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Disclaimer: I intend this PBP to have some dark undertones and adult themes. Please do not apply to play unless you are comfortable with this...
Introduction
Hi all; first i'd like to point out that this is not a PFS (Pathfinder Society) game, it's simply an idea i've had a hankering to run for a while. It's also intended to be fairly player-driven and open ended; I don't yet have an 'end' in mind for this campaign, but if a good idea presents itself and the timing is right i'll ensure its suitable epic.
I've only DMed one or two play-by-post games, but I have been DMing 3.5 and now Pathfinder for about 8 years on a weekly basis. I'm a pretty flexible DM for cool stunts and giving players the benefit of the doubt, but will not tolerate complete munchkinism and the 'Lawful Me' attitude i've had the displeasure of DMing for from time to time. I also do not run a sandbox game; the world of Golarion is a very dangerous place and your actions may have dire consequences; and they won't always be CR "appropiate"
What I want from potential players are-
1) People who are interested in playing and able to post regularly- I expect people to check in once every two days minimum. I run on +0 GMT time in case its relevent.
2) A character backstory full of flavour, a class/race combo you would like to play, and enough enthusiasm that you won't drop off the face of the earth after a week. I also want long-term ambitions for your characters if possible.
3) A degree of experience in RP or PBP; im happy to help people improve and learn but don't apply to this thread if you've never RPed before.
I intend to start this the moment I have enough players- i'm looking for 4-5. This is not first come first served, but if the first 4 or 5 backstories are of good quality I will likely run with them.
Premise/Prequel
The game will take place in the current game year 4708 (this may be out by a year or two but its close enough if so).
In the hold of Belkzen, live a tribe of Orcs, Half-Orcs and other savage humanoids such as Gnolls and Goblins; collectively known as the Children of Murder. The tribe is near-unique in that as long as someone completes the harsh joning rituals and pledges themselves to the tribe, any race is potentially allowed in. There is even a heavily scarred Elf that trains young Orcs- although Dwarves have been banned from the tribe (the reason becomes obvious below)
The Children of Murder were once one of the greatest tribes of the Hold only a few decades ago, poised to take Ulgir for themselves and unite the tribes. The influence of the deity Gorum won over many of the Children of Murder, and fervently worshipping the Lord in Iron, the tribe came to many great victories in the hold- helped by the many half-orc's who had joined them actually having a grasp of strategy.
At the height of their power, the Shamaness Drogheda had won over the hearts and minds of the tribe through her savage beauty and sharp tongue. She was an educated half-orc, and claimed to be a concubine of Gorum himself. She wrote many prophecies in advance of the tribe's victories, foretelling many of their major battles and those who would fall and earn their place at Gorum's side; and all her words appeared to come true.
The Children of Murder were on the verge of attacking Ulgir itself, as Drogheda had prophesised victory at great cost to the tribe. But on the eve of the battle, Drogheda was assassinated by a Dwarf under the employ of a rival tribe; and as she died a wave of terror swept through the ranks of the Murderer's- and the defenders of Ulgir gleefully slaughtered them. The battle became a massacre, and then a rout.
In the two decades that have followed, the Children of Murder have become a shadow of their former selves- their tribe numbering only a few dozen armed combatants as defeat after defeat in battle forced them to continue giving ground right back to their original camp where the preachers of Gorum first found them; deep into the south of the Hold, on the edge of the border with Nirmathas. The shamans of the tribe claim Gorum abandoned them because they proved they were not worthy of his favour after they let Drogheda die. Few of the tribe dispute this, after seeing easy victories and tactically sound ambushes go horribly wrong due to some ill stroke of fortune.
However, one of Drogheda's last and most obscure prophecies has been recently discovered by the tribe; a prophecy that tells of four (or five- the inscription is somewhat smudged and its difficult to tell) brave individuals that will restore the fortunes of the Children of Murder. These four/five offer a chance to regain Gorum's favour and bring back the Children of Murder to their former glory and achieve great things; leading the tribe back to glory.
The prophecies specify little about the individuals race or qualities, other than that they all carry a tiny scar shaped like a massive sword on their shoulder that appeared suddenly this year, and that they have already pledged themselves to the Children of Murder; they are already among the tribe.
As one of the four/five, you have very recently noticed a greatsword shaped scar appear on your left shoulder- this may have caused mixed reactions depending on your background.
The campaign begins as the whole tribe has been gathered for a great feast to honour the males and females who will lead the Children of Murder back to their former glory; Gorum has provided the names of the four/five and they are about to be read from a list- identifying those who would be the saviours of a tribe in decline.
Character Generation Rules
Note: I must approve your backstory, race and class etc. before you can make a character. But for when you do-
# Use the 'purchase' rules from page 15 of the PF rulebook to create your character- you have 24 points to spend which is a little shy of epic; great things will be expected of your characters and you will face nigh-impossible challenges.
# Most standard races are fine with the exception of Dwarves. From the bestiary, I have also approved Goblins, Hobgoblins (exception: give a -2 penalty to Charisma for them), Orcs, Tiefling. Bear in mind obviously that in civilised areas these races may have more disadvantages than others.
# Although the flavour implies martial classes only, feel free to use any of the base classes (bar Paladin). That said, classes from the APG such as Summoner are NOT approved.
# There is a lot of room for flexibility in your backstory so be as creative as you like. Bear in mind that you may come from almost anywhere in Golarion, as long as you have somehow ended up pledging yourself to the Children of Murder.
