So I tried this a couple years back, only to have it fizzle. I've had an itch to give it another go, so I figured I'd see if anyone was interested in a PbP of this particular flavor.
I'd like a party consisting of 4-6 relatively experienced role-players. Pathfinder Core Rules mainly, with the possibility of stuff from the Adv. Players Guide being used. (I don't really have solid roles for the APG classes in this campaign, but if you can sell me on it, I'll probably go with it. Characters will be built using a 20 point buy. Special rules regarding races and classes will be used, as explained in the little gazetteer I'm posting. Character concepts and backgrounds are encouraged, and I'll gladly help make them fit into the scenario with additional background information. Right now, acceptable races and classes are different as standard as follows:
Standard Classes: Barbarians won't be used; clerics will have differences depending on whether they are followers of the "true" god Baal, or one of the pagan religions; paladins will require a different type of roleplay from the standard, as they will be rebels and outlaws; all wizards are specialists and to start they will likely be limited to Warders (abjuration), Seers (divination), and Vision-makers (illusion).
Races: Common: Dwarves, gnomes, halflings, humans. Uncommon: Half-elves. Rare: Elves, half-orcs. Non-standard races allowed: Plane-touched (Bear in mind that among the suspicious and paranoid people of the Iron Marches, those that are different are often feared...)
3)The Wounded Earth is the brainchild of myself and a longtime friend. I'll post a small gazetteer that explains things in more specific detail, but here's a general overview:
The Wounded Earth is a world suffering from the aftermath of an epic catastrophe. Much of the world contains strange phenomena caused by the apocalypse: a section of the ocean boils; a huge portion of the southern coast is a great, stinking morass; a massive glacier cuts through the mountains of the north, breaking up in an icy, inland sea; across the ocean to the south is a malign forest where the trees are said to devour trespassers, and they bleed when struck...
The exact details of the catastrophe aren't known to many, beyond what is written in the sacred book of Baal, the Iron Father. It is known that a massive influx of fiends was the catalyst. In order to save the world from destruction, Baal brought down the Interdiction, which closed the world off from incursion from the fiendish realms. Those already here were trapped, and are systematically hunted and destroyed by those loyal to Baal.
The campaign takes place in the Iron Marches, an area ruled by the dwarves. Their jarls rule individual areas of mountains and valleys. Humans are in thrall to the dwarves who protect these wards in the name of the great god Baal. Baal is the one true god; all others are malign influences whose power has been stamped out in the Marches. The dwarves patrol regularly, their warriors keeping their domain safe from monsters out of the wilds, marauding humanoid bands, demonic and fey influences and others that may harm the inhabitants. Sorcery is considered the product of bloodlines polluted by fiendish influence. Its spontaneous and uncontrolled nature makes it something to be feared.
Wizards are mostly known and respected, mainly because their powers are constrained by arcane study. Since the Interdiction, summoning magics that bring things of fiendish nature from the realms beyond no longer function. In fact, such magic and their practitioners were scourged from existence by Baal's inquisitors. Conjuration magics draw unwanted attention. Most wizards specialize in magic which helps the community, such as abjuration, divination, and illusion.
Humans are a subjugated race. They are limited in their ownership of property and their use of weapons and armor, under the watchful eyes of their dwarven lords. Elves are things of suspicion and mystery, lurking in their forest realms south of the mountains, though occasionally they find opportunity to dally with humans that catch their fancy, or wander too far from the Marches. Gnomes and halflings eke out a living in scattered settlements, or live with the dwarves or humans, respectively.
The campaign won't have much in the way of railroads, so I'll need players who can take some initiative. There are preplanned events that will take place, but how the PCs respond will determine how events unfold.
Flagging for later. I've really been wanting to pick up a new PbP since my last one fizzled (the one I was playing in, that is). I'm at work right now, so I don't have much time to read it, but I saw that you wanted players with initiative. If that's the case, I've got a wizard (diabolist style) who's got PLENTY of ambition. Not sure if that will work or not. As I said, I'll give the thing a good read when I get home.
This sounds excellent! I've been looking for a pbp to join for the last while and would love to join. I am a big fan of more sandbox style games and your world set up has peaked my interest.
I have several character ideas and will wait to learn more about your world before deciding on anything. At the moment I am thinking it would be great to play a bard or maybe an inquisitor but also have some other ideas based on what others would like to play and how your world dynamic functions.
