Experience Awards
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Episode One: Sea and StormEach character receives 50 Experience Points.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask either here or in a PM.
OK, the basics of this module is that the character's are the common man (0-level) without specialized training (class abilities) and are thrust into a dangerous situation.
The characters start the game as slaves of pirates without any possessions. During the course of the adventure, the decisions you make for your character will determine what character class it will become at the end of the adventure. Please be keep this in mind as the game progresses.
As an example, the character starts with one weapon proficiency known. During the course of the game, the characters are certainly able to pick up another weapon if it become available and attempt to use it and learn it. However, this decision may limit the character's class options at the end of the adventure. Let's say your character picks up, uses, and learns how to use a battle axe. Well, this decision may prevent the character from becoming a Magic-User at the end of the adventure since the character is now proficient with a weapon not allowed by the M-U class.
Alignment works the same way; during the course of the adventure, I will be tracking decision and at the end of the adventure we will determine the character's alignment based upon those actions.
Non-Magical Special Abilities
Several character classes have special abilities. These abilities break down roughly into non-magical and magical abilities: The thief's wall-climbing talent can be considered nonmagical, while the paladin's ability to detect
evil is effectively magical.
Whenever a player-character in this adventure wishes, he may try to utilize one of the non-magical special abilities. These abilities include:
Assassinate (assassin),
Backstab (thief),
Climb Walls (thief),
Disguise (assassin),
Find/Remove Traps (thief),
Hear Noise (thief),
Hide in Shadows (thief),
Move Silently (thief),
Open Locks (thief),
Pick Pockets (thief),
Track (ranger).
The ranger abilities of extra damage to humanoids and decreased chance to be surprised cannot be attempted, nor can the monk's extra damage for barehanded combat. The player characters cannot try to perform the magical special abilities of various character classes - turning undead, laying on of the hands, etc. - until they've chosen their character classes upon reaching 1st level.
OK, I'll be putting up the first IC thread tomorrow. There are just a few things needed to get things up to speed:
Premier- What is Porcius' weapon proficiency choice; quarterstaff, dagger, or dart? What does he look like?
Gray Lensman- If you're still in, please give me a name and race for now, and then roll up your character.
Insufficient Metal- Same thing, please give me a name and race for now and then roll up your character.
very excited to see how this plays out! Such a nifty premise...:)
This is the furthest any PBP I've been in has ever gotten...you guys mean business over here...=)
Quote from: Drohem;432699Premier- What is Porcius' weapon proficiency choice; quarterstaff, dagger, or dart? What does he look like?
Edited character post.
Quote from: Premier;432738Edited character post.
Cool, thanks! :)
Quote from: Premier;432822Questions: Other than the nine of us, what else is attached to the chain? Does it terminate at a ring affixed to the floor? Are there dead captives attached to it? What happened to the other slaves?
Please re-read the opening post; it will answer most of those questions. :)
Ah, I see the game has officially launched. It looks like it will be a great deal of fun and I'll be watching with interest. I thought I'd offer my support to your meek 0th-level selves. I just want to tell you all good luck. We're all counting on you.
:D
That's starting strong, in any case. Already in the shit up to the eyeballs! :D
Quote from: Drohem;432699Gray Lensman- If you're still in, please give me a name and race for now, and then roll up your character.
Insufficient Metal- Same thing, please give me a name and race for now and then roll up your character.
Guys, if you're still please let me know ASAP. Otherwise, I'll open the two other characters with the group to other players. :)
So is the bow of the ship open to the sea? I see some kind of hatch is locked, but can we not just climb out of the bow and swim to shore?
Quote from: Sigmund;433458So is the bow of the ship open to the sea? I see some kind of hatch is locked, but can we not just climb out of the bow and swim to shore?
Correct. From your position in the hold, the only other exit is the gaping hole in the bow of the ship. Right now, you can only tell that the hole is open and see dark skies through it. Closer investigation is needed to determine if the hole in deed directly into the sea.
