Warm welcome players!
I am very excited to see what your characters will do! But first we need to settle on them.
A bit of guidance to start: I have yet to see a reason that any of you would do otherwise, but don’t assume that all your encounters will be level-appropriate. I don’t mean the only way to survive is to be the baddest bunch of badasses who ever badassed, but it’s a bad idea to run up to something and swing a sword at it if your character doesn’t know what it is or what it can do.
(Same goes for aggravating NPCs who could one-shot them. There’s not much stopping them if your character gives them a good reason. (I’m looking at you, Thaago.))
Another way to put this: try not to metagame. If the only sane thing your character could do is run away (or not steal from or otherwise antagonize the observant paladin commander) given what they know, that’s probably a really good plan.
In that context (and after I ironically just advised you to not meta-game in game):
- You’re probably going to want at least one character who can do ranged damage
- A character with speed less than 30 could be more of a downside than you’re accustomed to (which isn’t to say it couldn’t work, just… be aware)
- Keep in mind you’ll be on a sloped, icy mountain probably at least once
- Maybe don’t everybody ignore charisma and social skills (not that I see evidence of this)
- It’s generally a good idea to have at least some healing (heal feat, potions, wands, etc)
- You know from the intro that your first mission (probably) will be search and rescue, so survival would be good for that
- And importantly: you probably won’t be leveling for a long time in real-time, so make sure your character is fun to play now (at third level)
I’d also appreciate if you can incorporate some representation of:
- Women (we’re doing pretty well there, go team)
- LGBT (we seem to have some representation here too, well done)
- People of color (we could use more representation here. Gold star if you get to 40% of the party).
I also encourage you to collaboratively think of ways your characters may already be acquainted by the time they reach Southtown. (Not required, though.)
Please re-post or link to your prospective crunch and backstory here and I encourage fellow players to make suggestions for complementing the group.
Stick to the creation rules and have a great time!
I’ll be lurking to comment or if you have any questions. I expect this to take at least a few days (unless we all happen to have a lot of free time this weekend) and then we will jump right in.
First thoughts that I will leave here for the morning:
@Isthill: I think I prefer Henri for this party. She seems like an absolute blast (see what I did there?) But I leave it up to you and to decide with input from the rest of the party.
@eMagdAeH: I think Amathelah would be a really good straight man (being neither a man, nor necessarily straight?) to Henri and Alaina’s playfulness, and it seems she may be able to do the dry observation kind of snark where appropriate. Cel could be tricky with strong fears because things will get scary. What is to keep him from jetting? Or is he more skittish than cowardly? And I see his curiosity and what seems like altruism, but what are his goals in adventuring? Also noteworthy: Dulae will also be adept at investigation/spy skills being an inquisitor class. Might be a good investigation pairing between the two of them with some skill overlap here.
tl;dr: I don’t have a concrete preference between Amathelah and Cel yet. I’d be interested to see what you and your teammates think.
First off, thanks for the selection and hello everyone! Glad to be a part of the team!
I'm glad you brought those points up. I would actually like to get some feedback from everyone as to which of the two characters I have generically made before I crunch one and commit it to the group. Of my 24 aliases, I'm fully committed to playing all of them. There's no love lost on one over another. So, I wouldn't mind hearing preferences from everyone else of which they would like to see.
To the group, give the original background a read over for these two and completely ignore the crunch. That will all be redone to fit the campaign character rules. See which one you guys prefer!
Amathelah
@GM: Amathelah would be the straight to the playfulness. However, it may turn up that she tries to be playful/humorous every so often (and likely fail miserably) in her quest to learn how to be sociable, but it wouldn't be her default for sure. Snark definitely, but not rude...well, maybe a little snyde here and there, but nothing excessive. And since you brought it up, she is technically female, but she has absolutely no care for such things like gender or sexuality. You may as well just look at her as androgynous and asexual.
Cel on the other hand is much more skittish than cowardly. We're probably talking semantics here, but I've always intended on playing him as easily startled as opposed to pee-his-pants fear. The curiosity/nosy behavior is FAR stronger of a motivation than the fear/skittish bits. When he was Sylph at original creation I intended on making the curiosity/spying his major driving force above all else so he could act as a scout, and to a certain degree sniper from a functionality standpoint. Now that he would be human, I would just have him embody the nature of a Sylph. Teaming with Dulae would work well considering that by level 6, Cel will be able to fly at will for multi-perspective spying.
Hi, all! Thanks for having me, this looks like a fun team to be a part of!
So, here are the two character backstories I posted in the other thread, in case you missed them! (Given that they are an extensive length, I don't blame you if you avoid reading them, I have a shorter tl;dr below)
In her early life, she could only get away once or twice before the family sent the guards after her, but slowly and surely, she began to get to an age where they couldn’t keep her inside forever. Immediately after lessons she would walk the streets, watching people, animals, stores, and eventually walking out of the city to enjoy nature. Henri would come back with dirt all over her, grass stains in her dresses, and to the tune of scolding from her mother.
The pushing became brutal in her youth - her parents forced lessons daily down her throat, micromanaging everything from her schedule to her diet, and she could find little time to herself - with every new week her free time shrunk, and the lectures grew. She wasn’t good enough. She would never be good enough if she didn’t get her life in order. Did she want to be a failure? She’d never be happy.
She tried to ignore them. She was seeing things and doing things that she had never expected to be able to do, and was learning about the whole world outside of her little dome of clerics and mages. But still, they penetrated and filled her with doubts. What if she wouldn’t be happy doing this? But she knew she needed to act. In her adolescence, after another hours-long lecture from her mother, Henri had decided (albeit rashly): She was going to leave her oppressive little family, and she was going to explore the world. Packing up and leaving under the cover of darkness, she set off to find her fortune.
Her cloak hid her face from the world as she slowly made her way south towards Abbhen. All the cities here were shiny. Too manicured. All they did was remind her of her hometown and her parents. She couldn’t let their words creep back into her mind again! The kingdom of Abbhen, however - filled with smoke, dirt, grit, the history spoke to her and called her to it.
She first learned about her penchant for fighting in a bar near the border of the two kingdoms. She had been slowly burning through the money she stole by gambling - though the inns and taverns she stayed at had certainly drained her a bit. She loved playing cards, the feeling of risk and luck and victory coming from a perfectly executed bluff excited her more than sword training ever could. However, what she didn’t realize when she sat down at the gambling table was that she had walked in on a small gang’s card game, and when she came away with most of the money, they were understandably upset.
As the barroom brawl started, it quickly began to pull in other patrons to her side - only a few, but it was enough to turn the tide against the gang and send them out of the bar with tails between their legs. And it was the first time Henri had felt real, true cooperation - and the first time she had felt so alive. It was a joyous experience, and in a rush of adrenaline and emotion, she had a short, one-night affair with one of her fellow brawlers.