Alright, the character that I'd LOVE to play might not fit into the setting so well, but I'm going to try and sell you on it anyways. He's a human wizard, specializing in conjuration, and more specifically, summoning and binding devils. It seems like there's been some pretty gnarly stuff going on with demons, and he feels completely justified in turning to the legions of Hell for aid. He's a diabolist (as presented in the PFRPG), someone who eschews worship of a specific deity and instead admires Hell as an ideal and ordered society (he's LN). He doesn't seek to emulate their cruelties or tortures, by any means, but he believes that if humankind, and indeed the world, is going to survive, then misguided good intentions must be thrust aside. He wants to see humankind flourish, and will attempt to bring out the best in humanity. He does not coddle, and would like to seize a place of power in society. After serving as a seneschal to an open-minded dwarven noble, he knows the ins and outs of rulership. He's got a bit of a grudge against dwarves, but he recognizes that it's their society that's the problem, not the race. Something of an orderly revolutionary.
I love the setting you have described, Shadowborn - and the interesting roles you envision for the races.
I prefer playing inquisitive and charismatic types....especially if I am to play a character, who I can use to help drive the plot for the campaign. The post-apocalyptic qualities of the setting incline me to consider a seer with an interest in cosmology and history....but perhaps instead of a wizard ...maybe a cleric or an oracle....a human. Actually an Oracle of the Heavens might be a interesting fit. I shall start crafting an enchanting Oracle for you and post my results in a profile.
She will be a wanderer, with some skills to survive in the wilderness and some healing magic. The curse will be chosen carefully...Tongues or Haunted come to mind.
I will write a brief, generic background which could fit into any fantasy world.
May we select traits? And what of starting gold?
Hmm. This sounds pretty interesting. I would be interested in playing a paladin human resistance fighter, or perhaps a fighter with the same idea.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32
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I'd like to put forth a human druid, possibly one who lives under plain sight, organizing worship to the spirits or nature or the like. Possibly a carpenter or someone who would have a reason to head into the woods, such as a lumberjack or herbalist. If there's an underground railroad for humans or pagans, he'd be in on it.
Also, I'm a pretty veteran roleplayer and PBP player here on Paizo. Also, I am made of magic elves. Like the Keebler elves, only mine make characeters. Made of cookies, but still, characters.
Posted in Oroupah's profile is the Oracle which I am working on.
She is a mysterious and beautiful woman. A stargazer with an interest in the Great Beyond.
Stats in profile!
Jon is a undercover druid, working as a herbalist for the dwarves and humans. He coordinates the loca underground resistance, leaving messages encoded by what flowers he places on the outside of his shop door. He does not keep an animal companion, because a creature acting in a strange way would be a dead giveaway; instead he has formed a close connections with the plant kingdom.
Here's my concept so far: Auric is a half-elf raised by his human mother. His childhood was difficult due to his mixed blood and his mother's difficulty supporting the both of
them. But ultimately it made him tougher and he developed a keen ability to read and influence people (skill focus in either sense motive or diplomacy)- which came in handy in deflecting bullies and suspicious dwarves, ultimately gaining him an advantageous position (he's either in a human militia or apprentice to a blacksmith, both positions he can exploit to aid the underground). It was his associates there that introduced him to the pagan gods, whom he follows devoutly. He's not a cloak and dagger operative- more of a contact/supplier that can use some of his organizational abilities and position to aid his fellows.
I'm intrigued. Given my last non-Paizo PbP has folded I've been considering picking up another one here, and I'm a sucker for any setting where dwarves are the dominant force.
My first thought is a dwarven inquisitor of Baal. Looking at our other character ideas that seems to run contrary to the general party flow, however. I'm not sure how hardline you're required to be to worship Baal (or maintain your divine powers), but the idea of a 'rogue' inquisitor who believes that humans deserve a bit more freedom and hey, maybe some of those other gods might actually be able to help in the fight against evil seems like it could be interesting. (Especially since he's placating the church hierarchy by pretending to be utterly pious and such). He'd sincerely believe in Baal's tenets, though he'd disagree on church doctrine and how things are handled.
Alternately, he was previously a Baal worshipper but changed sides to a 'pagan' deity of some sort once he found some aspects of the fate irreconcilable with his own views.
Mainly what I'm looking at roleplay-wise is a dwarf who's sympathetic to the human plight whilst simultaneously determined to defend against threats to the region. The sort of guy who may not agree with what you say, but would defend to the death your right to say it. He might also be a bit racist against humans, even if he believes they have a right to work out their own destiny.
