Time to start! I'll set up the IC thread once we sort things out here. Some rules I propose for the IC thread:
1) All dice rolls are spoilered.
2) Spoken text is in quotes, thoughts are in italics.
4) Everyone gets a colour for speech and thoughts. NPCs will use colours not already selected by players. If two or more NPCs are speaking I'll switch colours between them.
5) All rolls, including mine, are public. That is apart from secret rolls list a listen check to see if you are aware of something. I don't want to give something away by getting you to roll. No fudging of dice.
6) Minimum post once every other day. You won't get kicked from the campaign, 'cause hey, stuff happens, but you will get NPC'd if people are waiting for you to act.
6) Maximum post, none. I personally don't want to post all the time for two reasons. I work for a living so generally post early morning and evening (I'm GMT), and furthermore, I want to give everyone their chance to participate, so if someone doesn't have internet access for one day, they don't come back and find themselves in the start of a battle with everyone waiting on their initiative when the last they knew they were talking to the innkeeper.
7) Experience I'll try to calculate in the official D&D way. Leveling up should occur betweeen fights and with a minimum of one full day of uninterrupted rest and reflection\practice\what have you.
8) Metagaming in here is fine. Discuss strategies and whatnot. I assume you all would talk about strategy out of combat (like, as characters).
9) Regarding combat, I've found that play can really stall if we stick strickly to the initiative order so I'm going to use the following method for combat.
Roll initiative at the beginning of the combat and declare your actions, roll dice, etc. If you have more than one attack roll it at this time. Roll for criticals at the same time and roll for damage at the same time. Put rolls in a spoiler.
i.e.
Spoiler
Attack with a sling [roll0]
Confirm Crit 20 x2[roll1]
Damage [roll2]
Quickdraw to reload and Rapid Shot to shoot again with the sling [roll3]
Confirm Crit 20 x2[roll4]
Damage [roll5]
Or
Spoiler
Rage +4 STR, +4 CON, -2AC and charge at the ugly human with the cutlass (-2AC) (AC now 12 for this round)
Attack with a heavy flail [roll6] includes +2 for charging and +2 for rage
Confirm Crit 19-20/×2[roll7]
Damage [roll8]
Cleave someone nearby if I take him down [roll9] (no longer charging so it drops to +7)
Confirm Crit 19-20/×2[roll10]
Damage [roll11]
Don't forget that previewing a post or adding rolls after a post stops the roll engine from working (as in the examples above).
After everyone has declared their actions I will post NPC actions and summarise the outcomes in initiative order. The benefits of doing it this way is that everyone can act without having to wait for someone who has a test the next day or something. The drawback is that your action is often dependent on the outcome of other people's action. If this is the case then post alternative actions in a spoiler. i.e.
Jacques the druid casts Summon Nature’s Ally V to conjure a large Fire Elemental to fight the evil cleric.
Spoiler
If the warriors from the Horn of Valhalla that are charging in are stopped by a barrier like Protection from Good then I cast Stoneskin on Valcrag the Ranger instead.
If your action is completely spoiled by something in play that you would have been aware of then say something and I'll ask you to redeclare your action.
So that you don't feel that the NPCs are always getting to act last I'll give some indication of their actions for the next round in the end of round summary. i.e the three warriors that survive the fireball pick themselves up and start to move apart, cranking their crossbows as they do so.
I'll update a map at the end of every round and post it in the IC thread in a spoiler. Don't expect a work of art and you won't be disappointed. Let me know in this thread if I've read your action wrongly.
Next round you all declare your actions in the same way.
10) Could you start off your post with your character name in the colour that you have chosen, at least until we get used to one another's names.
Anything else, let me know.
A repeat of information from the initial thread:
Spoiler
d20srd is a great resource and includes all the basic rules that you need including prestige classes.
System: D&D 3.5e Player Count: 5 Style of Play: Roleplay mainly with some action thrown in Allowed Content:
PHB
DMG
d20srd
Character Creation:
Backstory: Everything is peaceful and calm on the star isles. People make their way in life as fisherfolk, crabbers, farmers, herdsfolk, even traders. They are good and honest people for the most part and live well together. Sometimes a beast comes out of the deep or from one of the dark and unexplored forests on the larger islands and the local people have to fight it off but these are rare events that have the isles gossiping for years.