This became her routine across a long set of taverns. The brawl could happen any way - she would often brag and boast to annoy others, along with cheating at cards or or openly bumping into others - making them approach and challenge her. Because of her smaller size and constitution, she would use many dirty tricks and moves to be successful - more often than not she would end up unconscious in an alley, but those times where she won were growing - and on very fortuitous occasions, they would lead to a steamy after-battle celebration with one of the other patrons.
It drowned out her inner doubts, for a while at least. But they pushed at the reaches of her mind, and she slowly craved more and harder fights - by the time she got through Abbhen to Pirate’s Port, she was in need of a real fight to the death - and a local gang could oblige. They needed an enforcer - a brute. Someone to stand by and look intimidating, while they shook down a citizen or two for money. They handed her the scariest-looking weapon they could find, and she immediately joined them. They were mostly mercenaries with less of a moral code - while she didn’t like killing people, she never drew the final breath herself, and what she really loved was the sensation of winning a fight for her life at the hands of someone she was just better than. She loved winning.
Their machinations didn’t last long, however - being such a small gang of mercenaries, they would invariably run up against a challenge that was too much for them, and they ran against it hard. Tracking another gang of more notorious criminals, they were ambushed in the woods - a deadly crossfire rained down upon them as Henri’s gang scrambled for cover, and it was only her distance from them and liberal use of her ranged weapon that Henri managed to get out of it alive. By the end of the fight, there were over 20 corpses on the ground, and Henri was hit again with every doubt that her parents had given her with the force of a bullet.
This isn’t what she wanted. She just wanted fun and games and… if she killed people they would be bad people and the good guys would win and…
She left in disgrace, nursing her damaged ego and personality heavily as she drank her way back through Abbhen. Slowly, she regained her composure, and her love for the fight returned. But buried deep down, she could see it - the dead bodies, and her own, bloody hands. She wouldn’t just be a fighter, she’d be smart about it. That’s what they’d never expect. She’d become the best at it, the best at fighting and shooting, and winning. She wouldn’t lose. The world couldn’t let her - it was her destiny, and the thing that would keep her happy for the rest of her naturally long life. She knew it.
That was when she knew that there were some things worse than death. Even as a child, she was very secretive - finding little pieces of metal, dead leaves, small sticks, and hiding them about her bedroom. An only child to her single human mother, she often had to go out for chores and work, despite her young age. Keeping her strange ears hidden beneath big hats or long hair, she was taught to never talk to others - her father, it had seemed, was not somebody her mother wished to talk about, and the questions brought on by a half-elf would be even more intense than the already curious village (there not being much gossip to have around the village). This suited Hlynn - both of them liked their privacy.
Her mother, Miranda, was kind. They lived in a small village in Abbhen, distrustful of magic as many are. Neither of them liked the place’s phobias to much, but with little money and a young child, Miranda couldn’t exit the community - so she tried to keep as low a profile as possible. In their isolation, she always had enough to eat, they played games of chance and had long, drawn-out discussions into the night. As they grew older, however, Hlynn noticed her mother becoming more distant and cold. Though she still pushed for the talks and games, they became more forced every day, coming home from her job as a seamstress and immediately going to sleep, without so much as a “hello”. When confronted about this coldness, Miranda didn’t answer, just gave a sad smile and replied, “it’s not your fault”. Hlynn was 12.
Hlynn began to pursue other relationships, but it was difficult - she could relate to few people in her village, having finally revealed her elven heritage and having the village entirely inhabited by humans with small minds did not make it any easier, with most looking down on her for having anything to do with a magical-type being. However, there was one girl, who seemed to see something in the young half-elf. “I’m Kethel,” she introduced herself. It was late, just after school as Hlynn began to do her chores. They talked for hours, late into the night, both wrapped in the same blanket to keep warm. They promised to talk again, and Hlynn was happy. Hlynn was 13.
They began to spend the days and nights together, going to school, doing village work together, tending to sheep, and more, and the years that they spent together were the happiest Hlynn had ever been. When she was with Kethel, she felt like nothing could hurt her. At nights, they would run away from the town meetings at night to build their own snow tunnels out in the woods, talk and think about the future, and that’s when Kethel revealed her abilities to Hlynn. They were amazing, sending beautiful sparks of electricity through the air current and carving out small burns in the walls that they touched. When Hlynn touched, Kethel, she could feel her hairs standing up on end, tingling and exciting to the touch. Hlynn was 17.
But it was Kethel’s bravery that made Hlynn fall for her. She would skip school, climb the mountains late at night, tempt wild animals with food just to get a closer look, and swim underneath the frozen lake alone. Whereas Hlynn had spent her years trying to stay under the radar and do what she was told, Kethel always wanted to try new things, do new things. “I’ve got to live every day like it’s my last! And I don’t want to miss a thing.” For the first time since she was a child, Hlynn felt truly happy. They shared their first kiss beneath the single, dead tree next to the frozen lake, and Hlynn could feel static running through her body. Hlynn was 18.
It was when Hlynn saw the way Kethel was treated that she realized nothing could be perfect in this place. They would get kicked out of the meal halls together, would be forced into working fields alone, and shunned at the bonfire. There was always something sad in Kethel’s smile, as she tried to downplay the discrimination to Hlynn. But Hlynn could feel the sadness radiating from her. The bruises she tried to play off as being from exploring outside. Every day she would go home, and as they walked together, Hlynn could feel Kethel’s feet dragging. Hlynn never really met Kethel’s surviving parent, her father, but she would wait at the end of their property line, at the behest of Kethel. Kethel’s father was a well-respected merchant in the community, selling all sorts of curios and expensive items, but that was all Hlynn really knew. She didn’t think much of it at first, but as time went on, she could tell there was something sinister going on there. Eventually, she decided to stake out the house after Kethel had left, and determine once and for all what was going on.
Through a crack in the curtains, Hlynn could make out Kethel, yelling something at her father. Then, a hard slap, and Hlynn could feel the impact from outside. A range of abuse quickly took place inside, Hlynn frozen in fear outside, tears streaming down her face. Every single day after that, she went to the mayor’s office. She begged, she pleaded, and cried out for the mayor to help her girlfriend. The first time she asked, she was only met with the reply, ”That’s the lightning witch, right?”. He laughed. Further meetings were only met with terms like “we’re waiting on a response,” and, “it’s probably nothing.” She didn’t tell Kethel she knew, but only tried to hug her tighter when they were together.
