This post hearby opens the discussion thread for the poor saps, I mean brave adventurers, selected to Group A.
To recap: this group should consist of:
Aziza - Arcane
Seldon - Divine
Mirela - Skills
Barek - Melee
Tunder - Ranger
Seems like a fun group, certainly with 2 aussies, a fist fighter, and a dwarf, it'll lively. Please proceed to discuss among yourselves as I attempt to get Gameplay open tonight, or latest tomorrow with some individual hook/openers.
Welcome, and as always, LMK if any issues arise.
Checking in. Mirela, you were in a previous ROTRL attempt, right?
Also just chiming in.
Hey Barek, good to see you again. Yes, you, Cadas and I were together in our previous attempt with GM Sloth. So here's to old friends, and our new ones as well :)
Hiya folks. Also checking in...
Being the PbP newb, I'll probably make a lot of etiquette errors at first, so I beg patience from you more experienced PbPers.
Mirela, the starting hook that Doc Evil has sent me suggests that Aziza ran into a troupe of Varisian performers on the road to Sandpoint, from whom she learned of the imminent festival, and that you may have been one of their number. If so, when Aziza sees you in Sandpoint, she'll certainly be making herself known to you again, not that you're likely to forget any blue-haired, hyper-active gnomes you met recently. Does that scan with you?
The elf brushes the dust of the road, stepping in from the cold with a smile on his face. He glides through the crowd, stopping to greet people or smile apologetically until he finally makes his way to the table. He picks up Magnus' kettle-black helmet, examines it, and tosses it into the wastebin.
So, we seem to have all major bases covered, skill and capability wise, don't we? What are we missing, if anything? Am I being paranoid?
The answer to the last question is probably.
No sign of Tunder yet. Hopefully once he logs on and posts here, this thread will get underway.
Mirela, the starting hook that Doc Evil has sent me suggests that Aziza ran into a troupe of Varisian performers on the road to Sandpoint, from whom she learned of the imminent festival, and that you may have been one of their number. If so, when Aziza sees you in Sandpoint, she'll certainly be making herself known to you again, not that you're likely to forget any blue-haired, hyper-active gnomes you met recently. Does that scan with you?
Absolutely Aziza, that sounds great. It always makes it easier to get characters talking when they already have some familiarity with one another.
Hey there. Tunder checking in. Hey! Where did all the other dwarves go?
I'm rather hurting from my lack of skill points. I'm curious if DMDoctorEvil would allow me to take the Cloistered Cleric archetype from Ultimate Magic. I'm rather hurting for knowledge skills and it's bothering me. I'm hoping to grab religion, planes, geography, and local. Maybe nature from there. Mirela seems to have us covered for social skills, so I can be the quiet, mentorish type instead of a party face. Beyond that I'll be the party archer, buff-slinger and summoner, and with 5 uses of channel and spontaneous cure spells I doubt anyone will be hurting for heals. Does anyone have anything else they want from their friendly neighbourhood cleric?
My feats are more or less set in stone until 7th level, but from there I'll branch out into crafting, summoning or shoring up Seldon's defences, depending on how things pan out.
Hey there. Tunder checking in. Hey! Where did all the other dwarves go?
Someone said something about an open bar to Rogar and Magnus, and last I saw they were disappearing off to another tavern. I guess you're stuck with us. :)
I'm going to post an expanded character background and description shortly; not changing anything, just adding in extra flavor, as my original text was intentionally brief.
@Mirela; Ok then it's decided that Aziza and Mirela have at least encountered each other briefly before arriving separately in Sandpoint.
Just FYI Aziza speaks Varisian, so she would have addressed you in that language. Obviously neither of us were put off by the other at our first meeting, but we can decide how things will develop from the second time they meet, which I'm presuming will be at the Cathedral opening?
@Seldon; I share your pain regarding lack of skill points.
However Mirela and Tunder between them should have the rest of us covered for most things I'm guessing. Originally I was considering taking a level of bard with the archivist or archaeologist archetype at second or third level; it would fit with Aziza's background to do so.
The benefits would be a few extra low level spell options, expanded skill points, and bardic knowledge and performance (if I didn't take the archaeologist option). The drawback is that I'd lose those levels for sorcerer and delay Aziza's access to higher level spells.
I'd really like to hear someone else's POV on that issue, please?
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As you probably know, it is never, never worth it to retard spell progression with multi-classing. Never. That is even more true for sorcerers. With that being said, one might choose to do so anyway. I admit to doing so, myself. The trick is to make the right spell choices for you so that you don't miss those levels as much. There is also the roleplaying angle to consider. If it makes sense, a one or even two level dip isn't insurmountable and can add a great deal of fun.