Internet tower/relay went down on Saturday. I'm just back on the web. :)
Kelvan will make his way to the hole . Being careful not to fall out he will look fore and aft , to see if there is some way to make it to the main deck . I would like him to be able to get top side and open the hatch to allow everyone out .
Quote from: Cargoman;433609Kelvan will make his way to the hole . Being careful not to fall out he will look fore and aft , to see if there is some way to make it to the main deck. I would like him to be able to get top side and open the hatch to allow everyone out .
Well, as Poricus already surmised, and anyone standing at the gaping hole in the bow of the ship would surmise, that within the shadows of the hole in the ship you are fairly sure he hasn't spotted you yet. However, leaving the ship and going onto the beach may expose you to being seen by the pirate slaver.
Also, attempting to climb out of the hole up to the deck will expose Kelvan to being seen by the pirate.
Quote from: Benoist;433663OOC: Anything we could use as thrown weapons in the hold? Like bits of wood, ring of shackles, anything of the sort?
There smashed pieces of wood that could be used as make-shift clubs. There is only about 8-inches of chain between the shackles. You could use the shackles and chain as a make-shift weapon as well. There are bits of wood, but their effectiveness as missile weapon is dubious at best.
Quote from: Benoist;433663How far is Hafkris from the hole in the hold?
Please see this post (http://www.therpgsite.com/showpost.php?p=433477&postcount=32). :)
Quote from: Drohem;433668There smashed pieces of wood that could be used as make-shift clubs. There is only about 8-inches of chain between the shackles. You could use the shackles and chain as a make-shift weapon as well. There are bits of wood, but their effectiveness as missile weapon is dubious at best.
Hm. May be best to just get down in the water as quietly as possible and then just rush the guy, overwhelm him, and be done with it, then.
Quote from: Drohem;433668Please see this post (http://www.therpgsite.com/showpost.php?p=433477&postcount=32). :)
I see he's about 30 feet away from the galley. Does that mean is 30 feet away from the hole also?
Quote from: Benoist;433672I see he's about 30 feet away from the galley. Does that mean is 30 feet away from the hole also?
Yes.
Did Sterling have a chance to see how far the drop was and did it terminate in water or on beach? If water how deep approx.?
Quote from: skofflox;433723Did Sterling have a chance to see how far the drop was and did it terminate in water or on beach? If water how deep approx.?
Clearly, it is low tide currently. The ship is aground on rocks, but the beach is mere feet away. The pounding surf around the rocks makes the depth vary from about 1-2 feet up to 3-5 feet as the waves roll onto the rocks and beach.
Oops, wrong thread :) Jon tries to detect a pattern to the pirate's pacing.... he'd like to determine the best time to rush the villain.
Quote from: Sigmund;433843Oops, wrong thread :) Jon tries to detect a pattern to the pirate's pacing.... he'd like to determine the best time to rush the villain.
There really isn't a pattern, nor rhyme or reason to his movements. Jon is fairly certain that he's probably three sheets to the wind.
Think of Johnny Deep after marooned on the small isle with all his rum when he's drunk and singing, except that Hafkris drops in and out of mock parading up and down the beach while singing drunken sailor songs.
FYI: If it wasn't clear before, I apologize; Hafkris is a half-orc.
After my last couple of rolls and scratching my head over the DMG, I'd like to raise a point:
Since we're all 0-level mooks with no armour and hardly any weaponry to speak of (but hopefully the advantage of numbers on our side more often than not), it might make good tactical sense for us to frequently resort to pummeling, grappling and overbearing attempts. However, the rules provided for these by the 1E DMG are just foul. Any chance of using some less user-unfriendly alternatives?
For me, it's whatever makes sense to Arnould at the time.
Quote from: Premier;435194After my last couple of rolls and scratching my head over the DMG, I'd like to raise a point:
Since we're all 0-level mooks with no armour and hardly any weaponry to speak of (but hopefully the advantage of numbers on our side more often than not), it might make good tactical sense for us to frequently resort to pummeling, grappling and overbearing attempts. However, the rules provided for these by the 1E DMG are just foul. Any chance of using some less user-unfriendly alternatives?
