I'm wanting to start a pbp game of Second Darkness. I'm going to use the Beta rules - This is in part to help me get a better handle on them.
I'll be looking for 4-6 players.
We'll be using the "Standard Fantasy" point buy of 15 points.
Character traits web enhancement is available to you as is the Second Darkness "players guide"
(Paizo.. would I be able to make certain sections of text available - such as the traits section to those that don't have it?)
We'll be using the Medium XP chart.
We'll be using the Standard HP starting point. Maximum hit points for 1st level plus your Constitution modifier and any other bonuses.
All characters will have one "free" npc class level. Work this into your background. You weren't always the badass adventurers you are.. what did you do before? (page 332 of the beta) So, yes.. your starting character will have a NPC class and 1st level of your character class. You'll start with -500 xp.
If anyone is interested, I'll post some information on the area you will be in.
I've been holding off reading my Second Darkness books in the hopes that I'd get to play the AP rather than run it. If you'll have me, I'd love to run a paladin/monk of Irori for this game. At least, right now that's what I'm leaning toward; it's been some time since I read the SD Player's Guide, after all.
Alright, that's one slot filled.
Any ideas on your NPC class to get your background started?
Alright, that's one slot filled.
Any ideas on your NPC class to get your background started?
Not offhand. I'm going to read through my information on the region tonight, and form a concept for either the monk/paladin or possibly something else; I'll let you know what I come up with.
'lo thar,
I would be interested in playing. Have avoided reading Second Darkness as well in a hopes to play it instead of run it. Seems to be a common theme.
I was thinking of playing a straight rogue, or a rogue/wizard multi-class. I'll start rolling up a character ASAP if you'd have me.
Hmmm...I'm thinking about a half-orc warrior/bard from the Hold of Belkzen who left because his compatriots just aren't as appreciative of the fine arts as he is.
After going through everything, I think I'd like to try a arcane-bloodline sorcerer. The bastard son of a priestess of Calistria and Elias Tammerhawk, speaker of the Order of Cyphers, if you will allow it. With no benefits due to the blood ties, of course.
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Some questions for you, (assuming I get in). Will characters have max hit points for both classes? (NPC and PC), starting gold limits?
Posting times - I can post about oce a day (sometimes more but that's pretty ambitious), will that be an issue.
Finally, I'm in the Australian timezone (East cost) so my posting times will most likely differ to others. This usually isn't an issue with PbP's but I did want to be up front about it.
Cheers
PS If you go with the people interested so far you seem magic heavy. My first preference would be an Adept turned cleric of Desna. However, if a combatant is needed I'd go a noble fighter instead (7th son of a minor noble family or some such).
Hi, I would like to join please.
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I would love to join...I been looking for a PBP for a long time. Please let me know thanks!!
If you have me I would look to play a half-elf cleric of Cayden Cailean and starting off with the expert(wine-making) NPC class and seeking an adventure's life after his father's winery was destroyed after he refused to pay for "protection".
I'd like use a PC currently participating in another Pathfinder Beta game (Nightwish's rip-roaring Red Hand of Doom) Her name is Sevegny, a human priestess / prostitute of the elven goddess Calistria. Of course, I'll have to scale her back down to level 1.
Okay, great response!
Players:
Heaven's Agent
Yimzin
hogarth
Wrath
Crimson Jester
JZ
DmRrostarr
That makes 7 players over-all. So, no more as of the moment.
To answer the two previous questions... YES max HP for both the NPC class and the hero class.
Starting gold... Max for both. The NPC gold must be spent on the npc class - meaning if you are a commoner whose job was farming... better have farming gear.
Also, to clarify, when you have a 1st level NPC you gain a feat. Now.. your NPC class will not count towards your level progression overall - so you will still have to have four levels of fighter to gain your stat point and still have to have three levels of paladin to gain your third feat.
Yes, third. When you gain your first hero level you still gain that first level feat. We will be progressing as normal as if the npc level wasn't there. It's a bonus freebie so to speak that you pay for with backstory and 500xp.
I hope that makes sense
Post characters in here - Once all seven are finished I'll start the IC thread as well as an OOC thread and hopefully get this thing started. :)
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Well, given everyone elses preferences so far, I'll go ahead and create a Noble/fighter. I'm thinking dex based duelist type of thing, eventually two weapon fighting. Will see where my background takes me. Hopefully have him statted up and ready for inspection tomorrow.