# No 'good' alignments and thus no Paladins. But Groum the Lord of Iron is not evil, and nor do you have to be to be chosen by him to lead the tribe to Glory.
# The campaign will begin at Level 3.
# You have have two traits as you please as long as they are justifiable in your backstory. That said, no 'rich parents' please.
# I particularily encourage Bards, Rangers, Fighters, Barbarians and Sorceror's, but don't treat this as a 'only these classes list'. Having at least a couple of these classes will greatly aid the group though.
Happy posting, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
As a final note, I am looking to use Google Wave to run this after I have been introduced to it courtesy of Me'Mori *tips hat*. I have invites spare for this campaign.
Since you are in GMT +0, what time period will you be playing in if doing a real time game?
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Since you are in GMT +0, what time period will you be playing in if doing a real time game?
Its play-by-post including combat. Im usually up and about 1-2PM GMT and usually until at least 10PMGMT I can check in and make posts. I do suffer from insomnia so and thus can be up as late as 2,3,4,5 or even 6AM GMT sometimes.
Since you are in GMT +0, what time period will you be playing in if doing a real time game?Its play-by-post including combat. Im usually up and about 1-2PM GMT and usually until at least 10PMGMT I can check in and make posts. I do suffer from insomnia so and thus can be up as late as 2,3,4,5 or even 6AM GMT sometimes.
OK, that works. I thought google wave was real time.
I have considerable RP experience and a few PbP under my belt.
Right now, I'm thinking half-orc. Maybe a cleric or ranger or cleric/fighter or cleric/ranger or fighter/ranger or... I will have to work out a good backstory. I might get it in tomorrow. Or I might stay up too late tonight and do the back story. :)
Also, what about starting equipment? It may affect character concept.
I'm interested, but neither have nor want to do a realtime game - especially since I'd likely be in class or at work most of the times you have mentioned (8am to 4pm here).
I'll work on a backstory tonight, in any case. Kind of want to play a wizard, but a rogue might do as well...
P.S. - I have never done PbP on this forum before, but I have done PbP before and have moderate experience with 3.5/Pathfinder.
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I'm interested, but neither have nor want to do a realtime game - especially since I'd likely be in class or at work most of the times you have mentioned (8am to 4pm here).
I'll work on a backstory tonight, in any case. Kind of want to play a wizard, but a rogue might do as well...
P.S. - I have never done PbP on this forum before, but I have done PbP before and have moderate experience with 3.5/Pathfinder.
Sorry people i'm getting a little confused here- someone clarify the difference between a Real Time game and an ordinary PBP for me please. I intend this to be a play-by-post you check in on when you can and make posts, not a 3-4 hour slot each second day your expected to be at. I thought I had made that clear.
EDIT: Missed a couple of other posts there. To clarify a few things-
Google Wave CAN be real time but can also function for PBP.
Starting equipment is standard wealth for a Level 3 Character (use the PF character wealth by level table). This equipment is made up of gifts from the leaders of the Children of Murder to the subjects of the prophecy.
I'd prefer no multiclassing within these first three levels; you may have only been a commoner before the greatsword appeared on your shoulder; at best you were probably a 1st Level PC. This greatsword was a harbinger to skills you did not know you possessed, to dormant physical and mental prowess, and in some cases strange and exotic powers. This can lead to some interesting backstories- as a Wizard you may have suddenly had the knowledge of another flood your mind... I'll allow creative control on how this worked for your PC.
Finally, as another note for character creation- use average HP as per the PFS rules for every other level than first. That is-
D6 HD Class= 4HP/Level
D8 HD Class= 5HP/Level
D10 HD Class= 6HP/Level
D12 HD Class= 7HP/Level
Ah, cool. I didn't realize Google Wave could work outside of realtime, so that's cool. Are you allowing multiclassing after 3rd level? I'm toying with the idea of an eventual Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster.
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Ah, cool. I didn't realize Google Wave could work outside of realtime, so that's cool. Are you allowing multiclassing after 3rd level? I'm toying with the idea of an eventual Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster.
Yes multiclassing after 3rd Level is absolutely fine (and you may want to consider being a half-elf to get the most out of a multiclass).
Its just initially easier if your all in a single class, for plot, versimilitude and my clarity.
I've a gnome barbarian concept that I've been considering for some time; it might just be perfect for this adventure. That said, I'm unfamiliar with Google Wave. What exactly is it, and how steep is the learning curve?
EDIT: Oh, another question. How would you feel with using the tiefling variants described in Bastards of Erebus? I've a tiefling bard concept that might work well here, but it'd really be best if that character was demon-spawned; teflings as presented in the Bestiary are devil-spawned.
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I've a gnome barbarian concept that I've been considering for some time; it might just be perfect for this adventure. That said, I'm unfamiliar with Google Wave. What exactly is it, and how steep is the learning curve?
EDIT: Oh, another question. How would you feel with using the tiefling variants described in Bastards of Erebus? I've a tiefling bard concept that might work well here, but it'd really be best if that character was demon-spawned; teflings as presented in the Bestiary are devil-spawned.
Considering I learnt how to use it just tonight, its ok. Its overwhelming for the first half an hour or so but its not a steep learning curve.
Flavour-wise demon spawned works better in the Hold of Belkzen than devil-spawned; but what are the differences mechanically?
Darrus - CN half-orc rogue (with later intention of multiclassing as a universalist wizard)
Life took many twists and turns for Darrus.