Mechanics wise I'm mainly looking to mix skills with divine leanings - hence the inquisitor.
Not bad. One night's sleep later and I have a full party of potential players. Okay then, let's answer some specific questions and see what we can do here. I'll keep the thread open to potential players on the chance people decide to drop out, if I'm not thrilled with a character concept, etc.
First, I've set up a players' guide/discussion thread. If you're looking for more detailed information, it is here. Please keep your posts here until I've got an official player roster, then we can jump over there.
@martinaj: Your character concept would be extremely limited in playability due to the background and the limitations on summoning magic. I like the concept, but I'd hate for someone to start with a neutered character that's nearly as likely to be killed by their fellow PCs as the rest of the Marches.
@Daniel Gunther 346: While individual reactions from dwarves vary, there is no doubt that human and dwarf relations are strained at best. Dwarves are the lords and masters of the human race. Theoretically, a dwarf can order a human around without restriction. Of course, humans in service to a higher ranking dwarf could ignore commands of a lower one. While there are dwarves that treat humanity with compassion and even a modicum of respect, no true dwarf views humans as equals.
There are, however, outcast dwarves. Outcasts have been exiled from their fastnesses for a variety of crimes. They bear facial tattoos that mark their status. Some of these will settle in human villages. Others will become bandits, preying on human and halfling settlements. (Yes, I know, it's very Dragon Age, but this campaign world was created back in 2nd Ed., so I claim first rights.)
Check the guide thread for more info on weapon and armor restrictions.
@James Keegan: Ah, the brave and the bold! I'll put up a little background information on the Hand of Jorin-- the name of both the resistance group and the paladin order-- after breakfast, for your perusal.
@James Martin: You had me at 'RPG Superstar Top 16'. I'll give your character profile a look-see and provide comments a bit later.
@Nitnat: Of all the APG classes, the oracle is, I think, the best fit in the Wounded Earth. I'll check out the profile and comment a bit later.
@ZebulonXenos: Interesting concept. In previous incarnations of the game world, Inquisitors were typically clerics tasked with the job of rooting out nefarious influences within the Marches. I simply called it The Inquisition. Of course, with the new class I've had to make some modifications. So the Inquisition does have Inquisitors, but also clerics to whom they answer.
As to the character concept itself, I'd be inclined towards making him an outcast dwarf, with the charge being heresy. Normally, that would get someone the death penalty, but if your character were the offspring of a Jarl that would provide precedent for a commuted sentence. The very fact his powers still function prove that his views are correct, or at least not directly opposing the will of Baal himself.
The other option is to have him still active in the church, however that will be the more difficult road. The Inquisition is universally feared by humanity, as there have been myriad abuses in the past. It'd be a tough sell, but not impossible.
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Though I noted the comment on playability of another's conjuration specialist, I'd like to request to play a summoner. The thought of playing an 'arcane druid' as it were, is too tempting to pass, and it brings a lot of roleplay and difficulties which I'm used to coping with.
My first concept lies in an "illusion" of its own. A human summoner, whose natural, sorcerous abilities are less used than he'd like them to be.
Now, for this to work, I first need to ask for a small push to make this work. I'd like my eidolon to have a permanent burrow speed, per the rules in evolution points. It normally asks me to have to be 9th level to select, though I feel in a game like this, it would make more sense. Seeing as it's half-movement, a 10ft burrow speed isn't as amazing as it could be, at least for now, and I'd like to request that.
Second, if you want, we can abolish the entire series of summon monster X spell-like abilities, and you can assign something else to me as part of it. The eidolon in and of itself is based off Dune, to be quite honest, and it's something I've been wanting to play for a while now.
Story begins here --v
Born into a wizard's family, the youth named Marius presented much arcane ability, though his natural abilities suggested he had less to do with the things his father tried to teach him, and more on what he could simply 'do'. At age eight, his father had instructed him on a summoning seal, which brings forth a single creature that was to be a life-partner - and with the right materials, can bypass the blockade. This presented the boy with a pet of sorts, one he needed to take minimum care of, provided a friend, and was intelligent enough to avoid detection.
Curious on the suggestion, he did pursue this with the help of his father, which took him a sum of three years to gather all that they needed, thanks to the local resistance. After the ritual had been done, in some area of privacy, the creature created had an absurd shape - it was very much a giant worm, and the ability to keep itself hidden in the ground was a blessing - but the father noted a strange sigil over his son's head. He grabbed a green bandana off his waist, and wrapped it about his son's head as though it were headwear, and tied it off firmly. This was his one warning, for if any clearly saw the marking, he may be branded, marked, and quartered for his treachery.