And cheers for taking me in, looking forward to it.
Sevegny started out as a temple courtesan. So I'd better equip her with courtesan-gear ;)
I'm looking forward to fighting on Team Cleric! :-)
I'm looking forward to fighting on Team Cleric! :-)
Team caster, at any rate. And a fighter. Luckily most of us look to have other skills than just casting spells. Considering our makeup I'll probably look at creating a melee sorcerer of sorts; I wanted a weapon as my bonded item anyway.
I'm looking forward to fighting on Team Cleric! :-)Team caster, at any rate. And a fighter. Luckily most of us look to have other skills than just casting spells. Considering our makeup I'll probably look at creating a melee sorcerer of sorts; I wanted a weapon as my bonded item anyway.
Note: my bard is going to have a lot more brawn than brains as well. :)
Sevegny started out as a temple courtesan. So I'd better equip her with courtesan-gear ;)
Hahaha... well... if you want. I was just saying I didn't want your NPC gold going to buy that sword for a fighter.
Is NPC class starting gold listed somewhere in the Beta rules? I can't find it.
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Page 338 gives a table of NPC wealth by level. Of course this was designed to dole out loot to PC's interacting with said NPC.
It says 1st level NPC's start with 300gp. This is for quick xp though, and says it should be one step lower for medium xp (which is what we're using). I'd guess then about 1/2 that gold limit (since they don't provide a GP limit for 0 level PC's.
This is all conjecture on my behalf though, so some guidance would be helpful please Mr DM :)
Cheers
150 gold is fine.
I've completed the information for Calabron the warrior. I'll build upon it to create Calabron the sorcerer when I get a little more free time.
I've completed everything aside from equipment and character history for Thanis. Hopefully I'll get that done tonight or tomorrow during the day.
Just thought I should keep your posted.
Hiya, this is Wrath posting his character for your viewing pleasure. Let me know what you think or if there's any problems.
I still have some gold to spend on equipment but wanted to make sure everything was above board beforehand.
Cheers
Sevegny started out as a temple courtesan. So I'd better equip her with courtesan-gear ;)Hahaha... well... if you want. I was just saying I didn't want your NPC gold going to buy that sword for a fighter.
Hmm, rope, bridle, saddle, crop, block and tackle ... the list could be a farmer's.
So far the write ups look good. I haven't sat down and nit picked stats or gold or anything.
So far so good.
Here's my bard so far...:
half-orc warrior 1/bard 1
Str 18 (10 pts, +2 racial)
Dex 12 (2 pts)
Con 12 (2 pts)
Int 8 (0 pts)
Wis 9 (-4 pts)
Cha 14 (5 pts)
Hit Points: 20 [10 + 8 + 2*1 con]
AC 14 [+1 dex, +3 armor], Touch 11, Flat 13
Initiative: +1
BAB/CMB: +1/+5 [+1 bab, +4 str]
Speed: 30 ft
Load:
Saves :
Fort +3 (2 warrior, +1 con)
Ref +3 (2 bard, +1 dex)
Will +1 (2 bard, -1 wis)
Weapons:
Armor: studded leather [25 gp, 15 lbs]
Feats:
Overhand Chop [warrior 1]
Skill Focus (Use Magic Device) [1st]
Racial and Class Abilities:
- Bardic music 1/day (countersong, distraction, fascinate, inspire courage +1)
- Darkvision 60'
- Orc ferocity
- Proficient with all armors, all shields, simple + martial weapons + whip
Bard Spells Known
Level 0 [DC 12] Ghost Sound, Summon Instrument, Dancing Lights, Mage Hand
Level 1 [DC 13, 2/day] Grease, Feather Fall
Skills (6 total: 1 warrior, 5 bard, plus free Knowledge: Arcana)
Armor Check Penalty: -1
Acrobatics +4 [1 bard, +3 class, +1 dex, -1 acp]
Diplomacy +6 [1 bard, +3 class, +2 cha]
Knowledge (arcana) +4 [1 class feature, +3 class, -1 int, +1 knowledge]
Linguistics +3 [1 bard, +3 class, -1 int]
Perform (dance) +6 [1 bard, +3 class, +2 cha]
Perform (sing) +6 [1 warrior, +3 class, +2 cha]
Use Magic Device +9 [1 bard, +3 class, +2 cha, +3 feat]
Languages
Common, Orc, Elven*
Other Items:
3 torches, flint & tinder [1 gp], wooden holy symbol of Gorum [1 gp], whip [1 gp], "orcish hook axe" (guisarme) [9 gp], alchemical silver morningstar [28 gp]
Background: Father was a orcish grunt in the army of Belkzen, mother was a human slave who taught him to sing. Not much appreciation of human-style singing and dancing in Belkzen, so he left. For a while, he was partners with an elven bard named Treetall Oakleg (specializing in ethnic comedy), but the partnership broke up a couple of months ago.