He was never certain who his parents were, though he's fairly sure his mother works at a brothel - he even knows which one. He was found as an infant, squalling in a trashcan outside a dockside establishment in Riddleport. Likely his mother had not realized which of her johns was the father when she carried him to term, and had a change of heart on motherhood when he was born with green-tinged skin and an underbite.
It didn't matter to Darrus, anyhow. His family was a pack of street orphans who found him and took him in. Those who were close to him found him quiet and thoughtful, his curious blue eyes often with a distant look. He was suprisingly intelligent in spite of his orcish side. However, his usual role in the gang was as muscle, in scraps with other orphan gangs, or as a decoy - someone to get some merchant's attention while other children swiped a bit of food or coin.
One of these fateful scams involved Osglin Faide, a cyphermage who funded his studies of the Cyphergate through a small magical supply shop. Darrus's role was as usual - go in, knock over some stuff, and while the wizard was chasing the "clumsy orcish oaf" out of his store, others would be stealing valuables to be sold later for meals. It all started out okay, but then Darrus blew it. His curiosity got the best of him, and instead of knocking things over, he started asking questions about them. Osglin realized at once that the young half-orc was no idiot, answering the questions and asking many of his own.
The gang was more than a little upset that Darrus had blown the plan, but feathers were soothed when he was hired by Osglin as an assistant. Darrus wasn't always available anymore for some underhanded jobs, but it did bring a more reliable source of income in.
This happy time was not to be, however. Darrus never found out the particulars, but Osglin managed to irritate one of the crimelords. Darrus came to work one day to find his employer and mentor being stabbed by a dark, hooded man. Two more assassins were dead on the floor. The cloaked figure turned, and saw Darrus... who fled.
He wasn't safe in Riddleport anymore, and neither were his fellow orphans with him around. So the half-orc teenager left the pirate town, heading east. He needed a place to get lost in... so he resolved to join an orc tribe in the Hold of Belkzen.
He heard about the Children of Murder in Freedom City. He wasn't a warrior, but surely they had use for someone with a keen mind and a (mostly completed) education in the arcane? After all, if they accepted elves, and halflings, and gnomes, they couldn't all be warriors. He sought out the tribe, and joined up. They were a little violent for his tastes, but then, that was to be expected. They gave him protection, cared for him, and he gave back to the clan in whatever way he could. He wasn't particularly religious, however, and it came as a complete shock when Gorum apparently chose him to lead the Children of Murder to glory...
Flavour-wise demon spawned works better in the Hold of Belkzen than devil-spawned; but what are the differences mechanically?
Mechanically speaking he would receive ability modifiers of +2 Strength, +2 Charisma, –2 Intelligence, rather than what's listed in the Bestiary. I would also like to use a variant ability listed in the book: rather than the darkness spell-like ability, I'd like him to possess oversized limbs:
You have oversized limbs, allowing you to use Large weapons without penalty.
His weapons would do more damage, but they'd be rarer and more costly as well. The biggest reasons I'd want this, however, are twofold: it would allow him to possess a specific stage presence, as well as serving as a blatant sign of his heritage. Other variations from the basic tiefling presented in the Bestiary would be purely cosmetic.
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Flavour-wise demon spawned works better in the Hold of Belkzen than devil-spawned; but what are the differences mechanically?Mechanically speaking he would receive ability modifiers of +2 Strength, +2 Charisma, –2 Intelligence, rather than what's listed in the Bestiary. I would also like to use a variant ability listed in the book: rather than the darkness spell-like ability, I'd like him to possess oversized limbs:
You have oversized limbs, allowing you to use Large weapons without penalty.
His weapons would do more damage, but they'd be rarer and more costly as well. The biggest reasons I'd want this, however, are twofold: it would allow him to possess a specific stage presence, as well as serving as a blatant sign of his heritage. Other variations from the basic tiefling presented in the Bestiary would be purely cosmetic.
MAJOR EDIT: Having just looked through Bastards of Erebus i'd like you to gen it 'by the book' so to speak- if you are 'picking' your heritage your first feat will have to be 'Fiendish Heritage'- and I will roll three times on the table on page 63 and tell you your three options.
Alternatively, we can randomise your heritage but that way you only get the one roll on page 63 :).
That works nicely- go ahead and stat him up :). Incidentally will you be favoured classing Rogue or Wizard?
I'll go with wizard on that one. I'll regret it if we get TPK'd before level 6, though. ;)
Hmm... as stated, I haven't done PbP on these forums before. Should I create an alias for him, or use my own account?
Haluk has always had a talent for druidic magic. Unfortunately, a talent is all he had - just enough to get him in trouble with his clan due to their fear of magic, and not enough to actually help him. He lived in fear and persecution, and one day when the camp was attacked he fled during the confusion, never looking back. He wandered the wilderness for many years, living off the land and seeking out other druids. The few he found that were willing to train a Hobgoblin had no luck teaching him, and sooner or later he set off on his own again every time. After one too many close calls with travelers who didn't stop to ask questions before attacking, Haluk eventually sought shelter with the Children of Murder.
Haluk's connection to the natural world has given him a skewed view of social behavior - his instincts push him towards tradition, but the only law he now recognizes is the law of nature. He is always gracious and kind to everyone, but responds with brutal viciousness when challenged.