What did you have in mind?
Quote from: Drohem;435318What did you have in mind?
Nothing specifically, to be honest. I was just raising the issue, not trying to push a personal agenda. I mean, we players can easily post two percentile rolls and one d6 per such an attack; you're the one who'd have to bear the workload.
OK, just waiting on attack/damage rolls from Cargoman for Kelvan. :)
I'm going to stick with the rules in the DMG for non-lethal combat. Hopefully, once you arm yourselves, it won't come up too often.
Fumbles & Criticals
At first, I was thinking of using the Good Hits & Bad Misses article from Dragon magazine, but, on second thought, I'm not going to use it. I'm so done with the Keystone Cops shtick for fumbles.
A roll of a '1' is an automatic miss- no fluff, just a miss.
A roll of a '20' is a superior strike and does an additional die of the weapon's damage plus strength and magical modifiers.
Example: Roger the Ranger rolls a 20 while trying to attack a kobold. Roger has a 16 STR and a +1 longsword. Rogers rolls 2d8+2 for his damage roll (1d8 sword damage die; 1d8 superior strike bonus; +1 from STR, and +1 from magic weapon).
Quote from: Drohem;435564A roll of a '1' is an automatic miss- no fluff, just a miss.
Well that's that this round for Arnould I guess. It's rich that the first time I roll I get a double-fumble, when I think about it. 1 on d20, 1 on damage (not that the latter matters, but still... for Christ's sakes!).
Quote from: Drohem;435564OK, just waiting on attack/damage rolls from Cargoman for Kelvan. :)
I will assume 1xd20 a 1xd4
Name Player Campaign Roll Results Note Date
Kelvan Windspray Cargoman Treasure Hunt 1@1d4 [4]=(4)
11-Jan-27 06:23
Kelvan Windspray Cargoman Treasure Hunt 1@1d20 [5]=(5)
11-Jan-27 06:22
There You go .
Congratulations! You have completed the first episode of the module and earned experience points.
I will record Experience Points awards in this post (http://www.therpgsite.com/showpost.php?p=431989&postcount=1). I have added it to the character sheets in this post (http://www.therpgsite.com/showpost.php?p=431988&postcount=6).
Sorry, I have not been too clear about the sacks of grain. These were 50-lbs. sacks before they became waterlogged. They've nearly doubled in weight now that they are soaked. Certainly, you (plural you) will be able to get them out of the hold and off the ship. However, such an endeavor will be a serious job requiring the concentrated effort of several people.
Also, I am by no means an expert on grains so as far as I'm concerned the grain has been ruined by the mixture of sea water and wine sloshing about in the hold, and will not be salvageable for food.
roger that...no grain...:o
hmm, so none of the PCs want to question Hafkris. What are you doing with Hafkris? Are you taking him with you or leaving him behind?
Oh taking him for sure. We will question him before too long I imagine... been focused on survival needs first :) Honestly all I want to know is what happened to the ship, but Jon can't see where knowing that would help their immediate cause, and besides he believes is was Valkur who sent a storm to save honest sailors from pirates :D
Quote from: Drohem;439368hmm, so none of the PCs want to question Hafkris. What are you doing with Hafkris? Are you taking him with you or leaving him behind?
Arnould intends on taking him with us until we find shelter -quick, hopefully-. Then we'll question him. Interrogation doesn't seem to be an option right now, because we still don't know if there are guys that will show up or whatnot. We need to move.
I don't know what the others are thinking.
Benny, Koli currently has Hafkris' sword (http://www.therpgsite.com/showpost.php?p=437174&postcount=108). Sterling and Poricus have left the wreck and returned to group on the beach. Kelvan hasn't posted that he's left the wreck, but I'm assuming he left with Poricus once they discover that there's nothing else to salvage from the wreck.
So, as far as I picture the scene, everyone is gathered on the beach standing around the bound Hafkris.
