|
 Talingarde is a disgustingly nice place to live in. It has few beggars, and its people are generous. It has few enemies, and its military is sufficient without being overbearing. Its weather is mild and wet, yet rarely freezing. Its economy has followed the burgeoning renaissance of the southern mainlands, without many of the evils of the factories (a lucky failing; the island lacks coal). And, best of all, it has astoundingly little crime. Crime in Talingarde is dealt with swiftly, yet not overwhelmingly. The new King Markadian V of the House Darius has swept away many of the old punishments, banished the days where hands and noses and ears were hacked off, where eyes or tongues were ripped out, or where a crime as trivial as the theft of a loaf of bread could be met with the hangman's noose. As those in the academy might tell you, this was paired with "social readjustments," lessening of hunger and disease among the poor to reduce the need for misbehavior through state-sponsored public works. To the typical Talirean the changes are simple: cleaner streets, less disease, and a greater feeling of safety. The common folk would most likely point to the surge in worship of the Shining Lord, Mitra, and the spread of his monks and knights, along with the purge of the worship of Asmodeus, Prince of Hell and other unsavory things, as the source of progress over the last thirty-odd years, but, as always, the gods' influence pales in comparison to the actions of people. Unfortunately, there is still crime. Not all crimes are borne of desperation, and not even the best attempts at promoting wellbeing in the lower classes can reach everywhere. Crime still simmers, criminals are still caught, and punishments must still be meted out.  For that, there is Branderscar Prison. In times past, the Scar had dungeons filled to the brim with petty criminals of all stripe, rooms dedicated to the most unsavory and creative "inquisitions," and massive, massive salt mines. Today, the dungeons are half empty, the inquisitor's tables dried of blood, and the salt mines are... still relatively full, actually. In fact, the "prison" could better be described as a forced salt mining camp, with aboveground holding cells for those with more complex destinies almost as an afterthought. Very few people's lives are more unpleasant than twelve hour days mining salt, and when they leave most criminals either become much better at avoiding the guard or much more willing to lead an honest(ish) life. It is here your path has led. Perhaps you have landed a stint of several months, more than enough time for your hands to turn into dry, cracked prunes. Perhaps it is instead several years, or even a lifetime, with your best hope that of becoming antisocial and problematic enough to get chucked in a solitary cell to go mad from isolation and a diet of twice-salted meat, gritty stale bread, and briny runoff from the distillation vats. Or, perhaps you have been condemned to death, sent to the one place in Talingarde where the state officially and publicly kills people, destined to be another mummy in the corpse-pit.  No matter what, you really don't want to be here. And your day is about to get a whole lot more complicated... ~~~ So, this is Way of the Wicked, a neat little adventure path by Fire Mountain Games. You've probably heard of it before. You can access the player's guide here, which has a helpful yet sparse map of the island and kingdom of Talingarde, some background about the adventure, and details about making a Pathfinder character. We're not using Pathfinder. Instead, we're using Rule of Cool's Legend, a derivative of 3rd edition with some interesting ways of handling classes and feats that I've been wanting to try out. Obviously, you don't need to pay attention to the specifics about rules in the player's guide. Particularly, ignore the stat generation note, as well as the mechanical benefits for crimes. You will be starting without equipment, but Legend has a very refreshing way of handling mundane equipment in general, so that won't be much of a bother. And, as noted in the prologue above, minor crimes like "stole a loaf of bread" no longer result in particularly dire punishments in Talingarde. If you're a thief, it was something major, and it's much more probable you were accused of murder or the like, such as piracy, smuggling, arson, etc. However, the notes on alignment and personality are still very applicable. You're evil, or at least not good, in the up front and dickish about it sense (and definitely not in the tramp with a heart of gold sense), yet you're also the sort of person that can handle being on a team, taking orders, and having and following long-term goals given sufficient encouragement. As a significant departure from the guide, you do not have to have committed the crime you were sent to Branderscar for. You certainly could have, and you're definitely an evil sort of person who is going to an unpleasant place when you die no matter what, but it's perfectly fine if you weren't responsible for that specific crime. Anyway, along with the general short description of your personality and looks and what your life was like before you got caught, I need you to spend some time answering The Two Big Questions: 1. What crime were you convicted of? Did you do it? 2. Why is your soul damned to the lower planes regardless? Additionally, I require a portrait for a map token. I'll only be using the face, and might ask for a second choice if its hard to make out what's going on when cropped & shrunk. If you want, you can have two portraits, with the secondary one for the token, or something like that. For the purpose of this game we can use #wicked on SynIRC for character creation and discussion. It won't be necessary, though, and feel free to ask questions in the thread. If you want, you can also hop on #wotw for a Talingarde Gazeteer and complimentary party kitty. Rules & Notes Legend is free. Ability score by array: 16, 14, 14, 12, 10, 10. 