First of all, welcome everyone! We are about to embark on a grand and epic adventure, so I hope you enjoy it very much!
This is the OOC discussion thread, where we will be discussing aspects of the campaign OOC. This is also the place to post if you have changes in your life that will prevent you from posting for a while (job, school, work, etc.). This is also the place to post your thoughts and critiques on the campaign, and offer me some real-time feedback to help make your experience as awesome as possible.
What I now need everyone in the party to do is this:
- Create aliases for your PCs complete with an avatar that resembles their physical likeness.
- Transfer all of your character sheet data into your character's profile page, so that I can check it as necessary. I'm going to require that everyone keep accurate and up-to-date records to keep cheating/fudging to a minimum. By nature, Pbp's play fast and loose with the rules as it is, so I would like to do everything in my power to keep things fair and honest.
- Submit (post) your character's wish list as far as magic items, new pets, etc. I want you divide it up by price, and list only one item per price increment. The price increments are as follows:
1,000 gp or less
5,000 gp or less
10,000 gp or less
15,000 gp or less
25,000 gp or less
50,000 gp or less
100,000 gp or less
Please bear in mind that this does NOT mean that your character will get everything on their wish list. In fact, it's entirely possible that they won't receive a single item from it. However, it does help me with ideas for loot, or for potential rewards if you are playing your character extremely well.
Thats all for right now, but if you have any questions/concerns, then by all means let me know.
Qarxan reporting for duty!
Will get the sheet up in my profile soon!
Thanks for the spot! I can't wait to see your world in action, it looks really promising.
Just checking in for now, I'll finish the equipment list a little later and also get to work on the wish-list.
Talic here, ready to pilfer, I mean adventure ;)
edit: will work on that wishlist for you.
A sea-tanned woman walks out of the ocean mist.
"I am here as the currents would bear me."
I'll have the preliminaries up later today on the profile.
Today and tomorrow will be spent on introductions, rules, etiquette, and so on. Tuesday morning I will start the actual Pbp thread and link it here.
But for right now I have some questions for you guys, namely, do you want to role-play meeting each other, or would you like to start as a group? I will admit that the "PCs band together to form a party" phase is probably my least favorite one, but I also understand that some players love getting the chance to make their own introductions, so I will leave the decision up to you. I will put it to a vote, majority wins.
Second question, what type of campaign do you favor? A kick-in-the-door style of play? A role-play heavy, dialog driven story? Or something in between?
I prefer a balance of the two, and I'll do my best to make both the action cinematic and the NPC interaction deep and intriguing.
Third question, and this is mostly for your characters : What would you like to get out of this campaign? What does your character dream about accomplishing? What are his/her aspirations? How do they feel about the world they live in? If they could change it, what would they do?
Answering these will not only help you to play your character, but will also give me a baseline as to the ambitions and ethics of the group, so that I can design more meaningful encounters.
Also, one last note and this is extremely important: This game is supposed to be fun. That's the whole reason we play it. If at any time you are not having fun, then you need to let me know and I will do everything in my power to improve your experience. If your not happy with a current storyline, or are upset about how a certain NPC handled interacting with your character, then talk to me about it.
This may be my world, and I may be the one who sets the stage, but you guys are the true stars of the show, and I think that as long as we communicate well, everyone will have a great time.
One: Already teamed up is my preference!
Two: A balance is also my preference!
Three: Qarxan is primarily motivated by discovery of old secrets and magic, if he could get powerful and set up his own wizard's tower someday and travel the world and planes that would be a long term goal.
1: Either works for me, I have a slight preference for roleplaying our meeting, so long as we have a good reason provided for sticking together. Otherwise I'm fine with glossing over that bit.
2: I also prefer a good balance of the two, though I have found that PbPs tend to work better with a slant towards more RP over combat.
3: Right now, Emmentian isn't really thinking about the future, he just wants to get as far away from his past as possible. In the long term he might come back to his motivations of trying to discourage technological advancement, but it depends on how he develops through the campaign.
1:Not picky, though my last pbp introductions broke out in song, hoping not to repeat that fiasco.
2:Balance. roll play and role paly, I like to get use out of my skills, as well as feats and weapons.