Unless anyone else wants to do something at this point, I will assume that the group is leaving the beach and heading inland to find shelter with Hafkris in tow.
OK. Thanks a lot, mate.
I'm fine with moving on, personally.
I'm fine with it also, to the point where jon will start heading that way with his arms full of driftwood.
questioning after sobriety...let's move inland!
Drohem...was Sterling able to salvage any appreciable lengths of rope?,will marriage knot it together before heading inland.
Quote from: Benoist;439405Arnould intends on taking him with us until we find shelter -quick, hopefully-. Then we'll question him. Interrogation doesn't seem to be an option right now, because we still don't know if there are guys that will show up or whatnot. We need to move.
I don't know what the others are thinking.
My thought process was that he was clearly incoherent...either intentionally, or baiting us until the others (if they are alive) returned. Either way was hazardous for our health...if he WILL talk, great...but I'm not placing a TON of faith in a half-orc pirate slaver being cooperative (or trustworthy)...=)
Quote from: Tommy Brownell;439445My thought process was that he was clearly incoherent...either intentionally, or baiting us until the others (if they are alive) returned. Either way was hazardous for our health...if he WILL talk, great...but I'm not placing a TON of faith in a half-orc pirate slaver being cooperative (or trustworthy)...=)
I agree. Arnould's idea is that he will give the guy a chance to talk. If he doesn't, tries to escape, and is just being stupid, then he will have made a choice that will trigger his doom, one way or the other.
The only thing I had in mind was to have Kelvan to equip himself with the crossbow .
Also as we search for shelter , keep an eye out for food , eggs ,plants and small game .
Finding a fresh water source would be good also .
Here is the current list of salvaged items and who is carrying them:
Arnould- Dagger
Koli- Broadsword and studded leather armor
Melisanna- Boots and cloak
Kelvan- Heavy crossbow and bolts
Poricus- Sea charts and book
Jon- Driftwood (10 forearm-sized pieces)
Sterling- Rope pieces (about 25-feet when knotted together)
Please let me know if I missed anything. :)
Oh I got a dagger? Shiny! :D
Conflict in the group! :D
Good times...=)
Nice exchange
Yeah, good stuff guys! And the name confusion has reared it's ugly head already too! LOL! :D
Quote from: Drohem;440679Yeah, good stuff guys! And the name confusion has reared it's ugly head already too! LOL! :D
Fuck. It wasn't "Jon," was it? Jono and Jon are two different characters? I wondered as I was writing. I'm sorry if I fucked up on this! :o
Hehehe... yeah. No biggie. :)
So... Jon is Sigmund, and Jono is Tommy?
Yeah. I fucked up. All Arnould said was obviously talking to Jono, not Jon.
Quote from: Benoist;440684So... Jon is Sigmund, and Jono is Tommy?
Yes, that's right.
Context was enough to sort it out :D
I don't mind the name confusion at all, the characters will know, plus it's good excuse for one or both of us to earn nicknames, which is always fun, seeing what sticks :D
Quote from: Benoist;440684So... Jon is Sigmund, and Jono is Tommy?
Yeah. I fucked up. All Arnould said was obviously talking to Jono, not Jon.
Everyone sorted it out easily enough...=)
Arnould forgot about Hafkris. Desperation of the moment? ;)
Jono assumes Hafkris is going to kill us and eat our faces at his first opportunity...forgetting is not an option over here...=)
Sorry for temporarily dropping out, I've had a bit of a grinder of a week, and the next one might not be much better. About to make a post now, though.
Premier,
Poricus would know who the Bitch Queen is since living so close to the sea; she is Umberlee (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Umberlee), a Forgotten Realms Itermediate deity of the sea. The majority of the peoples of the islands pay homage to the Bitch Queen.
Quote from: skofflox;442468Shrugging as Arnould runs off to the NW without a word, I look to Vithar..." Well, I'm for those boulders there. What say you man?" as I indicate the southern group.
