Laric's Kingmaker Campaign [In Character]


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This campaign is already in progress and consists of the following characters:

Haplo: Half-Elf Ranger ex-bandit, grew up in the River Kingdoms.

Lior: Human Druid, outcast from the realms South of the Stolen Land.

Rolecks: Gnome Cavalier, accompanied by Midna his wolf mount.

William: Human Wizard, a military engineer from a wealthy family in Restov.

So far the heroes have dealt with the bandits at the Thorn River Camp and brought back some Moon Radishes for Svetlana.

------------------

Pharast 5th 4708 AR: Journey to Bokken's Hut

Shortly after sunrise, you pack up your gear and mount your horses and set out to explore the snow-covered plains to the East of Oleg's Trading Post. As you travel you keep notes and draw a crude map of the area. Towards the end of the day, you spot a hut in the distance with a whisp of smoke barely clearing the top of the chimney. You are about 1 mile away from the hut.

You...


Human Druid

...say 'Bill, first of all, I didn't know you were a military engineer, and second, your family has money? Why are you in a bad mood all the time?'


Human Druid

should we make a new statustracker to keep track of the spells we have prepped for today?


Human Druid

apparently the light gray means out-of-character talking


I think we should make a plan of action. It'll be important not to seem aggressive, but we should be prepared, in case this hermit is crazy.

Oh, and I'm glad that annoying clover ran away.


***looks around to see what everyone else is doing***


Male Half-elf Ranger
Lior wrote:
I think we should make a plan of action. It'll be important not to seem aggressive, but we should be prepared, in case this hermit is crazy.

I agree, we should proceed with caution. The man's a hermit, and we're not likely to be well received. I suggest that only one or two of us approach the door, so we appear less intimidating.

Lior, perhaps you and Bill should speak to him as you are both magic users. Seeing fellow magic users may make him more receptive to our presence.


Actually, I'm not the best at talking crazy people out of the trees, and Bill here can be a little abrasive at times, so maybe we should try and keep quiet. I think Rolecks should do the talking, with his weapon put away...you can keep to the trees, hidden, and get ready to let off a few arrows if anything happens.


Haplo gives a cursory look around for suitable places to cover the group's approach. The snow covered plain appears fairly barren and the trees are few and far between. A single leafless tree stands fairly close to the hut on its far side.

As the group is strategizing about the best way to approach, you all spot a human-sized figure coming out of the hut. It walks over to the side of the humble dwelling and begins gathering wood from the pile stacked against the wall. It gives no sign of having noticed the group.

You...


Ok hold on. This is a freaking guy that lives alone in a hut that might or might not sell potions. I'm walking up to him and asking if he has any stuff to sell. If he doesn't, he's a damn waste of my time and we'll just go on our merry way.

If he's a crazy horse@#!@ and attacks me then he's dead and we'll salvage the day by being the new owners of whatever crap is inside his hut. That's the plan.

...Bill walks over unarmed

btw, sorry for being late to the party but was sick for a couple of days...i just checked this out.


Rolecks watches Bill cautiously but merrily.


Bill spurs his horse towards the hut.

About 100 feet away from the hut, you can make out the figure as a dishevelled old man, his wild grey hair sticking out at all angles.

He straightens up, the pieces of wood lying forgotten in his arms. "GOOD... DAY!" he yells, pausing between the two words as if searching for the appropriate greeting.

Looking at the group with his strange eyes, he steps towards you, mumbling to himself all the while.

"Say, did you happen to bring any fangberries? I'm running low."

Knowledge (Arcana) roll - Trained only

You...


stupid online dice roller... rolled 4 + 8 = 12

No fangberries. I can't say i'm the berry carrying type. Sorry to disturb you. Me and my "friends" over there are new to the area. We've heard there might be an alchemist or potion maker living around here. We're quite in needs of supply. Would you be the man we're looking for?

My name is William Coleco btw and don't worry we're not bandits.

..you see..bill isn't always a dick..he's just a dick with stupid people, people that say stupid things or people that make stupid plans


Whoa, ok there, Let's keep things friendly. Remember rule #1!

Bill seems to recall fangberries being used as a base for making certain potions.