Some time ago, Haluk awoke to find a greatsword-shaped scar on his shoulder. Since that day it is as if a cloud has lifted from his mind, and his magical talents have grown by leaps and bounds. He has kept the scar hidden, but his new-found power has not gone unnoticed. Some of the higher-ranking members or the tribe have begun to worry about him, afraid that he may challenge their authority with his disregard for normal rules of rank.
Regardless of whether or not I'm in the game, I'd be happy to offer my advice on Google Wave. I'm by no means an expert, but I have about 6 weeks of experience running a game of my own.
benkuhnking AT googlewave DOT com
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That works nicely- go ahead and stat him up :). Incidentally will you be favoured classing Rogue or Wizard?I'll go with wizard on that one. I'll regret it if we get TPK'd before level 6, though. ;)
Hmm... as stated, I haven't done PbP on these forums before. Should I create an alias for him, or use my own account?
Its up to you, as long as I have some kind of working character sheet to check over- we will take it over to Google Wave once its all ready.
Edit: Everyone without a Google Wave account please send me an e-mail to alexkilcoyne at hotmail dot com telling me who you are so I can reply and send you a Google Wave invite. If you already have an account, e-mail me anyway with your account details so I can add you as a contact.
Far Wanderer you are most welcome with your Druid :)- I will press you for more character details once the Wave's up and running.
This is ok but oversized limbs is significant more powerful than Darkness. You have some options-
Use this variant Tiefling but keep Darkness instead of Oversized limbs, and keep the various small bonuses Tieflings get (not Fiendish Sorcery though).
Use this variant with Oversized Limbs, but lose your choice of 'Skilled' or "Fiendish Resistance"- both listed in the Bestiary.
I'd prefer the latter, dropping fiendish resistance; I see him as having had to lie his way out of several tight spots, so skilled is probably worth keeping.
A Tiefling with a charisma bonus with Fiendish Sorcery can have the equivalent of 22 charisma as a Sorceror at Level 1- so that can't happen.
You don't have to worry about this; I could see multiclassing from bard into a few levels of rogue or fighter, maybe even barbarian, should the story develop in such a way. But sorcerer wouldn't work with the concept I've got in mind.
I'll get to work on posting a concept for you to look at.
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This is ok but oversized limbs is significant more powerful than Darkness. You have some options-
Use this variant Tiefling but keep Darkness instead of Oversized limbs, and keep the various small bonuses Tieflings get (not Fiendish Sorcery though).
Use this variant with Oversized Limbs, but lose your choice of 'Skilled' or "Fiendish Resistance"- both listed in the Bestiary.
I'd prefer the latter, dropping fiendish resistance; I see him as having had to lie his way out of several tight spots, so skilled is probably worth keeping.
A Tiefling with a charisma bonus with Fiendish Sorcery can have the equivalent of 22 charisma as a Sorceror at Level 1- so that can't happen.You don't have to worry about this; I could see multiclassing from bard into a few levels of rogue or fighter, maybe even barbarian, should the story develop in such a way. But sorcerer wouldn't work with the concept I've got in mind.
I'll get to work on posting a concept for you to look at.
Please see the post you quoted from- having had a look over the .pdf in question I've changed my mind slightly on this.
MAJOR EDIT: Having just looked through Bastards of Erebus i'd like you to gen it 'by the book' so to speak- if you are 'picking' your heritage your first feat will have to be 'Fiendish Heritage'- and I will roll three times on the table on page 63 and tell you your three options.
Alternatively, we can randomise your heritage but that way you only get the one roll on page 63 :).
MAJOR EDIT: Having just looked through Bastards of Erebus i'd like you to gen it 'by the book' so to speak- if you are 'picking' your heritage your first feat will have to be 'Fiendish Heritage'- and I will roll three times on the table on page 63 and tell you your three options.
Alternatively, we can randomise your heritage but that way you only get the one roll on page 63 :).
I've no problem taking the feat at first level. I was hoping for a specific look, but I'll take what the dice give me. Who knows, maybe giant gorilla arms are in my future anyway.
Do you mind if I pick the variant cosmetic features? It might let me maintain the concept I was considering, regardless of the outcome of the rolls.
Far Wanderer you are most welcome with your Druid :)- I will press you for more character details once the Wave's up and running.
Once you post that additional information on the tribe I'll start coming with more things that he's been up to since joining.
Meanwhile, I'll go start working on the character sheet in a wave - I have a fairly decent template that I can share with you once we get connected.|
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MAJOR EDIT: Having just looked through Bastards of Erebus i'd like you to gen it 'by the book' so to speak- if you are 'picking' your heritage your first feat will have to be 'Fiendish Heritage'- and I will roll three times on the table on page 63 and tell you your three options.
Alternatively, we can randomise your heritage but that way you only get the one roll on page 63 :).
I've no problem taking the feat at first level. I was hoping for a specific look, but I'll take what the dice give me. Who knows, maybe giant gorilla arms are in my future anyway.
Do you mind if I pick the variant cosmetic features? It might let me maintain the concept I was considering, regardless of the outcome of the rolls.
Assuming you don't end up looking comical or ridiculous thats fine.
I'm afraid gorilla arms were not your fate.
But you have three very tasty options.
21 You possess fiendish luck. Once per day you can reroll one
die. You must take the result of this second roll.
46 You gain an additional +2 racial bonus on your Intelligence (ignore)
Edit: Actually i'm not comfortable with a +2 from this offsetting the -2 you have; i'll reroll it.