3:Talic lives day to day, rarely thinking long term. When he does, he dreams of someday owning his own Ship, be it a Sandship, captain of a pirate ship, or some air contraption from the gnomes. Anything that elts him explore a world that seems to small, even for one of his size. On a more personal level He often wonderds what happened to his aprents.
Hmmm... Anyone heard from Samisel at all? He hasn't checked in yet.
Normanak is in a PbP I'm running; he doesn't get online as much at weekends as during the week so he might not post until tomorrow.
Hmm, good to know. Thank you :)
That reminds me, I need everyone's email addresses. Not only so that I have an alternate way to get a hold of you, but also so that I can send you info and visual aids that are specific to your character, but that you may not necessarily want to share with the rest of the party.
You can reach me at b_h_bloomer@hotmail.com
If you guys would like to just email me a PDF of your completed character sheet, that would be fine as well. Keep in mind that I would need a new sheet after each level up.
1) No real preference.
2) I like balance also.Where and how do we create a character page? I have a PDF of my character ready (gotta love Hero Labs character generator).
Email is : tcottone0430@earthlink.net
I can email you a .txt template file that I use to write out the character sheet on the forum if you'd like.
Go ahead and send the .txt file, but I can't promise my iPad will be able to read it. Also, if you send me an email, be sure to include your character name, otherwise I won't know who the email is from.
EDIT: I just realized you were talking to Deston :)
akislord@yahoo.com
Samisel here.
I'll work up his stats tonight. My email is normanak at aol.com. Thanks.
GM, are there any cavalier orders specific to your world or the elves or should I just go with the APG?
Deston - got your character sheet, looks good.
Emmentian - I would like the wish list to be more of the fun, flavorful variety, rather than any of the "big 6" items. And starting gold will be based on class as per normal Pathfinder rules.
Samisel - there are orders specific to Verdan, but for now just pick an order out of the APG for mechanics and I'll reflavor it for you, as well as giving you some background history/info about your specific order. We'll also need to stat out your chameleon mount.
Wish-list is on the profile page. All fun stuff, that the character would enjoy. Some categories were hard to decide lol.
Lol nice list. We'll just have to wait and see what a mischievous halfling like Talic gets his hands on ;)
I just had a vision of him surfing on his Flying carpet across the desert listening to "magic carpet Ride" by Stephen Wolf.
Well, you don't know what
We can find
Why don't you come with me little girl
On a magic carpet ride
This was probably mentioned before but I didn't notice it. Avg starting gold or max starting gold?
Max starting gold. Your characters are all resourceful, self-made men and women, so your wealth personal wealth would be a little above the norm.
I think Emmentian is ready.
But for right now I have some questions for you guys, namely, do you want to role-play meeting each other, or would you like to start as a group? I will admit that the "PCs band together to form a party" phase is probably my least favorite one, but I also understand that some players love getting the chance to make their own introductions, so I will leave the decision up to you. I will put it to a vote, majority wins.
Second question, what type of campaign do you favor? A kick-in-the-door style of play? A role-play heavy, dialog driven story? Or something in between?
I prefer a balance of the two, and I'll do my best to make both the action cinematic and the NPC interaction deep and intriguing.
Third question, and this is mostly for your characters : What would you like to get out of this campaign? What does your character dream about accomplishing? What are his/her aspirations? How do they feel about the world they live in? If they could change it, what would they do?
1. I like roleplaying the meeting but for pbp it would probably be best just to start as a group.
2. I lean a little more towards role-playing myself.
3. Samisel has a job to do, one he doesn't particularly enjoy. (He'd much rather be at home in his beloved oak trees.) Mostly he hopes to complete his tour of duty in Oceania and get to Verdan. He'd love to see the world open up more with greater communication between the homelands.
All done!
So far, everything seems to be coming together nicely. I'm at work right now, but sometime later tonight I'll finish the map of Gold-Bottom Bay and post it here along with a big primer/campaign intro that should fill in the blanks as far as general character knowledge is concerned. Also ,keep a look out for an email from me that will contain info specific to your character that you may or may not want to share with the rest of the group.
Really try and get your profiles current and ready to go before tomorrow, because I am going to need to reference them quite a bit.