Beyond the isles there is nothing but open sea. There is a story, often told to frighten the children around their camp fires, of a brave man who sailed into away from the isles for a year and a day. He returned with wondrous treasures that can still be seen on the homes of the very wealthy and stories of fearsome giants and wicked beasts. The isles are safe and nobody bothers the people who live there.
At least until now...
Experience: Start at 1st level
Wealth: WBL so starting money rolled in this thread.
Ability Scores: As in PHB - 4d6b3, reroll if modifiers total 0 or lower, or if highest score is 13 or lower. No point buy.
Hitpoints/Health: As in PHB - full at first level, roll from then on.
Alignment: Any non-evil unless you have a really good reason to be evil and will still work towards cooperating as a party.
Other Notes:
The Big 16
Spoiler
1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)? D&D 3.5
2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)? Homebrew game based on islands of halflings living in harmony and having their world turned upside down by human slavers. The humans have their own language and superior weapons, armour and magic. They are bigger, stronger, faster and more powerful and they have a callous disregard for the way of life of the people of the isles.
3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many? 5. I'm happy to have a reserve or extend to 6 if there is sufficient interest.
4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)? Here on the OOTS forum. Please start with a character sheet on http://www.myth-weavers.com or similar.
5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)? 1st level, maximum starting hit points. Technology is limited to that which would be found on islands in the middle ages but the halfing people are not warlike so metal armours and weapons of war are a curiosity at least initially.
6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with? Roll for wealth by class
7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes? Standard d20srd classes only, no homebrew classes, no other books.
8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species? My preference is that you would start as halflings. If you have a good reason to be another race then let me know but they should be limited to PH races only. I am happy to change this if characters are killed and you want to introduce a replacement later.
9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points? As in PHB - 4d6b3, reroll if modifiers total 0 or lower, or if highest score is 13 or lower. No point buy.
10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so? Please try to be non-evil unless there is a good reason for playing an evil character.
11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it? Standard PHB rules on multiclassing.
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? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them? Please use the forum dice roller i.e. [ roll ] 1d20 + mod [ /roll ] but without the spaces. All rolls will be public unless there is a reason for them being secret
13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules. Nope, nothing really.
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 minimum of a paragraph. Please try to blend one another's back stories together so that you know at least one other character. Characters should be halflings who inhabit a series of islands (large and small) who are beset by human slavers. Other races could be available if there is a very good back story and justification for it.
15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above? A bit of everything. I tend to be verbose on roleplaying by preference. If you're chomping at the bit for a fight then PM me and I'll move the action on.
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? PHB, DMG and d20srd. Try to avoid psionics please.
Background
Spoiler
Everything is peaceful and calm on the star isles. People make their way in life as fisherfolk, crabbers, farmers, herdsfolk, even traders. They are good and honest people for the most part and live well together. Sometimes a beast comes out of the deep or from one of the dark and unexplored forests on the larger islands and the local people have to fight it off but these are rare events that have the isles gossiping for years.
Beyond the isles there is nothing but open sea. There is a story, often told to frighten the children around their camp fires, of a brave man who sailed into away from the isles for a year and a day. He returned with wondrous treasures that can still be seen on the homes of the very wealthy and stories of fearsome giants and wicked beasts. The isles are safe and nobody bothers the people who live there.
At least until now...
One day in the northern isle of Star Point giants landed. They were shaped like the simple fisherfolk around them but were twice the size and had steel skin and coarse hair on their faces. They carried away the people who they found and burned their boats. They left on huge floating islands with weapons on all sides that spat fire and death at the free folk when they tried to rescue their friends and family.
Who are these monsters and what do they want? How can the small folk fight them when they have powerful magic at their disposal? What happens if they return?
Social structure:
Spoiler
The isles are made up of halflings that is largely peaceful. They are being invaded by human slavers with superior technology and magic. Hardly any halfling advances as an adventuring class in the isles and even those who do rarely get past fifth level. Access to healing is in the form of potions and scrolls from the priests and druids who support the various independent islands. More powerful magic and magic items are almost unheard of, though a few weapons, armours and such exist from long ago where a few adventurers left the isles and returned with their treasure. These have been handed down through the generations or acquired by collectors.