I have some stuff in my profile now.
I have some stuff in my profile now.
Just taking a quick glance, your HP is far too low than is possible. From my calculations it should be 8 from cleric, 6 from commoner, 2 from your constitution, and 5 from toughness, for a grand total of 21.
Gotcha, thanks !
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I have some stuff in my profile now.Just taking a quick glance, your HP is far too low than is possible. From my calculations it should be 8 from cleric, 6 from commoner, 2 from your constitution, and 5 from toughness, for a grand total of 21.
Hmmm... I was hoping for some clarification from the DM on the toughness feat myself. It says 3 bonus HP plus one per HD. So for our characters, should it be 5HP for this feat? I've left it as just three at this stage until I get some clarification.
Also, I took the max gold as suggested and the rich parents feat (matched my character concept), but it means my character has lots of good gear. If this is too powerful at this stage, let me know and I'll trade out the rich parents trait and get rid of the masterwork gear.
It'll mean a rewrite of some of my background, but that's small fry if it means you're happier with game balance.
Cheers
Still working...
I have some stuff in my profile now.Just taking a quick glance, your HP is far too low than is possible. From my calculations it should be 8 from cleric, 6 from commoner, 2 from your constitution, and 5 from toughness, for a grand total of 21.Hmmm... I was hoping for some clarification from the DM on the toughness feat myself. It says 3 bonus HP plus one per HD. So for our characters, should it be 5HP for this feat? I've left it as just three at this stage until I get some clarification.
Also, I took the max gold as suggested and the rich parents feat (matched my character concept), but it means my character has lots of good gear. If this is too powerful at this stage, let me know and I'll trade out the rich parents trait and get rid of the masterwork gear.
It'll mean a rewrite of some of my background, but that's small fry if it means you're happier with game balance.
Cheers
Well, the trait means your initial income increases to 900 gp, not that it increases by 900 gp. I am unsure if you did this or not, but that can make a fairly serious difference.
Right, like I said... I hadn't added everything up. But, it does increase to 900 not add. Beyond that... you can use that trait if you want.
Toughness: Yes, 3+HD so it would be 5 total at starting.
On a continued note, my character is done aside from a description and history. I shall have that finished up tomorrow afternoon. Apologies for the further delay.
I am sorry folks but I have too much going on this week, thanks for the add but at this time I will need to drop out since it will take me way too long to build the pc.
Unfortunate to hear that. Hope you find a game once you have time and best of luck with what you are doing!
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I am sorry folks but I have too much going on this week, thanks for the add but at this time I will need to drop out since it will take me way too long to build the pc.Unfortunate to hear that. Hope you find a game once you have time and best of luck with what you are doing!
Well its spring break and my kids are bouncing off the walls, yesterday was the zoo, the park and we finished up fishing. I'm tuckered out.
As a commoner / cleric, do I have 5 skill points to start out with? (2 from commoner, 3 from cleric, with no Intelligence bonus.)
As a commoner / cleric, do I have 5 skill points to start out with? (2 from commoner, 3 from cleric, with no Intelligence bonus.)
Since you are human you have 2 more skill points.
Thanks !
I was curious on how you wanted to start. Being the speed of a message board is much different than an actual table.
Would you be more comfortable saying "this is the city you're in-go" and try and direct everyone towards the hook? Or.. as the adventure assumes 'players start here' which would enable us to get directly into the adventure.
Also... party name?