79 You receive a +1 bonus on all Fortitude saving throws.
98 You receive +1 bonus hit point per level.
21 You possess fiendish luck. Once per day you can reroll one
die. You must take the result of this second roll.46 You gain an additional +2 racial bonus on your Intelligence (ignore)
Edit: Actually i'm not comfortable with a +2 from this offsetting the -2 you have; i'll reroll it.
79 You receive a +1 bonus on all Fortitude saving throws.
98 You receive +1 bonus hit point per level.
I'll go with the bonus hit point per level; he's not going to be putting too much faith in luck, and the extra hit points should help keep him up in fights as well as surviving the situation that brought him to Belkzen. I'll get the concept up soon.
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The Children of Murder Tribe
Suffering defeat after defeat and tragedy after tragedy, the tribe has been reduced to a mere two hundred total, with armed and skilled warriors making up only a few dozen of the tribe.
Tribe Demographic
Male-Female Ration: About 65:35, with very few female warriors.
Tribe Non-Combatants- 168
Tribe Combatantants- 38
Tribe Leadership
Chieftain
The tribe is led by an aging, but still mighty Orc Chieftain known as Gruurk. Gruurk is not known for his intelligence or his wits, but he bravely leads the Children of Murder into battle, cursing his tribe's cowardice as the tide usually turns against them . Gruurk inherited the position from his father Guugash, who was the Chieftain when Gorum forsook the tribe. Guugash took his own life in shame. Gruurk is known for his ferociously short temper and the flaming Falchion he wields known as Immolator; one of the few relics left from the Children of Murder's days of glory.
Strategist
The only person in the tribe who can truly claim to have Gruurk's ear, many in the tribe whisper that he is the real power of the tribe; the intelligent and educated Half-Orc known as Xanthius (a name he picked for himself in Taldor). Xanthius knows many things about the world and seems to be extremely well-travelled.
Xanthius is known to be very dangerous, and his enemies within the tribe often 'disappear' while Xanthius is consulting with Gruurk; so clearly he is innocent. Battle strategy and policies are often decided by Xanthius but to his frustration his best-laid plans often go wrong to completely unforeseeable factors.
Shaman
A devout middle-aged Half-Elf, Zacharius of Gorum lives to serve as a Cleric of his Deity; and he preaches that Gorum is indeed a Half-Orc underneath his armour. Zacharius is known to wish he was born a Half-Orc; those who know of his past tell a tragic tale of rejection from both his Human and Elven ancestors.
Zacharius is rarely seen without being fully clad in full plate, with a large field plate helmet obscuring his face in the fashion of Gorum. His skill at healing and dressing wounds has helped to preserve the smal fighting force the tribe has left. Recently, after dreaming of the Prophecy and hearing Gorum speak the names of his Chosen, Zacharius has found renewed vigor in his faith and is beginning to play a very active role in the tribe after a period of half-hearted efforts in the last two decades.
Tribe Geography
The Children of Murder are poised in the south of the Hold, on a small hill near the border of Nirmathas, having been finally driven here about 15 years ago. The large tribes that harried the Children of Murder have long since returned to their homelands to seek worthier prey, but the Children of Murder are regularily under attack on two fronts; aggressive Rangers from Nirmathas regularily raid their territory and hunting grounds in order to keep the Children cowed, and a rival tribe of similar size to the CoM known as the Darkskulls are on the verge of defeating the CoM once and for all.
The hill upon which the CoM village is situated is very defensible, and the tribe have built a crude, ten foot high wooden wall with sentries posted. Nearby to the settlement is an old Dwarven ruin leading underground; scavengers and bone pickers raid the ruin and brave the inhabitants in order to acquire metal to produce the glorious tools of Gorum. A small forest nearby provides the CoM with enough wood to meet their needs, but they find their logging parties frequently under attack by Darkskull raiding parties.
Tribe Culture
In their glory days, the CoM were a confident tribe, poised to make history by uniting the Hold of Belkzen. That confidence has long since faded, and most of the common folk have a defeatist attitude and believe Gorum has long since abandoned his Children. Most people in the Settlement's alignment is Neutral with Chaotic and Evil tendencies.
Here is my submission:
Togo, LN Human monk
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I'll go with the bonus hit point per level; he's not going to be putting too much faith in luck, and the extra hit points should help keep him up in fights as well as surviving the situation that brought him to Belkzen. I'll get the concept up soon.21 You possess fiendish luck. Once per day you can reroll one
die. You must take the result of this second roll.46 You gain an additional +2 racial bonus on your Intelligence (ignore)
Edit: Actually i'm not comfortable with a +2 from this offsetting the -2 you have; i'll reroll it.
79 You receive a +1 bonus on all Fortitude saving throws.
98 You receive +1 bonus hit point per level.
On the bright side you can keep the Tiefling stuff, with the +1 hit points replacing your Darkness; you can keep the Resistances and Skilled, although we now have a gentleman's agreement you won't take levels in Sorceror :P
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Here is my submission:
Togo, LN Human monk
** spoiler omitted **
The backstory works fine... but with a minor detail change; members of the Children of Murder actually broke you OUT of the prison, claiming they had been sent by their Shaman. You joined the tribe in gratitude at your release and appreciation of the respect the tribe gave your martial prowess- you have been blooded many times defending the tribe against the Darkskulls. Since the greatsword appeared, your martial prowess has increased dramatically, although you have a strange urge to wear armour at times...
Monk will work well for this campaign and the backstory is solid, get chargenning :).
