This is the OoC thread for Old Ways, a BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia game. In the interest of clarity and in case we have some newer PbP players, I'll give the basic PbP and game-specific guidelines.
Less than a generation ago, Duke Stefan Karameikos traded his ancestral Thyatian lands for this vast expanse of untamed but resource rich territory. While the new Duchy of Karameikos has been quite prosperous, the land is only nominally under the Duke's control. Pockets of native Traladarians continue to live on their ancestral homelands within the Duchy, but that is the least of the Duke's problems. The dark forests and rolling hills hide bands of hostile humanoids, monsters of legend, and unknown secrets. Recent expeditions have uncovered ancient ruins and considerable subterranean activity. Still, much is unknown about this land. In thirty short years, it has become one of the great nations of the world, and it pays only token fealty to the Empire. ~Athan Chiron, Thyatian Imperial Historian, on the Duchy of Karameikos
"The Thyatians are a decent enough folk, but they fail to respect our traditions or our lands. They rush headlong into perils they do not understand, but who are we to stop them. They've not sought our counsel, nor would they respect it, I suppose. ~Ceroth Caelon, Former Traladarian Clan Elder
"Karameikos? Who would go to Karameikos? That's like I saying, 'I'm going to wander into the wilderness for no good reason.' There's nothing there – no comfort, no big cities, no luxury, no good food nor wine. Just humanoids, superstitious natives, and stupid Thyatian soldiers." ~Dmitri Alzenkov, Glantrian nobleman
"No where else in the Known World is there such opportunity as Karameikos. No where else are there such good and industrious folk. An entire nation of builders, workers, and adventurers. Even our nobles are hard-working and self-made. There's opportunity here for all who want it and wealth as far as the eye can see. Even the secrets of this land hold hidden treasure." ~Lord Bost, Threshold
-------------------------------------------- Recruitment Information - Read this if you want to play. It's important.
Spoiler
I am DMing a BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia game elsewhere and it's going very well. We've managed to capture some of that old-school feel. I'd like to run one here. Players should have either the BECMI texts or the Rules Cyclopedia.
Some aspects of play that I think are important to providing that feel are:
characters start at first level;
characters start young, relatively ignorant about the larger world, and not terribly genre-savvy;
tactical combat is achieved through roleplay not rules
far more is left to DM judgment than in later editions (things like WBL, settlement GP limit, etc.)
players should not expect that the universe operates by RAW. RAW is a guideline by which the game progresses, the DM may fudge, cheat, ignore, or abrogate it at will, though obviously a good DM does so for the greater good;
potentially high lethality for characters;
characters will grow powerful through increasing genre-savvyness and roleplay far more than through rules-mastery;
fast-paced, consistent posting, and,
ultimately, I hope, a stable, steady gaming group.
I hope to get together a group of players interested in a game under these conditions and we'll see what happens. My goal is to create the kind of narrative where characters (and the universe they know) start very small but grow in depth as well as power.
Requirements for Players:
1. Must post 1/day minimum
2. An interest in and willingness to play under the conditions noted above and the rules detailed below.
3. Solid writing ability
4. Good roleplaying ability or an earnest desire to develop such an ability
5. A desire to have fun and make things fun for everyone else.
The classic 16 questions pioneered by Bernard Pivot:
1. What game are you running (D&D, CoC, Palladium, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?
BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia D&D. Familiarity with the setting is not important.
2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be? When and where will the game be set? The game will be set in a homebrew variant of the Known World, starting in the town of Threshold in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos and expanding outward.
3. How many Players are you looking for? 4-6 but given the likelihood players not keeping up with the fast and strict posting schedule, I will keep a list of alternates. It is my hope to settle on 4-6 players who like the game, can meet the schedule, and are willing to play through any character mortality.
4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)? GitP.
5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)? Characters start at Level 1 with zero experience points. Characters roll a d100 for Family Social Status/Wealth.
6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with? 3d6x10 gp
7. Are there any particular character classes, etc, are permitted? The Basic Classes are permitted as is Mystic.
8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Humans are permitted and may be Traladarian or Thytian. Elf, Dwarf, and Halfling are permitted race/classes.
9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points? By the book. 3d6 six times. They fall in this order: Str, Int, Wis, Dex, Con, Cha. Re-roll is allowed when you have two Ability Score rolls under 6.
Points may be moved from one score to another with these conditions:
1. The prime requisite goes up 1 point for each 2 points that another ability score goes down. If a character has two prime requisites, both can be raised (the cost must be paid separately for each point to each prime req.)
2. Constitution and Charisma points cannot be raised or lowered.
3. Dexterity cannot be lowered (but it may be raised for a thief or halfling character).
4. No score can be lowered below 9. If it is already 10 or less, it cannot be lowered.
Take heed of the Prime Requisites and Minimum Ability Scores.
Players are advised to roll first and select a class second.
10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so? Yes. Characters must be Lawful or Neutral. Characters must be loyal to the party/fellow PCs. Intra-party conflict should be kept to a minimum. Personality conflicts and differences of opinion are expected and dramatically useful. Thieving from the party, opposing its goals, and attacking one another are not useful. Hogging the spotlight and melodrama are likewise not helpful
11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it? No and no.