There is no centralised ruler for the isles. Each isle has a between one and dozen leaders with various titles from mayor to king. They rarely wage war on one another so they've had no need to band together for protection or to build large walled cities. Life is good and peaceful which is why they are so poorly prepared for an attack.
Language
Spoiler
The natives islanders only speak their own tongue. I can't see a reason why they would need to speak any other. Priests have two sacred languages for the two factions. Druidic (for Druids) and Celestial (for Clerics). There is a langauge of ancient magic, Draconic. Rarely the small folk trade with intelligent sea creatures so Aquan is available. There is an ancient language of the forest folk as well so Sylvan is also available though the few who speak it generally do so only among themselves. If anyone has additional slots for languages I'm happy to keep them open so that they can learn the Common tongue or one of the other languages of the of the slavers later.
Gods and Goddesses
Spoiler
There is a simple pantheon revering nature, the sea, home life, fertility, etc. The priesthood is made up of men and women who interpret the signs, keep a record of births, deaths and marriages, arrange foster care where required, collect and distribute alms for those in need, arrange and hold holy days and festivals and perform largely social functions within society.
There are some minor miracles that the priesthood is able to perform, some healing for injuries and help in labour, the creation of water and food for those who come as supplicants, etc. The sort of thing an adept, cleric or druid of 1st to 3rd level could perform. They also patrol and defend the isles from sea monsters and the occasional wild animal attack. They also protect the isle of the dead from the curious.
The two factions of the priesthood are druids and clerics or the Orders of the Sea and the Mist. Druids, the Order of the Sea is the largest, spend time travelling the isles and ministering to the needy, tending crops and helping wiht births, both halfling and animal. The clerics (the Order of the Mist is the largest) typically confine themselves to the Isle of the Dead or travel to tend the sick and administer funeral rites.
Geography of note
Spoiler
There are a few key features:
The Isle of the Dead is a sacred site where the dead are interred along with the possession that they'll need in the afterlife. Some food, a spear or fishing rod, clothes, perhaps a favourite pipe or mug. The priesthood patrol the isle to protect the dead from thieves but also to protect would be thieves from the dead who sometimes become restless and wander the mists in search of the living.
Old Alk is the largest and most central of the islands dominated by an active volcano known as the Angry Mother. The volcano itself sometimes puts out a gout of smoke when the Mother is angry or a spills a stream of lava when making a new isle. She has not been violent (or angry) is centuries. Old Alk is a fertile island and the centre of crop production and civilisation for the small folk. Major festivals are held at the capital, Alkton, a town of some 5000 permanent residents.
The Concept
Spoiler
The game should be one of defending against the incursions of a powerful force, rescuing those stolen, retrieving lost items of power, either from their owners through negotiation or by finding their way to the Isle of the Dead to recover something from the undead there. There should also be monster attacks and quests. The humans come every 4-5 months for more slaves. There is an opportunity for players who want to play other races to be escapees or turn cloaks from the slavers or even just honest traders caught up on the wrong side of the slave trade and looking for a way out.
Classes
Spoiler
Barbarian - Some halflings prowl the jungle isles or embrace the raw power of the sea. They are rare and often distrusted.
Bard - Bards are always popular among the islands. They carry news from place to place, act as repositories of obscure knowledge and provide entertainment that makes them welcome anywhere.
Cleric - The Order of the Mist is the largest clerical denomination. They worship the pantheon of gods the same as the druids but also care for the ancestors of the islanders who reside on the Isle of the Dead. There are other factions too and players are free to build these as they see fit.
Druid - The Order of the Sea is the largest Druidic sect. They worship the same pantheon of gods as the clerics but alse revere nature as a force in itself.
Fighter - There is a tradition of slingers and rock skippers among the halflings as well as guards, hunters, defenders of the faith and other cobat focussed roles that fit fighter well.
Monk - Monks do not really fit the flavour of this game but if someone really wanted to play a monk then it is always possible to fit in a strange hermit on a distant isle who could have trained them or even a small monostary.
Paladin - Affiliated with the Order of the Mist, paladins are nevertheless a rarity. Few things threaten the isles and the need for a holy warrior is slight.