It was a cold, snowy morning when Kethel’s father finally died. Their argument had finally made its way outside of the house, and Kethel was thrown down into the snow, bruises fresh and black against the white snow. She spat blood at her father’s feet as he slowly advanced, a crowd of bystanders surrounding them. “It’s fine, it’s fine,” Kethel’s father insisted. Kethel staggered to her feet as Hlynn exited her house to see all of the commotion. As she stared at the scene across town, she saw the local militia, weapons unsheathed, slowly drawing closer to the two. Hlynn began to sprint towards it.
She could see Kethel in the distance, pulling something from her boot, and approaching her father’s open arms. She could begin to see her expression. Kethel whispered something into her father’s ear, and then drove the dagger in her hands through his heart. She repeated what she had whispered, loudly. ”I’m nobody’s slave!” The militia advanced on her, swords raised, and Kethel stared out into the crowd, meeting eyes with Hlynn. Kethel knew what Hlynn was going to try and do, and she knew that she couldn’t escape. Hlynn tried to push through the crowd, screaming, and broke through just in time to see the knife enter Kethel’s own neck. She collapsed into Hlynn’s arms, and quickly bled out into the snow. Hlynn was 19.
After that Hlynn fell into a state of depression. She didn’t want to go anywhere, to do anything. Her mother, still withdrawn from her daughter, attempted to comfort her in her limited time at home, but nothing would draw her out of this depression. She barely ate and barely slept. Slowly, but surely, she began to come out of it. It started with going to work, the manual labor letting her work thoughtlessly, and then she began to go back to school. Not that it had anything to teach her, anyway, she thought. But maybe she could do it again. Nobody could replace Kethel, but maybe she could make a connection again. She was wrong.
That look on Kethel’s face. Those words. Even as she tried to be more outgoing in town, they haunted Hlynn’s dreams, and were the first things she thought of on that warm summer day when her powers first manifested. It was an unnaturally warm summer when the children began aggressively bullying her. The hats and hair and scarves, as well as her naturally young appearance caused some to be suspicious of her, but when she had to put them in a proud display for fear of dying from heatstroke, this lead to bullying and ire from some of her more vicious peers. Along with her public relationship with Kethel, these factors led to little results from any authority figures, even if they could see what was going on - and Hlynn wasn’t about to go and ask them for help again. With Kethel gone, she was no longer willing or brave enough to defend herself from these antagonists. They ripped at her hair and knocked her to the brink of consciousness, before taking her deep into the mountains to that frozen lake (now thawed for the summer), and held her underneath, calling her terrible names and saying she didn’t deserve to eat the same food they did. It didn’t end well for them. Under duress, the lake froze beneath her and shattered, sending flying spears of ice out faster than she could blink. Two of the boys were impaled, and died nearly instantly. The last one was merely wounded, bleeding badly, laying on the ground sobbing and asking for forgiveness as he slowly bled out. Hlynn was 22.
She knew that day that she might never be safe. Never be free from this kingdom and these people, who would persecute and discriminate against her and whatever magick posessed her. Like Kethel, she would be sentenced to a death that was not her own, a life full of fear and pain, and Hlynn would sooner join her dead paramour than become a prisoner of this society. A slave to their whims, and she finally understood. She would never let the kingdom control her, or her abilities, and she would never let them determine the way she would live and die. She shoveled the bodies deep into the mountain, vowing that no one would ever find out, never discover what she was. And so, this secret, like so many others, began to gnaw at her heart. She left school and her mother often, venturing into the frozen mountains, climbing, communing with the cold and the snow, retreading old ground. She avoided every question, and didn’t talk to anyone - while she didn’t think they would find the bodies, there were many people who reported her last being seen with the boys. She dreaded every day, fearing the question or probe that would prove she was the one who murdered the other kids. She spent most of her nights in tears, thinking of the dead body covered in scarlet blood, and trained even harder. She would not be a casualty - she would kill anyone that came for her. She would be strong for both of them.
She withdrew once again to her bed - from townsfolk and her mother, the closer the day came to her 23th birthday. She had a plan - she was going to run. On the day of her birthday, she celebrated as best as she could, with her mother and a small number of expensive confectionaries, and then, that night in the cold and dark, she donned a black cloak, grabbed whatever gear she could, and stole away into the mountains, a mantra beating heavily in her chest. “I’m nobody’s slave.”
@eMagdAeH: I like both of the characters a lot, and it's really hard to pick a side - it seems like both could have a lot of good development and interesting interactions with the party. I do have a personal vendetta against the zen archer class, but you probably won't build it the same way my player did that made me want to rip my hair out. Ugh, I wish I had more to say than that, but I really like them both! I think Cel's skittishness could play really well off the party in being an ironic force for tension relief, or Amathelah's demeanor calming down a situation and be a pretty helpful voice of reason to the party (though not necessarily the only one, if I remember others character correctly). It's still a coin flip for me, atm. Sorry oTL
Greeting all, Former Ringfighter with some parental issue reporting for duty.
Throwing my two coppers in here, I'd have to agree that Amathelah would probably be the better fit. I can just see more than on instance of Alaina slapping her on the shoulder and saying "Oh lighten up." Now as to how we may have met, since we're both from Abbhen, perhaps we're traveling together in the same caravan/carriage/whatever.
As far as how I look, I was thinking something like this. Perhaps not exactly, but it was the best one I could find with only a shield and no weapon.
I also have some range capability with me being able to throw my shield. And, between my Throw Shield ability and Distance Thrower feat, I can throw the shield 30 feet without penalty. Hopefully, we reach level 5, so I can bounce it back.
@Isthill: Excellent question! We'll be using the commonplace guns rules, assuming you've traveled to Abbhen.
@All: I wouldn't expect you to reach level 5 within 6 months real time, if that is helpful for making choices.
More later!
Greetings everyone! Dulae Toema reporting for action.
@eMagdAeH
I am torn between the two characters. On the one had, I can see fun conversations popping up between myself and Amathelah on the nature of good as taught by Altien. On the other, I can see Cel dooming us all as his curiosity catches the attention of an eldritch horror beyond our ken that happens to be taking a winter holiday on the mountain. Which is also fun. Mechanically both would fit in fine, though Cel is going to be more flexible.
@GM Mikkel
Why am I going on this adventure? Well, a couple of reasons. First of all, I have a duty to find my brothers and sisters in arms; they would do the same for me. Secondly, it is a chance to show that I am fully recovered and ready to serve again. Finally, I'm already in the area and the pay is pretty good...
@party composition
Duale Toema
While I carry a longbow, I am no expert in its use. I much prefer to fight with sword and shield in hand, and will be on the front lines of any fight. I specialize in dispatching those who would misuse the gift of magic, and rarely will one escape me. I've been trained in a broad range of subjects and abilities, but what I truly excel at is Sense Motive, Intimidate, and Perception.