I had not noticed your proposition when I posted. Ah well! I guess Arnould is really into finding out what's going on! :)
I can't BE-LIEVE this. My second roll in the game, and it's "1" AGAIN! :eek:
Crying out loud! *throws dice across the room* :D
Quote from: Benoist;442554I can't BE-LIEVE this. My second roll in the game, and it's "1" AGAIN! :eek:
Crying out loud! *throws dice across the room* :D
um... no, actually, it's the opposite- you scored a critical Ability check! :D
*looks at the time*
I have to go and pick up my daughter from school now. I'll update later when I get back.
eh...is Porcius with the scouting group?
:confused:
No, but I figured they let us know of the battle once they saw it, didn't they?
If they didn't, could we just assume that Porcius followed them after his talk with the slaver? It's what he was planning to do, anyway.
Quote from: Drohem;442573um... no, actually, it's the opposite- you scored a critical Ability check! :D
Oh! Ohhh...... right....
Maybe I'll keep those dice, then. :D
Quote from: Premier;442823No, but I figured they let us know of the battle once they saw it, didn't they?
If they didn't, could we just assume that Porcius followed them after his talk with the slaver? It's what he was planning to do, anyway.
OOC: Arnould personally didn't. He is just assessing the situation at this point. No way he could have gone back yet, nor would he shout under these conditions. I'm not sure there's a line of sight between him and the rest of the group either. I'll be waiting on a ruling from the DM on this before I post. Whether Porcius is with us, and where his actual position would be if he is.
Yes, currently Poricus has no knowledge of what is going on with the trio that went scouting over the hill. He can't even see them currently from his position with the rest of the group down in the original ravine that the group was walking along.
Premier, you can edit your last post to reflect his desire to leave the group and follow the scouts over the hill.
I prefer to maintain continuity as much as possible, and avoid retconning at all if possible. :)
So, what do Arnound and Sterling do at this point?
Quote from: Drohem;442911So, what do Arnound and Sterling do at this point?
Are any of the orcs or goblins paying attention to the old man? Does he seem under an immediate threat of death?
Quote from: Drohem;442911So, what do Arnound and Sterling do at this point?
Are any of the orcs or goblins paying attention to the man? Does he seem under an immediate threat of death?
Quote from: Benoist;442914Are any of the orcs or goblins paying attention to the old man? Does he seem under an immediate threat of death?
So, you are going to take some time to assess the situation further? Post it! :D;)
Quote from: Drohem;442916So, you are going to take some time to assess the situation further? Post it! :D;)
OK! Will do!
Alright ! What's going on people ?
Jon is guarding our pirate prisoner and waiting to see if what occurs with with the fight.
The wounded and most of your loot is back up in the Gold Ladder at this point. Are you guys going to move back up and mend your wounds, take a rest etc at this point, or is there something else you'd like to do?
Also, preparing a plan of action for what to do or investigate next might be a good idea. :)
Hi guys,
I sincerely apologize for my absence of late. I'm torn here in discussing the why because I don't want to come across as whiny, but my family and I have had some significant difficulties of late that pretty much knocked my dick in the dirt. I spiraled into a depressive state and pretty much withdrew from everything to insulate and consolidate.
My family is under some significant financial pressure due to medical issues and insurance issues, and this last week our furnace stopped working. We had to stay out of the house for several days while it was repaired, and the stress of that situation, as well as its financial impact, lowered my resistance and I fell into a depressive state for the last couple of weeks.
I would like to continue the game, but I would completely understand if you didn't want me to continue the game due to my flakiness.
Sincerely,
Drohem
Good feelings and prayers sent your way, my friend.
As for the game, it's up to you and what needs to be done about your situation. If you think the game can help you relax and get back to the RL fight with renewed energy, let's go on with the game. If that's too much work or attention diverted from the real issues that need to be attended to, including your health and well-being, then it's not a good idea, and we need to put the game on pause for the time being.
One way or the other, you have my support.
Dude, this game has already gone on longer than any PBP I've been a part of...so, swimming success in that regard.