I agree Tunder on the multiclassing spellcasters. Given that Aziza has a fairly good int score she can probably get a lot of mileage out of spreading her skill points around to net that +3 class bonus in as many areas as possible. Only a few skills need to be maxed out every level.
That said I've set out to play an arcane trickster in Reign of Winter. So far I've concluded that I was either very brave or very stupid.
Alright, Group A, draft hooks are all done and sent out. Will start the intro, post the hooks and then you'll be ready to start Gameplay. I still have some home work to do on build investigating etc.
In addition, I'm struggling with maps and tokens, so if someone has some magic powers in that regard, an assist would be lovely.
Your adventure will begin soon, so gear up. See you in the game in a bit.
Ok gang, opening threads in Gameplay is now up. Please peruse the hooks for those you are interested in, read the instructions after the intro post, and explore away
PS: Don't tell those slackers over at Group B, they probably don't get to start until tomorrow night. Underachievers!
Okies thanks, Tunder and Seldon (aka Dax Thura and Twigs); you both seem firmly of the opinion that multi-classing as a sorcerer is a bad option.
I think in such a long adventure you'd be really hurting if you set back your spells any further.
Doctor! Would you object to Seldon taking that archetype? Little about him would change save for his skill list and losing that casting of divine favor. I linked it upthread. I'm sure you have your hands full, but let me know what you think!
As for maps (I was pretty sick of typing from my phone) do you have a pdf copy? My trick for maps was to take peoples forum avatars for icons (resizing them as needed) and simply placing them on one layer in any graphics program (It's probably years out of date, but Paint.NET is free.) with the maps underneath it (which you can simply copy and paste out of the pdf copy. The labels shouldnt show up when you paste. However it was pretty labour intensive round by round (and meant I could only post from home, which proved a bit of an embuggerance when I was running a game myself.
I also experimented with a maptools file (and even if you're not interested in the program, the "token tool" program might come in handy.) You could also use a Google Doc. All three of my active PbPs are doing this, as its a persistant file they can update any time... though I've never used the program myself. It's probably the better of the three options, but you're on your own there!
Hey guys, just letting you know I won't be able to post in full until after work. I typically post in the afternoon and/or later evening.
Hey guys, just letting you know I won't be able to post in full until after work. I typically post in the afternoon and/or later evening.
No problems. It's 21:30 hrs on Tuesday the 14th over here in eastern Australia, where both Twigs and I are, so this will be my usual posting time. :)
Feel free to talk amongst yourselves, and thank your lucky stars the Aussies are in the other thread AND only one (really nice, polite, refined, handsome, and charming)dwarf made this group. Who says I'm evil now, hmmmm?
I resemble that remark! And yes, you are evil, I can already tell. :)
Just FYI, the Group A gameplay thread was opened a little bit ago (those remedial slugs need all the time they can get), so if you want to go over and peek now is the time. AFter that the game will likely diverge so much it won't be worthwhile.
Well I peeked the other way, and I repeat here too: in my case the meds are starting to kick in, the ECT has worked wonders, and I'm allowed out without a muzzle for short, supervised visits. Also comparing me to a slug is offensive to shell-less terrestrial mollusks everywhere. :P
Just FYI, there is a nifty map of Sandpoint on page 5 of the Player's guide which is a free pdf from Paizo. You can see Northgate where you entered, and the cathedral nearby. The White Deer is the largish buliding right when come in the gate (below the N in Northgate). I see you standing farther down in the square west of the church at present.
By the by, after logging back in and re-reading what I last posted in gameplay, it occurred to me that I may have preempted a hook for Barek from DocEvil by 'pantsing' the foreman. If so, sorry Barek! My bad.
One of the good things about playing a tried and true AP like ROTRL is the amount of resources available on the internet and elsewhere. I will attempt to link items of interest in the campaign info tab from time to time. A few images linked there now. Can get a Sandpoint map if called for by popular demand.
Let me know if you have other things you wanna see.
Also, I'm perfectly happy doing "welcome to Sandpoint" RP for days on end, so let me know if it's too much
I found a map here, a little more accessible than the one in the ROTL Player's Guide but taken from it, with some details on Sandpoint:
Potential spoiler warning; not all links are player sanitized, so be careful what you start reading.
I know of a better one that labels all of the locales. I'll go on the hunt for it.