12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? Character creation rolls should be made in this thread. Players' die rolls during play will be done by players in the IC thread (under a spoiler tag). Players who would prefer to let the DM roll or who are uncertain whether to roll can state their bonuses in the spoiler and the DM will roll. DM rolls, including secret rolls for the PCs, will be done by the DM out of sight of players. Obviously, Players should never alter dice rolls, cheat on modifiers, etc. Old school justice for such violations will be meted out.
13. Are there any homebrewed rules or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? We will use the following optional rules:
Weapon Mastery
Skills
Non-Lethal Combat
Group Initiative
Keeping Characters Alive (modified) (0 hp = unconscious; Character must make save vs. Death Ray every other round and any time more damage is taken; Failure = death).
House Rules/Interpretations Added During Play:
Natural Healing is 2 hp/day
A character may use a Healing Skill check on a character dropped below zero hp in an attempt to bring them up to above zero hp. If successful, the injured character does not fall unconscious and does not need to make a Save vs. Death Ray.
14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with
the characters in the same city)? A written character background demonstrates writing quality, use of the PbP format, sense of old school tone, and some investment. I don't need a novel. A short biography and/or a couple vignettes of the character are helpful. Of course, more details and characterization will come out in play.
All characters must be young locals of Threshold or recent immigrants to the city. One conceit of this game is that the characters are relatively unworldly and inexperienced, please work with that. All characters must have some positive relationship (though it need not be family or close friendship) with at least two other characters. You can work out this detail after being selected. If you want to all be part of an already existing (though new) adventuring company, that's fine, too.
15. Does your game involve a lot of hack&slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above? I have high expectations for roleplaying, even during combat, and XP will be awarded for what I regard as useful characterization and helpful interaction with others. I expect a significant amount of combat. It is my intention to run combat without map, handling things by description, and being a bit loose about the tactical details. Some adventures might present puzzles in their design or there may be puzzles in the plot, but explicit puzzles will probably be relatively few.
16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters? Yes. Use the Rules Cyclopedia, if you have it, otherwise use the Mentzer Basic book to make your character. Older B/X books or the Dark Dungeons retro-clone might also be useful alternatives, though I'll be running things by the RC/BECMI.
Plus, 17. What is the expected pace of this game? Players are required to post 1/day minimum. From the time of my DM post, players have 24 hours to post their next action. Failure to do so will result in a DM selected (in)action for the character. Time away with warning is understandable, but failure to post timely on a repeated basis will result in removal from the game - possibly in a lethal manner for the character.
I welcome additional questions and look forward to putting a group together.
"Character speech, often further differentiated by being colored text, preferably a color different from those of other characters in the game," the characters other actions are written as part of the paragraph, as if in a novel. Character thoughts are written in the same character color and italicized.
For telepathic communication, put wavy brackets around the though {Can you hear me now?}
I encourage you to include in your IC post:
1. character actions, typically in the third-person and present past tense. Try to phrase things in terms of what your character does but not the result (so, "Rath charged the shambling undead drawing his blade as he moved and unleashed his full fury on the abomination," but not "Rath charged the shambling undead drawing his blade as he moved and sliced into the abomination." Leave room for potential failure in your description. Likewise when describing an action with variable success (when casting cure light wounds you can infuse an ally with healing power, but you shouldn't describe that as fully healing the ally).
2. Character comments (things actually said aloud)
3. Character thoughts (these are the explicit verbatim thoughts of the character)
4. Narrative that fleshes out the character intentions, motivations, background experiences, etc. These are the things that make for a good story and good explanation of the characters. The best PbP games that I've played have had a goodly amount of this kind of narrative.
Separating by paragraphs at conversation breaks or at logical action breaks is a good idea.
Put the mechanics behind your actions in a spoiler labeled OOC:
Spoiler
HP: 3 AC: 6 Spells in effect: Invisibility
After the status bar above, explain your action in game terms with appropriate rolls etc. Use the forum roller. You may explain and roll for alternate actions, if it seems helpful. [roll=Test]1d20+2[/roll]
If you leave out a roll that I determine you'll need, I'll refer to your character sheet and make the appropriate roll myself. Keep your character sheet up-to-date at all times, as I'll be referring to it for things related to your character.
If you have skills or background that are relevant to something you're trying to do, post that in the Spoiler box and I'll take it into account.
Rolling Rules
For most actions that require rolls, you'll do so yourself in the IC thread under your Spoiler tab. If you forget a roll or need to confirm a critical, you can do that in the OOC thread. You should also roll your character creation rolls here in the OOC thread.
I will make all NPC rolls out of sight and simply announce results in the IC thread in narrative form.
I will make certain secret PC rolls out of sight (such as whether you hear something).
I will probably make initiative checks and saving throws for PCs to keep things moving.
Obviously, do not attempt to edit rolls once made or otherwise cheat on rolls.