Ranger - Relatively common and usually part of the Order of the Sea, rangers act as guides between and through islands and protect the forests and lands and those who live there from the few threats that nature sends their way. Favoured enemy will typically be undead, animal, vermin or plant. Given the nature of the campaign I'm happy for any rangers to hold back their first favoured enemy until after the first few encounters.
Rogue - The small folk like nothing more than demonstrating their skill at silently sneaking up on someone, clambering up a steep slope or tree or just playing hide and seek.
Sorcerers & Wizards - Both are rare. Wizards spend long years studying a few moldering scrolls, typically alongside the Order of the Mist or independently if they are wealthy. Sorcerers occur more spontenously and powers often emerge from birth or puberty. Recently the number of sorcerers born has increased though noone knows why beyond the fact that this power tends to run in families.
Equipment & Magic
Spoiler
The Isles are relatively primitive. They don't make much use of metal armours which are impractical and downright dangerous for a seafaring race.
Similarly magic and magic items are rare in the isles beyond a few tricks and things to make life a little easier. The slavers are equipped with powerful offensive magics and area of effect spells like colour spray and sleep that are useful for capturing slaves.
Economics
Spoiler
Both the slavers and halflings use the standard gold, silver, copper for money though they mint the coins differently. The slavers have proper coins with the head of their king on one side as there only means of payment. Not that they pay for anything on the isles. The halflings use something called hacksilver for day to day transactions. Hacksilver is simply banded silver or bracelets of silver that are broken or cut for weight. Expensive goods are paid for in gold or platinum strips or in worked gold that has a higher value.
I did consider splitting the group into two groups of four or running one group of six and two reserves. Then I thought, what the heck let's risk a large group and see how it goes.
Map of the region, Star Isles:
Spoiler
Key of map:
Spoiler
The large island in the south east is Old Alk with the red blob for the Angry Mother. It is about 20 miles across north to south and 30 east to west. It's about 4 or 5 miles to the nearest large island. Alkton is on the north western half of the island on a fertile plain surrounded by farmland.
Just over the horizon to the west and north is the Isle of the Dead (with the perpetual mist) which is the second largest island in the isles. The mists can be seen on a clear day from most of the surrounding islands.
The large islands to the north are known as the six sisters collectively. East to west they are: Small Sands, Big Sands, Pale (for the unusual lack of colouration of much of the wildlife in contrast to Plume), Plume (named after the vague bird shape of the island and the preponderance of avian life), Eastlyn, and Westlyn.
West of Small Sands is the remote island of Shark's Luck. Most of the other islands have small isles off the coast that natives use to rest and island hop in their small boats. Shark's Luck has nothing for 10 miles except fish and what preys on them.
North are the Twain islands which mark the northern most populated islands of any significant size. These are North Star and Brother Star but most people just call them the Twains.
Just south of the Isle of the Dead there's an island (Dead South), and south of that are two very small islands (Tiny West, Tiny East) collectively known as the Tiny Islands. On either side of those two small islands there's a pair of somewhat larger islands (Small West, Small East ).
I haven't yet named the other islands to the south or included all the islands so if you want to select one and provide some details please feel free to do so and I'll incorporate them. There are other islands, some are smalls, only a few miles across and some I just haven't added because I haven't thought what to do with them yet. The reports of slavers come from the furthest islands to the north, the Twains, over a hundred miles away from Alkton. Those who have travelled that far have island hopped along the six sisters, gone around the Isle of the Dead and made their way to Old Alk. A journey of several weeks.
__________________
To those I game with: life is very busy right now, so I apologize for any delays. I still anticipate checking in at least once daily.
What is the point of having different colors for each of us? It isn't like I'm going to be posting dialogue for Newcomer or vice versa, so there is no need to differentiate between them. Why don't we all just pick one color to use for all dialogue (or just bold it). It seems like it'd just get confusing (and cluttered) if we've got 8 different colors, plus different colors for each NPC.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoverfrog
I took Graorin's background and assumed that it was Athedru that you were talking about so had you together on Brother Star Isle in the Twains. A group of halflings responding to the slavers captured the human and sent him and his friend south for questioning. Some island leaders feared reprisals and sent them further south, some questioned him and then sent him south for others to do the same. After nearly a month you've found yourself in Old Alk. The curious crowds and shouted questions are familiar to you now.