So far I'm seeing 1 vote for Amathelah, 0 Votes for Cel, and 5 votes for "I like both!" I'll wait for Xizoh to chime in before I commit to one.
EDIT: I should also say that I've noticed that there are MANY ways to play a lawful neutral character, and people sometimes have different interpretations. I should probably forewarn that Amathelah's lawful neutral is the typical keep the order perspective, living by her moral compass, etc. However, what could become problematic is that her moral compass is that morality is purely subjective, good and evil are what "man" creates based on his own views. The Balance she would frequently refer to does include both the subjective good and evil. She would just as likely put down a sleighted commoner who unjustly lost his farm to the local government, who is trying to incite a rebellion to overthrow the government, as she would a cruel dictator who rules by his sole decision. In her eyes, they are the same person. One is certainly "right" in that he lost everything in an unfair way and deserves retribtution, but the wants and needs of an individual are irrelevant in terms of keeping things moving and ordered. The unrest created by a rebellion tips the balance in the favor of one side, and more importantly stimulated by an individual, not a larger concept. The taking down of a dictator probably wouldn't bother many in the party, but the taking down the commoner might (oh, and I don't necessarily mean murder, just the metaphorical taking down). I feel like I should let everyone know this fact regarding how she would approach the lawful neutral alignment. If that changes votes, please feel free to pipe up!
Xizoh here. Happy I made it and sorry I made you wait.
@eMagdAeh
While I do like both characters, I think I prefer Cel both mechanically and fluff wise. I can see his curiosity leading to amazing quests, and a good ranged character would be awfully helpful. Not to mention, I feel like him and Xizoh would have an interesting relationship that might parallel "THE GREAT BAR BRAWLERS" I do like Amathelelah though, so while it's Cel, it's close.
@Any
I'm still new to this whole awesome thing, so please bear with it when my numbers look like Cthulu's math homework.
@Party Comp: Ok, I get very obsessive about character builds and a lot of times end up not knowing which way to go - since we're doing character creation now-ish, I figured I'd ask for an opinion from the group before moving forward with a concrete build concept.
I think I'll take the crossbow one off the table, since I don't think it fits quite as well into her personality as the other two.
The first one is mercenary with a shotgun - I like shotguns and never get to see anybody play with them, so I like the idea of it. Plus it fits Henri's personality, I think. It would probably be trench fighter fighter, with gun smithing and amateur gunslinger, shooting out annoying aoe cones at people - crowd control, mostly. At some point I'd like to get a real shotgun over the starting blunderbuss, but that's kind of a character goal. The grit deed is take would be either pistol whip or the Mavericks ability to use unarmed strike with a grit point (or quick clear, but that's for BORING PEOPLE)
The other build is the annoying barroom brawler, which is more directly linked to her skills - this ones a cad fighter with improved unarmed strike. 90% of the time she fights with improvised weapons, the rest of the time she fights with fists. She would have improved trip/disarm and improved dirty trick (maybe cleave if I can find the feat for it) and would jump around fights just being an annoyance to people with debuffs. She'd probably have more tricks in her arsenal, but a bit less range.
Sorry for the crunch-heavy discussion, I just have a hard time picking builds >_> what do you guys think?
@ Henri - Is it possible for you to do the shotgun build with a dash of improvised weapons/improved unarmed? Or perhaps the other way around, as you were a bar brawler first then picked up the shotgun.
Maybe you could build her like this: build her as the annoying brawler, then go back and 'retrain' a feat or two to use the shotgun properly. Am I making sense?
Ooh, I could see that. I guess my optimization drive was going off cause I was worried about not getting dex to damage - I am planning on grabbing a bunch of feats (combat expertise, improved disarm and dirty trick) and not having some of the ranged ones might hurt me, but if I went with amateur gunslinger at lvl. 4 (or something boring like point blank shot) it could represent a growth with the weapon. She could have got it in Freeport with the mercenaries but never really used it much. Since we're using the commonplace rules it's a martial weapon and I could pick up some cool special ammo for it (like dragon's breath and stuff).
Thanks for the advice!
Happy to help.
@eMagdAeh
After reflection I prefer Cel as a character - I think his enthusiastic and more light hearted nature will fit nicely with the party, and with my character in particular, who is going to be more of a 'straight man' with dry humor. Also, I'm not sure if Amathelah's anti-social tendencies will really fit with a charisma of 10 (and this is the first time I've ever said someone might role play a stat lower than it is after not dumping... I might need to lie down).
@ Henri
I really like the idea of you using a shotgun, if only because it positively screams 'Abbhen' to anyone around which should drive some good action. My only mechanical advice is to make a character you are happy about at 3rd level, as I suspect it will take a long time for us to level and it would suck to be stuck playing something unfun.
@party composition
I think things are looking good - we have a mix of melee and ranged.
More about Dulae:
She is a little bit low on damage at 3rd level as she uses a 1 handed weapon (bastard sword) and does not have power attack (and isn't planning on taking it), but has a good AC at 19 and decent hitpoints. Her main 'trick' comes from being a Spellbreaker/Spellkiller: casters are at a -6 to cast defensively next to her, and they can't get away with a 5 foot step due to step up. Like all Inquisitors she can self buff to a certain extent - since I'm using a heavy shield I'll generally cast 1 buff to start combat, before drawing the sword as part of a move action (and moving into position of course).
"Remember, Altien teaches that magic is a gift to be cherished, not used for evil ends. As such, she will not countenance its abuse. Finding those that do so can be difficult." Kieran paused, then whipped off his cloak to reveal skull decorated black robes. "But not always. Necromancers tend to advertise their allegiance. Just look for the skull motif and you should have a good clue." He bent down and picked up a staff, also decorated with skulls.
"But sir-"
"Ah ah! I am to be addressed today as "Accursed Necromancer". Try to put as much loathing into the words as possible."
Dulae closed her eyes in a silent sigh of frustration before opening them again. "But Accursed Necromancer Sir, they really aren't going to be that obvious, are they?"
"Well, not always, but if they're using necromancy within our borders, they're either dumb as s!@$ or have an ego the size of Norah's taint. Besides, the costume is more to set the mood. Now, do you remember what I told you to do?"
"Yes, but I would rather not say, s-" Kieran raised the staff in a mock threatening manner "Accursed Necromancer Sir."
"Repetition is an important part of the learning process, Acolyte. Besides, you really need to loosen up."
Dulae rolled her eyes, then sighed again at the look of triumph on Kieran's face. "You told me to approach blasphemous spellcasters as rapidly as possible, attack them should they try and perform a spell, and not allow them to back away. Only with more cursing and invocations to kick them in sensitive areas."