__________________
Fedoruman Roland Avatar by Chris the Pontifex
Always on the lookout for alternates for our long-running Rules Cyclopedia/BECMI game Old Ways.
Brandon Bor
Lawful Thyatian Male Fighter
Level 4, XP 12,417
Speech Color: Blue
Description:
Spoiler
A short but stocky broad-faced farm boy with seal-brown hair, blue eyes, and big capable hands. He often has a dreamy expression on his face and colored ink on his fingers. Height is 5 feet 7 inches and weight is 170 pounds. He has to shave every couple of days to control his whiskers.
By the time he reaches 3rd level, Brandon looks comfortable in plate mail. He is used to spending much of the day and fighting for his life in the heavy armor.
Weapon Mastery: Short Bow, Hand Axe, Dagger, Sword Skills: Art (Drawing and Painting), Muscle, Profession (Farmer), Riding Languages: Common, Lawful
Possessions:
Spoiler
Money:
Platinum:
Gold: 1313 as of 05/03/2013. 13 is on Bran's person. 1300 of that is kept at the Bor manor.
Electrum:
Silver:
Copper:
Other: Fanged metal amulet (healing potion was used on Artanis)
Encumbrance: 780
Equipment:
Enormous warhorse, so far unnamed (worth 350 gp)
Plate Mail, 60 gp, 500 cn
Shield of Courage +3 (immune to fear effects)(borrowed from Natalya Bor), 100 cn
Short Bow plus Quivers with 30 arrows,25 gp + 5 gp + 20 gp, 30 cn (bought new arrows after reaching 3rd level)
Quiver with 10 silver-tipped arrows (50 gp, bought after reaching 3rd level)
Sword, 10 gp, 60 cn
Dagger, 3 gp, 10 cn
Silver Dagger 30 gp, 10 cn (bought after reaching 3rd level)
Dagger+1 (as of 06/01/2013)
Miscellaneous equipment: 80 cn
12 Flasks of Oil (bought 5 more flasks after reaching 3rd level)
Waterskin, 1 gp
Backpack, 5 gp
Large sack, 2 gp
Rope 50 feet, 1 gp
Flint and steel, 3 gp
Garlic, 5 gp
Wolfsbane (1 bunch), 10 gp
Iron Rations - 2 weeks, 30 gp (bought more rations after reaching 3rd level)
1 quart of wine, 1 gp
12 torches, 2 gp (bought more after reaching 3rd level)
Background: Family Social Status: 81
Spoiler
Brandon is the second to the last child of the wealthy farmer Boris Bor. His mother is Natalya Bor, once a fighter before she retired to marry Boris. His family all worked hard on the farm. Even as a small boy, Brandon did chores. He did heavier work as he grew older and filled out, becoming the burly young man he is today.
Seeing as he has three elder brothers and four sisters, he did not expect to inherit much in the way of wealth. Thus, he practiced his weapon skills in hopes of becoming an adventurer and becoming a Lord.
Brandon was going to set off on his own wearing only chain mail, but his father gave him a suit of plate mail as a going away present.
Brandon practices art as a hobby. He is not very good at it, but his family still sees fit to display some of his paintings in their manor.
Last edited by Frivolous : 05-10-2013 at 03:00 PM.
Nathros is young, of tan complexion, blue eyed and auburn haired. Like most of his kindred, he has a thick beard and wears his hair long, is strong of arm and steadfast of will, but unlike them he is unusually tall, as well as agile and quick, even for a youth. A somewhat difficult life and inherently introverted demeanour has made him socially awkward, often quiet, but prone to fits of anger if he feels himself slighted or overlooked.
History:
Coming from a numerous but poor clan, Nathros was denied the opportunity to join the priesthood, a vocation to which others thought him naturally well suited, and was seemingly destined for a rather unremarkable life. His days spent alone roaming the hills and mountains did Nathros little good, and his subsequent attempt to find purpose in service as a temple soldier did not bring him the peace of mind he desired. Eventually, he determined to see more of the world for himself, and to that end took ship for Karameikos, hoping to serve there as a mercenary or perhaps find more lucrative ventures that would stir his spirit and provide him with a clear sense of his worth, purpose, and place in the world.
__________________ It is a joyful thing indeed to hold intimate converse with a man after one’s own heart, chatting without reserve about things of interest or the fleeting topics of the world; but such, alas, are few and far between.
– Yoshida Kenko (1283-1350), Tsurezure-Gusa (1340)
Alastor Talsarios, Travelling Thyatian Scholar
Male Lawful Human
5'9" 140lb, dark brown hair, brown eyes, lightly tanned and freckled skin, pointed black goatee beard (and occasional stubble)
Speech colour = Dark Orchid
Wearing a fine, currently clean white shirt, black brocade tunic with silver embroidery, dark blue woolen breeches and stout, high-topped walking boots. Incongruously, a functional sword, of Thyatian make, hangs at his side. Sports a (stained and frayed) dark green travelling cloak, as need dictates.