I know this may be late in the process but here it is from the Second Darkness "players guide"
Second Darkness Campagin Traits:
1 Fools for Friends: You don’t think of yourself as a gambler.
In fact, you rather detest the whole thing. Unfortunately,
one or more of your friends (pick one or more of the other
players’ characters) doesn’t think so, and you’ve recently
learned that friend—or friends—have decided to go to
the Gold Goblin’s “Cheat the Devil and Take his Gold”
tournament. Which pretty much means you have to go as
well, since if no one’s there to watch out for them, they’ll
lose all their money and respect. Again. Sometimes it’s
hard being the responsible one. Your devotion to your
friendships (even when said friends seem, at times, to
be trying to test that devotion) is a point of pride to you.
Whenever you take the Aid Another action to help an ally,
or whenever an ally aids you in this manner, a successful
check grants an additional +1 trait bonus to the check for
which aid was being rendered. Additionally, as long as one
of your friends is within 30 feet, you gain a +1 trait bonus
on all saving throws against charm and compulsion
effects.
2 Into Enemy Territory: The shadow in the sky is visible
from all around Riddleport, not just in town. It’s certainly
come to the attention of several druids, rangers, and other
rural folk who dwell in the nearby mountains, forests,
and swamps—among them, yourself. You’ve consulted
with several seers and Harrowers, and may even have
performed some simple auguries yourself, and all the
signs point the same way—something or someone in
Riddleport is connected to the blot, and it means bad
news for the region. You’ve avoided the sleazy, dirty town
for most of your life, traveling there only when absolutely
necessary, and although you don’t relish the prospect of
going there now, you see little other choice (especially if
one of your superiors is ordering you to go investigate).
Fortunately, an eccentric friend of yours (pick another PC)
is in town, and you’ve heard this friend will be taking part
in some gambling thing at a place called the Gold Goblin.
Your friend’s always had better luck interacting with the
cityfolk, so you’ve decided to accompany your friend to
this gambling tournament and plan on letting him find a
safe place for you to stay while you’re in town. Your long
life of self-sustenance has toughened you and made you
more resistant to hardship, in any event—pick one of the
three categories of saving throw. You gain a +1 trait bonus
on all saving throws of that type.
3 Looking for Work: Although out of work, you aren’t
particularly keen on the prospect of gambling away your
last remaining coins simply for a chance at riches. That
said, if the Gold Goblin’s fortunes reverse after this big
gambling tournament, you’re relatively certain its owner,
Saul Vancaskerkin, will be needing to hire on some new
staff members. You’ve secured payment for the tournament,
and intend on attending mostly to check the place out, to
decide if it’s a place you’d want to work at (as a bouncer,
bartender, croupier, server, entertainer, spotter, or cook),
and hopefully get a chance to catch Saul’s eye and make an
impression. You’ve long worked at honing your skills, and
are quite accomplished and certain that you have something
to offer. Pick one of the following skills: Bluff, Craft (any),
Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perform (any), Profession (gambler),
or Spot. You gain a +1 trait bonus in that skill, and that skill
is always considered a class skill for you.
4 Optimistic Gambler: You’ve always seemed to have trouble
keeping money. Worse, you always seem to have debts
looming over your head. When you heard about the “Cheat
the Devil and Take His Gold” gambling tournament,
you felt in your gut that your luck was about to change.
You’ve always been optimistic, in fact, and even though
right now is one of those rare times where you don’t
owe anyone any money (you just paid off a recent loan
from local moneylender Lymas Smeed), you know that’ll
change soon enough. Better to start amassing money now
when you’re at one of those rare windfall times! You’ve set
aside a gold coin for the entrance fee, and look forward to
making it big—you can feel it in your bones! This time’s
gonna be the big one! Your boundless optimism, even in
the face of crushing situations, has always bolstered your
spirit. Effects that grant you morale bonuses persist 1d4
rounds longer than they normally would as a result.
5 Researching the Blot: You may or may not be seeking
membership into Riddleport’s most prestigious magical
guild, the Order of Cyphers, but you certainly have heard
their call for aid in determining the nature of the strange
shadow in the sky above Riddleport. You arrived in town
several days ago and had some issues with security and
safety at several inns before you finally settled on the Gold
Goblin; you’ve been staying there as a guest for several
days now, and the owner, Saul Vancaskerkin, seems like a
nice guy. He’s even given you a pass to attend the gambling
tournament he’s about to throw—you’re not sure how into
gambling you’ll be, but perhaps there’ll be some visitors
from out of town you can talk to about the strange shadow
in the sky. At the very least, you’re hoping someone at the
tourney will be into magic—there’s not really enough
folk in this town who seem all that interested in magic,
you’ve found. Your interest in magic dates back quite far,
and as a result, you’ve developed a knack for identifying
common magical items at a glance. You can use Spellcraft
to identify magic items in the same way you can use
Spellcraft to identify a potion. The DC to identify a magic
item is equal to 20 + the item’s caster level.
