As the name implies, this is the OOC/discusion thread for the upcoming Bleak House story arc. Those of you who were in the original thread, please post your alliases with an appropriate profile here. I don't have a standard format, but I would appreciate something not overly labrynthine - using the spoiler function to break the character into smaller sections is always helpful.
I'd like to set a couple rules down before we get started:
Everyone must commit to one post per day. I don't think this is a terribly rigorous demand. It keeps things going and lets us know you're still active in the post. If for some reason you will be absent for a time, please let us know here and that will be taken into account. Your PC will be assumed to be following the party and doing all kind of unobtrusive stuff while you're gone, and I'll rebalance the encounters to account for the absence. If you do not give notice and go more than three days without a post, or you miss single days consistently, I will have to start looking for a replacement.
Everyone is assumed to have a 10 on their initiative roll. This will speed combat up drastically, as we won't have to wait two hours or more for everyone to post initiative. It makes improved initiative a hugely useful feat, I know, but in the spirit of keeping things moving, I'm sure we'll survive. It also is worth noting that if you sacrifice your first round of combat, you can still use the refocus action to bump your effective roll up to 20.
So that's that for now. I'm going to start working on converting the module, and provided everyone has their character up, we should be able to begin play by the middle of the week.
One post is, indeed, quite reasonable. I'll see about making a Paladin, then.
Do we get Traits as well?
I am fine with those rules. I will be making the character tonight and posting it tomorrow. Bronze dragon sorcerer.
I'll try to have something together tonight if I can. I'm trying to decide between a cleric of either the home faith of Ezra from Borca or from the LG Mordent sect.
Oh, and since this is the OOC thread, we should probably see if we can get it moved to the play by post discussion area. This section is for in character posting.
Here is the outline for Gerald's sorcerer. I'll flesh out appearance and background tomorrow night.
Oh right! I forgot to mention hp! Max result on the first die, after that, max result -2.
Megan Fairchild, half elf rogue swashbuckler (so long trapfinding...). Only basic ability score so far. Will have more details tomorrow.
I'm so far looking at a Human Paladin, female variety.
martinaj, are there any particular Paladin orders in the region we'll play in she could be from, or do you have any suggestions as to any particular Ravenloft book I should check out for Paladins there? I figure they might have had a proper Paladin code pre-written somewhere in AD&D Ravenloft.
Hmm. Megan, depending on your background (and alignment), we could have been friends for awhile or something. I'd like the idea of having traveled with a more lively, worldly companion.
Also, does anyone know which Pathfinder book Megan's avatar is from? I might use it for a p&p character.
Also, martinaj, do we get some Pathfinder Traits, too?
Also, uh. If at all possible and no one minds too much, would it be too much to ask to write dialogue like you would in a novel, rather than all weird and bold?
sorry for interfering.
Martinaj: You still looking for a game? We have one slot left.
http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/community/gaming/playByPostDiscussion/ dMZyrensHeartOfDarknessDiscussions&page=1#30
http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/community/gaming/playByPost/dMZyrensHe artOfDarkness&page=1#24
Czabor will be ready soon, all I have so far are his attributes. As far as his background goes, I was thinking he would have worked as a missionary in Falkovnia (human-centric, aggressive military dictatorship) after seminary and spent several years there. When he started gathering a small congregation of non-humans, Vlad Drakov's men took notice and assumed he was starting a revolution. He nearly died protecting his flock and ultimately had to flee; he's almost certain his followers are all gone and blames himself. Czabor now wanders the Core, seeking some way to atone for his failures.
(Von Doom, I believe the avatar is from the Second Darkness AP, an NPC.)
Here is Eron's background. He is a Gnome Oracle (Flame mystery). If it okay with you, I'm going to use the APG alternate racial traits and favored class options. I'll post his stat block later today.
***
Eron is a gnome Oracle from Varisia. The gnome village where he grew up is in southern Varisia not far from the coast.
He was seen as a parculiar gnome even among his people. His parents were loyal worshipers of Sarenrae. Eron found comfort in his worship of her, but was always fascinated by her association of fire. He loved dreaming of using her power of fire to destroy the evil that inhabited the ends of the earth.
His obsession with fire became more and more pronounced. Even his detractors though could not help but admit his great prowess with all things related to magical fire. His control of it seemed effortless.
The control that he possessed gave him overconfidence. It surged out of control one evening and the result was a fire that raged out of control through his village. Nobody was killed, but many homes were destroyed. Eron was seriously hurt with nasty burn to his left leg. It healed eventually, but he was left feeling very guilty. The scar was a reminder of the destruction that he had caused and the lives that were almost lost.
He left his village in shame. Wandering for a year or so he finally boarded a ship...hoping it could take him to a happier place.
***
Grunthor grew up as a typical Barbarian, but his tendencies to do good were beginning to push him away from his tribe. One night around the fire he decided he had had enough and in the morning left the tribe and took his blacksmithing skills to civilization in hopes of finding a job among the 'civilized' world. Much to his dismay he soon learned that civilized didn't mean what he thought it would mean and departed by boat for other lands in hope of finding some real civilization.
My profile should contain all relevant information.