Did you read my background? I connected my history to Athedru so he should probably start out on Old Alk as well. Considering the large volcano on the island it makes a lot of sense that there would be plenty of caves around. A huge part of the background I wrote involves our meeting.
What is the point of having different colors for each of us? It isn't like I'm going to be posting dialogue for Newcomer or vice versa, so there is no need to differentiate between them. Why don't we all just pick one color to use for all dialogue (or just bold it). It seems like it'd just get confusing (and cluttered) if we've got 8 different colors, plus different colors for each NPC.
Having used it before it makes it easier when reading a bunch of updates as you soon get used to reading each colour as a voice.
I mean, I understand the point of making dialogue be a different color, so it stands out from the other text, but I really don't get the point of having 8-12 different colors. It just seems like it'd be cluttered. If we all just picked red or something it'd be clear and simple.
But for now I guess I'll play along. Kevst will be Blue.
A note about my OOC availability: I will in general be able to post once a day on a reliable basis at this hour (11:15 pm) every day. In addition, I can post during my morning/afternoon on most days when I need to stop trying to code and do something else for a few minutes. However, being Jewish, I will not be available from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday under any circumstances.
I am seven hours ahead of EST and two ahead of GMT, for comparison.
Did you read my background? I connected my history to Athedru so he should probably start out on Old Alk as well. Considering the large volcano on the island it makes a lot of sense that there would be plenty of caves around. A huge part of the background I wrote involves our meeting.
I did but didn't see that you'd indicated a specific island so just picked one that would tie in to the story. Not that it matters particularly.
Delia2531, you don't need to be an orphan too but if you want to change things a bit that's fine with me. To be honest from your backgrounds I see Kevst as a petty crook scraping a living in a world that treats him with contempt and Young Ben as a different class of thief, a confidence trickster and huckster. They move in different worlds but both have a part to contribute. If that's the case it'll pan out during play as your characters develop and if not then you'll go in your own direction.
Avi235&258, thanks for letting us know your availability.
Delia2531, you don't need to be an orphan too but if you want to change things a bit that's fine with me. To be honest from your backgrounds I see Kevst as a petty crook scraping a living in a world that treats him with contempt and Young Ben as a different class of thief, a confidence trickster and huckster. They move in different worlds but both have a part to contribute. If that's the case it'll pan out during play as your characters develop and if not then you'll go in your own direction.
...
the idea in my head is a confidence trickster/forger who started from Artful Dodger-type street urchin. Orphan/runaway was always on the cards, "Young" is an affectation that he picked up in the street gang.
I'm still checking in, I just think Ever is just going to stand there and watch things unfold for the moment.
__________________
To those I game with: life is very busy right now, so I apologize for any delays. I still anticipate checking in at least once daily.
Here is what you know of the attacks and the "giants" so far.
They began a few months ago on the Twains in the far north. The first attack was against the fishing village of Northreach on North Star Isle. The raiders came by rowboat and landed a mile from the village where they then marched to the village and began to take captives. A defence was mounted but quickly quelled. Most people fled when the violence started. A dozen halflings were captured and half that killed. Several buildings and fishing boats were set alight.
Two days later a trading town known as Roan was attacked on Brother Star Island with similar results.
Rangers on these islands have dispatched messages by bird and by boat to the other islands and that information has found its way south to Old Alk and the other places where you are from. Information is limited and often no better than hearsay. The short messages from the rangers indicate several dozen giant ships moored off Shark's Luck and reports of halflings pressed into service building some sort of fort.
Word of raids on all six sister isles has also reached the southern isles.
The rangers number less than a hundred in total and most have duties that keep them pretty busy. The organisation is loosely defined but all agree that something needs to be done.
The priesthood is about the same size as the rangers but is largely concentrated on the Isle of the Dead. Those few with any kind of divine connected are already busy with the undead and cannot be spared. Druids are difficult to get hold of at the best of times but the Order of the Sea has pledged to aid in any way that it can. Several island kings, lords, mayors, maesters, etc have done the same and the king of Old Alk, King Boric the Devout, has pledged the aid of the court enchanter in the defence of the isles.
Most information to reach the common folk is third or fourth hand, little better than hearsay. Reassurances from those in power have come late or not at all and nobody really seems to have a plan on what to do. The isles have always been loosely ruled with each isle having its own laws and leadership. They are independent but generally cooperative of one another.