It has been some time since that day. The creature has grown, and the boy is newly become a man. He has since joined the resistance as a sort of messenger, though only in short distances - and the stealth perused in such a thing is very, very handy. This is his contribution, the assistance of communication in shadowed hands. But maybe, maybe he was destined for more than a life in this miserable place - for he yearns to leave and see the world for what it really is.
If this does not work for you or your campaign, I'm more than willing to submit something different - the world is too enthralling to pass up! Thank you for your consideration either way.
Rizzym, I like the concept, but if there is any one class this campaign world is antithetical towards, it is the summoner.
While an (non-evil) eidolon would not be affected by the Interdiction, as that only blocks evil outsiders, summoning magics are essentially a lost art. Its a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. In an attempt to ensure no further fiendish incursion, a worldwide purge of all summoning magics ensued. The knowledge was destroyed, along with its practitioners. While it is likely that the knowledge has survived in some form, it is one of the rarest resources on the planet at the moment. It's a part of the fabric of the campaign world that I'm not willing to reweave right now.
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No problem at all - I figured it was a good shot in the dark, so here's my backup concept.
I haven't sketched out the details, but I've got an idea for a dwarven alchemist. He was raised by a dwarven smith, but wanted to discover a new way of processing metal, to the point where he couldn't ever go back to the forge! (Too many brittle/unusable weapons and armor as a result!) Instead, he now makes his living as a saboteur of sorts, and has been branded an outcast, due to his experiments ruining a dwarf-lord's commissioned hammer.
That's what I have so far. Thoughts?
Very interesting campaign setting, I've been looking for a PbP to join. A lot of people already here, but I might throw in my idea later just in case.
How direct is Baal's connection to his worshipers? It does not seem like he necessarily condones this enslavement, so would a sympathetic dwarven cleric be a plausible concept?
Alright, after reviewing the information on the game world I am thinking of making a Bard. I am somewhat unsure of the race however, my initial thought was halfling but I am a little unsure if it is a particularly viable option.
My idea is for my bard to have grown up under the tutelage of a former military man, someone with great talent but who was never able to advance far due to his birth, which would have imparted upon him a keen understanding of tactics and a knack for telling stories (as he would often sit and listen to his mentor swap stories with old war buddies). His mentor's lack of distinction would have left him with a strong desire to alter the status quo. From adolescence he would have devoted himself to making inroads with any established resistance groups. His upbringing would have included some measure of weapons training but he found the prospect of close quarters confrontation best solved with subtlety and misdirection than strength of arms. His real talent however was with the bow but he finds that he lacks the patience for hunting.
From what I understand of your campaign world, it doesn't sound like there are any humans or halflings with military ties. This would force me to re-evaluate his backstory somewhat. I'm also curious as to how limited my options for diplomacy will be in relation to Dwarves and Gnomes? Maybe you would be able to make a few suggestions yourself, Shadowborn, that would help me integrate my character into your world?
Anyway, if my character concept doesn't really mesh with your world at all, would the character work better as a Gnome? From what I understand, Gnomes are treated along the lines of simply being small Dwarves, and Halflings as small Humans, as far as social status is concerned. Perhaps my character became friends with a halfling at a young age and rallied against our skewed status to the point that he was exiled and now works for the resistance?
Anyway, let me know your thoughts and hopefully there is a place for me in your campaign.
The Hand of Jorin sounds pretty cool. Not sure yet about my character's deity; Daena and Erda both fit with some themes in my character outline, but it seems like Baal is the best straight up paladin fit and would be helpful in integrating. I also like the idea of being conflicted both with some of the Hand's members and with the mainstream faith of Baal as well.
@Rizzym: That concept would work, though to be outcast we'll have to come up with something a bit worse than property damage to pin on him. As for campaign/party tie-ins, he could be a contact for certain members of the Hand interested in purchasing alchemical compounds.
@Mahorfeus: Humans aren't slaves, per se. They aren't bought and sold. The most historically accurate term would be serfs.
However, they aren't necessarily bound to one territory. It is possible for humans to resettle in another village, so long as the local Thane does not object. However, the resources they had in their original settlement are the property of the Thane of that area. For example, if a family of ranchers decided they wanted to leave, they could bring their case to the local Thane. If he were a generous and fair one, he might allow them to take a small portion of their stock to set up shop in their new home, in addition to their own possessions. A more stern overseer might decide they can have nothing but their own things, as all resources belong to the Thane, through the hand of his Jarl. The dwarves' superiority is part of their history, their religion, and their cultural upbringing, as it is for humans.
