I forgot to mention earlier, either static or variable weapon damage is fine with me, whatever everyone else wants to do.

Quote from: jedimastert;576303What method should be used to determine starting spells for a magic user?

I have Holmes Basic. I do not know how it differs from Moldvay in this way.

Go ahead and start with the following spells in your book:

light
magic missile
sleep

And a quick question, would I be able to get a hand crossbow with blunt bolts instead of a sling?

Quote from: StormBringer;576310And a quick question, would I be able to get a hand crossbow with blunt bolts instead of a sling?

Sorry, at this point, I'd like to keep starting gear pretty basic and to what's in the book.  Maybe something to be crafted later...

Quote from: Sacrosanct;576312Sorry, at this point, I'd like to keep starting gear pretty basic and to what's in the book.  Maybe something to be crafted later...

Sounds good.  I will be keeping an eye out for that, if the opportunity arises.

Are you going to play with morale rules?  Moldvay had them as optional.

Quote from: flyerfan1991;576339Are you going to play with morale rules?  Moldvay had them as optional.

Yes.  It's an aspect of the game I don't really see in modern iterations.  In early editions, it was huge, because it often made the difference between living and dying.

*edit*

Oh, one more houserule I hope folks are OK with.  At level 1, a thief only has a 10% chance to find/remove traps.  That never made sense since any class could find a trap on a roll of a 1 on a d6 (15% is better than 10%), dwarves a 2 in 6 chance if they were looking for it.

So what I did was make the theif's F/T % a passive skill.  I.e., that was the percentage that the thief could find a trap without specifically looking for one.  One of those, "Right before you enter the hallway, catch something odd about the pave stones." type of thing.  When actively searching for a trap, the F/T % was added to the basic % roll everyone got.  So a level 1 thief, actively searching, would have a 25% chance of finding traps.

Make sense?

Okay, confirmation post with some updated and additional info:

Tetnuca Ada'
1st lvl mercenary horseman / fighter
AC 8
HP 7
Aln L (but crude)


 Str - 13
 Int - 12
 Wis - 11
 Con - 12
 Dex - 12
 Chr - 5

Languages: Common (not very good, and spoken only.)

Starting Gold 100 Gp - expenditures
Equipment -
Light Horse(40),
Saddle (25)
Leather Armor(15),
Dagger (3),
50' Rope (1),
Small Sack x2 (2)
1 weeks standard Rations (5),
Spear x3 (3),
Wineskin/Waterskin x2 (2)

Gold on hand: 4

Horse
AC 7 HD 2 HP 9 Dmge/Attk: (1d4) 2 Hooves, Mv 240, Max Load 3000 Gp.

Backstory and common knowledge: Tetnuca is the single son of a sorcerer and a common tribal woman. He grew up in a band of tribal nomads who traveled under the shadow of the Black Peaks setting up tents following the large herds of wild game. They also had fishing camps in the hidden vales of the wild mountains, where they would encamp next to mountain pools and runoff streams. His father was an advisor to the chief and often accompanied the elders on raids both for resources, and in revenge) into the Wolf Wulde and Cruthe Lowlands. On achieving his rite-of-passage and participating in a tribal raid, Tetnuca left the tribe to  learn about the larger world around him. His first stop is the Keep on the Borderlands.

Str bonus adds 5% to earned experience points.

Tetnuca Ada' Illustration

Name: Zephiros, Bearer of the Fiery Torch of Power...
Class: Magic User
Level: 1
Alignment: Neutral

S: 7       (-1)
I: 12      (0)
W: 9      (0)
D: 8      (-1)
C: 8      (-1)
Ch: 4    (my genius is not properly conveyed to others)

AC: 10
HP: 3

EQUIPMENT: (120gp starting)
2 Daggers
backpack
large sack
tinderbox
6 torches
3 flasks of oil
lantern
1 week iron rations
small hammer
12 iron spikes
mirror
wineskin
2 vials of holy water
25 gp (left over)
Spell Book: Light, Magic Missile, Sleep

Spells Memorized: Sleep


As a young teenager, after enduring years of  being over worked and tormented as a serf in the Black Eagle Barony, Zephiros made a fateful decision to flee into the frontier of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos.

Fortune smiled upon the young lad when he stumbled across a member of a Wizard's Guild from Specularum and his entourage. The mage took Zephiros on as a servant and potential student.

It was found Zephiros had barely enough aptitude to learn the most basic elements of the arcane arts. His instructor, nor anyone in the guild, thought he would amount to anything more than a hedge wizard.

Unsatisfied with this outlook Zephiros has set out to prove to himself and others that he has what it takes to become a powerful magic user. So he has set off into the world seeking to further his knowledge and power!

And...um...until then I will hold the torch in the back of the fellowship. Not THE back mind you. You know someone else should probably guard our rear. But close to the back.

Will be eagerly following this just to see how it goes.

Personal bonus points to Exploderwizard for the authentic Traladaran name.  Makes me want to break out Veiled Society!