"William?!?" he says in a high-pitched voice. "Cursed name that... I had a brother named William once." He holds up his right hand indicating his missing pinky finger. "Bastard cut that offa me the last time he hit my mother, Desna rest her soul. But he took off right after to live in a hollow tree down south, rather than face the guards, so I guess it all worked out well enough..."

"huh, well, too bad about the fangberries... if you come across any, please bring them back and I'll give you a discount on my potions... I'd get them myself but the nearest patch is about 55 miles South of here in the Kamelands and it's been a hard winter." He speaks in a swift and clipped fashion as if he's eager to finish the conversation and move on to something else.

"Anyway, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Bokken. I don't really consider myself an alchemist... self-trained and all, but I've got some potions..." He says as he motions the group into his hut.

The inside of the hut is in complete disarray with every manner of trinket cluttering every inch of space: stuffed animals, lizards, birds in one corner; rocks, quartz and minerals on the shelves; rows of dried herbs and flowers, and brush hung along the walls of the hut; a woven basket at the front appears to be filled with bunches of moss and mushrooms of all sorts...

On a large table in the center of the hut you see several pots with different tags on them. As Bokken reads out the tags he states the price for each potion:

Healing - 75 gp (Cure Light Wounds)
Warmth - 75 gp (Endure Elements)
More Healing - 450 gp (Cure Moderate Wounds)

He has 2 Healing, 2 Warmth and 1 More Healing potions available at the moment.


After leaving Bokken's hut, the group made it's way South and found a crude map on the body of Black Jack Costigan, a dead bandit that they had earlier set free.

They then spent a day exploring the the Northern Kamelands and found an untapped Gold Mine.

Excited at this prospect the group decided to explore West into the Narlmarch Forest for a Ruined Temple of Erastil.

Upon entering the fortress they were attacked by a group of Boars and this proved to be the group's greatest challenge yet.

The group decided to spend the night camping in the abandoned Thorn River Bandit camp.

The night passed without event.


Pharast 8th 4708 AR: Exploring the Thorn River Camp Area

You spend the first part of the day exploring the North-Eastern bank of the Thorn River. The banks of the river are thick with stinging nettles and tangles of sharp brambles. The river itself is relatively narrow, averaging 60 feet in width and 30 feet deep.

Around mid-day, you come across the remains of a collapsed bridge. The bridge dates back to another era and seems like it would have been quite sturdy in its day.

In order to finish exploring this area you have to find a way to cross Thorn River.

Anyone who wants to swim across the river needs to make a swim check (which includes any encumbrance or armor penalties) for themselves as well as a swim check for your mount (+3 for the light horses, +0 for Midna). Any failed swim checks will add 1 hour to the amount of time spent exploring the hex.

Also, Bill can make a Knowledge [Engineering] check to assess the collapsed bridge.

You...


gets up slowly

Boy, it's nice to be alive.

Well, let's see what we can do. Rolecks - Haplo - Midna - let me see if I can help you out a little bit.

Rolecks 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Haplo 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Midna 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2


btw I didn't adjust the statustracker

Let's cross this thing already and get going. I can help everyone out by casting Guidance before they jump in the water.



A good night's rest hasn't washed away yesterday's humiliation. Bill will be creating a color spray scroll today. That spell has saved the group's behind a couple of times now. We can never have enough color sprays.

Scribe Scroll: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Knowledge (Engineering) for bridge: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22


Well Lior, might you forget that there's still snow everywhere. Dying of hypothermia would be even more humiliating than being killed by pigs. We should at least TRY to find a non swim-through-icy-water plan...


It seems the DM had also forgotten what season it was : )

Bill assesses that with some tools and a handful of people willing to carry out his directions that he could have the bridge functional again in a few days.


looks dismissively at Bill Most of us didn't grow up with fancy heated baths and servants and whatever else you're used to. Who's whining now? It's cold water, true. If you want to spend a few days building a bridge, be my guest. Just spare me the constant complaints about how we're not getting places as fast as you'd like.


Bill turns to Lior with a wide smirk on his face

Two points woodsy,

1) I don't care that we're not getting places fast as you say. In fact, I'm perfectly fine in taking our sweet @ss time. What's the rush anyway? You want to be ready for mating season?

2) Yes IT IS cold water. We'd be in the middle of the freaking forest with frozen clothes...in fact not only our clothes but our all of our crapsacks of stuff would be wet and frozen (including my spellbook and our scrolls). Do you have a magical time warping clothesline in your backpack that can dry up stuff in seconds? Lior, maybe you should remember that you're not running around with a pack of furry bears.

