seemed to be as good a place as any to hide.
She lived on the streets for a time, before managing to secure part of the attic of one of the somewhat less illicit shops in the city. The owner felt pity for the obviously crazy gnome, and thought that it would be extra security for his shop. Zindit brought in what money she could by doing odd jobs for the shop and renting out what skills she had learned from her father to any the shopkeeper recommended her to. She earned a small reputation as a cheap, competant, and with some people disposable expert on lockpicking, albiet an unstable one best kept out of delicate matters. Between jobs, she would often take to begging. Most of those who took pity on her treated her mostly like a stray dog or cat; she became a familiar sight along a portion of the streets and alleys of Riddleport.
There are only two places she feels close to truly safe now, her attic den and the tavern temple of Cayden Cailean. She's not yet convinced that Cayden Cailean is among those gods who are out to get her, and it truly is one of the safer parts of the city. It's not unusual for her to wander in and shyly order a light drink with what meager coin she has, and after only a few sips curling up under a table and going to sleep. The priests of Cayden Cailean know that the girl is mad, but also that their tavern is one of the few safe havens for her in Riddleport. Her home is where she spends most of her time though, a jumbled mess of blankets, stolen knick-knacks, and drawings covering the walls, floor and ceiling. During some of her worst weeks, she would be terrified to leave, not even coming out to eat. One winter she actually nearly froze to death.
She lives in almost constant fear of the gods, because she knows they're always watching. She knows that the sun in Sarenrae's angry eye looking down on her, and she's uncomfortable remaining out in sunlight for very long. She has actually taken to drawing clouds all over the ceiling of her den, believing it would block the goddess' view.
She has lived this way for four years now.
If this checks out okay, I'll flesh out her other delusions and all the crazy that's drawn on her den walls too. Just in case anyone manages to find out where she lives and wanders in there. ;)
If anyone did play a priest/paladin of Sarenrae, she wouldn't just run away, but she would be extremely fearful of them and terrified of showing any reason for them to be suspicious of her, which is pretty sad since they're the ones that would probably do her the most good. Just didn't want anyone to be worried that she would be a party breaker due to bad behavior.
Stats w/traits coming ASAP.
If she is okay, would any good-aligned PCs that regularly go to Cayden Cailean's temple tavern mind having her as a sometimes hanger-on? She sticks close to people that offer food and safety. ;)
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OK, here's the six who made it in:
Dastardly Dave
Valkyrie Paine
seekerofshadowlight
French Wolf
Chris Banks
TerraNova
Alternates:
Bryan
Scribbling Rambler
Erekose13
I'm sorry for those who didn't make it, especially if you have already put work into making a character.
Here is the discussion thread. For those of you in the game, let's post there from now on.
Hey man I have been thinking of this all day. While I would love to play in this I am in 4 games right now soon to be 5 and I would rather ya give this spot to someone who hasn't played in a pbp or dont have many games going. While I really would love to play this I just dont right hoggin up all the good games when ya still have folks wanting to play as I am in so many.
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Hey man I have been thinking of this all day. While I would love to play in this I am in 4 games right now soon to be 5 and I would rather ya give this spot to someone who hasn't played in a pbp or dont have many games going. While I really would love to play this I just dont right hoggin up all the good games when ya still have folks wanting to play as I am in so many.
Allright seeker, that's cool of you.
Bryan it looks like you're in.
EDIT: I'm thinking that now since we're down to eight I could let Scribbling Rambler and Erekose13 in if it's OK with the original six.
If you think 8 PCs isn't too many to handle, Rimrock, I'd welcome the others. The more the merrier! :)
Now that is good to see. I am glad ya took em all you guys have a great game.