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So by my reckoning we have this group forming up-
A Human Monk
A Hobgoblin Druid
A Half-Orc Rogue
A Tiefling Bard
Theres one slot left for anyone interested- no class duplication please. A meaty front line Barbarian or Fighter would fit well, as would a Cleric or Ranger. No Wizard submissions from this point please, but I can accept a Sorceror. Assuming his concept is solid, The Thing gets priority as an early poster.
Edit: Wanderer ignore my comment about -2 Charisma for the Hobgoblin, scrap that. I had thought +2 to two ability scores was a bit powerful but they don't get a lot else so I retract my -2 Cha requirement
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Here we are. I went with larger than normal arms anyway, but rather than having any additional benefit as a result of these limbs they remain cosmetic; his arms are big, but they're no longer monstrous in size or strength.
Koveluss Vossare
CE male tiefling bard
Numerous rumors were whispered by Westcrown's citizenry, each more outlandish than the last, each claiming to reveal the truth behind Koveluss' fiendish heritage. These tales continued to circulate for several years, constantly assailing the twins as they grew. The youths' father didn't help matters. Once their mother's manager, he rarely spoke of the woman that had given birth to his children. When he did it was always in anger, claiming her death was his own fault, that Koveluss was nothing more than a mistake that had ruined his life. He rarely cared for the boy, leaving him on the streets for weeks at a time. It was only due to the kindness of his sister Genevieve that his rough childhood failed to truly break the youth.
Koveluss displayed a knack for the dramatic early in life, and the reputation of his mother allowed him to draw a level of attention that would normally be impossible for any other actor his age. Playing on his fiendish heritage, the young tiefling's performances combine acting, storytelling, and percussion to portray the horror and tragedy so popular in Cheliax. Unfortunately not everyone found the young tiefling's works amusing. He was beat regularly, often left unconscious in an ally until found by his sister several hours after the fact. Except for one time.
When Genevieve witnessed the group of men kicking Koveluss as he lay on the ground, she took up a loose cobblestone and charged the attackers. They easily caught the young woman by her wrists, twisting her arms until she dropped the stone and laughing when she began to sob. By the time Koveluss awoke both the attackers and his sister were gone.
After searching the city and questioning any that were willing to speak to him, Koveluss learned his sister had been seen leaving the city, carried away by the same thugs that had left him unconscious in the street. Devoted to his sister, he readily followed in pursuit, his travels eventually leading him to the Hold of Belkzen. The tiefling had succeeded in tracking down the group of kidnappers, but only after they had sold Genevieve to a slaver on his way to Urgir.
Unfortunately, few were willing to travel in the company of a tiefling, and as Koveluss set out from Nirmathas and entered the lands of the orc tribes he walked alone. Even a small hunting party from a tribe as disheartened as the Children of Murder found it easy to overpower the lone traveler. Only after he was delivered to the tribe did his captors take not of his features and clothes. Initially granted some degree of respect out of superstition and fear, Koveluss has since come to be regarded as a member of the tribe due to his actions and skills. He still yearns to find his sister, but the trail has long since grown cold, and he's hesitant to give up the sense of acceptance that is rarely found by those of mixed blood such as his.
Though he has been accepted by the Children of Murder, Koveluss finds it difficult to trust others. Even as a member of the tribe he remains an outsider, in his mind if not in that of those around him. He feels that if the gods where going to give him a break in life they would have done so a long time ago; if he wishes to succeed he'll have to rely on himself, using every skill and trick known to him in order to do so.
Koveluss stands just over six feet tall, with a pale complexion and angular facial features. His frame is generally lean, though his torso supports two over muscled and seemingly out-of place arms. What most mistake as hair at first glance is actually very fine, downy feathers, ranging in color from a deep auburn at his scalp to a pale grey at the ends; similar feathers cover his forearms. Koveluss keeps his plumage long and loose, and he often allows it to fall over his face to hide his glowing eyes. His entertainer's outfit is an elaborate affair worn over his armor, fur over leather, dyed various tones of red, purple, and black. The look is completed by demonically-themed metalwork and a ram-skull mask that rests on his shoulder when not covering his face.
Character sheet is all finished and ready to share once we have a Wave connection going.
All I've got left is an undetermined language. I've already got Goblin, Common, Druidic, Orc, and Sylvan, what's the next most common language in the CoM?
I'm done for the night, but I'll try to get some more backstory written up tomorrow.
Theres one slot left for anyone interested- no class duplication please. A meaty front line Barbarian or Fighter would fit well, as would a Cleric or Ranger. No Wizard submissions from this point please, but I can accept a Sorceror. Assuming his concept is solid, The Thing gets priority as an early poster.
If the next person interested really wants to play a bard, or if we're still lacking that meaty front line, I'll consider going with the my initial gnome barbarian. I might anyway, depending on if the bard feels too forced as I turn my concept into a character.
I'm not sure how effective a front line a gnome would make. I guess another member of the group could pick him up and use him as a literal meatshield. Provided they didn't mind having shortswords thrown at them as they sleep, of course.
I'd like to pitch in with a ranger submission. I'll do the sums today and post something here asap.
I'm a GM and player of PbP, but my games played have dwindled to two over the last month or so.
The backstory works fine... but with a minor detail change; members of the Children of Murder actually broke you OUT of the prison, claiming they had been sent by their Shaman. You joined the tribe in gratitude at your release and appreciation of the respect the tribe gave your martial prowess- you have been blooded many times defending the tribe against the Darkskulls. Since the greatsword appeared, your martial prowess has increased dramatically, although you have a strange urge to wear armour at times...Monk will work well for this campaign and the backstory is solid, get chargenning :).