I can make that bridge functional in a couple of days. I could also probably design a crude raft. If you have a plan that doesn't involve me having a fever and eating goddamn noodle soup for a week then please enlighten me.

Bill turns back to the rest of the group while rolling his eyes.


I'd be happy to enlighten you. The plan is called IF WE WANT TO STAY ALIVE WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO WORK AS A TEAM AND DEPEND ON EACH OTHER. You; unfortunately, have always got something nasty to say, and usually it's about how stupid you think we are, though clearly you're no paragon of common sense.

No one is making you stay with us. If you think you'll do better with other people, feel free to go find them. When the sh*t hits the fan, I know that Haplo and Rolecks and Midna have my back, but I feel like I'm just as liable to get knifed by you if it'll get you ahead somehow. If you're not in a bloody hurry, and don't need to be anywhere, I don' t want to hear any more complaining about how you don't have time for me to find the temple of MY GD and help ONE OF MY BROTHERS. I don't CARE if you don't care about Erastil. If you're part of a group, what is important to one of us is respected by the others. And it's not like I want to be the 'leader', because there's nothing I want less. I'm just pointing out what we all should know.

As for the water, I don't need a 'magical time warping clothesline', city slicker. If you haven't noticed, I know how to survive in the wilderness, and I don't need a scroll to quickly make a fire. The wood on the opposite bank isn't wet, and it won't take me any time to get a nice bonfire going - certainly not two days. I've done crossings like this before, and I know we can survive without problem, OR I WOULDN'T HAVE SUGGESTED IT.

You want to make a bridge? Fine. You want to make a raft? Fine. Just learn how to be halfway decent. I'm tired of all your crap. All it's doing is making the group weaker, and that'll end up with us being dead.


ok ok ok...I'll resit the urge to threat you like a little girl here. I clearly don't feel like having a touchy feely conversation with you but let's get this out of the way.

When did i ever say anything wrong about this group? Roleck leads by example and I couldn't say enough good things about Haplo. Hey i even have some good amount of respect for your magical prowess so please let's stop with the sensitive bull@#$ and have a LOGICAL conversation.

If you know how to get us through this river without us dying then please explain the plan. I certainly will opt for an option that doesn't take 3 days expect that I've yet to hear any damn plan from you.

Bill was starting to get worked up so he pauses and takes a deep breath

...and about that stupid temple. Had you mentioned that this was YOUR god and explained why you wanted to go there then maybe everybody would have understood why this was so goddamn important to you. Until now, all i knew was that a possibly mentally challenged man came to us and told us about his dreams. The only people that goes on quests dreamed up from the mentally challenged are the mentally challenged! Again, if you'd LOGICALLY explain what you want to do, maybe we could actually plan what we're doing.

So are we done here? Can we now sanely talk about how to cross this damn river?


Bill knows that it will be impossible to repair this bridge without some proper tools. Based on your previous visits, the tools would likely be available at Oleg's. A crude raft could likely be constructed with the equipment you have presently but would take full day of work.

Lior knows that crossing at this time of year is possible but the water would be very cold (and anyone failing a Fortitude saving throw would need to spend the rest of the day warming up by a camp fire)


What about our gear like scrolls, spellbook, alchemcial items we just bought, etc...i'm assuming that some(or most) of this might be ruined by being plunged in icy water...what's the the basic assessment?


Those things would indeed be ruined if they get wet,but you are a smart and resourceful group with a great deal of equipment, skills and special abilities at your disposal. You can find a way to get passed this river without ruining all your stuff.


the User returns from trying to figure out what to do with the baby whose fever will not break

I'm not done yet. We might as well finish this now, when we're just four guys trying to figure out how to cross a river, instead of five years from now when it's a hell of a lot more complicated when we're trying to run a fcking NATION here.

This isn't about being touchy-feely. It's about being ADULTS and WORKING IN A TEAM, because if we don't, we're all going to die, one way or the other.