"Eh, close enough. And don't forget the kicking! Nothing stops something evil from mind controlling your friends quite like a swift kick to their reproductive organ of choice. Now, let us begin!"
Kieran shook his staff threateningly while waggling his eyebrows. Dulae twirled her wooden practice sword once to find its balance, lunged forward and swung; despite a strong attack Kieran parried it away. "Not bad" he commented before stepping back five feet "But what did I say about letting me get away?" With that a pulse of power came from the staff and blasted Dulae off her feet. When she came to a moment later, the only thing she could think about was how aesthetically pleasing the gentle curls of smoke curling off of her clothing were.
"For reasons that are beyond our ability to know, it is shockingly difficult to strike someone who is moving precisely five feet away. But fear not! Over the next month I shall teach you the secret. Its all in your featwork."
@GM: Languages question! In Golarion, Draconic is kinda considered the language mages learn (or at least, I've heard it referred to as such), is it similar in this setting? I'm trying to come up with a language for Henri and something like that seems reasonable, considering she was at one point training in or around magic.
Okay, while taking in everyone's opinions it seems basically split with only a couple aiming at one over the other but most people with equal preferences for both. So, I have decided on Cel specifically because, while I would enjoy playing both, I personally tend to gravitate a bit more towards the light-hearted characters that provide bits of comic relief here and there (hopefully!). I have re-crunched him to fit the campaign rules. GM, mind giving him a once over to make sure I didn't screw anything up, please? Gracias!
Elf Fighter (Cad) 3
CN Medium humanoid (Elf)
Init +3; Perception +2
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +3 Dex)
hp 22 (3d10+0)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +2;
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Two-Handed Improvised Weapon + 5 (xdx + 3 / x2),
One-Handed Improvised Weapon + 5 (xdx + 2 / x2),
Elven Curved Blade + 5 (1d10 + 3 / 18-20 x2) or
Dagger +5 (1d4 + 2)
Ranged Mwk. Blunderbuss + 7 (1d8 / x2)
Ranged Dragon Pistol + 6 (1d6 / x4)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 14, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 14
Base Atk +3; CMB +5 (+8 Dirty Trick and Disarm); CMD 18 (21 Dirty Trick and Disarm)
Feats : Combat Expertise, Catch Off-guard, Improved Dirty Trick, Improved Disarm, Gunsmithing
Traits : Vagabond Child (Disable Device), Witty Repartee (Bluff)
Skills : Acrobatics +8, Bluff +8, Climb +6, Craft (Alchemy) +2, Disable Device +7, Escape Artist +8, Perception +2, Perform (Strings) +3, Profession (Gambler) +5, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7
Languages : Common, Elven, Draconic
SQ: Dirty Maneuvers +1,
Combat Gear : Elven Curve Blade, Mwk. Blunderbuss, Dragon Pistol, Metal Pellet Cartridges (100), Metal Bullet Cartridges (100), Dragon’s Breath Cartridges (20), Entangling Cartridges (10), Tracer Bullet (20), Mwk. Leather armor, Dagger x5, Potion of Cure Light Wounds (5), Potion of Shield of Faith +2, Potion of Bear’s Endurance, Potion of Eagle's Splendor
Other Gear : backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, a gunsmith's kit, iron pot, mess kit, rope, torches (10), trail rations (20 days), waterskin, hooded waterproof lantern, Gear Maintenance Kit, Cold Weather Outfit, Gambler’s Kit, Animal Feed (20 Days), Gambler’s Kit, pot of alchemical grease, a board game, five candles, a candle lamp, a common snorkel, fake footprint shoes, a grappling hook, a mirror, a periscope, two sacks, a scent cloak, 50 feet of silk rope, a smokestick, a dose of sneezing powder, five tindertwigs, 50 feet of twine, thieves’ tools, Combat-Trained Light Horse (Sally)
I'm here! Crunch is also in my profile, but I still felt like posting it for easier access. I ended up with plenty of rogueish skills and decided to pick up disable device, tinkering around with firearms probably gave her some experience. I also ended up having to take gunsmithing which I'm ambivalent about, but it's the only way to repair guns that have misfired other than quick clear, and it lets me pick up tons of ammo, so... Eh? I also picked up the guns at list price instead of crafting price because she wouldn't have known anything about firearms when she got them. Very low damage from me but that's not what I should be doing in combat. I also picked up a horse to carry my stuff around!
@ Cel - You know, I'm actually glad you picked him. This'll give a chance to actually see the Kineticist in action. Which I've been kind of curious about.
@Thaago: Nice side story. 'It's all in the featwork', eh? (I actually facepalmed at that one.)
@Isthill: Another good question. I think yes, draconic is a common languages mages use. Other languages you might hear in the southern kingdoms:
Common
Elven
Dwarven
Gnome
Halfing
Druidic (forest)
Sylvan (forest)
and scholars are working on deciphering the language of the ruins in the southern kingdoms, which is a mix of draconic and an ancient form of elven.
There are other languages spoken in the world, but extremely rarely here (i.e. abyssal, infernal, perhaps others).
@Cel: I am also glad you went with Cel, I think this gives a nice interplay of personalities to the party.
Crunch check to come...
Finished detailing the crunch in the profile.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Okay, here is a semi-thorough crunch check, part 1 of 5.
@All: Hit points rule is max HP at first level and half of expected value for each subsequent level (rounding down).
@Xizoh:
Double check your stats for me? What you have is perfectly legal, but I think you could have some higher numbers and also be legal (i.e. 14, 14, 14, 12, 12, 11, then boost one of the 14s to 16)
Speed as written (40) is 10 too fast. Xizoh gets +10 speed from a class, but -10 for using medium armor. (Also I think you might get better medium armor for your money, like breastplate, or maybe use a chain shirt instead which you let you keep the 40 speed.)
To make sure we’re on the same page, I want to point out that your heal traits don’t stack. As written, you’d get +2 to stabilize a dying creature and a +1 to general heal checks.
Looks like your eidolon gets 3 evolution points, but I don’t see what you’ve chosen (apologies if I missed this somewhere).
You do get +6 background skill ranks from the unchained rules, but it looks like you’ve taken +2 in ‘adventuring’ skills. You should shift 2 skill ranks from adventuring to background.
Your hit points are 3 too low. (10 for bloodrager level 1, 5.5 for bloodrager level 2, 4.5 for summoner level 3, +6 from constitution over 3 levels )
Your spiked chain should have +4 attack with your strength modifier (this will go up to +5 if you re-configure your stats to take 16 strength)
I see you chose Aklo for a second language, which is legal, but you may want to consider having picked up Draconic from from Xizoh’s fetchling family. That’d have greater potential to be useful and is still consistent with the overlapping fetchling/elf languages.