I like the change, the feeling of indebtedness works well. Thanks, I'll stat him up and e-mail you. Campaign sounds like fun!
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I'd like to pitch in with a ranger submission. I'll do the sums today and post something here asap.
I'm a GM and player of PbP, but my games played have dwindled to two over the last month or so.
Backstory/Concept before build please :)
Probably Gnoll Far_wanderer. Whats your Wave addy btw?
Fair enough Heaven's but I particularily like Bard's and he has the classic Cheliaxian tragedy going there, i'd stick with him :)
I have the Half-Orc Rogue's charsheet and e-mail now so I've sent a Google Wave invite; can everyone else get in touch with me at some point please? Gracias.
Fair enough Heaven's but I particularily like Bard's and he has the classic Cheliaxian tragedy going there, i'd stick with him :)
I do, too, but I have a tendency to over think characters and concepts when I build them above first level; they cometimes end up too complex and soulless. We'll see how things go as I build Koveluss.
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Dang, this game looks like its full now... still, I think I'll make an
aasimar cleric of Gorum if aasimar's an okay race. Elf if not.Looks like the makings of an awesome game!
Aasimar is ok, they tend naturally towards good though instinctively so you'd have to get past that in your backstory somehow. Feel free to post a concept, and i'll have to decide who gets the final slot soon. I MAY extend the group to 6.
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I'm aware of time, so here is my first draft. I expect it will flesh out when I build the character, but this is what I would base it on...
The offspring of a village attacked by orcs, Corvus was shunned by her human family once she was born - and despised by the community. This she endured until she was ten, when she ran away to join her 'orc' family.
She trekked for six months, living off the land until she found a nomadic tribe that allowed her to join them. She soon learned that in orc society, a girl was considered little more than a slave.
This feeling of worthlessness persisted for six years, until her clan was raided by a rival. Once she realised that no rescue was coming - no orc would waste any effort looking to steal her back - she switched mentally from victim to bitter realist.
She ran away again and once more learned to live off the land. But the loneliness affected her. Independence is one thing but isolation is something else. Prone to mood swings - happiness is ecstacy but sadness is suicidal - the solitary existence only made matters worse.
She longed to be accepted somewhere and had heard of a tribe led by a half-orc. If he was accepted, perhaps they would allow a woman to join them as something of an equal?
A plan formed in her mind and she sought to destroy the one thing that the orcs hated more than females. Dwarves.
By this time, Corvus knew enough about the teachings of Gorum and that only a show of strength would earn her a place among the Murdered Child.
With the thrill of the hunt in her nostrils, she knew who the prey would be. One year later, and with two dozen dwarven skulls strung over her shoulder, and a longbow in her hand, Corvus walked into the stronghold of Wyvernsting - head held high.
Corvus Enca is a chaotic neutral, female half-orc ranger. She seeks acceptance most passionately and once gained, will demand respect and even fear. Like so many that have been bullied, Corvus relishes the opportunity to inflict pain on others and will persecute any that show weakness.
EDIT - You can substitute sword for bow and fighter for ranger if it helps the group dynamic.
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I'm aware of time, so here is my first draft. I expect it will flesh out when I build the character, but this is what I would base it on...
The offspring of a village attacked by orcs, Corvus was shunned by her human family once she was born - and despised by the community. This she endured until she was ten, when she ran away to join her 'orc' family.
She trekked for six months, living off the land until she found a nomadic tribe that allowed her to join them. She soon learned that in orc society, a girl was considered little more than a slave.
This feeling of worthlessness persisted for six years, until her clan was raided by a rival. Once she realised that no rescue was coming - no orc would waste any effort looking to steal her back - she switched mentally from victim to bitter realist.
She ran away again and once more learned to live off the land. But the loneliness affected her. Independence is one thing but isolation is something else. Prone to mood swings - happiness is ecstacy but sadness is suicidal - the solitary existence only made matters worse.
She longed to be accepted somewhere and had heard of a tribe led by a half-orc. If he was accepted, perhaps they would allow a woman to join them as something of an equal?
A plan formed in her mind and she sought to destroy the one thing that the orcs hated more than females. Dwarves.
By this time, Corvus knew enough about the teachings of Gorum and that only a show of strength would earn her a place among the Murdered Child.
With the thrill of the hunt in her nostrils, she knew who the prey would be. One year later, and with two dozen dwarven skulls strung over her shoulder, and a longbow in her hand, Corvus walked into the stronghold of Wyvernsting - head held high.
Corvus Enca is a chaotic neutral, female half-orc ranger. She seeks acceptance most passionately and once gained, will demand respect and even fear. Like so many that have been bullied, Corvus relishes the opportunity to inflict pain on others...
Ranged combatant sounds good- only thing I would change is that you haven't mentioned the Greatsword symbol appearing on her shoulder, and haven't quite hooked her up with the Children of Murder; they are situated on the south border of the Hold, the opposite direction from Wyvernsting. The backstory is nice for a ranger and justifies a favoured enemy I presume.
I guess it became somewhat first come, first served after all, but all the submissions have been good so welcome to the fray. Abstract, Far Wanderer, Heaven, Chronos and Derek please send me your character sheet & an e-mail to alexkilcoyne at hotmail dot com and I will send you a google wave invite in return. Derek I have received yours. Wanderer says he has a good character sheet template on google wave so we will likely use that once you have it all built up. Character generation rules are all in this thread (a little bit scattered sorry, the forums wont let me edit posts from over an hour ago).