Baal's most direct connection to his followers is through divinely granted abilities, and the Book of Iron, the primary holy book of the dwarves. It is perfectly reasonable for a cleric to trust in his faith and ethics more than church dogma, it's just not a very safe position to take, especially openly. Baal does not say anything in favor of the human's social position, but he doesn't say anything against it either.
@Otm-Shank: If you wanted to run a human or halfling, your mentor could have been a warrior fighting with the Hand of Jorin (possibly a paladin, but certainly capable of being a member of another martial class). He would not necessarily have had a standing military rank, but the Hand certainly needs military and tactical leaders to continue their struggle for human sovereignty.
One other possibility is that he comes from somewhere outside of the Iron Marches originally. It's rare, but it happens. The Marches, despite the internal strife, are probably the safest place in the Wounded Earth, as far as stability. Some are willing to sacrifice liberty for security.
@James Keegan: The choice is yours. Followers of various gods work within the Hand for the greater good...of course, not without a certain amount of tension at times. There are indeed paladins of Erda and Daena in their ranks. I can work with any choice you deem suitable.
Oh yes, traits and starting gold, almost forgot. Take the average starting gold for your chosen class. Two traits per character. I'll update the Player's Guide with restricted traits.
Normally, I am not attracted to homebrew settings, but the Iron Marches sound like a very interesting creation, Shadowborn. Looking through the character concepts thus far, there are very few fighter-types. I am interested in a couple of concepts, both involving the Gnome race.
One would be a Gnome Ranger - I'm torn between Beast Master, Infiltrator, and Shapeshifter. I figure growing up on the outskirts of civilization, he would be exposed or amenable to any of these. Just not sure which would work best in the Iron Marches world.
Another option would be a Gnome Rogue - possibly a Scout or Sniper. The thought of a arrow flinging Gnome appeals to me and I think would be helpful in a group who is trying to take out guard positions or be the "ace in the hole" in negotiations or confrontations.
Anyway, those are a couple of ideas. I run a game on the boards, so I check them daily and can post at least once a day. I welcome your comments/suggestions.
-g-
Thanks for the advice.
I believe the halfling bard, William Varrus (unless you have campaign specific name structures) will have been mentored by a paladin of the Hand of Jorin. William learned well the art of war from his mentor, not to mention the skills of stealth and deception.
Now I have a few questions about the mechanics of our game world.
As far as equipment goes, you have stated that medium sized equipment simply functions as one category larger for small size creatures. Does this suggest that there are no small sized weapons in your world? or simply that different sized weapons are more compatible? You mention small reach weapons so I assume that there are still different size categories for weapons? On the topic of reach weapons, I am to understand there is no way for small creatures to gain reach? What about a small sized whip? Does it only grant 10ft reach then?
Lastly, I'm just curious but I assume Summon Nature's Ally spells still function normally? The reason Summon Monster has only been eradicated is because of it's ability to summon demonic creatures. correct?
Yep, basically I'm using a more fluid 3.0 style. It takes away the ability of reach from Small sized creatures, but I just can't reconcile a "small" longspear that allows a smaller creature the same reach as a human's longspear. The whip example you give would work fine though. And on the plus side, no more 1d3 daggers for for halflings and gnomes.
So for the purposes of, say, a halfling who kills a human bandit and takes his magical longsword, there won't be any penalty for the halfling using it as a two-handed weapon. Likewise a human who takes a shortsword from a halfling. There's an innate assumption that some minor adjustments are made to the hilt for grip and balance, but no actual game mechanics come into play for that. All weapons will use the Med damage column.
Yes, Summon Nature's Ally spells are still in existence and function normally. Summon Monster spells will be nonexistent to start, but there is always the possibility of discovering hidden knowledge (both arcane and divine) that would provide characters with a way to research these spells once again. However, the power of the interdiction will restrict them from summoning anything from the lower planes. (Though, as stated in the guide, it is feasible they could summon a known fiend or creature already in the world.)
Will remove the conjuring from the Oracle's profile and replace with something more fitting.
@hedgeknight: Hi. I'm finding the Infiltrator, Shapeshifter, and Scout archetypes to be the most appealing. So if you'd like to sketch out something based on one of those, I'd be interested in seeing it.