1st level, feel free to multiclass and use full buy-in if desired. The game is generally going to be handled as-written. There are a few things I don't particularly like (mostly having to do with multiclassing/track swapping), but I want to see the game in action first. Mundane items are generally glossed over. You don't need to track arrows. One of you probably knows how to forage in the wilds, and you don't need to count every copper so you can assume you manage at least poor meals in the cities. You can gather and maintain tools appropriate for your skills. However, you should only have a number of weapons on your person that you'll switch between during combat equal to your KOM (note that the mechanical "a weapon" can mean stuff like "a pair of daggers" or "a longsword and a shield"). You can change and rearrange these however you want between combats, but during combat they need to be set, within the limit. For whatever reason, the v1.0 pdf doesn't include an explanation of the [Distant] property. Here it is: "[Distant] weapons increase their range by 1 category when used as Ranged weapons. This property can be chosen multiple times. Only Ranged weapons or weapons with the Thrown weapon property can gain the [Distant] weapon property." You always have control over the core magic items you receive as part of character progression. I'll also occasionally drop in extras, and if you want you can tell me ahead of time what you're going to have so I can add it as part of the treasure (as an in-game explanation for how you got it). At the very start of the game, you've "lost all your equipment." You have three choices regarding your level 1 minor magic item: 1. have it be some trinket you smuggled in with you, 2. have it be some kind of inherent boon or blessing or whatever instead of an "item," or 3. acquire it early on during the prison break, or shortly after if the group manages to be all sneaky and poo poo. The third option is the most appropriate for weapons, and any combat that happens before that point will be with reduced capacities across the board anyway. If you are going for that third option, mention it to me beforehand so I can work it in. When skill games and secret decisions come up, if it's acceptable to the rest of the group, I'd rather we simply use the honor system. I'll make my decision at the midpoint of the [Action round], and not change it in response to the players' discussion and final choice. I'm open to alternatives, but don't want to end up with something that'll be a hassle, and I'm hoping to use skill games fairly often. At certain lulls in the narrative, you'll get a rebuild. You can use this to change feats and skills around, make different choices on paths, or completely scrap your character and come in with a new one. Legend doesn't have general retraining rules otherwise, which is deliberate. If you're feeling unsatisfied with your character, ask for a group-wide rebuild and I'll probably grant it. You'll get a rebuild very early on, after the "prologue" of breaking out of the prison. You can use your meeting with Asmodeus and his "blessing" as a convenient excuse to develop powers and abilities beyond what you'd normally have (such as "blasting dudes with fire" or "being undead/demonic/otherwise monstrous"), so feel free to have a character that's kind of a schlub at the very start. Also, by the way, don't start the game as, like, some kind of weirdo monster. It wouldn't have gotten sent to prison. If you plan to become a weirdo monster later, note that (and your "final" build), and what you're starting out as, and how you think the change should work. Blast your eyeballs. Reskin everything.  READ THIS Also, it should go without saying, but don't be a creep. We're going for the practical functional sociopath kind of evil, not the sadistic perverted whackjob kind. That sort of thing won't even be happening "offscreen" or otherwise implied, whether or not it would be realistic. Alright? zachol fucked around with this message at 06:10 on Jul 17, 2014 |
#
?
Jul 17, 2014 05:11
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 02:14 |
|
|
Sounds cool, I'll put something together for this later. Either some kind of dragon paladin or sneaky rogue probably.
|
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2014 12:10
|
|
|
 Magdar the Beast (After some of the more noticeable changes going on with Magdar) Magdar was big and strong, not all that attractive and looked kind of strange. He was also rather quiet and shy in his youth. And so he was often made fun of, and large groups of kids would attack him believing he would never defend himself. And he certainly didn't as he was growing up. In fact everyone thought he was slow and stupid. It was just that he did not have much confidence and did not want to jump to conclusions or speak up and get people to attack him again. Still his remaining quiet didn't really help and just led to others mistreating him for other reasons. Magdar grew up bitter and resentful, at once full of a desire to fit in, and a burning rage to lash out at his tormentors. Eventually all the torment was too much for him and he lashed out in retaliation. When all was said and done a number of people were dead, not on purpose but all the same. The strangeness that filled him became all the more apparent and people were frightened of him, and enraged. It actually felt good to lash out, to stand up for himself. But he had to run, and he could never return. With a price on his head he was forced to turn to crime to survive. He began to provide muscle for other criminals in their enterprises, and helping to break in when more direct methods were called for. He spent a few years doing this, finding more and more oddities about himself as he did so. He found he enjoyed using his strength and toughness to get what he wanted. He found he enjoyed the life of a criminal, though needing to be constantly moving and not having a lot of luxury in his life were a bit of a drag, then again he didn't have much luxury in his life before he turned to crime either. He began to realize that his skin was tougher than that of others, and he found that the tips of his fingers, and his finger nails, were strangely rigid and able to tear into things better than even a sword blade. That was certainly a shock when he had realized it. He is still finding things out about himself all the time. And he wishes he could remember anything from before he lived in the village, but his oldest memories are of living on the outskirts of the village and constantly being mistreated by others, especially the vicious kids. Unfortunately news of Magdar, and his exploits, has spread and the last job he was on quickly went south. In fact the job was a setup specifically to catch him in the act of breaking into a bank, and killing a number of guards. When a large group of soldiers showed up he was confused, but he was enraged, and hurt, when his fellow thieves turned on him and helped the soldiers to catch him. Now he awakes in Branderscar Prison. And things sound like they are only going to get worse from here. pre:Magdar the Beast
Level 1 Utter Brute Barbarian
Stat
Strength 14 (+2) [14 base]
Dexterity 14 (+2) [14 base]
Constitution 16 (+3) [16 base]
Intelligence 10 (+0) [10 base]
Wisdom 12 (+1) [12 base]
Charisma 10 (+0) [10 base]
Total Hit Points: 28 = 2*(12+KDM(2))
Speed: 40 ft = 35ft +5 ft [Athletics]
Armor Class: 13 = 10 +1 [BAB] +2 [KDM]
DR 1
Initiative modifier: +2 = +2 [Dexterity]
Fortitude save: +5* = 2 [base] +3 [Constitution]
Reflex save: +2* = 0 [base] +2 [Dexterity]
Will save: +3* = 2 [base] +1 [Wisdom]
Attack (natural): +5 = 1 [base] +3 [KOM] +1 [Item/Fury]
Grapple check: +7 = 1 [base] +2 [strength] +4 [size]
Awareness +12 = 10 [base] +1 [level] +1 [Wisdom]
*+4 bonus on saves against combat maneuvers
Languages: Common.