Magic User 3
XP 8322
(Includes +5% bonus from 13 INT)
STR 10
INT 13 [+1]
WIS 7 [-1]
DEX 9
CON 6 [-1]
CHA 10
Background:
Talsarios found the politics of his Imperial homeland tiresome and confusing. The endless plays for power in the courts are worrying, incomprehensible and corrupt. A naturally bright lad, Talsarios spent much of his youth buried in books and study, learning wizardry almost incidentally as he scoured the libraries for tales of simpler ways and more honest lives. Finding little had ever been written about the cultures around the continent outside the Empire - at least, not in the libraries of Thyatis - he complied a growing body of facts and legends from the scant texts that dealt with the less civilised, more backward cultures of the hinterland of the Known World.
Finding the dearth of good information on the ways of goblinry and primitive humanoids most vexing, and having no ambition to usurp his elder brothers' places in the family succession to the head of the villa, Alastor Talsarios realised he had the means to make a name for himself.
At twenty-one, Talsarios knew he was a decent enough hunter to live off the land, and certainly the best placed man to record his findings, and if pressed he could always Charm his way out of trouble... So he plucked up his courage and ventured into the erstwhile Traladaran lands of Duke Karameikos, pausing only to persuade his loyal, but gruff and sometimes unpleasantly rough childhood friend, Gregoras, to come with him.
In the Duchy of Karameikos, rumour has it, there are fascinating untamed humanoids of all sorts, waiting to be documented - but also enough civilising Thyatian presence and modern comforts to relieve a somewhat naive and ignorant young man after a hard day on the frontier.
...
LEVEL 2 UPDATE: Now a few weeks older - and perhaps little wiser for his harrowing experiences - Alastor finds himself living the life of an adventurer, with a dead friend's sword and a grimmer outlook. LEVEL 3 UPDATE: With a purse full of gold and a clean shirt, Talsarios is keen to expand his arcane knowledge, defeat evil, and thus make his mark on the world.
Wisdom may be slow to come for our intrepid scholar, but perhaps in time he'll learn to think before he speaks.
Last edited by Altair_the_Vexed : 01-29-2013 at 05:36 AM.
Reason: spells
(Starting Gold: 130g, Reward Gold: 100g, Loot Gold: 231g - 25g at temple, - 250g for Training, + 1293g from Fangs' Ship, - 45g for armor for hirelings, -277g for Warhorse, 600g for hobgoblin mission.)
Equipment:
Normal Sword (60cn) 10gp
"Trollbane" longsword [Magical +2, w/ +3 vs. regenerating creatures](60cn)
Spear (30cn) 3gp
Short Bow (20cn) 25gp
10 arrows (5cn) 5gp
Old Magic Dagger (tucked into armored boot)
Shield, 1 bonus to AC (100cn) 10gp Plate Mail, 7 bonus to AC (500cn) 60gp [I think it was Jemaine who now wears this]
Plate Mail (+3 Comfort), 10 bonus to AC (500cn)
Warhorse w/ Saddle + Tack and Saddlebags (**) 277g
BAG of HOLDING:
Spoiler
Undistributed Treasure
(U) = Unidentified Effect
Coins: 339gp [1297 -18 for horse rental, - 25 for Merlinda to look at ancient arcane Traladaran script, -320 for reward to hired help for slaying hobgobs, + 2405gp from loot sales, -3000* to pay party = 339gp.]
Weapons:
Armor:
Jewelry:
gold ring with a large onyx gemstone (locked at Lord Bost's)
delicate lady’s ring gold clear stone (locked at Lord Bost's - worth 1500-3000g as a pair)
Scrolls:
Wands:
Wand of paralyzation (5 charges left) (will go to Neela on next adventure)
Potions:
Potion of Strength/Heroism (Should go to Brandon)
Potion of Undead Control
Potion of Stone Giant Control - pinkish in a battered bottle
2 Holy Water Flasks
Miscellaneous:
Snake Skin Cape
Snake Skin Mask
fine clothing
Crate of iron rations [This has been divided, theoretically.]
Viper's documents (copy)
sack of dried juniper berries
Backpack (20cn) 5gp [This is in the Bag of Holding usually.]
-Rope 50' (50cn) 1gp
-Waterskin (30cn) 1gp
-Oil, Burning x 1 (10cn) 14g
-Rations (200cn) 5gp (second pack of rations)
-Cloak, long (**) 1gp
-Bandages (**) 1gp
-3.5 weeks of Iron Rations (250cn)
1648g worth left (300p locked up at Lord Bost's, 148g on person.)
Description:
Spoiler
Ash has a golden bronze bob-cut, dark green eyes, light olive skin, and light freckles across her cheeks which bridge over her nose. She now has armor that is enchanted plate mail and is designed to suit the female form. It is not fitted, but it doesn't look manly or androgynous like her first set of armor.
Her cloak is rust colored and she carries a standard pack across her back, complete with shield, bow, arrows, spear, and a sword at her side. To the common sort, it would seem a bit much for one to carry, but to an adventurer, it's no burden when the lives of you and your companions are on the line.
When nothing particular is said, she usually keeps a focused expression on her face.