Profile's all set, need to stat the Chameleon.
if you go into your paizo account, you can create a alias, under messageboard alias. You can then select an avatar, i'd leave the faction blank. Then you can click on the name to open a profile. Feel free to look at mine or anyone elses
Ok, the primer is up! Please read the entire primer before you jump into the campaign via the link at the bottom.
All in-character posts should follow this format:
Normal text is for descriptions, fluff, actions, etc.
Bold text is for dialogue. Anything that is spoken out loud, or any sound that is noticeably audible should be in bold.
2. Please be polite to one another, both in character and out. I will not tolerate harassment of any kind, and being an a$$-hole is a sure-fire way to get yourself kicked out of the party.
3. When posting, please be proactive as far as actions/skill checks are concerned. If your character wants to sense motive, then go ahead and do it and I will tell you if you learn anything of note. Don't wait around for me to ask you to roll a skill check, because likely it will never happen. My job is to push the story forward in whatever way I can. The more proactive and ambitious your characters are, the more ways I have to deliver the story.
4. I haven't completely decided how I will run combat yet (and we will likely change the way we do it several times before we find something we are happy with). I'm not super concerned with precise tactical movement and making sure your character gets every single attack of opportunity or combat advantage he/she can. I'm more concerned with keeping the combat engaging and fast paced. This means that I will likely gloss over quite a few things. So, if you want to flank, trip, AoO, grapple, etc. then your best bet is to include it in your post (preferably in an exciting, cinematic, and logical way). If it makes sense to attack a foe as he runs past you, and you present it in an entertaining way, then I'll allow it, regardless of how many AoOs you've already made that round. But if it's not logical or you start abusing it, I'll start doing everything by-the-numbers and bog down the thread for weeks on a single enemy :)
5. Combat initiative will work like this: whoever posts first after I call for initiative gets a +4 bonus to their initiative roll (this stacks with improved initiative). If at least half of the party posts within 2 hours of my initiative call, then the party goes first, regardless of the enemy's initiative. If not, then the enemies go first, regardless of the PCs initiatives.
6. If at all possible, try not to post out of turn during combat. Allow a window of at least 8 hours for the party member ahead of you to post; after that allotted time, you may post out of turn. Also, during non-combat/RP sessions, try not to hog the boards. You should wait until at least two other PCs have posted (GM doesn't count) before you post again.
7. Since this is a Pbp, GM fiat will likely happen often. If I sense that a particular combat or dialog is taking too long and bogging down the story, I will do my best to wrap it up nicely and logically, but make no mistake - I WILL wrap it up. So that means if two of the PCs are engaged in a week-long philosophical debate, prepare to get ambushed. Your entertainment takes precedence over hard-nosed realism. If I DO end up stealing your moment of glory, try to be flexible and roll with it. If I see that your character is making sacrifices in an effort to push the story along, I can guarantee you that he/she will get handsomely rewarded down the road.
8. MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL, HAVE FUN!!!!!!!
Of all the raucous, rowdy, low-brow pirate ports in Oceania, none is quite so charming as Gold-Bottom Bay. Once a simple trading stop for smugglers and other misfits, Gold-Bottom Bay has grown into a sizable city with a healthy if not entirely stable economy. Traders from all over the world seek its white sandy beaches in hopes to set up shop and hawk their wares to the many wide-eyed tourists who frequent their markets. The main export is treasure; whether it be an ancient knick-knack or a chest full of gold doubloons. Pearls are also a hot commodity, and few vendors can rival the size, shape, and color of the ones that come from the waters surround Gold-Bottom.
Aspiring treasure hunters can find just about anything they need if they know where to look, from the latest gear to the newest rumor of lost but not quite forgotten wealth. Alternatively, a daring man can try his luck in one of the many casinos the Bay offers, such as Calypsia or the Lucky Harlot. Even the simple fishermen make an easy living, as Gold-Bottom's exotic species fetch a hefty price in foreign markets.
In fact the one real problem in Gold-Bottom isn't how to get money, it's how to keep it from robbers, con artists, and thieves, all of which are a very real problem in a place as lawless as the Bay. With no city watch, no militia to speak of, and no police force, it's every man for himself, and though some would like to keep it that way, the general population in Gold-Bottom longs for a change. And with two vastly different political groups vying for the prize of social dominance, the fate of Gold-Bottom is anybody's guess.