Dragon Claws [(1d6+11)1d6+KOM+KOM+1+1+3, Reach]
Melee Range 15ft (includes reach)
Close Range 25ft
Medium Range 110ft
Long Range 440ft
Extreme Range 1100ft
Feats
1st level - Juggernaut [Iconic] - size increases to Large, though suffer none of the penalties.
No longer provoke an attack of opportunity when using Bull Rush combat maneuver.
Gain [Immunity] to [Slowed].
1st level - Guild Initiation (Shaman(Dragon)) - May exchange one of my tracks for another
track as per multicasting. Special: May take this feat with Racial feat slot. (Bonus)
1st level - Wings of War - Grow a set of wings. Gain the Fly movement mode.
Skills
Acrobatics Dex 02 = +2 +0
Athletics Str 03 = +2 +1
Larceny Dex 02 = +2 +0
Stealth Dex 02 = +2 +0
Ride Dex 02 = +2 +0
Vigor Con 04 = +3 +1
Arcana Int 00 = +0 +0
Engineering Int 00 = +0 +0
Geography Int 01 = +0 +1
History Int 00 = +0 +0
Medicine Int 00 = +0 +0
Nature Int 00 = +0 +0
Bluff Cha 00 = +0 +0
Diplomacy Cha 00 = +0 +0
Intimidate Cha 01 = +0 +1
Perception Wis 00 = +1 +0
Utter Brute:
HP/Level 12, Skills 4, KOM Con, KDM Str
BaB good, Fort good, Ref bad, Will good
[Darkvision]
Tracks
Medium: Utter Brute
Slow: Path of Destruction
Fast: Shaman’s Path (Dragon)
Buy-in: Sentient Construct
Dragon Track: - Fast
1st Circle - Agility (Ex): Gain the Wings of War feat even though I would not otherwise qualify.
Also have the following natural attack: Dragon Claws - Melee, range [Melee], [Brutal 3].
Utter Brute Track: - Medium
1st Circle - Uncivilized: Attacker: unarmed attacks add KOM to damage and gain the [Reach]
weapon property. Gain a fury and item bonus to its to-hit rolls equal to the number of
circles of Utter Brute it possesses (1)
Barbarian - Destruction Track: - Slow
Sentient Construct Track: - Full Buy In
1st Circle - Sturdy Frame: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Ex): I gain a +1 bonus to all
damage for every circle of this track that I possess, and a 5 ft. bonus to my
movement speed for every even circle of this track that I posses. Also gain a
+2 bonus to saves against Combat Maneuvers.