Probably Gnoll Far_wanderer. Whats your Wave addy btw?
It's up in my original post in this thread, underneath the second spoiler tag.
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First draft for Encanus "Dead Eyes." I left any mention of his race out of it, in case aasimar does not fit.
As “Dead Eyes” Encanus(a name describing his eyes inability to show emotion) grew, his rescuer(a kind gnomish woman) explained why he had these dreams. She believed the caravan was attacked because they did not look like a threat, and proved they were not as smoke filled the night air and people were slaughtered. It was her belief that if she could explain what had happened, he could understand why he should not go out and seek revenge on the people who murdered a family he barely knew.
And her plan worked, though not in the way she had hoped. He wanted vengeance, but knew he was not strong enough. That is what stuck out to him the most. His family was attacked because it was weak. Slaughtered because it was not strong. It was not long before he was getting into fights with anything he could goad into attacking him. He lost more often than not, and had more broken bones, fat lips, black eyes, and cuts that even 'seasoned adventures' thought of him as reckless and foolhardy. A hot-head they called him, when they thought he could not hear, a violent man in the making. But he knew the truth of his actions. He was learning from every loss.
A month passed without a single fight, then two. He would disappear for long parts of the day, always exhausted when he returned. Everyone thought the fight had left him, leaving him nothing more than a child with a tongue more fit than his fists. Until the fights started again, and this time, Encanus did not seem to be fighting alone. He had found an old holy symbol of Gorum, and prayed for strength. He remembered each defeat as he prayed, and over the course of his self-imposed training, the prayers were answered.
Now he has grown to adulthood, no longer a child in the Children of Murder. His blade, covered in nicks and dents, is at his side no matter what. He felt at home here, and some of his nights were peaceful. Who was to say why he like it here, among people so like the ones that tore his family away from him? He will not say this to anyone, but it is because he wants his new family to be strong, so he does not lose them too...
Something incredible has happened though, a blessing from Gorum himself! A sword matching his holy symbol has appeared on his shoulder, but until he learns what it's appearance means, he tells everyone it's a tattoo.
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First draft for Encanus "Dead Eyes." I left any mention of his race out of it, in case aasimar does not fit.
** spoiler omitted **...
Sorry but he doesn't sound very Aasimar-ey to me, but I like the backstory regardless. I'm afraid I filled up when I approved abstract xp but theres a good chance someone will disappear off the face of the earth or find they don't have the time/ don't enjoy the campaign so if or when that happens I will let you know asap.
Edit: Actually I will extend the group to 6, but as the 6th you are on probation thus if you aren't active enough I will keep the group at 5 but if 6 works out well then it will be ok. Feel free to gen a character and send me an e-mail.
To anyone else; this group is now FULL although once we get going I will welcome spectators on the Wave :P
2nd Edit: Dragonborn he sounds like a fighter to me :P
3rd Edit: The e-mail address given in this thread is also my MSN address which is an excellent way to contact me, especially if you want a hand with your characters.
I'll send an email straight away - just to make contact etc. The character will be complete within 24 hours.
I'll stick with the ranger then (with dwarves as a favoured enemy). I'll add in the symbol's appearance in my second draft.
I pulled Wyvernsting from 'Campaign Setting' as it said that's where the Children of Murder are situated, so I'll amend that appropriately.
As an aside, in my GMing experience, the more people makes the game run smoother for role-playing. It can get a little interesting with combat, but the interaction between players is worth that effort.
Oh, and thanks...
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I'll send an email straight away - just to make contact etc. The character will be complete within 24 hours.
I'll stick with the ranger then (with dwarves as a favoured enemy). I'll add in the symbol's appearance in my second draft.
I pulled Wyvernsting from 'Campaign Setting' as it said that's where the Children of Murder are situated, so I'll amend that appropriately.
Eh??? They exist??? I made that name up lol!
Just checking in. Character is almost finished, but at this point I think his stats are done. I've sent an email as well.
Eh??? They exist??? I made that name up lol!I'll send an email straight away - just to make contact etc. The character will be complete within 24 hours.
I'll stick with the ranger then (with dwarves as a favoured enemy). I'll add in the symbol's appearance in my second draft.
I pulled Wyvernsting from 'Campaign Setting' as it said that's where the Children of Murder are situated, so I'll amend that appropriately.
I don't have the Campaign Setting, but I do have Curse of the Crimson Throne 5: Skeletons of Scarwall, which has a section about the Hold of Belkzen. No mention of the Children of Murder, but the paragraph about Wyvernstring does mention that the current leader is Hundux Half-man of the Murdered Child.
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I don't have the Campaign Setting, but I do have Curse of the Crimson Throne 5: Skeletons of Scarwall, which has a section about the Hold of Belkzen. No mention of the Children of Murder, but the paragraph about Wyvernstring does mention that the current leader is Hundux Half-man of the Murdered Child.Eh??? They exist??? I made that name up lol!I'll send an email straight away - just to make contact etc. The character will be complete within 24 hours.
I'll stick with the ranger then (with dwarves as a favoured enemy). I'll add in the symbol's appearance in my second draft.
I pulled Wyvernsting from 'Campaign Setting' as it said that's where the Children of Murder are situated, so I'll amend that appropriately.
Ah right, pure coincidence. Not related :)