I'm afraid I still don't understand. So for instance, my bard will be using a shortbow. Does this mean that his shortbow functions normally but does 1d6 damage rather than the standard 1d4? If he buys a whip it will do 1d3 damage but count as a 2 handed weapon for my halfling and only have a reach of 10ft?
What do small creatures use for light weapons?
I'm sorry to be asking so many questions but i"m afraid I don't quite understand, which is probably a failing on my part but still...
I can understand your reasoning for the change and am on board with your alterations but I would like to point out that the rules as written do make sense in their own way. The use of 5ft increments for reach is in itself a very abstract figure that exists solely to make things easier. It's fairly easy to imagine that a medium longspear and a small longspear affect roughly the same set of 5ft squares when you consider that by the rules, a dagger and a greatsword have the same reach. Just my thoughts.
Again, I don't want to suggest you change the way you do things, I just want to present my point of view.
Ooh, I like the idea of an expelled noble son. I was also reassured when I saw paladins (at least claim) their power to come from Baal, and reaffirming that for him is good, too. As much fun as the concept of a double agent would be, I think I may go for the easy road here.
I'll let the character percolate in my brainpan overnight and do a proper writeup tomorrow.
Whew. Okay, so I've got ten interested players which is more than half again what I'd consider for a workable party size. Here's the list thus far:
martinaj: ?
NitNat: Oroupah, female human oracle (heavens)
Daniel Gunther 346: human monk
James Keegan: Auric, male half-elf paladin
James Martin: Jon Commoner, male human druid
ZebulonXenu: dwarf inquisitor of Baal
Rizzym Jaderenai: outcast dwarf alchemist
mahorfeus: ?
Otm-Shank: William Varrus, male halfling bard
hedgeknight: gnome ranger or rogue
So at this point, I'm sold on Oroupah, Auric, Jon, and Willam. You folks are in, so lets get the characters polished and I'll work on getting tweaks and add-ons to your full character backgrounds once I've seen them.
As for the rest of you, I'd like to see fleshed-out character concepts so I can make final decisions. Any further questions (from anyone) please ask.
On a final note, I'd like to point out that I've got over three decades of gaming experience, all but a few of them as GM. This will only be my second attempt at running a pbp, however. So if anyone has any ideas or advice they'd like to give during the game, feel free to post in the discussion thread.
I'm afraid I still don't understand. So for instance, my bard will be using a shortbow. Does this mean that his shortbow functions normally but does 1d6 damage rather than the standard 1d4? If he buys a whip it will do 1d3 damage but count as a 2 handed weapon for my halfling and only have a reach of 10ft?
What do small creatures use for light weapons?
I'm sorry to be asking so many questions but i"m afraid I don't quite understand, which is probably a failing on my part but still...
No worries, and I've had this discussion in the past. I just like doing things my way. I understand the abstract being used, but like I said, it just doesn't jibe with my own comprehension of the universe, and goes to far against my willing suspension of disbelief.
As to your questions: If your halfling bard is using a shortbow, it will do 1d6 damage. The whip, by virtue of its design and weight, will only be a 1-handed weapon. As for light weapons, just use the light weapon list.
Ooh, I like the idea of an expelled noble son. I was also reassured when I saw paladins (at least claim) their power to come from Baal, and reaffirming that for him is good, too. As much fun as the concept of a double agent would be, I think I may go for the easy road here.
I'll let the character percolate in my brainpan overnight and do a proper writeup tomorrow.
Excellent. I look forward to seeing it.
Speaking of character design, I will work up the statistics for William tonight and post them here. The backstory might take a bit more time depending on a couple things. Should I craft the rough identity of his human mentor myself or would you prefer to present me with someone specific to your world so you can better tie back to it later in the campaign?
The rough outline for this mentor is that he is a Paladin and largely retired member of the hand of Jorin. He took in William after the halfling lost his parents (not necessarily killed, but were removed from his life in some way) to the Inquisition and raised him as part of the family.
Let me know what you think and I will have a profile up later this evening. cheers!
Still working on Auric, but he's on his way!
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Right then. I'll ask you for advice then, on what could be cataclysmic enough involving alchemy to produce exile from their own towns? I have a few ideas, but feel free to toss them at me like a baseball (and break my nose, too!).
The alchemist known as Gildin Bazeft had led a very productive life up until the point he had learnt of the art of mixing compounds and alchemic devices. His days were simple, having been a smith's apprentice for as long as he'd known. It was his father's suggestion that he, like the rest of his family, strike to make himself known amongst his kind, that he did something none else could do.