Teammates trust each other. When one says something, the others don't immediately think they must be full of sh*t, even when they don't understand. You could have just ASKED me why I wanted to go to the temple...OR, alternatively, you could have just LISTENED, or maybe THOUGHT for two seconds. You're the one with the genius-level intelligence, right? Did you notice that even though I'm not a cleric and know relatively little about religion I knew a sh*t-ton about Erastil...and that even though I'm a druid somehow I know how to shoot a bow? Listening...thinking...asking...these are things that we'll all have to do when we're running a country and we have actually DIFFICULT challenges to face.

Just like the plan for crossing the river - just LISTEN. I already SAID six seconds ago that I'd make a fire...do I really need to slowly draw out the plan of how people get warm and dry in front of a fire?? Use your genius intelligence, man!

I'm glad you love Haplo and Rolecks. You don't need to like me, or make small talk with me, or hang around me. But bad news - I'M ON THE TEAM, so you HAVE to respect me, and you NEED to listen when I talk, because even though you're a genius, you're an idiot, when it comes to the big picture. You're the one that I'll listen to when it comes to building rafts, or how magic works, or whatever...and I am the one that YOU will listen to on the occasion that I notice something that isn't right.

The bullsh*t ends here. Got it?

As for the river - it's SIXTY FEET ACROSS. That's probably shorter than your parents' driveway. I could THROW stuff across, even with my below-average strength. And the wizards that I know have spellbooks that survive a quick dunking ( recent decision in the forums). We can swim and I can make a fire, and even if we get cold we'll be ready by the am. Or, we can wait until tomorrow, and I can cast Endure Elements on those who think they'll be cold...though in that case, you might as well make the raft. I don't care either way.


http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinderR PG/rules/archives/whenSpellbooksGetWet&page=4#177


http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinderR PG/rules/archives/whenSpellbooksGetWet&page=4#177


whoops didn't see that GM decision before posting


Although the spellbook would likely not be entirely ruined, several pages/spells might be damaged. To repair the water damage, Bill would have to do work that would be equivalent to creating a scroll for each spell that was damaged. Therefore, Bill wouldn't lose any of the spells in his spellbook, but it might take a few days for him to get them back.

In the future, Bill can buy a waterproof spellbook case if he wants to avoid this risk. The group can also buy waterproof sacks to store spell components, as well as cases for your scrolls and maps.


Sorry guys, I have no computer till I get home to Ottawa on Tuesday. For now I'm limited to mobile phone typing. Rolecks pinches his nose in a manner befitting someone who doesn't want the melodrama of a full-on facepalm.

We just almost got killed by BOARS. We're not swimming across freezing waters with no knowledge of what awaits us on the other side and no easy way to get back across to Oleg's (or other safe land) if we need to retreat and heal.


If not crossing the river, your choices currently include:

North-West: Fairy Nest (You could follow Thorn River North but unless you find a different way to cross the river, you might be faced with the same problem.)

North-East: Moon Radish Patch (This hex has not been explored yet.)

East: Gold Mine (You have already explored this hex, but not the ones around it.)

South-East: Unknown (You could follow Thorn River South and see where it leads but you would be getting further away from the relative safety provided by Oleg's.)


We should continue on the path we've chosen. I say we either go north-west or south-east, following the river in one of the two directions, and look for a better crossing point.

We know the fairy nest is probably the safer path but involves less exploration. I'm up for going in either direction.


Bills turns to Rolecks and exhales in relief

THANK YOU Rolecks! I thought this conversation would never end.

I totally agree. I wasn't even thinking about needing an easy way to get back to Oleg if ever needed. That's some good thinking.

We can still go in whatever direction we had agreed upon without immediately crossing this river. This temple of Orrostil is west right? What do you say we follow the river west?

If we don't cross the river, does this mean we can't explore whatever hex has the river in it?


Hey guys, how did you change the name of your avatar? Went into my messageboard settings but couldn't find any option to change my name...


Until the group crosses the river, it will not be able to fully explore any hex with the river running through it. However, any hex that you half-explore will remain as such (i.e. if you find a way to cross in another hex and come back to the Thorn River Camp hex, you'll be able to finish exploring that hex without having to cross over to the side of the hex that you have already explored.)

If you look at the Greenbelt Tracker, according to the information that Perlivash and Tyg gave you, the river starts in the marshes West of the Fairy Nest so you would likely be able to find a shallow place to cross in that hex which would not require swim checks, but it would mean traveling further West.