6 Scouting for Fiends: You belong to an organization
(most likely a religion) that has definite views on the
menace posed by the lower planes. The willfulness with
which the city of Korvosa (they even allow a temple
of Asmodeus to operate in broad daylight!) tolerates
infernal influences is, to you and your organization,
the greatest symbol of what’s wrong with civilization
today. And now, in Riddleport, there’s news that a
gambling tournament is using devils and Hell as an idle
decoration. It’s likely that this is just an example of poor
taste, but there’s a chance that something sinister may
be lurking beneath the goings-on at the Gold Goblin.
You have been contacted by your organization (or may
have decided on your own) to travel to Riddleport (if
you don’t already live there) and attend this tournament
under the guise of a patron. Keep an eye on things there,
even after the tournament is over; if you can, get a job
working for the owner. Demons and devils can be subtle,
and it could take weeks or even months to find proof
of their involvement. Your near-obsessive hatred of all
things fiendish grants you a +1 trait bonus on all attack
rolls made against foes you know to be evil outsiders.
Riddleport:
Riddleport At A Glance:
Most of Riddleport’s buildings are composed of wood—
logs or planks—with multiple floors and steep, highpeaked
roofs of wooden shingles. They are built in
close quarters, and in some cases their wooden upper
floors sag and lean together from the constantly sodden
conditions. Stone fireplaces ward off the bitter winter
cold and the chill that lingers in the fog-laden streets for
much of the year, save for in high summer. During this
two-month period, warmer air currents from the south
bring a muggy, oppressive heat along with great black
mosquitoes that breed in the nearby marshes. Many burn
peat treated with incense in their hearths during these
months to ward off the vermin with their thick smoke.
The major streets of Riddleport are cobbled, often
becoming rain-slick cataracts during the wet seasons.
Cobbles are often missing or crushed by the incessant
traffic, leaving gaping holes and ruts in even the most
well-tended thoroughfares. Side streets tend to be
relegated to muddy tracks that are swift to turn into
stinking morasses of sucking mud and filth. Riddleport
doesn’t have much of a sewage system, and relies mainly
on gutters along street edges to carry refuse to the river
and harbor. One feature unique to the major streets are
the frequent oil lamps mounted on iron poles that provide
beacons of light in the benighted mists. These are set in
sturdy hurricane lamps and burn thick, rancid-smelling
oil from barrel-shaped reservoirs at the lamppost base—a
byproduct and innovation of the Gas Works. These
wavering lights give off illumination equal to a torch in
even the foulest weather but are not well-tended; just over
a third of them are out on any given night, in need of
repairs or refueling.
Life in Riddleport
The titular head of the Riddleport government is the selfappointed
Overlord of Riddleport, a position traditionally
held for life. Riddleport’s current overlord is a former
pirate captain named Gaston Cromarcky. Since the city’s
founding, Riddleport has been ruled by a series of pirate
lords, buccaneers, and other unsavory sailors in a bloody
cycle of betrayal and violent coups. Overlord Cromarcky
has maintained his rule over Riddleport for three decades
by entrenching himself in a wholly new manner. Rather
than rely on the loyalty of pirate crews and fellow captains,
Overlord Cromarcky opened the coffers of his deceased
predecessor and hired mercenaries and enforcers from
land-bound groups with no connection to piracy. Calling
this new breed of enforcers the Riddleport Gendarmes
(“gentlemen-at-arms”), he created a military force loyal
to his coin.
Under Cromarcky’s rule, life in Riddleport has
become more stable than ever before. Open streetwarfare
between rival gangs is a rarity now, and the
gendarmes have made it safe enough for brave or
desperate merchants from Magnimar to bring in trade.