What horrible advice.
The results were clear in the next few months as he began to pour small bits of chemicals into the metal that they crafted. The results at first were fantastic - the sharpness of an axe and the impact of a hammer looked promising, mastercraft indeed! But on first test, the axe shattered into pieces, and the hammer cracked, chunks everywhere. His father had grown angry, and customers were taken aback. "How could such a promising family craft such scrap?" they began to say, and rumor spread fast.
After about a year of purging the incidents, Gildin decided to, once again, experiment. It was here that he commited an act of terrifying precedence - he poured raw alchemical materials into the forge and the metals themselves, unknowing of how they might react. The forge steamed with black smoke, signifying the heat was intense and unreal. They say it was like a dragon's ire rising from that roof.
On combining the steel with the forge, sparks began to rise and climb onto the blade itself, and seep into it - melting the steel into the forge. As sparks began to fly everywhere, the smithy caught on fire, and the youth knocked over his barrel of concoction near the forge on his way out to inform his family.
They didn't need to be told. Not a minute later, the smithy itself detonated into a hellish inferno, causing the entire community to be concerned. Four dwarves were slain in the incident, and more injured - not to mention the family's pride was gone. No more were they spoken of in greatness, no more would they speak of the fine weapons - only the misguidance of the parents into their children.
In fear of such an event happening again, the current thane ordered that either he be banished from their homes, only to come back on reparations, or the entire family to leave. In shame, the father was to make up for their family's pride, and sent his son away in hopes he may make something of himself one day. That maybe his arts were not as horrific as they pronounced themselves.
Now the youth sticks to what he was taught - working in a human smithy with a quaint little shack, all to himself. He had some skill with creation, more than some of the older ones there, but he was no master of the forge. He still practiced with what compounds he had access to, and found that his limited knowledge was still enough to benefit someone - notably, the Hand of Jorin. With his racial connections and what little influnce he had on accessing materials, he could get away with supplies others could not - and thus give way to sabotage. He held the current thane in contempt for shaming his name further - he felt it had been rubbed in the mud enough, and after living years with these humans, that the treatment was wrong. Maybe it was a result of them actually assisting him? Who knows. All he knew, is he had to end this 'superiority' scheme they held - discrimination is a terrible thing to behold.
This is what I came up with between assignments in class. If you want to add/edit/remove anything from it, you have my permission - after all, it is your game!
Got the basic specs up; working on skills, feats, abilities, etc.
Oh yeah > Gnome Ranger Shapeshifter is what I'm going for.
I realize it is most likely FAR too late to throw a new hat in the ring but If not I have a couple of concepts that might be interesting.
1. Stormborn Sorcerer. I think a half-elf from the borderlands. He travels where the wind takes him and has lately been working the trade caravans that cross in and out of the Iron Marches. His last job has just ended at the caravan master was more smuggler than tradeer and fell afoul of the law. This character would add a stranger/wanderer vibe a bit of otherness and allow you to easily connect the party to the world outside the Marches through his friends and relations.
2. Human open-hand fighter. Or plain fighter if no APG allowed. An orphan taken in by the hand of Jorin. Recently washed out of training and suffering from near terminal wanderlust. This character adds muscle and is flexible to move with the plot in whatever direction. He also adds a different perspective on the Hand as he has on been inside as it were. CG alignment.
My background. Playing since the redbox. First GM'd a game of Gamma world when the rulebook was printed w/o color. In a couple of pbp's and finding that I love the format. So no problems w/posting etc.
Still deliberating about feats and traits for Oroupah.
Out of those deliberations her background should emerge. I need a day or so to get it all together. My work is continuously being updated on the profile....but everything is still under construction. Thanks for your patience.
Themes I wish to explore
1) Charm: she will be beautiful
2) Scholar: stargazer/astonomer/navigator explores the mysteries of the world`s wounding.
Alright, right now I'm working on the stats and concept for Stilgar, a dwarven cleric of Baal, with the Artifice and Protection domains.
A somewhat high-ranking member of dwarven society, he lives by the word of Baal. However, unlike his kin, he has a great deal of sympathy for humankind, believing that their oppression is unjust. He actively speaks out for them, holding true to the belief that dwarven superiority was not within Baal's intent. His kin reluctantly tolerate him for a time, but they eventually deem that he has gone too far, declaring him a heretic. Narrowly escaping conviction, Stilgar falls in with the Hand of Jorin, who I presume would be well aware that he has been trying to push for their cause. Convinced that his kind has corrupted Baal's will, Stilgar chooses to fight against them, with the belief that evil such as theirs is what propagated the Interdiction in the first place.