Bio:
1
Spoiler
Her father's name is Lord Amund Bost, older brother to Lord Jokkum Bost. Ashala Bost has recently arrived in Karameikos to join in her uncle's efforts to secure the keep and assist those under his employ. She seeks to prove herself and practice that which she has learned while making a name for herself and honoring her father's name. She does not readily divulge information regarding her family connections as she puts a high standard on herself to never tarnish their names by relation. Upon "making it" in the world, she will "inherit" her last name again. Or so was her goal. Since she's been working for her uncle, it's not been easy to guise her identity at all.
She has a sister, Henna, a sixteen year old studious young woman of great beauty. Not much of a fighter, though.
Ashala is nineteen years old with a passion for skill in battle. As a youth, she'd practice sword-play with the boys, archery by herself, and spears and lances with the men as she got older. She even learned to aim a lance upon horseback - not an easy feat. She wished the battle tactics classes would sink in better and she could remember the lessons they taught her, but she was a girl more suited to a hands on approach, rather than just reading things out of a textbook like her sister would.
None the less, her father was proud of both of them, just in different ways. She did well enough in her healing classes at the temple, perhaps because they let her practice so much and sometimes she'd assist in treating some of the more hearty injuries as well. Her hands were nimble and her eyes keen. Some lesser folk thought she'd make an excellent thief or pirate, but it would be a considered a disgrace among her people to choose such a life for herself. She would be ousted from the family for certain. Her personal opinion on the matter was only to not disappoint them as she searches for her place in the world. Of course, at this time, Ashala has proved to be a promising descendant of the Bost line as she journeyed off to the lands of Karameikos.
2
Spoiler
A little more experienced and a little more open-minded, Ash returned to Lord Bost after a successful mission to lead workers to inhabit and care for the Keep that the companions set out to secure.
She tries to find her place among her comrades as a worthy leader while still hoping to lose the false respect that her name governs over her peers.
3
Spoiler
After completing the task with her companions of clearing the caves of undead, a carrion crawler, and the goons from a gang called the Fangs, Ash recognizes the the value of vigilance for her comrades' sake.
Her colder and masculine front have begun to make way for a more protective and self sacrificing nature.
3.5
Spoiler
A successful attack was made against the Fangs at their hideout, a ship called the River Rose. None of her companions died, though for some it came close. Though there is much to be learned and understood from those close calls and the battles they faced, Ash considers this a true victory.
She looks forward to continuing her sword training and hopes to one day be worthy of knighting. For now, she plans to take it one day at a time.
4
Spoiler
Ash has lost the first life under her command. She keeps a strong front, but it cuts her deep inside. She was so close, yet so useless and unassertive in Algernon's time of need. She wonders if she'll make such a mistake again soon, or if she'll be lucky for a while. She accepts this is a danger they all risk and know full well, but so far she's tried very hard to keep between her allies and death. She had not anticipated or imagined so much power could spout from such a foe. There is still much good she believes her and her group can accomplish, however. Perhaps a little rest and simple guard duty will get everyone back on their feet and eager for the next mission after the caravan leaves. Perhaps they'll even gain another lead...
Mycah Deshiel
Neutral Male Human (Traladaran) Thief
Description:
Spoiler
Mycah is a young man of 16 years. Although young, his tanned, rough skin shows him to be a man who spends his time in the outdoors. He is small and wiry, just 5' 4" and 160 lbs, with mousy brown hair but strikingly green eyes. Good-natured, he get along well with his companions and is rarely seen without a smile playing upon his lips.
On Person:
Leather Armor - 200cn
Cloak, Long - 0cn when worn
Short Bow & Quiver of Arrows (20) - 20cn
Silver-tipped Arrows (3) - 6cn
Daggers (2) - 20cn
Dagger +1 (1) - 10cn
Sword, Normal - 60cn
Staff - 40cn ENC: 356
In Backpack (400cn Cap): - 20cn
Iron Rations (2 days) - 20cn
Waterskin (2) - 10cn
Torches (6) - 120cn
Tinder Box - 5cn
Small Hammer - 10cn
Iron Spikes (12) - 60cn
Rope, 50' - 50cn
Hand Axe - 30cn
Belt Pouch w/ 50gp - 52cn
Holy water (2) - 2cn
Thieves Tools (Std) - 10 cn ENC: 389
In Belt Pouch (50cn Cap.): - 2cn
Thieves Tools (Fine)- 10cn
Coins-
GP: 18
SP: 15
CP: 7 ENC: 50
Carried in a Small Sack (200cn Cap.): - 1cn
Iron Rations (5 days) - 50cn ENC: 50
Additional Treasure: (Stored with Lord Bost)
2003 GP
TOTAL ENCUMBRANCE: 825
Background:
Spoiler
Family/Social Status: Struggling
Mycah is a young man who had the responsibilities of adulthood thrust upon him too early in life. He was raised among the foresters and lumbermen of Lord Bost's work camps where his mother Katerine was a cook and his father a lumberman. His father, Kevv, died in an accident when Mycah was just 11, and the lad began working to earn his keep not long after.