By Overlord Cromarcky’s decree, any ship that flies the
flag of Riddleport at full mast is under his protection
and is not to be raided by any pirate who wishes to call
Riddleport home. That Cromarcky charges scandalously
high prices for this protection of visiting ships ensures
that there’s always enough ships plying the Lost Coast or
the southern waters for Riddleport’s traditional pirates
to prey upon to keep them happy. The stability and semiregular
influx of imported goods has begun to spoil the
citizens of Riddleport, but these days may be numbered.
Rumors abound that Cromarcky’s coffers may finally
be running low (despite his protection racket), and the
rise in power of Cromarcky’s most vocal public enemy,
Elias Tammerhawk, has many of Riddleport’s citizens
expecting a shift in leadership soon, an eventuality that
many Riddleport traditionalists would greet with relief.
Despite the unheard-of political stability that the city of
Riddleport currently enjoys, only a longtime Riddleport
native would ever think of the city as truly civilized. The
overlord rules with a light touch and with the consent
of several powerful individuals who likewise shape the
direction of Riddleport’s future. These individuals are
the various crime bosses who hold sway in the city. Pirates
may have founded the city, but many more bandits and
scoundrels soon saw the value of having a place to call
home, the wilds of Varisia hardly being a safe place to
camp. The crimelords each have their own particular
specialties and focus, and they play the role that noble
families do in most other cities: they are the movers and
shakers, the leaders whom the average citizen idolizes and
fears. When an overlord dies, the new overlord invariably
rises from the ranks of the city’s crimelords.
Yet not everyone who comes to live in Riddleport is
attracted there by the promise of loose law and criminal
sanctuary. In increasing numbers, all manner of sages,
scholars, and wizardly types have been flocking to the
city, drawn by the presence of the Order of Cyphers.
This scholastic organization is dedicated to deciphering
the mysteries of ancient Thassilon’s monuments—in
particular, the vexing Cyphergate, whose function and
meaning have eluded illumination for so long. The locals
find the influx of philosophers and scholars aggravating,
and find their soft-spoken ways and general attitude to be
infuriating, but the Order of Cyphers does not interfere
with the day-to-day skullduggery of Riddleport’s citizens.
Furthermore, Overlord Cromarcky has openly welcomed
the order to Riddleport, likely because the addition of
many skilled wizards can only increase the city’s defensive
options. That the leader of the Order of Cyphers went on
to be Cromarcky’s most outspoken public foil no doubt
vexes the aging pirate lord, and many of the city’s citizens
have taken to betting among themselves on how may more
weeks will pass before Cromarcky and Tammerhawk come
to blows.
City Districts
Riddleport is divided into a total of nine separate districts
(although two of them, Lubbertown and the Boneyard,
technically lie outside of the overlord’s jurisdiction):
Free-Coin District: Overlord Cromarcky’s three grand
gamehalls are located in this part of the city along the
northwestern shore of the Velahsu River.
Leeward District: The city’s largest district, Leeward is
built into the protecting curve of the city’s eastern ridge,
where it is sheltered from the worst of the winter winds.
The majority of the city’s population resides in the tall
tenements of this district, and most buildings have a
shop at street level where standard goods and services
can be obtained.
Lubbertown: Known derisively as Lubbertown for the fact
that most of its inhabitants arrive at the city by land rather
than by sea, this district is not patrolled by the gendarmes
and has developed its own social order, informal system of
laws, and distribution of goods and employment.
River District: This section of town runs along the
banks of the Velashu River and consists primarily of
shops and mills. Riddleport’s atrophied trade items
are crafted in this district. The waste produced by the
district’s tanners and fishmongers and the fact that many
of the city’s sewage gutters converge here have earned the
place the unofficial name of “Reek District.”
Rotgut District: The slums of Riddleport are a truly
depressing and dangerous place to be. Easily the poorest
section in the city proper, Rotgut also hosts the highest
crime rate and the most brothels and alehouses per capita.
It lies along the city’s eastern side against the ridge.
The Boneyard: This deceptively named place actually
serves as the city’s dump and ship’s graveyard. Its name is
derived from the many old hulks and collections of ships’
ribs that protrude from the swampy ground. The whole
area is a partially flooded salt marsh that is generally 2 or 3
feet deep, although some hidden patches of quicksand are
much deeper. Monstrous cockroaches, swamp barracuda,
and (it is whispered) wererats infest this area.
The Devil’s Fork: This small military district is
nestled near the north end of the city on an island
in the Velashu River. It serves above as barracks for
Riddleport’s 250 gendarmes, and below as a prison for
the city’s malcontents.