Looking at your bonuses, I think you took the focus heal skill as your half-elf skill focus feat? If so, please jot that down under feats.
Also, 104 lbs at 5’6’’ gives Xizoh a BMI of 16.8. Should I be concerned Xizoh is getting enough to eat? =)
EDIT: You're also probably going to want a cold weather outfit.
All else looks good to me so far!
Here’s a request that might be a bit of extra work (so feel free to say no): can you make me a standalone quick reference of your combat related crunch when you are blood raging?
Semi-thorough crunch check, part 2 of 5.
@Cel:
My compliments on a clearly laid out profile.
HP should be 29 instead of 30 (8 for first level, + 2 x 4.5 for two levels, + 3 x 3 for constitution per level + 3 x 1 per level for favored class)
Minor point: the defense section of your profile still has your HP at 12.
Minor point: under Offense, Ranged Touch (I guess you would use this for throwing potions and whatnot?) it looks like the correct bonus but incorrect BAB: "+5 (+3 BAB, +3 Dex)".
I wanted to point out that the kinetic blast is a spell-like ability, so you would provoke an attack of opportunity to use it if an enemy is threatening. And as a ranged attack it would provoke *another* if the enemy is capable. (Your friends should keep you back from the front lines. (Precise shot was a really good idea.))
I see wrist sheaths for wands of cure light wounds and endure elements. Smart. Too bad neither would cure your kineticist burn, but, still very useful.
I’ll make a similar request of you to what I asked of Xizoh: can you make me a quick-reference combat crunch summary for when your Elemental Overflow is active? (i.e. including the +1 attack, +2 damage, non-lethal damage taken)
@All: How does the group feel about this feat?
I think it makes character sense, but I don't expect anyone to take it too well if they actually get hit... Henri definitely believes in getting even :P in at least a somewhat playful capacity
(Also @GM I am slightly updating the crunch in my profile so it's a little more up to date than my earlier post, based on your comments)
Semi-thorough-ish crunch check, part 3 of 5:
@Henri:
Another nicely laid out profile.
Your gear is absolutely delightful (two gambler’s kits, sneezing powder, fake footprint shoes, and a horse named Sally. Yes.)
This will probably be totally clear when we get to the next point, but, did you use one level of favored class bonus to get from 21 to 22 HP?
It would be extremely useful for me to make a semi-thorough check of skills if you could note them like Xizoh and Cel have done (i.e.: Total (Ranks, Class, Stat)).
Feats look good, and I very much like your interpretation of the cost of your guns and ammo with your gunsmithing feat.
Hello Henri! Didn't see your earlier post.
Sounds good! I have another request for you along those lines (skills ranks related, above) if it's not too much trouble.
@Alaina: I see your finished crunch (thanks!) but I will defer until tomorrow to check it over.
@Dulae: Thinking that I perhaps jumped the gun a bit with advice tonight, I will wait until you say your crunch is finished.
@All: I also plan to give some comments/suggestions on background, particularly leading up to this adventure. You're all encouraged to continue brainstorming in the meantime, or after we're happy with everybody's crunch.
This discussion is great, and I am very excited about this party.
@GM Done and done, I actually did end up with an extra favored class bonus, so I put it back into HP (I think I'm gonna need it with only 10 CON). The info is in a new tab to avoid clutter on the main profile (And CS stands for "class skill" FYI).
Beautiful, that's perfect, thanks.
I'll probably walk back through your feats tomorrow, but that all checks out, I think.
Okay, made the fixes and tweeks. For what it's worth, Cel will by nature NEVER be in the front lines. It's almost a guaranteed that he'll be shooting from 120 ft back every time using the move action to negate the burn (when distance allows 120 ft).
In terms of Reckless Aim, I put it in there because it definitely fits him thematically. The skittish, "KILL IT!" bit lines up with the feat, but I'm totally okay with switching it out if the group isn't too keen on it. After all, once Empower comes online these Blasts can hurt! There's more than enough feats to choose from that I will not have the levels to take as it is!
She ran her eyes over the notes on the music sheet, and the tune through her head. The sound was clumsy - the elegance that her teacher had shown over the past few months was gone from her own rendition. As she hastily swung the stick back and forth, she could hear herself slowly losing the tune - it dropped in and out before her fingers slipped completely and she abruptly stopped.
A rough sigh was released from Henrietta’s throat, as she slumped down onto the stool in front of the short, wooden stand that held the notes for her to play. She wanted to smash the thing. It was elegantly carved and a beautiful shade of red that could almost be confused for blood from a distance. But she didn’t care about that, she just wanted it gone. Make her mother buy another one if she was so keen on her youngest daughter learning an instrument.
She tossed the wooden thing on her bed and stood, walking over to the window and peering out into the courtyard. Dusk. The red and purple light of the sun played out over their well-manicured lawn as the shadows grew from small splashes of darkness into a giant wave of night. She could see her brother out there, sparring. Juking, moving, bouncing back and forth with a grace that Henrietta herself had failed to achieve. At least he was getting some action out of his lessons.
Henrietta glanced back at the violin her mother had purchased for her. It really was almost a piece of art. She supposed it would be a shame to smash it, if someone had worked so hard on it, spent decades perfecting their craft just to see it come to a splintery end. She picked it up, and gently brought it back to her chin. She placed the bow against the strings again, and she began to play again.
Finally, the office door opened and a strangely dressed Halfling said, "Miss Steele? Miss Reskloch will see you now."
Getting up, the Wolf entered the office, the Halfling left the room and closed the door. The room was sparsely furnished, and not the highest quality furniture at that. Sitting at the desk, was a fairly attractive woman looking over some sort of document. After several moments of silence, the woman behind the desk looked up at Alaina. Her eyes give the Guild Fighter a once over before she spoke, "Ah, the Iron Wolf graces me with her presence. It's an honor to meet you."
Alaina's eyes went wide, "How.....how did you know that?"
"Your stance and demeanor indicate that you're someone athletic and ready for a fight. Given that the main two occupations in this city are the factories and the Fighter's Guild, I ruled out factory worker by the quality of clothing you're wearing, so that leaves Fighter's Guild. You stand slightly sideways to me, which is indicative of someone facing an opponent in the ring, so you must be one of the Ringfighters. Given your age, you must be one of the newer fighters, and given that there has only been four new women to have joined in the past few years, that narrows it down to the Iron Wolf, Sapphire Viper, Obsidian Tiger, and Ruby Spider. I've seen all four in action, and your left arm is bent slightly as if holding a shield, and of the four, only one fights with a shield. That being said, how may I help you?"