Taken in by the men of the camp as a communal son, he gradually learned the ways of the forests and is now most at home alone among the trees. His work as a scout taught him to fend for himself in the wild and move among the tree branches as if born to the work.
While content with his life for the most part, Mycah has wondered what life is like in the larger world and watched for a chance to find out.
Other Notes:
Spoiler
Accommodations in Threshold: Room at the Nut, after Nathros suggested it.
Mycah's "Getaway" Home in the Woods:
Spoiler
Mrs. Bost takes Mycah on a morning ride up the coast road north of town. When they reach Lake Windrush, she points out the Baron's home, Tarnskeep off to the west, but turns east across the dam-top bridge and pays a toll to the keeper, a representative of the fishing village. Mycah's keen eye spots the exchange, and either the tool is exorbitant or she has paid for some extra service.
She continues across the bridge but then eschews the only apparent rode, into the fishing village ahead, and cuts south/southeast into the woods. Mycah's experience in the woods in general serves him well in keeping track of their position. No trail exists to be followed and the woods are quite dense. It might cross the scout's mind to wonder why Lord Bost has never harvested these trees. They arrive at a spot near the island's middle. "There," Mrs. Bor says, and points to a spot ahead. Mycah doesn't see it at first, but then he spies it. A well-hidden house.
Up close, Mycah can see that it's a very sturdy house, larger than many of the homes in town, but cleverly situated to be obscured from all directions. (On this map, start at the southernmost hex with a tree, up two more hexes, then northwest on hex. It's at the top line of that hex.)
She tells you it was the home of an old friend, "Dmitri built this house himself, but settling down in Threshold was not for him. Probably settling down anywhere, actually. It is yours now. I'll leave you with the key and let you explore."
Mycah will likely not see everything on this first visit, but some features are apparent. The entire house is fortress solid and the front door has a built in lock of exceptional quality. There is a large sitting room with a fireplace and several smaller rooms, one furnished as bedroom and another as sort of workshop with carving tools, fletching tools, woodworking tools, and so forth. The windows in the house can be shuttered from inside and outside. A trap door leads to the attic, which features arrow slits (and murderholes, though Mycah may not recognize them as such) into the house below. Another is a trap door under the bed leads to a lower level, which features a two-cell prison and a slew of locks, chains, manacles, thieves tools, rock chisels, and so forth. A small locked door leads to a small tunnel, which Mycah will eventually learn leads out to the edge of the forest near the beach on the southeast side of the island. A small boat is tied to the landward side of a large oak near the tunnels exit, apparently Dmitri's. Finally, the house backs up to a large oak tree, and a truly devoted effort by Mycah will reveal a false panel inside the house, along the back wall, that allows passage inside the oak tree. It has apparently been partially hollowed out without killing the tree, a trick of elves perhaps, and a ladder carved (or magicked?) into the tree allows one to climb the inside of the tree most of it's height. There are a couple hidden rooms at various heights, almost like the levels of a tower, and arrow slights and spy holes throughout.
LAST EDIT: 5-15-13
Last edited by Koren n'Rhys : 05-15-2013 at 10:26 AM.
Given that my timeline for including you in is immediately, go ahead and make a character, and we'll see if we have a sudden flood of applicants or I find some other reason not to take you.
Are you familiar with/experienced in BECMI/RC games? Maybe tell us a bit about yourself and your gaming experience? You're pretty new here, which isn't necessarily a problem, but are you committed to a post/day or so?
Woo hoo!
I'm not familiar with those... My experience is basically limited to reading RPG webcomics (OotS, Darths & Droids, etc.).
All right... I'm going to try and follow the same basic format I've seen...
Alanna Nightengale Female Neutral Cleric
5'6", 138 lbs, 19 years old
Curate (Level 5, 12605 XP)
Speech: Navy Ability Scores (and adjustments)
STR 10 (0)
DEX 6 (-1)
CON 7 (-1)
INT 7 (-1)
WIS 14 (+1, 5% XP bonus)
CHA 10 (0)
Hit Points: 17
Armor Class: 3
Base Thac0: 19
Movement: 120' (40')
Weapons
Mace (Thac0 19, 1d6 Damage)
Magical Sling (+1 to Attack & Damage)
Spare Sling (Thac0 19, 1d4 Damage) Spells Cure Light Wounds Cure Light Wounds Bless Hold Person Saving Throws
Death Ray or Poison: 11
Magic Wands: 12
Paralysis or Turn to Stone: 14
Dragon Breath: 16
Rods, Staves, or Spells: 15
Languages: Common, Neutral
Starting Gold: 180 Skills
Gather Information (Cha)
Ceremony (Wis)
Detect Deception (Wis)
Healing (Int)
Social Status: 83
Equipment
Holy Symbol
Plate Armor with Shield
Bedroll
Wooden Box
Spoiler
Gem that grants Cure Serious Wounds 1/day
Two Potions of Antidote (type 10)
Two Potions of Cure Serious Wounds
Two jars of Ointment of Soothing
Two bandages
2308 gp, 7 cp
Description and Bio:
Spoiler
Alanna Nightengale was a typical human girl. She lived with her family in that quaint little area just northwest of the city, near the forest's edge. Like her family, she had strawberry blonde hair (which she styled into pigtails) and gray eyes. Unlike her family, Alanna was always the rebellious one. The black sheep. It wasn't as if she was the only Chaotic one -- in fact, she was Neutral, leaning toward Lawful. But when your father, mother and brothers are all Lawful enough to make prison guards look casual, even the slightest tilt toward Neutral will make you stick out.