Wharf District: This rough-and-tumble district lies
hard on the edge of the very docks of the city and is
where much of the city’s day-to-day action of commerce
and thievery occurs. Nearest the docks are a series of
warehouses and cheap grog houses where merchant and
pirate crews alike mingle in a haze of rum-soaked blood
and debauchery.
Windward District: Built on the slopes of the city’s
western ridgeline, this is Riddleport’s affluent district;
the buildings here are generally quite tall and its streets
winding and steep. The majority of the city’s scholars and
sages dwell in this windy district.
A Pr imer on Riddleport Slang
Many of Riddleport’s citizens have their own
slang and jargon that they use in mixed company to
hold conversations in front of others while not revealing
what they’re actually talking about. Of course, in a city of
thieves, the Thieves’ Cant loses much of its use, and over
the years, the Cant has devolved into a wide collection of
regional slang words that most folk pepper liberally (and
without thinking) into everyday speech. Listed below are
several of the more common bits of Riddleport Slang.
Abbess: A priestess or whore of Calistria
Bridge Monkey: Someone from Magnimar
Capp: A trusted lieutenant or henchman
Cattle: A group of Varisians
Cow: A Varisian
Church Work: Any lengthy job that is slow to finish or
is otherwise drudgery
Dog Biter: A large rat, small child, or halfling
Earth Bath: An unmarked grave
Easy Lad: A male prostitute
Fancyboy/Fancygirl: A cyphermage (sometimes an elf )
Gendarme: A city guard
Grog-Blossom: A facial pimple, or an unsavory person
Hushman: A hired killer, generally one kept on semipermanent
retainer
Kiss: To stab someone—“Kissed the snickersnak” is a
phrase used to mean “Got murdered”
Laced Mutton: A prostitute (gender neutral)
Leaky: Someone who can’t keep a secret (“Don’t tell
him about the heist—he’s leaky!”)
Lumber: A passenger on a ship (typically an unwanted
or unwelcome passenger)
Pigeon: A person targeted by a criminal to be the victim
of a crime, or a person that visits a prostitute
Pigmeat: A dead body, or someone who is about to
become dead
Pump-Sucker: A dwarf (particularly one who works at
the Gas Forges)
Quickwife: A female prostitute
Rathole: The mouth (especially a mouth that belongs
to someone who is saying unwelcome things)
Rotgut: Liquor (particularly foul-tasting liquor)
Sideshow: A tiefling
Snickersnak: A small knife that can be easily hidden
on a person’s body
Soaker: A priest of Cayden Cailean
Soggy Plum: A drunk
Whisker: A wererat
Riddleport Rumors
In a city where everyone watches for new opportunities to turn
a profit, no news remains a secret for long. Here are but a few
of the rumors currently making the rounds in Riddleport.
The Shadow in the Sky: A strange, persistent, dark cloud
recently appeared in the sky above the City of Cyphers. Some
people say it was caused by the Order of Cyphers meddling
with the Cyphergate, while others believe it’s a storm being
cooked up by Gozreh or some overly moral deity to wipe
Riddleport off the map. It’s the big news in town and everybody
seems to have their own explanation.
Carnivore Carnage: Several Shadde-Quah wavecutters recently
washed up on the rocks near the Riddleport Light, their
hulls covered in dozens of gashes from teeth and claws. Sailors
fear some new predator in the Varisian Gulf or an unseasonable
migration of local bunyips.
The Devil and His Gold: The washed-up crime boss Saul
Vancaskerkin recently renovated the Gold Goblin Gambling
Hall and has a massive gaming tournament planned called
“Cheat the Devil and Take His Gold.” While this might just be
a publicity stunt, some say the swindler sold his soul to some
fiend and is using the tournament as a way to raise the money
to buy it back.
Lost Below: Milon Chath, a cleric of Desna, left to explore
several caverns in the nearby Calphiak Mountains more than
a week ago and has yet to return. Several Varisians fear the
priest has become lost in the labyrinthine caves said to riddle
the endless depths below the mountains.
Siren Song: A band of smugglers recently tried to set up
a base at Devil’s Elbow, an island just south of Riddleport’s
harbor, but they’ve gone missing. Most blame Virashi, the
famed siren of the haunted island, for the disappearance.