She didn't know what to say. Wow, she is good. After shaking the shock off, she said, "I need your help finding someone. My birth Father, Marcus Steele."
The Investigator leaned back in her chair, put her finger tips together and said, "Please, sit and tell me everything you know."
Taking the seat opposite the desk, Alaina went into all that she knew.
@Cel, @Henri: Crunch looks good. Stamp of approval from me (feel free to keep tweaking if you like).
Also @Henri, I really like the Cad archetype for Henri, and the chosen feats work very well. That's going to be a lot of fun.
@Henri and Alaina: Love these backstories! (Back short stories? Back anecdotes?)
@Alaina: Your crunch is up next.
Semi-thorough-ish crunch check, part 4 of 5:
@Alaina:
Aside: I like the Greenwall shield-brawler idea more and more.
Very practical gear, although you may also want to consider a cold weather outfit.
I’ll make the same request of you I did of Henri: Can you write out your skill ranks in terms of ranks allotted, ability mod, and any bonus from class skills or traits?
Some of these skill totals I can’t figure (How did Alaina get to a +1 to swim and +1 climb with a +2 strength mod and -0 armor check from the masterworks studded leather?)
It also looks like she might have more skill ranks to spend (I figure 6 per level adventuring skills from brawler + human + intelligence, before the 6 background skills from unchained), but it is tough to tell from just the totals.
Out of curiosity, is there a story behind her perform dance skill?
All else looks good so far!
Can you also note that Alaina is a shield champion archetype somewhere here? You’ve definitely told me before, but I can see myself forgetting months down the line when the party levels.
@All (and Alaina): Do me a big favor and please note any arcane spell failure chance your armor gives you somewhere near your AC (particularly the total, assuming you have everything on you).
@ GM
I am still finishing up equipment, but if you want to look over everything else it is done.
Okay, here is a semi-thorough crunch check, part 1 of 5.
@All: Hit points rule is max HP at first level and half of expected value for each subsequent level (rounding down).
@Xizoh:
Double check your stats for me? What you have is perfectly legal, but I think you could have some higher numbers and also be legal (i.e. 14, 14, 14, 12, 12, 11, then boost one of the 14s to 16)
Speed as written (40) is 10 too fast. Xizoh gets +10 speed from a class, but -10 for using medium armor. (Also I think you might get better medium armor for your money, like breastplate, or maybe use a chain shirt instead which you let you keep the 40 speed.)
To make sure we’re on the same page, I want to point out that your heal traits don’t stack. As written, you’d get +2 to stabilize a dying creature and a +1 to general heal checks.
Looks like your eidolon gets 3 evolution points, but I don’t see what you’ve chosen (apologies if I missed this somewhere).
You do get +6 background skill ranks from the unchained rules, but it looks like you’ve taken +2 in ‘adventuring’ skills. You should shift 2 skill ranks from adventuring to background.
Your hit points are 3 too low. (10 for bloodrager level 1, 5.5 for bloodrager level 2, 4.5 for summoner level 3, +6 from constitution over 3 levels )
Your spiked chain should have +4 attack with your strength modifier (this will go up to +5 if you re-configure your stats to take 16 strength)
I see you chose Aklo for a second language, which is legal, but you may want to consider having picked up Draconic from from Xizoh’s fetchling family. That’d have greater potential to be useful and is still consistent with the overlapping fetchling/elf languages.
Looking at your bonuses, I think you took the focus heal skill as your half-elf skill focus feat? If so, please jot that down under feats.
Also, 104 lbs at 5’6’’ gives...
Hope you like rice with your chocolate, cause here's the crunch.
-Yeah, you were right with the stats. I had figured the half elf +2 bonus into the scores, so that's what threw me off.-I hadn't seen the chain mail shirt, but it definitely is a better option.
-The heal traits were stacked, at least as far as I could tell. It was the skill focus feat, which I have now marked properly.
-I actually did have the evolution, but it was too high once I switched my feats. Unchained summoners start with uno evolution point, so I put one into upping Bite damage.
-I think I've fixed the background skills, and I randomly rolled for hp.
-Also, fixed the spiked chain and aklo, and was already packing cold weather outfit.
Overall, this enforces the fact I suck at math and mechanics. :D All bless the GM and his way with numbers, amen. Besides, as for his bmi you ever tried to live the doctor prescribed lifestyle? On the run? It's a lot of big beetles that taste nothing like chicken. NOTHING.
@ GM - The ACP is from the Shield. When I have it equipped, it gives me a -1 ACP.
Brawler's get 4 + Int Mod per Level for Skill Points. So that's 5 x 3 = 15 + 3 for being Human which gives me 18 total.
And my reasoning for the Dancing is for those occasions when she gets invited to social functions by some of the city's upper class and the occasional night out that doesn't end up in one of her contests. I also figured her natural proclivity to agility would translate to dancing.
Thank you for pointing out the Cold Weather Outfit. Got that, and removed the torches from my inventory. I don't really need them with the Ioun Torch.
Also, I'm curious to know why you'd need to know the Arcane Failure for the armor of non-casters like myself?
@Thago: Yep, no problem! I'll throw in something else.
Semi-thorough-ish crunch check, part 5 of 5:
@Dulae
I see your speed is 20 with your armor, but you also have Expeditious Retreat. Fair enough.
I also see detect alignment is an at will ability. Interesting. =)
Stats, HP, feats, abilities, weapons, and skills all look good. You're still finishing up traits and equipment, correct?
@ Xizoh:
Rice with chocolate is awesome. (Verily, verily.)
Okay, that all sounds good. I see you are right about the unchained eidolon evolution pool. Very good.
I'm going to read "The heal traits were stacked, at least as far as I could tell." as "Yes, I already knew that".
If so: stamp of approval from me.
You know, every time I read an article about how eating insects is going to feed the world in the future I'm like, 'Yeah!' and then I stop to imagine myself eating said insects and think, eh, how much methane can cow farts really have in them?
@Alaina:
Ah, okay, these are assuming the shield is equipped, where I had assumed it was stowed. Fair enough.
Brawler's get 4 + Int Mod per Level for Skill Points. So that's 5 x 3 = 15 + 3 for being Human which gives me 18 total.
That's what I'd figured as well for adventuring skills, plus the 6 'background' skills from the unchained rules. But I see clearly now you've already figured that in (thanks a lot!)
Interesting Alaina didn't throw a rank into some of her class skills like climb or escape artist. Some others I agree aren't consistent with her upbringing (ride, swim, knowledge dungeoneering), but I might have bet she'd spend a point or two on a +4 skill boost for these. (Definitely not required though.)