For now content yourselves with this PDF I just printed this morning for my own group. They've been pestering me to run the Runelords game I've been promising them and I've started my prepwork in earnest.
Edit: HERE IT IS
Posted that map link in Campaign Info tab also. The area #3 (if you can read that small type) is the White Deer Inn. The Cathedral and Old Light are fairly obvious I think.
All of the A-Team has checked out on build now. Thanks for making it (relatively) easy.
I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight thinking about what the Aussies will post to my beautiful game...I may have to get up and check.
We make no promises that all of your npc's trousers will remain intact.
Sleep well! :P
Hey, one of our ex-prime ministers (Malcom Fraser) was once caught in public with his trousers literally down, or completely missing in his case... in the US too, I think... so by Aussie standards that makes it a cultural activity!
I know of a better one that labels all of the locales. I'll go on the hunt for it.
Thanks Twigs; that map is much more useful since you don't have to worry about finding the key separately.
Had a decent sized post eaten by the website last night. I'll try to get something up from Barek soon.
I direct your attention to the following web page, especially definition number one:
Best definition ever! :)
That second one is amazing. Speaking Elvis(h). Priceless
The official looking pair you see coming stop and are discussing something in the middle of the churchyard, obviously not coming to arrest you. (It's not ALL about you, is it?).
Aziza's eyes widen in shock and disbelief... "Lies! Lies I say!"
I'm struggling to find a window to interact with Mirela. I didn't want to accost her without first learning her name, so this will have to suffice!
Hey gang, I have a day full of meetings including up until about 9PM. I will likely not have much time to post during the day, but will get some stuff up tonight.
Think things are going swimmingly so far. thanks for playing!
I'm struggling to find a window to interact with Mirela. I didn't want to accost her without first learning her name, so this will have to suffice!
Taken care of with the dance. Good idea by the way.
I was wondering what to do about languages, so I've followed what Twigs had been posting for when Seldon speaks elvish. To generate 'gnomish' sounding sentences I'm using a language generator at Chaotic Shiny, which has quite a few useful or fun random generators.
it's working. Others use google translate and pick an obscure language to post in.
I generally just use either a translator or this page. It's easy with the phrases to just talk in common interspersed with broken elvish. It's the full sentances that tend to take me a minute or three.
I did this with another PC for a good six months in another PbP. It was definitely worth the effort!
I'll fastforward Seldon to the inn as well. I'll hold off of posting for 20 minutes or so in case the good doctor ninja's me, but otherwise we can just resolve his temple visit later or off-screen or something
oops, I just got you.
I KNEW IT
Give us your Dragon post, if you like and we'll use the Time Machine (trademark) again. If you want any further interaction in the temple, we can play it out of order a bit.
Just a fair (if a little late) warning about my style: I'm not going to hit you over the head with information, backstory, clues or leads. I will run a cadre of NPC's in front of you, some will volunteer info, some you'll have to parse info out of. Normal things like Gather Information checks I'd prefer to see as actual interaction not just dice rolls.
Any named NPC is there for a particular purpose. I try to put a lot of thought and forethought into those and make them a little more than one dimensional. Dialect, mannerism, and relationships will all have bearing usually. (sorry if accents etc are too much, in my table top games, this is a fun part of GMing -- the master actor)
Some NPC interactionss may be introductory and not have direct information until later in the story, some may give you red herrings, some will have good timely relevant info. There are others like Lars and Bethany, who are there mainly to serve a function, but they may have important info also if asked.
This campaign has a significant investigative tilt to it, and since my style may be different from other PbP games, I just thought I'd give a heads up. It's not intended as a particular criticism or regarding a botched encouter or critical missed info so far.
I'll try to keep a running list of named NPC's in Campaign info tab in case you want to revisit them.
Let me know your feedback on this style issue, if any, or any other part of the game. My goal is for you to have fun...if you need to kill things, it's coming, I promise. Really!
Arrgh! Too many 'whos' and 'whoms' in my posts so far. My grammar sucks and I know it, so any grammarians who/whom wish to tell me what I'm doing wrong, feel free... I won't understand anything you tell me, of course, but I'd hate to deny anyone a chance to vent over something they care about. :)
As for your GM style so far, Doc, I've been enjoying it. Far better to have info imparted via character interactions with NPCs than to just have you doing periodic info-dumps on us, IMHO.
Sounds awesome. I'm loving the way things are panning out so far. I'm planning to hop back into the GM chair to run this very AP Friday week. I hope I can give my players half as much of a town to explore (and have them take the initiative and do so...)
Liking what I'm seeing so far.