"But Ma, why do I have to? I know, I know, 'Because I said so.' Fine, I'll do it." Man, I'm sick of this place. I love my family and all, but it sure is tiring to always have to live by their rules. I bet elves don't have to worry about rules. Or adventurers! Boy, it'd be cool to be an adventurer... I'd be all like, "TURN UNDEAD!" Oh, shoot, I said that out loud, didn't I?
Summary of most recent edit:
Spoiler
Leveled up and added 600 gold.
More OoC stuff:
Spoiler
I am committed to posting daily (and will alert you guys when posting is out of the question).
EDIT: All right, is that everything? Super!
Artanis Tu'el Tassadar
Male Lawful Elf
22 years old
5'0", 120 lbs, Raven Hair, Steel-Blue Eyes, a lot like this fellow (including the 'smile' if he ever does smile.) http://www.google.com/imgres?q=dark+...F1ozbCw&zoom=1
Wears a black hooded cloak over his armor and his weapons and equipment (which are slung on his back)
Level 3, 8120xp
Speech Color:Dark Slate Gray
Spells available in Spellbook:
-Floating Disc
-Magic Arrow
Languages Known:
Common
Lawful
Elf (Elven)
Gnoll
Hobgoblin
Orc
Dragon
Special Abilities:
Infravision 60'
Detection (hidden doors) 2 out of 6
Immunity to Ghoul Paralysis
Miscellaneous
-Healing
Spoiler
(Int.) This is the ability to treat wounds and diagnose illnesses among humans and demihumans. A successful skill roll allows a character to restore 1d3 hit points to a wounded character. This skill cannot be used on a wounded character more than once for the same set of wounds. If the character receives new wounds, Healing skill can be applied against the new wounds. The skill is rolled against a set of wounds, not individually against each injury. (The term "set of wounds" usually refers to all the hit points lost by a character in a single combat situation.) If a healer rolls a natural 20 when using this skill, he accidentally inflicts 1d3 points of damage to the patient, and he may not treat that set of wounds again. Successful skill rolls allow the healer to diagnose type of illness. In addition, a roll made by 5 or more will allow the character to determine whether an illness is natural or magically induced.
-Alertness
Spoiler
(Dex.) Successful uses of this skill allow the character to draw a weapon without losing any time, to avoid the effects of surprise, and to wake up at the slightest out-of-place noise.
-Bravery:
Spoiler
(Wis.) With a successful use of this skill, the character can resist the effects of any magical fear. An NPC using this skill successfully can ignore the results of morale checks or of skills such as Intimidation.
-Tracking
Spoiler
(Int.) The character can follow tracks. The DM is free to increase or penalize the chance of success depending on the circumstances (age of the tracks, type of terrain, number of tracks being followed, and so forth). This skill also allows a character to track a character, monster, etc. (or hide his own tracks).
Modifiers are:
Recent track (within an hour) +1
Old track (over 6 hours) -1
Very old track (24 hours) -3
Elf level 1-3 -1
Elf level 7-10 +1
Elf 800,000+ XP +2
Elf raised in elven forest nation +1
-Stealth indoors/caves
Spoiler
(Dex.) This is similar to the thief's Move Silently ability, with some important differences. The character taking the Stealth skill must choose one type of terrain in which the skill works from the following list: city/ outdoors, indoors/caves, forest/jungle, plains, desert, arctic, and mountains/hills. The skill only works in that type of terrain. (However, the character could conceivably spend seven slots, one for each type of Stealth skill.) City/Outdoors is used in the streets, in trashstrewn alleyways, on rooftops, and in similar urban environments. Indoors/Caves is used in dungeons and catacombs, in caverns and caves, and in most enclosed spaces. The other terrain types are self-explanatory. Humans, demihumans, and humanoids can take the Stealth skill. The character will move very quietly in the terrains for which he has the skill. When he is trying to sneak up on someone or when there is a chance that he will be heard, he must make his skill check. If the DM doesn't want him to know that the DM can make the skill check for him.
Spoiler
I put the spoilers in there for my own references so bear with me.