Stamp of approval from me!
EDIT: Oh, also, I like the dancing background very much. Makes a lot of sense.
Also, I'm curious to know why you'd need to know the Arcane Failure for the armor of non-casters like myself?
...No reason? I'd just like it written somewhere, for kicks? >_>
I figure there's only a 5-10% chance it would be at all relevant, depending on what you all do, so if you don't want to put it anywhere prominently, that's probably ideal.
(Or we can all pretend I never asked, and I will add it up myself or ask later if/when it becomes relevant.)
Questions for the party
Now that crunch is mostly sorted I plan to go through backgrounds and give comments soon, although I am already quite happy with them myself on the whole.
In the meantime I'd like you to be thinking about:
In terms of PC rolls, I currently intend to roll initiative, perception (in most cases), knowledge (in most cases), and sense motive vs. an NPC (in most cases) without showing the roll result (except initiative).
Do you want to go more immersive, or are you happy with rolling your other skill checks, attack, damage, etc?
I would also like to know (and you still have time to brainstorm/decide):
1. Are any of you traveling to Southtown together?
2. Where are you traveling from; in particular, which direction do you approach Southtown from? (the road follows the river north-to-south)
Related note: Notices have only been posted in the Altiendel towns north of Southtown, but if you asked for permission to travel through the pass at The City of Iron, then you also may have heard and been warned to start to circle Mount Oranis before dawn and be at Southtown before dusk, avoiding mist and not risking passing in cloudy weather.
3. What is the first thing you intend to do when you reach Southtown?
4. What is your cold weather outfit made of? (Wool, cotton, linen, fur, etc) Particularly the layer making contact with skin.
Hey, I've got answers to questions! As for the immersion, I could probably go either way - I kinda like being able to see if I hit to describe strikes, but I could probably do that anyway (especially because I wouldn't know monster hps already. I'm not sure how smooth it'd be play style-wise, but I guess it would just be the difference between us rolling on our post vs you rolling on yours (out of our sight, of course). There is something to be said for just barely hitting dcs and its a fun meta game ("Yeah, I rolled a 10 which, with my bonus, was barely enough to hit!") but with good description, that feeling could easily be maintained.
Other questions:
1. Not unlikely. Henri's been slowly making her way back through Abbhen when she heard about the job, so anyone else currently residing there could have been someone she ran into - they could have persuaded her to come along pretty easily, as she has no loyalties but gold. Or she could have met them a long time ago. Either way's good!
2. From Abbhen. Seeing as this is pretty close to when she left Pirates Bay. So from the south I guess?
3. Stiff drink, then head over to whoever a passing out gold. All business, she doesn't want to get too bad a reputation in this town before she gets paid a little.
4. Nothing too fancy, probably wool with an inner linen lining for comforts' sake. She probably still has the same one she got the first time she was coming down from Altiendel.
1. Well, I'm willing to be travelling with one or more of the others.
2. I'm thinking I'm coming from east or south. If from the east, I'll most likely have taken a boat to Fisher's Wharf and take the road to Southtown.
3. Looking for a place to sleep after a long trip, and then in the morning ask around for Marcus.
4. I was thinking something like this for my outfit. Mostly wool with some fur lining.
I like to roll my own attack, damage and saves. Mainly so it gives me the chance to properly describe how I make the action or save. Does that make sense?
@Henri: Thanks much!
@Alaina: That makes a lot of sense. At the moment I also intend to show NPC/monster attack rolls as well as describing them. Knowing if someone got a really lucky shot or if they're just toying with you is the kind of feedback these rolls may give, which someone in combat would likely pick up on.
I'm also considering quantifying the ‘sense’ of danger with a knowledge check in terms of a CR (challenge rating) in addition to a description.
This way I'd avoid assuming character reactions in describing what you know, i.e. ‘Alaina knows this is a garden gnome and thinks this will be an easy fight’ or ‘Henri recognizes that’s a bigass dragon and thinks y’all are totally f#$%ed’ - you could play it out.
I'm guessing that would also be preferable, but comments/suggestions are welcome.
Also, it is helpful to know Alaina's intentions are not necessarily to go straight to where everyone else is likely headed. We might do a cut scene just before the rest of the party arrives, depending on others' plans and if she picks up a travel companion.
I don't particularly care how the rolls are done, I've played it both ways and enjoyed both in their own right! Count me as one of the non-voters on that I guess?
1 and 2. I feel like there's a fair chance that Henri and Cel may have met. He'd be coming from the south as well, and highly unlikely to be doing it alone. If nothing else he may be with a caravan or something like it.
3. Get in doors if it's dusk, nature and the night are not things Cel mucks about with if he's alone. He'll most likely do the same as the others, find an inn to stay in. If it's not getting to night time his curious nature would get the best of him, and he'd want to get more information.
4. Cotton liner with wool over top and probably a fur drape over that. Nothing hindering really, but something like a cloak or poncho that can easily be taken off when it's not needed.
Bonus question. I think a roll to help determine some sense of CR would be good. I feel like sizing someone up is relatively easy in real life. It may not turn into nailing the CR on the head, but you can get a ballpark by looking at someone. Maybe a combination of Sense Motive and Perception since attitude of the other person/group can sometimes let you know that they are ready to mess you up. I will throw in the bit where Cel is quite nosy about people, so he's spent time getting to know others and in particular if they are threatening!
Personally, I have to agree with Alaina on the rolls. I like describing my characters actions in the fight.
1. I don't think it's very likely Xizoh has met any of the other characters. He's been keeping mostly to himself and Captain Slithers. Maybe he could have met at the towns he stopped at for supplies, but I don't think it would have amounted to much.
2. I'll hit Southtown coming from the south, having been going over the mountains and wilder lands.
3. Xizoh will probably head to the local healer/apothecary to grab supplies and see if he's needed anywhere. He will be wearing the human guise cloak, so he'll look human.
4.It's a wool outer, with a rather patchwork fur interior. I sort of imagine a winter wear duster of sorts.
@Cel I'd be down for that! Where do you think they might have met? She likely might have found his hijinks amusing, and since they were both going to Southtown, she wouldn't mind having him ride along for a week or two. She probably prefers traveling outside of a caravan though.
Thanks for the answers all!
@Cel: I was planning for the CR to be a knowledge check - if your character knows enough about an NPC in context or a monster/creature to have a good sense of their ability, they'd get a CR value. Otherwise I'll report what the character observes (for perception or sense motive). Comments on that are welcome.
@Henri: If it'd be helpful for planning meet-ups, I'd consider making a finer map of the northern part of Abbhen near the City of Iron, including some of the nearby towns and a better sense of the routes to the pass.