Hi everyone.
I threw my name in the ring with Martinaj's initial thread. I am not sure if I am still in on this Bleak House adventure. I was hoping to contribute with a farmer (since we start at level 8 he will be a retired soldier) who is fed up with all of the freakin' crap takin' over the land. So he takes up his scythe é or pole arm to set things a'right.
Not sure yet how he ends up on a ship. I`ll figure that out.
Am I still in?
I posted some of the starting ideas for the build on this profile.
Hmm. Megan, depending on your background (and alignment), we could have been friends for awhile or something. I'd like the idea of having traveled with a more lively, worldly companion.
Von Doom, I think we can definitely work something out in terms of Megan and your paladin being friends. Megan's alignment is NN, but she won't be the "I do whatever I feel like" type. I believe, in fact, a LG and NN character can complement each other quite well, as long as you don't catch Megan stealing...Bruhaha!
Martinaj, I am thinking of getting Megan parade armor, which she inherits from her Elven/Human mother. Since you know the campaign setting better than I do, is there a good country/region that you can recommend the armor be from? Below are the armor's details:
Parade Armor
Most wealthy countries with standing armies have a different uniform for use in showy noncombat situations such as parades, coronation ceremonies, and so on. The appearance of this armor varies by the country of origin and the branch of the military, but still provides some protection in case the soldier needs to fight while in parade dress (for example, the parade armor of the Eagle Knights of Andoran is a blue coat reinforced with light chain, white breeches, and thick blue leather boots).
Benefit: If you’re wearing a country’s parade armor, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks to influence a person from that country.
Source: Adventurer's Armory
Oh, and do we get traits?
Xixia, yeah, you're still in. Everything looks good so far, except that we'll have to make minor tweaks to Eron's backstory since the game is not set in Golarion. A few name changes it all it should take. Not sure what a good substitute for Varisia would be, but Darkon somwhere from the forests in the central Core would make the most sense. As far as deities, the best parallel would be Belenus (LG) or the Morninglord (CG). Both of them are sun gods from different pantheons. The church of Belenus is very dutiful and and is centered in the forested region of Tepest where people live in small communities and look to Belenus for protection from the fey. The Cult of the Morninglord (I love the concept of a good-aligned cult, btw) is a little more widespread and less dogmatic, mostly encouraging its members to be proactive and carrying a message of hope (often using the dawn as a metaphor).
Also, I'm afraid things might slow down a little bit. My computer perished this day, and right now I'm actually using a family member's PC. Working on obtaining a new one, and till then subsisting on whatever laptops I can jank from my relatives.
Hmm. The Morninglord sounds pretty compelling -- he's not really lawful, but the message of hope thing sounds very interesting. Does he have Paladin followers?
He most certainly does. His clerics and paladins have a reputation as hunters of the living dead, and are on slightly kinder terms with fey creatures than most mortals (but don't expect them to invite you over for tea. They're still pretty capricious).
Awesome. Now I just need to think of a name (please disregard the silly current one, just have to be careful not to write more than 10 posts), and I can get started with the Background and Personality.
D'you have any preference now as to where we'll be from originally, Megan? Will it be Darkon?
Just don't get too excited. I'm afraid I may have to put the game on hold for a week or two until I can procure a new computer. All my conversion notes have been lost, and I dread to think of how chaotic things will get if I start rebuilding it piecemeal onto the computers of various friends and family (not to mention the lack of tact in such an act). Until that time though, hang on to whatever characters you make, because I still intend to run this bugger! Any questions about the world or the rules as they apply to the setting, place them here and I'll try and deliver a prompt answer.
No problem, I need more time to work on Czabor anyways; it's a busy week.
Will be hear when you get back.
Righto, I hope you can get your stuff back soon. :)
Same as James Keegan, here, on my end.
No problem with the slow down. Good luck with getting your computer and the conversion notes! If there is a definite start date, please let us know.
My previous questions are:
1. Need a nation/region for the parade armor.
2. Traits?
New question:
1. How far (in terms of lvls) will Bleak House take us?
Ideal nations for parade armor would be:
Dementlieu: This is the core's gem of civilization (heavily inspired by urban france). Heavy plate armor is rarely used on the battelfield anymore due to the advent reliable firearms, but high ranking military members frequently don ornamental suits of armor on formal occasions.
Borca: As in Dementlieu, heavy plate is beginning to go out of style in this serpent's nest of scheming nobles, though it stills sees practical use on occasion. Firearms exist, but are not as prevelant as they are in the west, and advanced metalurgy allows for some truly stunning armor. However, most of those who can afford such armor regard it as clunky and unrefined, and are likely to display the suit in their foyer, sticking to the rapier on the battlefield.
Mordent: Such armor would have huge historical importance here, likely bearing the crest of one of the nation's seven exctinct noble houses. Usually, wearing heavy armor of any type in Mordent marks one as a classless ruffian, but the added prestige of the armor you're talking about would mark the wearer as someone who knows their history at the very least. They might be alternately regarded as a lost heir or a troublemaker.
As far as traits, I don't really like to use them. I tend to be open about benefits from your background, though, so if it makes sense for your character to get a small bonus on a check or a slight bump in NPC attitude due to their history, they're likely to recieve it.