Gold-Bottom Bay w/ points of interest
Floating in its own personal lagoon, the Lucky Harlot Casino is actually an antiquated war galleon that has been refurbished and refitted with gambling tables, ball droppers, and other games of chance. The ship turned casino is owned by retired pirate captain Armad the Sea Baron.
The story goes that Armad fancied a particular prostitute so much that one stormy night he went below decks to bed her rather than pilot his ship through the angry seas. The result was that he was washed ashore in the middle of Gold-Bottom Bay, miles from shore. When morning came, Armad was furious, cursing Calypso for his bad luck. As he sat there ruminating on his misfortune, the whore came up and bid him to come back to bed. She told him that there was nothing he could do, and his best bet was to wait and hope for a strong rain to float them back out to sea.
"And what shall we do in the meantime?", Armad asked her. "Bugger each other?"
"Oh, no, I'm much to tired for that", she replied. "We could play a hand of cards, though, if you'd rather."
It was then that inspiration struck, and the Sea Baron set about creating his casino. While not as posh or as fancy as Calypsia, the great odds and even better atmosphere have turned the Lucky Harlot into the most famous gambling establishment in Oceania.
The Harlot's direct competitor, Calypsia is a large, upscale casino that caters to the extravagantly wealthy. It is owned and operated by the Penderghast family, one of the richest and most affluent noble families in the entire world. Calypsia is as exotic a place as they come; the floor of the central atrium is glass, and patrons can gaze down at the multitude of bright colored fish that swim among the coral beneath their feet. The guest list for the posh casino is exclusive; a who's-who of young debutantes and young noblemen, and to be on it means that you rub elbows with some of the richest, most famous people in all of Aeon.
This sizable estate belongs to House Rutledge. Though typically looked down upon by the rest of the noble houses, House Rutledge has gained considerable wealth and popularity among the common folk thanks in large part to its youngest son, Garrett, who, along with the Freemen's Guild, has helped organize projects around the city to help feed the poor and improve their day to day lives. Young, handsome, and popular, Garrett Rutledge is one of the few people in Gold-Bottom with enough money and political sway to become the city's regent, should he ever push for the title.
Easily the largest building in the city, the Penderghast palace sits on a hill looking down upon the rest of the city, much as its matron, Emilia Penderghast, looks down her nose at the rest of the population. Shrewd, cunning, and cruel, Emilia has used her family's deep pockets to try and secure political control in Gold-Bottom and the rest of northern Oceania. Rumor has it that O.R.C.A. was payed a hefty price by the Penderghast family to enact a blockade of the waters northeast of the bay, an act that usually signifies war.
This colorful and bustling district is home to thousands of vendors selling everything from weapons to exotic pets to even more nefarious items, like narcotics and black-market liquors. The Treasure and Antiquities Consortium is also here, and treasure hunters from all over the world come here to have their findings appraised, for an appraisal at the TAC is considered the gold standard for treasure pricing around the world.
This modest guild hall houses the most popular guild and political group in northern Oceania. While the Freemen's guild is undoubtably composed of mostly smugglers, pirates, and other miscreants, it's their beliefs and values that have helped win over the hearts and minds of the common folk. Helmed by Armad the Sea Baron, and young Garrett Rutledge, the Freemen are locked in a political battle with Emilia Pendeghast and ORCA for control of the region as the city pushes for a more stable form of government.
Formerly a smuggler's den, Howler cave is actually a labyrinthine collection of sandy-floored caverns and underwater rivers that stretches for miles in each direction. It is said that some parts of the cave even hold ancient pre-Reclamation ruins, though no one has proved this to be true. Still, that doesn't stop ambitious young treasure hunters from braving the rapids and the subterranean creatures in search of lost fortunes.
The Oceania Revenue and Commerce Association constitutes one of the largest corporate enterprises in the southern hemisphere. While they started out innocently enough, greed and corruption have turned them from a reputably industry to an increasingly militant private military. They hold the southern Oceania in a vice grip, enacting stiff tariffs on anyone attempting to trade, be they smugglers or simple fisherman. They are funded by a collection of noble houses, led by House Penderghast, who view the organization as a way to flex their political muscle in an area ripe for the picking. Rumor has it that ORCA has gone so far as to set up a military blockade in the northeast between Seeker's Point and the Ember trade city of Pern, one of the few mostly reliable trade routes outside of the Crossing.