Items (Full-Buy In)
Rags
Ryuujin fucked around with this message at 07:24 on Jul 30, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2014 03:17
|
|
|
Wee Willy Whizzenthorpe Sometimes, Gnomes go bad. William Whitman went worse. Under his assumed name, "Wee Willy Whizzenthorpe" (the Tall Folk love the silly names), he's guilty of nearly every non-violent crime you can think of. Illegal gambling, burglary, extortion, blackmail, grifting, tax fraud, the list goes on for miles. The best thing that can be said of him is that he hasn't killed anyone (none that they can prove, anyway). He's a greedy, conniving little weasel who feeds on his victims' despair when he's finally sucked the last coin out of them. The only reason he wasn't caught sooner was that he'd had the half of the slums he didn't prey on convinced that he was just a lovable rogue, a rakish little scamp who donated all his ill-gotten gains to the local orphanage. The orphanage he founded through a front company and used as a sweatshop to make shoddy baubles that could barely pass for luxury items (which he then sold at "bargain rates" to the very people who defended him, those rates being ten times the cost to make the fraudulent wares). He had the local guards on his payroll, too, he thought he was untouchable. That's usually how criminals feel right before a Paladin wanders in and ruins everything. It took about twenty minutes for Sir Gloriosus or whatever his name was to unravel Willy's web of lies, and he was in irons before supper. After an impassioned plea to the judge for leniency, in which Willy detailed a childhood filled with misery and woe (in reality, he came from loving, supportive parents and a stable community), the judge decided to show mercy, and sentenced him to be hung swiftly, and spare him the agonizing wait. He execution is three days hence, and it looks like Wee Willy can't talk his way out of this one. At least they let him keep his cloak, not realizing its magical nature. At least he won't miss teatime. Did he do it? Oh yeah. And plenty more they didn't notice or couldn't quite make a solid case of. Why's he going to Hell? Well, he may not be a (proven) murderer, but the positive qualities end there. He's avaricious, miserly, lecherous, deceitful, arrogant, given to drink, and cruel beyond measure. His heart's black as night, hard as marble, and as small as a poppy seed. And he's drat proud of it. Race: Gnome Class: Con Man (Rogue) Attributes: Str: 10 Dex: 14 Con: 12 Int: 14 Wis: 12 Cha: 18 HP: 9 Init: +2 Ref: +4 Fort: +1 Will: +3 AC: 14 (15 with Light Armor, when the time comes) KOM: Int KDM: Cha Tracks: Esoterica Radica Tinkering (Mechanist Savant) (Charisma) Fortune's Friend Skills Diplomacy (+1, +1/8 levels) Bluff Intimidate Perception History Larceny Feats Chatty Bugger [Racial Bonus] Troubleshooter [Darkvision] Magic Swag Cloak of the Endless Journey (produces tea and scones) Weapon of Choice (for when it becomes applicable) Ice pick (Hold-Out, Quick-Draw, Magnum) EclecticTastes fucked around with this message at 20:19 on Jul 23, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2014 07:15
|
|
|
Well, your KOM and KDM can never be the same ability score. If you're going to have your defensive rogue track as fortune's friend, which sets your KDM to Cha, your KOM (which will determine things like weapon attacks) needs to be something other than Cha. Since you're not picking an offensive rogue track, it can be whatever you want. However, what Mechanist Savant is talking about is the TAM, which is a bit different, specific to the track, only determines track abilities, and fine to overlap with either your KOM or KDM. At 1st level, Mechanist Savant isn't granting you any offensive abilities, or really any active abilities at all besides the passive damage sink, so you might want to consider shifting scores a bit to Int or Dex (or whatever you pick for KOM) for your attacks. This is by no means a requirement, though. e: That said, I'm not sure how important KOM would be to your build. Legend tends to rely on riders and special additions to attacks, so an extra +1 attack/damage (and nothing else) wouldn't be that big of a deal. zachol fucked around with this message at 08:03 on Jul 18, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2014 07:35
|
|
|
zachol posted:Well, your KOM and KDM can never be the same ability score. If you're going to have your defensive rogue track as fortune's friend, which sets your KDM to Cha, your KOM (which will determine things like weapon attacks) needs to be something other than Cha. Since you're not picking an offensive rogue track, it can be whatever you want. Yeah, think I'll go with Int as KOM. I'll stick with the current stat spread, though, this guy's definitely more about talking his way out of stuff and outwitting his victims than confronting the problem with brute force. More of a second-string combatant.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2014 16:13
|
|
|
Still up for this, some irl business came up so it took a bit to figure out how everything works. If I understand chargen right, I can use Sage as a base, Dragon for the race & replacing one of the tracks, a free multiclass to replace another with Paladin's Smiting track, and full buy-in to Vigilante. I get all that right?
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2014 15:51
|
|
|
Okay so Dragon as Race, then Sage as your "class" though all you get from Sage is two of its tracks. You can replace one of those two with Multiclassing as usual, which can be the Smiting track from the Paladin yeah. That leaves you with Dragon as Race as well as the "class" that determines hp, KOM, KDM, and Skills, and leaves you with the Dragon track, one Sage track, and the Smiting track. Then yes you can Full Buy In like I did to have a slower item progression and grab another track like Vigilante.
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2014 16:34
|
|
|
Ryuujin posted:Okay so Dragon as Race, then Sage as your "class" though all you get from Sage is two of its tracks. You can replace one of those two with Multiclassing as usual, which can be the Smiting track from the Paladin yeah. That leaves you with Dragon as Race as well as the "class" that determines hp, KOM, KDM, and Skills, and leaves you with the Dragon track, one Sage track, and the Smiting track. Then yes you can Full Buy In like I did to have a slower item progression and grab another track like Vigilante. Cool, s'what I figured. Thanks! I'll put the sheet/bio together in a bit then.