Mordent: Such armor would have huge historical importance here, likely bearing the crest of one of the nation's seven exctinct noble houses. Usually, wearing heavy armor of any type in Mordent marks one as a classless ruffian, but the added prestige of the armor you're talking about would mark the wearer as someone who knows their history at the very least. They might be alternately regarded as a lost heir or a troublemaker.
Mordent sounds great. Oh, and parade armor is actually light armor, although heavy armor + rogue is an interesting idea :p
Thanks for the clarification on traits.
Ah, and as far as levels go, the Bleak House adventure is split into three arcs, and I'm trying to level you up twice in each, so you'd be 14th level at the climax. However, because of the way everything ran in 2nd edition, the conversions don't match up too well, so I'm preparing myself to alter these plans as you guys near the end of an arc to make the next one more or less challenging as appropriate.
I am pretty much done with Eron. I might tweak his gear a bit. Please take a look and let me know if you have any questions.
D'you have any preference now as to where we'll be from originally, Megan? Will it be Darkon?
Von Doom, I don't really know the Ravenloft setting very well. I picked Mordent as Megan's Elf mother's homeland. Do you know if that's in the central core? Even if it's not, we can always say Megan and your paladin met on the road.
Martinaj, I had this really cool idea that I think will unfortunately gimp Megan. Since she is a dual-wielding half-elf , I want to name her dogslicers Elf Killer (+1 elf-bane) and Man Slayer (+1 human-bane). The thing is, from my experience, while human opponents are pretty frequently met, elf foes are few. What do you think? I like the idea, but I rather have +2 weapons than weapons that come into play once in a while.
Martinaj, would boots of speed be kosher? The market price is 1K over the 11K limit. It would really help Megan as a TWF rogue. On the other hand, if anyone else in the party can caste haste, I wouldn't need this item.
Martinaj, would boots of speed be kosher? The market price is 1K over the 11K limit. It would really help Megan as a TWF rogue. On the other hand, if anyone else in the party can caste haste, I wouldn't need this item.
This is Gerald's sorcerer, who knows Haste, and plans on casting it a great deal!
This is Gerald's sorcerer, who knows Haste, and plans on casting it a great deal!
Thanks! That's 12K better spent elsewhere!
Hi martinaj,
Are we still on for this game?
Martinaj,
I, too, am wondering if we're still on for this game. I know you asked for two weeks to get a replacement computer (the holidays doesn't help either), but a little heads up on when we're going to get started would be much appreciated.
Indeed, would be good to get an update. I'd still love to play in this game.
Plus, I'll have the time to write up the character properly over the holidays. Last couple days at work were busy as hell.
HP:
Von Doom here. Thought of a proper name now. And I changed the picture.
HP: 7d10
Van, Martinaj said we get full HD at 1st lvl, then full HD - 2 for all subsequent levels.
Yikes, I forgot about that. Oh well, 7x8=56 +10 first level HP +8 favoured class. 74 HP (minus Con Modifiers) it is!
And as I'm going to get Hero Lab for Christmas (yay!), I'll have the perfect tool to do some fiddling around and get Serra all statted out tonight. Well, probably tomorrow, what with celebrations and all.
Looks like Grunthor and me will be the main frontline, then, unless our Oracle or Cleric get involved. I'm totally taking Shield Other, by the way, which Megan will probably appreciate!
By the way, your description is still that of some white-haired dude.
Looks like Grunthor and me will be the main frontline, then, unless our Oracle or Cleric get involved. I'm totally taking Shield Other, by the way, which Megan will probably appreciate
Oh great! Shield Other looks pretty awesome. Megan has pretty good acrobatics, but extra protection will help.
The white-hair description is another character of mine. I used his template for Megan's. I'll wait until Martinaj get back to us to finish up the appearance/bg.
Martinaj is active in the Kingmaker game I'm playing in as Brand Tarren, I'll ask him there later.
Well, it looks like he's at a holiday resort and won't get internet back before tomorrow.
Ok. Thanks for checking.
Same here. Hope we still have a game!
Just thought I would pass on a little about myself and Grunthor as we are waiting for Martinaj. I am a retired/unemployed computer programmer in Boise, ID. My favorite hobbies are listening to 60s and 70s rock & roll and reading Scifi/Fantasy books.
Grunthor's name was shamelessly stolen from a series of books by Elizabeth Haydon starting with "Rhapsody". He is of a race called Firbolgs. In Bleak House he is a Caliban, a race of large humanoids, he is 6'4" and weighs in at 232 lbs. His favorite pastime is testing the ales of various taverns (the perfect has yet to be found) and the eternal quest for the perfect female, (preferable over 6 feet tall and in excess of 200 pounds, she hasn't been found yet either.)
Grunthor is a barbarian who grew tired of the senseless life he was living with the tribe. He left and came to the "civilized" world in search of work as a blacksmith. After living here for a year he came to realize that "civilized" was a relative term and decided to take ship in search of a better land.
Same here. Hope we still have a game!
I'm getting a bad feeling about this myself, I fear. I hope Martinaj comes back, though!