Right then. I'll ask you for advice then, on what could be cataclysmic enough involving alchemy to produce exile from their own towns? I have a few ideas, but feel free to toss them at me like a baseball (and break my nose, too!).
** spoiler omitted **...
That...is great. I'll give it another read through in the morning, but aside from adding a few specifics, I don't see much of anything in the need of change.
Okay, I'm seeing a lot of good ideas here, and I really like the responses here. I just got a crazy idea on what to do with this. I'm going to sleep on it, and post more about it in the morning. Keep the characters and backgrounds coming.
My character - Jinjer Majet - is ready for consideration.
@hedgeknight: Very nice. You're in.
@martinaj & Daniel Gunther: You guys still out there? If you're still interested, I need to see some kind of write-up and background.
Ok, so here's my brilliant (or perhaps crazy) plan. We've got ten interested people and a lot of solid character concepts. I could split these into two five-party groups and run them simultaneously in two threads, with the possibility of cross-overs at certain points in the game. One side would be firmly in the Hand of Jorin camp, the other would be primarily dwarven run, but obviously sympathetic to the plight of humanity.
If I don't hear from martinaj and Daniel today, I might put that down to two 4 person parties, assuming I have characters for everyone that's put their name in the hat to play.
So that's the plan. Let me know what you think. If the feedback is overwhelmingly no, I'll wait and see who has characters done. I can always go with a larger party and up the challenges I set for the group to overcome.
In the meantime, I'll go over the "sheets" of the characters already chosen, and provide you with some specific information for them and advise on any changes that should be made to fine-tune them.
Alright, right now I'm working on the stats and concept for Stilgar, a dwarven cleric of Baal, with the Artifice and Protection domains.
** spoiler omitted **
I like it. Let's see a character build and I'll see what kind of feedback I get about my idea. Looks like you might be team leader on group #2 by default.
Still deliberating about feats and traits for Oroupah.
Out of those deliberations her background should emerge. I need a day or so to get it all together. My work is continuously being updated on the profile....but everything is still under construction. Thanks for your patience.Themes I wish to explore
1) Charm: she will be beautiful
2) Scholar: stargazer/astonomer/navigator explores the mysteries of the world`s wounding.
Looking good so far. I think those themes will serve well. You'll definitely get a chance at delving into the mysteries of the world, that's for sure.
Well I supposed I can toss my coppers in to the hole since it looks damn interesting.
Taranna:
Concept: A half insane CG Ifrit oracle of battle(or Flame?) bent on winning a final battle that may have already passed.
It was on the day a group of Dwarven guards decided that no one would miss her and that they would take out their frustrations out on her. She resisted, leading to the scars over her eyes where the dwarves cut her and effectively blinded her. She lashed out with her power and killed her assailants in a fiery conflagration that consumed the village and looked to kill her as well. Amidst the dancing flames she felt the pulse of the world. It's heartbeats, it's thoughts. And it's thoughts were angry, and hurt, and overwhelmed her to the point that all she could do was curl up and cry as the world turned to flame around her. The demons never went away, they never gave up. They simply chose another front. Those who were slain let their blood and their evil corrupt the very ground beneath them. Their spirts wandered off and found new hosts to corrupt and play with, and all the while the demons scratch and bite at the binds holding the world from the planes awaitng a chance to pour forth and bring about a new age of evil.
However she was given also a vision of hope. The earth rising, the flames dancing, the air screaming. These things fought, and battled, and were eventually victorious. She too also saw the cost of this victory. People would die, innocents would be slaughtered by the millions so that the earth might live, so that the demons would stop.
It was then that her purpose became clear. She would have to fight, she would have to rally people to the cause. They would have to drive the demons from the earth themselves, or they would be destroyed by the earth's retaliation.
With her purpose in mind she stood up and walked through the flames into destiny.
Question would you allow elemental affinity to affect the Flame path of the oracle? It makes sense but I want your thoughts. I might stick ot battle either way.
If you're up for doing two game threads, I think it sounds very cool.
@hedgeknight: Very nice. You're in.
Wheeee!
So that's the plan. Let me know what you think. If the feedback is overwhelmingly no, I'll wait and see who has characters done. I can always go with a larger party and up the challenges I set for the group to overcome.
Whatever you want to do and think you can handle, Shadowborn - you're the DM. :) I'm just along for the ride - hope it's a good one!