Journal Entry (written in the spell book in elven):
I see Tassadar wielding a greatsword to combat a zombie with a grace that I could only dream of matching. He cuts it down with ease only to be faced with another, another, and yet another. I see his face set in a grim mask. Suddenly, I see him struck from behind and in that one instant his eyes and mine meet. I see such regret hidden in there, no hate, nor fear... only regret. Regret that his adventure is now over. He falls to the great horde that has now surrounded him. I run towards him to aid him, to rescue him, anything! But no matter how fast or hard I run he only seems to fall away in an endless tunnel... I awake screaming in despair and shame. I am Artanis, bearer of the blade that was once known as Tahlvia, Blade of Good Fortune, it is now known to me as Solahel ,Memory of Tears. I now bear his name and his blade as a constant reminder of my failings and how the darkness of the world is all-consuming and unforgiving. I write this now to remind myself of my failing to my friend so that I may never forget the cruelty of the foes that I must now face in the shadows.
Journal Entry (4th day of the 3rd month of Midsummer) in Elven:
I have recently joined with a group of adventurers. I hope that my dream doesn't come to pass. But while they are young, as myself, they hold great potential that seems to be growing, if my small adventure with them has anything to say about it. Although I will not say it to them, I believe that they will bring glory to their names and those of their families. Meanwhile, I shall fade into history, never to be sung of in the legends they are sure to be a part of.
Journal Entry (6th day of the 3rd month of Midsummer) in Elven:
I have almost experienced death last night, but by the timely arrival of the young cleric, I was allowed another chance. She now holds my oath. Solahel was stolen during the fight and the trail has gone cold, but I shall find Solahel again.
Journal Entry (7th day of the 3rd month of Midsummer) in Draconic:
A troubling piece of information has reached me. A Human map hints at the Black Arrows. This should not be even hinted at in such a map since it is an Elven legend. They are thought to be located at the West side of Threshhold, most likely in the woods. They must be there, if anything hints to their where-abouts it is most certain that they are hiding there.
Journal Entry (8th day of the 3rd month of Midsummer) in Elven:
A man has died while under my command, I could do nothing to save him except watch him die. Our search for the Black Arrows was fruitless, doomed to failure with so large a group. I cannot let the Black Arrows threaten my home, as they are also to the West. I may have severed my ties with my Master, but I will always seek for ways to protect my home.
Spoiler
Sorry, couldn't resist the journal entry. Oh, and if any of you don't like it... to take the words of a wise dwarf named Gimli... 'He's twitching, because he's got MY AXE in HIS nervous system!'
Undistributed Treasure
Spoiler
(U): Unidentified Effect
Coins: 0
Unless someone didn't claim their gold, which was previously: (5356 gp 4 sp 79 cp)
Weapons:
Spoiler
hand axe
battle axe
Armor:
Spoiler
-none-
Scrolls:
Spoiler
-none-
Wands:
Spoiler
-none-
Potions:
Spoiler
Potion of Strength/Heroism
Potion of Undead Control
2 Holy Water Flasks
Miscellaneous:
Spoiler
Bag of Holding
Snake Skin Cape
Snake Skin Mask
fine clothing
Crate of iron rations
Viper's documents (copy)
sack of dried juniper berries
__________________ Invincibility lies in the defense. The possibility of victory is in the attack. - Diamond Sword
Aw man, just got my wisdom teeth out today... all 4 of them. Ouch can't even describe the initial pain. It's a good thing I only need to type to play this.
Hmmmmm... For the window that's a tough decision. I can actually do 3 things.
1. Shoot through it with very bad penalties.
2. Spend time to crack it open with my bad strength.
3. Crash through it and hope I survive the glass and horde of thieves behind there.
__________________ Invincibility lies in the defense. The possibility of victory is in the attack. - Diamond Sword
Well at least with the Thieve's Guild they can be reasoned with outside of the prison.
Plus, 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'... just so long as you keep them at arm's length.
__________________ Invincibility lies in the defense. The possibility of victory is in the attack. - Diamond Sword
This is all the Rules Cyclopedia has on height and weight:
Humans are human sized (there are no special notes about size for humans).
Dwarf: "A dwarf is short and stocky, standing about 4' tall and weighing about 150 pounds." Elf: "An elf is 5' to 5' 6 inches tall, and weighs about 120 pounds." Halfling: "A halfling stands about 3' tall and weighs about 60 pounds."
... it's the inginuitivity that counts.
(Wow, that word is a mouthful to say out loud. )
---
Yes, take care out there. I just heard about the evacuations and storms tonight before coming home.
---
Yup, I'll be trying to stay on top of it. Of course other character inquiries are welcome and appreciated, but I'll keep checking and try to get back to being a better caller again.
__________________ It is a joyful thing indeed to hold intimate converse with a man after one’s own heart, chatting without reserve about things of interest or the fleeting topics of the world; but such, alas, are few and far between.
– Yoshida Kenko (1283-1350), Tsurezure-Gusa (1340)
LoL, yeah, that's the word I was looking for. Anyone ever had a weird day where they forgot how to spell "of" or "when/where/why/who/what" cause they are spelled kinda weird and you're just having a brain f- ... ?
Well anyways - I'm glad Mycah is not in a million pieces right now.
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Old Ways OOC II
My experience is basically limited to reading RPG webcomics (OotS, Darths & Droids, etc.).
Heh 
Of course other character inquiries are welcome and appreciated, but I'll keep checking and try to get back to being a better caller again.