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2014 16:41
|
|
|
Yes, although in that case you'll use Dragon as a "base" in terms of BAB, HP, etc. You would have Dragon determining many basic stats, the Dragon track, one of the Sage tracks (whichever), the Smiting track, and Vigilante. The Sage track would go at a specific rate (fast/medium/slow) based on what it was originally for a Sage, Dragon and Smiting could take whichever rates desired (Dragon won't necessarily go at the rate shown in the table on page 134), and Vigilante would go at medium progression (1st circle at 1st level, 2nd circle at 4th, 3rd at 7th, etc, on page 291). So, for example, you could take Sage's Wrath/Just Blade with a medium progression (this would be set, you couldn't change this to slow or fast), Smiting as fast, Dragon as slow (you could swap these two, but in the case of Dragon as slow you wouldn't receive the 1st circle ability until 2nd level, unlike what's shown on page 134), and Vigilante as medium (again, set, from Full Buy-In). Hopefully that makes sense? e: Oh and Ryuujin answered it.
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2014 16:53
|
|
|
  Arkin Dalger Backstory tl;dr - Dad was a dragon, so Arkin's got some innate magic and some bad compulsions. One of these led him to murder someone, now he's locked up. The more he gives in to his dragon side the more of his humanity he loses, til eventually there won't be any left; the consequences for his soul are uncertain, but probably not too great. Also went with Elementalist over Vigilante because as a friend pointed out you can't be a good dragon without a breath weapon (or something to reflavor as one). Also flavoring the Heritor as slapping people around with magic and Smiting as just slapping people really hard. Let me know if you want parts of or the entirety of that sheet in a text block, I just thought it looked neat.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2014 19:10
|
|
|
How would you feel if I brought Chuln, a being created from all four elemental tracks*? It's rules-legal (I was a dev on the game!), but somewhat of a... peculiar character. Alien might be a good word. Chuln's literally made out of its elements. Teardrop shaped main body and tentacle-ish limbs that split at the ends, all made out of stone segments connected by water, head is a sphere with the front hollowed out and a sphere of flame floating within. I could do something else if that's out of place. but I've always wanted to play Chuln. It helps that I designed the elemental tracks.  I can definitely understand if Chuln is too much! *Racial for one, Shaman for another, multiclass for a third, Full Buy-In for the final. Esser-Z fucked around with this message at 19:33 on Jul 23, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2014 19:19
|
|
|
I'm not entirely sure how a racial track can bring in an elemental track but I'll take a dev's word over mine. e: Also having a dev would be neat and I'd be counting on you to rules lawyer me to death over everything. I'd like the character to at least initially be a person and have a generally person-like mind, history, and motives, but a progression into some kind of full-blown elemental chimera would be fine. All sorts of weird alchemical magitech things are going on, particularly on the continent, so someone getting the primordial elements spliced into and turning into some weird elemental thing them sounds like something that could happen. If you're attached to a more alien mindset of some kind of elemental outsider, I could work out a way to slip him in to the start of the game, but there'd be a slight delay and I'd want to count on you to figure out a reason why an elemental being is interested in helping out a bunch of real assholes as they go about causing problems. Some kind of magic binding yoke thing would work I guess (there's a wizard in the starting area who could be responsible) but it would also be nice for Chuln to have a place in rp/discussions and stuff. e: Arkin looks neat. Magdar and Willy are also good (what's Willy's final AC, though?). I like the party composition so far, still hoping for a fifth (talked with someone on IRC for a bit, hope they get in here). I'm not going to set any absolute deadlines, but if you're working on a character and haven't posted yet, I'd appreciate a word on where you're going in a general sense in terms of a concept. I'm fine with waiting on mechanics and people figuring out the game, but there's no point in waiting if nobody else is either. zachol fucked around with this message at 20:06 on Jul 23, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2014 19:54
|
|
|
Basically, there's a race (Earth Pony, but we were intending to make an actual elemental, too) that gives you an elemental track as a racial! Yeah, I understand the concern with it (Chuln is genderless). I think I should whip up something more practical! Chuln is fun, and basically 'imprints' on the first few people it meets on a given world as its friends, but... I should play something more game-appropriate! I'll do a more relevant character after work! Solaris the robot dragon is probably out, too, I'd wager. 'specially since we already have a dragon! I'll think of something, though! As for dev stuff, I did general revision and problem solving in addition to being directly responsible the Vigilante and Elemental tracks. I faded away later on after Jake Kurzer left the project, due mostly to creative differences. But I really enjoy the game playerside, so I'll be happy to app! EDIT: I may play a skeleton. I like skeletons. Esser-Z fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Jul 23, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2014 20:20
|
|
|
No problem. If you do want to come back to Chuln I could probably figure out a way to bump it in with that kind of explanation. You could also bring it in as a replacement character later on.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2014 20:49
|
|
|
Sure, sounds good. I don't want to be the special iceberg who rocks the boat on campaign style, y'know?
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2014 21:29
|
|
|
Well, I don't want to be the rear end in a top hat GM with a vision that railroads everyone into a prewritten story. On the other hand I've got a fairly particular and quirky AP here so a teensy bit of the railways might happen at the start. Figuring out an excuse for everyone to stick together (particularly evil jerks) is always a little tough. Once things get started there'll be a lot more leeway, though.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2014 21:39
|
|
|
Eh, Chuln's really not the best fit for this sort of campaign. I'll do something more appropriate. Maybe the robot dragon I've had kicking around. That could fit in better!