If you need to chill a bit and then come back to it or whatever, do what you have to...it's just a game...family is more important, man...=)
Just take care, keep your chin up, take care of the family...I'm with Benoist, whatever you need to do, we'll do.
ready when you are...
cheers!
:)
Benoist
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Good feelings and prayers sent your way, my friend.
As for the game, it's up to you and what needs to be done about your situation. If you think the game can help you relax and get back to the RL fight with renewed energy, let's go on with the game. If that's too much work or attention diverted from the real issues that need to be attended to, including your health and well-being, then it's not a good idea, and we need to put the game on pause for the time being.
One way or the other, you have my support.
Dude, this game has already gone on longer than any PBP I've been a part of...so, swimming success in that regard.
If you need to chill a bit and then come back to it or whatever, do what you have to...it's just a game...family is more important, man...=)
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Just take care, keep your chin up, take care of the family...I'm with Benoist, whatever you need to do, we'll do.
ready when you are...
cheers!
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Family first ! Then relaxation , amusement .
Thoughts and prayers to You .
Just say the word and We'll follow Your lead .
What Benny said.
Thanks guys, you rock! :)
I'm back up to speed pretty much now. My positive energy is recharging and my wife and I working strong together to power through some rough times lately.
Quote from: Drohem;447701Thanks guys, you rock! :)
I'm back up to speed pretty much now. My positive energy is recharging and my wife and I working strong together to power through some rough times lately.
Excellent. Take all the time you need! :)
OK guys, I need some input from you to make the game move forward. :)
If have no more questions for Keestake, what do you do now?
It's late and you're physically and mentally exhausted, but you have a fire and shelter from the biting cold and storm. You are finally warming up your bodies by the fire, and the chill in your bones is slowly, ever so slowly, melting away.
You've (the group through various PCs) have explored the antechamber and the Hall of the Goddess (Tymora) thus far.
I need you guys to be proactive in pushing the game forward; otherwise, I feel like I am just jerking off here. :(
Roger that. Exploring the place now!
Quote from: Drohem;457073OK guys, I need some input from you to make the game move forward. :)
If have no more questions for Keestake, what do you do now?
It's late and you're physically and mentally exhausted, but you have a fire and shelter from the biting cold and storm. You are finally warming up your bodies by the fire, and the chill in your bones is slowly, ever so slowly, melting away.
You've (the group through various PCs) have explored the antechamber and the Hall of the Goddess (Tymora) thus far.
I need you guys to be proactive in pushing the game forward; otherwise, I feel like I am just jerking off here. :(
I think most of the characters would focus on resting and warming up first, then worry about exploring. I have no problem fast-forwarding through those parts however. Jon is getting together a make-shift weapon and otherwise looking for rest and a sign from above :D I figured the exploration would come in the morning. We want to lay-low in case the humanoids have gone looking for the old man after all. Plus, at some point we'll want to ask Keestake about the lay-out of the island and we'll also need food. For the characters it's been a long and stressful day.
Quote from: Sigmund;457298I think most of the characters would focus on resting and warming up first, then worry about exploring. I have no problem fast-forwarding through those parts however. Jon is getting together a make-shift weapon and otherwise looking for rest and a sign from above :D I figured the exploration would come in the morning. We want to lay-low in case the humanoids have gone looking for the old man after all. Plus, at some point we'll want to ask Keestake about the lay-out of the island and we'll also need food. For the characters it's been a long and stressful day.
this...food is getting to be paramount in Sterlings estimation...now that the weapon situation is somewhat in hand...:)
I might be off for the next while. My internet connection is not working properly, and I am reeeeally sick today (cold, with bad cough, headache, the works).
By the way, this game is six months old today. Just thought I'd point it out. :)
Sorry for the delay guys. I've been out of it the last several days since my back went out. I've been on some muscle relaxers that put me in a fog and all I did was sleep or veg out in front of the TV. I couldn't concentrate enough to get on the computer or Internet.
Not cool. Here are some good waves wishing for a speedy recovery! I'm in the same boat, but with a cold that just will not leave alone! Got it for a week now. I feel like a brain in a jar right now.