Go into "My Account" and under "aliases" I think you can create a new alias for the messageboards.


Bill wouldn't know where the river starts since he clearly wasn't paying attention when the feys were talking. However, if somebody "reminds" him about this information it'll certainly reinforce his belief that his latest suggestion is the most logical course of action (and thus the best plan on the table).


Male Half-elf Ranger

Haplo steps forward to speak. He'd been so quiet, it's almost as if he hadn't been there for the last few minutes.

Rolecks, I believe we should follow the river northwest, back toward the Fairy Nest. The Thorn River is a long one and can be treacherous to cross. The Fey may be able to provide us with some more information regarding possible points of crossing.

Haplo turns to Bill and Lior.

I hope you two feel better now. These lands are hostile and your argument has caused enough commotion to attract the attention of anyone around us with a functioning pair of ears. We should get moving before something comes along that tries to finish what the boars started.


The group travels North-West along the banks of the Thorn River towards the Fairy Nest.


Lior turns to the Barbarian Super Saiyan, the sixty-year old man who suddenly took Bill's place, and the ranger with severe anemia

Yes, actually, I do feel better now.

starts whistling quietly


By the way, just so that no one forgets, I'm just about out of spells for today.


At dusk, while you are setting up camp, you hear some snickering coming from around the campfire. Ok, ok – I think now is a good time. whispers the familiar squeaky voice of Perlivash. Try to remember your lines this time. answers Tyg with a sigh.

As the group turns to observe, the two fey appear in front of the fire and begin speaking in a loud and dramatic fashion:

Tyg:
O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Then should the warlike Rolecks, like himself,
Assume the port of Gorum; and at his heels,
Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire
Crouch for employment. But pardon, and gentles all,
The flat unraised spirits that have dared
On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth
So great an object: can this campfire stage hold
The vasty forest of Narlmarch? or may we cram
Within this wood O the very bandits
That did affright the air at Thorn River?
O, pardon! since a crooked figure may
Attest in little place a million;
And let us, ciphers to this great accompt,
On your imaginary forces work.
Admit me Chorus to this history;
Who prologue-like your humble patience pray,
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play.*

Tyg then changes into the guise of a woman dressed in woodland clothes wielding two small axes. Perlivash seems to be riding an animated dog made out of leaves.

Perlivash:
Axey-Cut-Cut! You and your evil bandit bigginses have terrorized the poor innocent fey of this here forest for far too long! Prepare to die at the hands of the great Rolecks and his merry friends!!!

Tyg:
Mwahaha, well met Rolecks of the Little Red Riding Wolf! I am the nasty Axey-Cut-Cut! I kill fey by the hundreds with my wicked weapons of woe! I have dealt with the likes of you heroes before!

A duel ensues. After a short battle, Perlivash is victorious.

Perlivash:
Your reign of badness is over Axey-Cut-Cut. Your plan not to share any of your tasty fermented berry juice with the poor fey of this forest who work hard to make a living stealing fermented berry juice has failed.

Tyg:
Ha! All the fermented berry juice would have been mine… All mine!!! And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling Heroes! and that stupid wolf!!!

Perlivash:
Well remember this Axey-Cut-Cut, some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall*, but pity the fool who comes between a fey and its wine.

The playacting ends. Both fey rise seriously and take a silent bow.

* Adapted from Shakespeare’s Henry V and Measure For Measure


Male Half-elf Ranger

Haplo stands and applauds the performance.

Well done. You've really captured the...

He pauses, searching for words.

... spirit of it.


Rolecks applauds as well, smiling. Midna laid down, uninterested, through most of the performance but did focus on her leafy likeness from time to time, flicking her tail ever-so-slightly.

Your entrances never fail to entertain when our paths cross. I think even Midna enjoyed it.

Midna looks up at Rolecks, flatly, before resting her head back down, closing her eyes and sighing.

Perlivash, Tyg - welcome yet again.


makes mental note to remember to start making fermented berry juice when they get back to Oleg's

also stands, smiles, claps briefly. Says 'bravo, bravo' in Sylvan


A small and short lived smile appears on Bill's face. (He does appreciate clever wordplay). His mind then wanders back to arcane formulas, intricate mechanical devices and Svletlana's legs (The man has been stuck in the woods with a bunch of guys for weeks now...).

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