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2014 21:47
|
|
|
As long as it's an evil robot dragon. e: Actually on second thought, robot dragon might produce some overlap. Skeleton would be neat. I like skeletons. zachol fucked around with this message at 04:58 on Jul 24, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2014 21:56
|
|
|
I think I've talked to you character ideawise (probably going with the Demonologist Sage). It's just a matter of working out the mechanics.
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2014 04:26
|
|
|
zachol posted:As long as it's an evil robot dragon. Overlap's no good! I'll go with the skeleton!
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2014 13:03
|
|
|
I'm thinking of posting some kind of Monk Vigilante in a little bit. I used to think Legend was really cool, but haven't looked at it in a little while.
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2014 20:31
|
|
|
Dr. Tomas Mabus Dr. Mabus is a learned man; a professor of philosophy at the University. He is a scholar of note, a professional, one of the rising middle class that the Kingdom of Talingarde is so proud of. He should be enjoying the company and prestige of his peers. Instead, he rots in Brandescar Prison, sentenced to die. And for such a foolish reason! After all, where is the crime in the study of religion? Is that not a noble endeavor? Should only the priests of Mitra be allowed to do that? And is it so wicked to study the planes? Surely not! And, indeed, to study and enter into discussions with the dwellers of those planes, how can peaceful conversation be such a sin? Yet the priests of Mitra call these beings "demons", and claim that consorting with them is witchcraft! Dr. Mabus is a man of science, not superstition. Yes, these beings have powers, and yes, they may be what a lesser mind would consider "evil", but really, is seeking to ally yourself with them so evil? Dr. Mabus says no! Unfortunately, the government says yes! So, here he is, waiting to die. 1. What crime were you convicted of? Did you do it? Witchcraft, consorting with demons, study of forbidden works, delving into forbidden knowledge. And he did it. Very much did he do it. 2. Why is your soul damned to the lower planes regardless? Hello? Consorting with demons? Add that to the fact that Dr. Mabus is selfish, vain, hypocritical, blind to his faults, and completely unconcerned with moral considerations when it comes to getting what he wants, and that means that he's likely got a warm afterlife. Race: Human Class: Sage 16, 14, 14, 12, 10, 10. Attributes: Str: 10 Dex: 14 Con: 12 Int: 18 Wis: 14 Cha: 12 HP: 20 Init: 2 Ref: +2 Fort: +0 Will: +2 AC: 12 KOM: Int KDM: Dex Tracks: Arcane Lore Force of Will Arcane Secrets Skills Arcana +1 History Vigor Medicine Bluff Perception Feats Words of Power To Iron Married Magic Swag Map of the Master Strategist
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2014 06:22
|
|
|
I might throw something in the hat. Dunno what yet.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2014 06:24
|
|
|
 Thongur Kazadorn Thongur was, at some point, a good man. A very good man. He was a family man, with a wife, who he planned on having children with. He was a devout dwarf, knowing the history of his clan backwards and forwards. He was a skilled craftsman, expected to be one of the best in his generation. So skilled, in fact, that he was apprenticed to a great master in a clanhold across the sea. And that is when his troubles began. The ship Thongur was travelling on was ambushed by pirates, and most aboard were killed; however, the pirate ship was in need of repair, and so took Thongur on as a hand. He was beaten daily, forced to work on the ship under threat of torture, treated little better than a prisoner. His two attempts at escape were meant with maiming (the first time, the little finger on his right hand was cut off; the second time, it was his left ear). After several months on the boat, the pirates were finally taken by the Royal Navy. Unfortunately, the crewman on the ship were (expectedly) not honest with the pirate hunters who had caught them, and pointed him out as one of the ship's mates. In spite of his protestations to the contrary, Thongur was brought in front of a magister, and found guilty of piracy. He was disowned by both his clan and his family. A lifetime in the salt mines gives a man a lot of time to think. And Thongur was a smart man, so he thought a lot. Mostly, he thought of escape, and he thought of what he would do once he did escape. He came to the conclusion that since society was treating him like a bad man, he may as well be a bad man. He obsessed over revenge, on his family, on his clan, on the kingdom; he wanted to see it all burn. What crime were you convicted of? Did you do it? Piracy. In the most technical sense... yes. Why is your soul damned to the lower planes regardless? Some would argue that mere thought can be a sin; if this is the case, Thongur is damned thousands upon thousands of times over. And if it isn't the case... well, as soon as he gets out, he's going to be putting many of those thoughts into practice. The damnation will work itself out from there. code:Ham Equity fucked around with this message at 02:27 on Jul 30, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2014 23:27
|
|
|