Quote from: Sacrosanct;576369Yes.  It's an aspect of the game I don't really see in modern iterations.  In early editions, it was huge, because it often made the difference between living and dying.

*edit*

Oh, one more houserule I hope folks are OK with.  At level 1, a thief only has a 10% chance to find/remove traps.  That never made sense since any class could find a trap on a roll of a 1 on a d6 (15% is better than 10%), dwarves a 2 in 6 chance if they were looking for it.

So what I did was make the theif's F/T % a passive skill.  I.e., that was the percentage that the thief could find a trap without specifically looking for one.  One of those, "Right before you enter the hallway, catch something odd about the pave stones." type of thing.  When actively searching for a trap, the F/T % was added to the basic % roll everyone got.  So a level 1 thief, actively searching, would have a 25% chance of finding traps.

Make sense?

Sounds fine to me.  Then again, I'm just watching the show.

And so we begin.  Anyone not ready yet we can introduce pretty easy later (you look like a trustworthy fellow!)

********************************

It's early autumn, and already a chill is beginning turn the evening air crisp, and the mornings frosty.  It is a time of year where merchant traffic is heavy on the border roads, as crops are harvested and livestock slaughtered and sent south.  Protection of these caravans is critical, and thus this time of year the keep is full of merchants and guards alike.

But not for you, Sir Ector, Zephiros, or Tetnuca.  The three of you are unable to find employment among the caravans or other travelers.  It seems your lineage proceeds you Sir Ector, and you are met with disdain among most.  No one wants anything to do with a fallen noble, and despite your armor, none think you a real warrior.  For you Zephiros, people seem to react to you with pity, as if you were a dimwitted weakling.  Oh, you're actually smarter than most men here, but your stumbling speech and nervousness makes it impossible to convey just how smart you really are.

As for you, Tetnuca, your simple barbarian mannarisms is too much for most to handle.  Merchants don't want a savage protecting their goods, and none trust you.

The three of you find yourselves at the same table in the tavern, only because it is crowded and no one wants anything to do with you three.  Eventually, after almost getting into a fight over a miscommunication, you all find yourselves in the same boat and the chip on each of your shoulders grows larger as you feed each others bitterness.

Medwen, you initially had nothing to do with this bunch of outcasts, and was part of a group that was contracted to protect a priest and his two acolytes.  However, after much ale, your boasting began and you found yourself on a losing bet--one which you were released from your group and you had to join the misfits at a table in the back, because apparently they were going to be "big adventurers to prove everyone wrong!"

Brun, two things cause you to approach the table with the others: curiosity about what sort of adventure they were going to have, and pity that such a group of ill-spoken men were planning on an adventure.  With their mannerisms and the way they presented themselves, you know that there is no way they could succeed.  They needed someone who could communicate without generating a bad reaction.  It seemed as if the dwarf was very well spoken, but the rest were a fine mess.

Two days pass as you all get to know each other.

That brings us to Fyodor.  The next evening, when the sky is thick with clouds and a cold wind blowing from the east, you find yourself within the keep's walls.  You open the door to the inn and are met with a rush of warm, musty air.  You had heard rumor of a group of outcasts who were actually going to go out in the wilderness and look for raiders themselves, rather then work as a caravan guard.  Being a woodsman yourself, you know your skills would be needed to help them.  Besides, what the hell, right?  Should be exciting at any rate.

So the companions have all come together, out to prove themselves.  In the few days of planning and preparation, you have managed to hear the following rumors about a series of caves to the east, so take them for what they are worth:

A merchant, imprisoned in the caves, will reward
his rescuers

A fair maiden is imprisoned within the caves

Beware the mad hermit of the north lands

“Bree-yark” is goblin-language for “we surrender”!

All of the cave entrances are trapped

Fyodor, you know that the road travels east about 3 kilometers before turning northward about another 2 kilometers when a narrow, yet steep valley is off to the left.  The caves should be there.  The trees are thick north of the keep, and a large river and marshland are sound of the main road.

Are there any other preparations that you all would like to make before embarking?

At the bottom of each post I make (so I don't forget), I'll have the party order.  Let me know if that changes.  Also let me know about how far apart each of you will be from the other.

Are there any meatshields...umm I mean stout men at arms for hire in this place?

Also how much cash do we have as a group? I don't have much coin left but perhaps we can pool our resources and get a mule and some extra supplies?

I would be happy to offer up paybacks from the party treasury to reimburse everyone for their shares of these expenditures.

You have more than 50 gp, mostly from Zephiros and Medwen.  So it's up to them.

Most men are already in the employ of caravans, but after asking around, the following men are for hire:

Blorg, fighter 1, leather, shield, sword: 1 gp per week
Alat, fighter 1, chain, shield, sword: 2 gp per week
Gorin, fighter 1, chain, longbow, sword: 4 gp per week

Note: Hirelings get an equal share of treasure and XP.

I have 25gp left over.

Bodyguards and a mule sound like good ideas.



A merchant and a maiden trapped in the caves. Sounds like they are worth looking into.