... Reassurances from those in power have come late or not at all and nobody really seems to have a plan on what to do. The isles have always been loosely ruled with each isle having its own laws and leadership. They are independent but generally cooperative of one another.
Sounds like the islands are in dire need of a group of plucky individuals to step forward and save the day. If only there were such a group to be found somewhere nearby!
Sounds like the islands are in dire need of a group of plucky individuals to step forward and save the day. If only there were such a group to be found somewhere nearby!
Ah! I refresh the page dozens of times yesterday waiting for posts discouraged that no one was posting, and then I wake up having missed a huge flurry of them! I guess I need to start waking up earlier.
It probably isn't too important at the moment as we are still trying to form the party and the interaction is a bit individual; but how are we going to manage the process where people have different times/frequencies where they can post. Whilst we don't want to hold everything up following a strict order, it would be easy for people to feel that they were being excluded/marginalised by those who can post more frequently.
I think Hoverfrog covered it a little in an earlier post about him summarising actions at the end of a round (to allow for posting out of initiative order) but what about when we aren't in combat?
I'm playing it by ear really. If anyone feels that I'm moving too quickly or too slowly please let me know. I plan on updating usually every day or when I feel that the game is stalling or at least every other day. The more frequent posts at the beginning are to try to set the background and get you together.
I hope that the current action allows you to ask questions and deliver testimony in any reasonable order. You don't have to wait for Bula and Athedru to finish. You can just ask a question of any of the witnesses. I'll assume that the formalities of the court move witnesses and questioners around. I can summarise things at the end if it gets confusing (unless I get confused )
I hope that the current action allows you to ask questions and deliver testimony in any reasonable order. You don't have to wait for Bula and Athedru to finish. You can just ask a question of any of the witnesses. I'll assume that the formalities of the court move witnesses and questioners around. I can summarise things at the end if it gets confusing (unless I get confused )
Well, then, I guess our only recourse is to confuse you.
No complaints so far, just don't want people to get left out/behind if they aren't in he fortuous position of being able to post more than once per day.
Still a case of my character doesn't really have much to contribute right now.
How exactly does it work if you try to Sense Motive on someone who isn't bluffing? Is that the "hunch" use of Sense Motive?
Quote:
Originally Posted by SRD
Hunch
This use of the skill involves making a gut assessment of the social situation. You can get the feeling from another’s behavior that something is wrong, such as when you’re talking to an impostor. Alternatively, you can get the feeling that someone is trustworthy.
Hunch is DC 20, which seems steep, but does that mean you really can't tell one way or the other unless you beat 20? Let me know if I'm asking too many questions. I try to fully understand how the rules work, but sometimes it's not clear what the intent of the rule is for some situations.
__________________
To those I game with: life is very busy right now, so I apologize for any delays. I still anticipate checking in at least once daily.
Sense motive allows you insight into what is going on that isn't readily apparent. Is the merchant trying to sell you faulty goods, is the captive lying to you, is someone trying to hide something from you? That sort of thing.
In the court room nobody is trying to hide anything (yet), a few people are unwilling to speak (Graorin has given reasons for this in his comments) and there is a general feeling of helplessness and inaction among the officials. It isn't that they don't want to act but that they genuinely don't know what to do.
Given that nobody seems to be hiding anything and you're good at reading people here is a brief summary of the motives of the people present:
Wain o' Waintown Upon the Hill seems to think that he has performed his civic duty by bringing a fearsome monster to the law.
Captain Rosby is being officious and passing the buck to the mayor.
Mayor Tomas is running this trial but the charges are flimsy and he seems to know this.
Athedru Namecarver is concerned for his friend.
Devka Thorn looks uncomfortable at being in a crowd and a bit angry.
Graorin seems resigned to his fate and discontent with the law but doesn't seem to be hiding anything.
Nygdath is worried, apparently about the slavers, and suspicious of the "giant" but you don't think that he's convinced of his guilt either.
Kevst just wants to get out of the court room and away from the legal system.
Bula Mistwalker seems to want to resolve the situation properly and uncover the truth.
Young Ben also wants to get out of the court room but seems to be looking for an angle where he can gain from the events.
Some of this is obvious even to those less skilled in reading people.
RSS Feeds: 
Isles of the Small Folk OOC