Alright, thinking about schedules and junk, and affording some time for anyone still working on a character, I'm going to set a deadline for picks as Tuesday evening, same time as this post (10:15 pm for me). I'll give any characters posted near then a mostly fair shake, but I'm going to have been running combos through my head for the next few days so earlier is much better than later. Generally, my suggestion for people who want to put some more work into their characters is to spend time expanding their backstories and describing their personalities more. Everyone gets a respec very early on, so don't worry too much about the mechanical side (I'm certainly not going to while making picks). I'm pretty sure most of us are still learning the game, so don't worry much about mistakes.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2014 04:15
|
|
|
Looks interesting- I'd app some sort of paladin, but I know this adventure path rather well.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2014 19:41
|
|
|
Normally I'd say join anyway and I'll try to throw in enough curveballs to keep it interesting for people who are familiar with the path but your post there was one of the big things encouraging me to run this and is a big influence on my thoughts and plans, so yeah. I'd still love to have you if you're comfortable with it, but you'd be a better judge than me regarding that. Also you other guys please don't read those spoilers. zachol fucked around with this message at 20:39 on Jul 28, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2014 20:37
|
|
|
Well, one good thing from the linked post is the idea of avoiding a "race to the bottom" situation. Talking about how "bad" your villainous character is like it's a competition a lot like blackjack. You can only win by going further than everyone else, but it's all but guaranteed that trying to do so will result in your going entirely too far and losing everything. My guy, I know where he stands as a villain. He's a crook, but he's small-time. His grandest schemes are money laundering and counterfeit goods. Willy could probably have been a lot bigger, maybe could have coordinated criminal activity throughout the whole country, but the thought never occurred to him. Show him a legendary artifact that would allow its owner to conquer the world, he'll be thinking of ways to make a quick buck with it. He's got all the makings of a criminal mastermind, except his imagination's too lacking for him to ever think to try it. He never even thought to gather up Talingarde's criminal element to start a thieves' guild or something. All he sees is his tiny, petty world, a man smaller metaphorically than literally, and he's a Gnome. It'd be tragic if he wasn't such a slimeball.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2014 02:35
|
|
|
EclecticTastes posted:Well, one good thing from the linked post is the idea of avoiding a "race to the bottom" situation. Totes. As long as we're clearing up how villainous our dudes are, Arkin's thing is that he's started to shed his morals in favor of heeding his almost compulsive instincts. It's really more about his succumbing to temptation than anything. He'd been content in life, but now he's got this power along with a realization that he can do/have so much more. The only thing keeping him back is his own sense of right & wrong, and it turns out he's more than willing to throw all that aside to satisfy his more selfish desires. So, the further he delves into the darkest parts of himself, the more he starts to lose sight of his humanity. In this way, his transformation reflects his changing morality; he acts monstrous, and therefore becomes monstrous. So as a villain, Arkin's less about grand designs and more about indulging himself without a care for how his actions affect others.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2014 15:57
|
|
|
Avera Talingarde rots. No, Talingarde has been rotting for a long time. The line of Markadian betrayed and deposed the Lord of Order in favor of their Shining Lord of Light. But only a fool would think it was a better change. For all their talk of shining splendor, their prisons overflow with lawbreakers and there is a steady line of subjects awaiting an audience with the headsman's axe. Fire and Steel. They still use the tools of the Lord of Order, but they use them poorly. They lack the awareness to spot lawbreakers, the cunning to outwit them or the strength to put a permanent end to their violations. They may boast of the improvements to health and welfare, but the kingdom rots on a foundation of half-measures, while corruption still slithers through the ranks of the nobility, weakness swaddles the peasantry and the rumbling north goes unheeded. Was it any wonder that there are those who seek a new order? Not a return to the old but a birth of the new, to reforge the realm with true strength, to use the hottest fires temper the hardest steel. A realm that would use the tools of the Lord of Order with the precision and skill they required. But unfortunately, even among those who sought out a new horizon there was the creeping hint of rot. Weak nerves lead to a midnight betrayal, the entire cell turned over in exchange for leniency- a lifetime of imprisonment for treason instead of the kiss of the axe, and a sentence watered down further with cries of redemption and changed behavior. But not all lost sight of the Lord of Order, some still sit in the quiet darkness and wait. The hottest fire and strongest forge tools of unsurpassed endurance, and such tools are difficult to discard forever. The Lord of Order knows his own, and Talingarde will see the glories they will wrought. Essentially an Asmodean Paladin who seeks to overthrow the kingdom and institute a New Order, which may mean that this one has a scheduled end sooner than later. Not quite the archetypal tyrant given that this one has a huge thing about conversion of the enemy whenever possible