For one week, at the end of the crossing, Oceania celebrates its successful trading season by holding a massive festival featuring music, feasts, competitions, and games of chance. Gold-Bottom Bay becomes lit up with lights and adorned with ribbons and streamers of every conceivable color. Vendors, fat and happy from taking in so much money, tend to lower their prices in accordance with the spirit of the festival. Violence during the festival is generally frowned upon, and vendettas are put momentarily on hold while the festivities persist.
And that's it! Whenever you're ready, head on over to this thread and start posting!
Deston, check your email.
Neat map! Fun primer!
Thank you :D
Samisel, here's the stats for your chameleon mount (what's his name again?)
Size: Large
Speed: 50 ft.
Swim: 30 ft.
Climb: 50 ft.
AC: +1 Natural Armor
Attack: bite (1d8 plus grab)
STR: 15
DEX: 16
CON: 12
INT: 2
WIS: 12
CHA: 6
Special Qualities: low light vision, scent, +20 to Stealth when standing still.
7th Level Advancement
Size: Large
Speed: 60 ft.
Swim: 40 ft.
Climb: 60 ft.
AC: +2 Natural Armor
Attack: bite (1d10 plus grab)
+2 DEX
+2 CON
Special Qualities: Hide in Plain Sight (does not apply to rider), Tongue Lash (standard action, grapple attempt, 15 ft range increment, if successful target is dragged adjacent to chameleon).
working profile is up and done.. wish list is going to take a bit more time. I'm not sure of the 100,000 item entry. I assume this campaign isn't going beyond 5th level.
email contact
Samisel, here's the stats for your chameleon mount (what's his name again?)
Cool, thanks. His name is Ornerokh. According to some Elvish to English website it means tree horse.
Wish list.. Not married to any of these items save perhaps the dagger. Just filling it out as requested
1,000 gp or less Masterwork dagger perhaps with a scrimshaw handle
5,000 gp or less Folding Boat
10,000 gp or less Figurine of Wondrous Power azure hippocampus (as per bronze griffon but water travel instead of flight
15,000 gp or less strand of prayer beads
25,000 gp or less staff of some kind
50,000 gp or less Orb of Storms
100,000 gp or less Crystal Ball with Telepathy
I've made a slight alteration tho my wishlist. Seeing that three of us put down an Orb of Storms, I've switched it out for a Ring of Freedom of Movement.
Just wanted to pop in here and ask you guys what you think of the campaign so far.
Is it holding your interest?
Is it confusing you, or are you unclear of what's going on?
Am I being too controlling? Or not controlling enough?
Is the story fast paced enough for you? Should I slow it down?
Feel free to answer or not to answer, it's purely optional. I just want to get a bead on what everyone thinks so far. Thanks for playing, I'm having a blast GMing this, and you guys are roleplaying your characters very well. I am pleased at how we're doing :)
Everything's great so far. The primer has really caught my imagination, and all the artwork you're providing is a great help with the visualization.
Good, I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'm a big fan of using a lot of visual aids in a game. I feel it helps with the immersion.
I like it so far, pretty neat doing it like this, getting to game with completely different people is a big plus too.
OK, here we go:
Pistol: simple weapon-ranged
Cost: 150gp
Damage: (small)1d6; (med) 2d4; crit: (19-20)x3
Range increment: 20 ft.
Weight: 5lbs.
Damage type: bludgeoning and piercing
Musket: simple weapon-ranged
Cost: 300gp
Damage: (small) 2d4; (med) 2d6; crit: (19-20)x3
Range increment 50ft.
Weight: 12lbs.
Damage type: bludgeoning and piercing
Loading any firearm is a full round action requiring both hands and provokes an attack of opportunity.
New Feat: Quick Load
Benefit: You may load a firearm as a move action. This still provokes an attack of opportunity. If you fire in the same round, you take a -2 to your attack because of the lack of time to aim.
Ammo costs 5 gp for 10 shots w/powder.
There are additional flavor items(racial variances, special ammo, magical items, etc.), but the GM can decide on those, these are just the basics.