rather than outright destruction, though there is always the time where one separates the wheat from the chaff. I was going off of an outdated copy of Legend up until earlier today, so I probably still need to tinker with the mechanics, specifically figuring out what the third track should be. pre:Avera Level 1 Human Paladin Stat Strength 16 (+3) [16 base] Dexterity 10 (+0) [10 base] Constitution 14 (+2) [14 base] Intelligence 12 (+1) [12 base] Wisdom 10 (+0) [10 base] Charisma 16 (+3) [14 base + 2 race] Total Hit Points: 26 = 2*(10+3) DR: 1 Fast Healing 2 Speed: 35 ft = 30ft + 5 ft (Athletics) Armor Class: 14 = 10 +1 [BAB] +3 [KDM] Initiative modifier: +0 = +0 [Dexterity] Fortitude save: +5* = 2 [base] +3 [Str] Reflex save: +1* = 0 [base] +1 [Int] Will save: +5* = 2 [base] +3 [Cha] Attack (natural): +4 = 1 [base] +3 [Str] Grapple check: +7 = 1 [base] +3 [Str] Awareness 17 = 10 [base] +1 [level] +0 [Wisdom] + 4 [Knowing] +2 [Feat] Languages: Common, ??? [(1d6+4)1d6+KOM + Str/2] Melee Range 5ft (includes reach) Close Range 25ft Medium Range 110ft Long Range 440ft Extreme Range 1100ft Feats 1st- Senseshift Adept: Can use any senses for any senses, +2 feat bonus to Awareness, Immune to Dazzled, Deafened 1st- By Will Sustained: No longer need to eat or drink, Immune to Sickened Skills Acrobatics Dex 00 = +0 +0 Athletics Str 04 = +3 +1 Larceny Dex 00 = +0 +0 Stealth Dex 00 = +0 +0 Ride Dex 00 = +0 +0 Vigor Con 03 = +2 +1 Arcana Int 01 = +1 +0 Engineering Int 01 = +1 +0 Geography Int 01 = +1 +0 History Int 01 = +1 +0 Medicine Int 01 = +1 +0 Nature Int 01 = +1 +0 Bluff Cha 04 = +3 +1 Diplomacy Cha 05 = +3 +1 +1 Race Intimidate Cha 03 = +3 +0 Perception Wis 02 = +1 +1 Paladin: HP/Level 10, Skills 5, KOM Str, KDM Cha BaB good, Fort good, Ref bad, Will good Tracks Fast: Judgement Medium: Smiting Slow: Heroica or Bastion Judgement: - Fast 1st Circle - Knowing Aware of moral/ideological predilections of sentient creatures within 15 ft + 5 ft per circle centered on me. Also aware of major moral consequences of my actions +4 to Awareness and Perception Smiting: - Medium 1st Circle - Skirmish When you miss with an attack roll, +1 to attacks for the encounter, stacks up to 2 or your level, whichever is higher Heroica or Bastion - Slow Items Rags Broken Stele LightWarden fucked around with this message at 03:27 on Jul 30, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2014 03:19
|
|
|
Alright, time's up. Picks are Magdar, Wee Willy, Arkin, Dr. Mabus, and Thongur. Sorry, LightWarden. I like the idea in a lot of ways but it's not really a good fit. For everyone else, I feel like there's been enough time. If the game runs long enough I'll totally be open to replacements and new players, so keep an eye out. Ryuujin, I'll need a portrait/token picture relatively soon unless you just want me to google some random meatbag. Expect the opening post e: Some other things came up that I need to get done and I also got sucked into a research/picture hunting hole. Sorry! zachol fucked around with this message at 07:30 on Jul 30, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2014 04:16
|
|
|
Added a portrait, the face is a bit more monstrous than it probably is at the moment, but the more evil he does the more like that he begins to look.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2014 07:25
|
|
|
Thread is up. Wheee! Sorry for the delay.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2014 07:25
|
|
|
Hey, EclecticTastes, you're supposed to double your level 1 hp (page 23 of the pdf).
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2014 19:11
|
|
|
Also a reminder that you get +1/2 Str to damage and 1/2 Con as [DR]. Epicurius, there's a good point to have the map come up during the initial scene (an NPC has one), but if you all get out super sneaky it'll pop up later.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2014 20:56
|
|
|
Thanatosian posted:Hey, EclecticTastes, you're supposed to double your level 1 hp (page 23 of the pdf). Thanks, I hadn't noticed that, or the other thing zachol pointed out. Updated the sheet in the thread.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2014 00:15
|
|
|
Okay, I'm kind of irritated at the stall, mostly at myself. Reading back, I understand where the confusion would come from, and I should've been more clear about where the long term miners actually live/eat/etc. "They live in the prison" is a reasonable assumption. If you guys want, I can shift things around so a riot makes logistical sense, but it'll involve a little bit of rectonning and throwing out the map (the cell level and overall size of Branderscar is way too small for it to make sense), so it would be nice if you didn't end up in a fight, please. If there's a different problem instead that's holding things up, I'd like to hear about it. Also, in general, I am super fine with suggestions or ideas for how things work, "it would be cool if..." or whatever. I reacted the way I did because I felt as if I was just clarifying the situation; if I'd been thinking about it a little differently, as a request for it to be a possibility, I could've come up with an idea. But I'd like there to be something of a separation between asking for more details and giving a suggestion, alright?
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2014 00:11
|
|
|
I'm just waiting for some of the others to post, since I took the most recent action.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2014 17:47
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 02:14 |
|
|
I was also waiting for other people to post.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2014 18:20
|
|