Mummy's Mask (OOC)

[Gwynfrid]

Welcome to the Mummy's Mask OOC thread!

I greatly appreciate this opportunity to play with you guys, and hope we will have a long-lasting, enjoyable game.

The first couple of posts here is where the in-game information will be stored, including additional info about the setting, NPCs, loot and any other reference data. If you really like or dislike something in the game, or have concerns about how I'm handling things, please let me know. To make sure this game to be fun for everyone, feedback is very helpful.

Characters


PlayerCharacterRaceClassInitACTACFFACCMDFortReflWi llHP
DarkOne7141981Vershab Fethi (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=129623)Human (M)Arcanist+1115111413+4+4+757
JWallyRLehasti Gesmeha (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=131216)Human (F)Paladin+119111824+13+7+998
FarmerbinkTuri (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=958792)Human (M)Fighter/Rogue+522161722+9+11+788
JWallyRAzkin (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1542576)Human (M)Cleric+219121718+9+5+1057
StarbinNatala (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2048295)Ifrit (F)Oracle+821151723+6+8+972
SanguinePenguinVlarga al-Lamashten (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2463479)Gnoll (F)Bloodrager+119825+14+5+8+5100



Deceased or retired characters


PlayerCharacterRaceClassInitACTACFFACCMDFortReflWi llHP
CleverDragonCalathon Amradi (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=889583)Elf (M)Alchemist+418141419+6+10+538
FarmerbinkGrekka Cailean (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=743696)Half-orc (F)Warpriest+418121620+9+6+1055
FarmerbinkGrekka Cailean (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=82324)Half-orc (F)Inquisitor+520121818+8+5+944
UntarrMenedes IX Tombguard (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=238287)Dwarf (M)Zen Archer Monk+218171622+8+7+957
Inspector ValinTabiry / Sunset (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2057026)Aasimar (F)Vigilante+522151724+3+11+747


Osirion

Locations visited thus far: Wati, Tephu, Crook River, Parched Dunes desert, and Ipeq.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BOZoZ0o5FmcyY9w-RO15ABdDD3x8Q9Jh15HDty8KOqoGBbISKBu-YZK2p1m7KApEDsH0bJInNpUCoKk6qLTPqQmy-8nmPx7s8wxHwrYi1-a5noxVCKSLTEIikYWMDqehjVYL6WeKpA=w2400

Tephu


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Kt_JwltOEP-JY9qf54t40nVA3YXsQ2VvmH0-tDkGqDTQ7hmubQN3HmfoURBa2_RyYwrLRJxcj1z7qmWPd4cNBJ Iwcl7ysEWrlCdg-TSM_PVez-tE01vecNtz4iiLzE9r3Ry0zWJyhQ=w2400

1: Medina
2: Inn of the Desert Winds
3: Plaza of the Bright Horizons
4: Great Library
5: Sanctuary of Nethys
6: Eye of the Heavens
7: Academy of Scribes
8: Houses of Order and Wisdom
9: Gate of the Moon
10: Gate of the Sun
11: Dark Depository



Wati

Wati is the city where our story begins. All of the background below is known to all characters who spent most of their lives in Wati. More detailed information may be available to characters with Knowledge(Local) ranks.

WATI, THE HALF-CITY

The city of Wati sits on a sandstone shelf at the confluence of the Asp and Crook rivers, which provide it with building materials, rich farmland, and deep harbors sufficient to support a settlement three times its size. But even with its tenacious citizens, abundant fish and game, and thriving marketplaces fueled by the most important rivers in Osirion, Wati is forever a city better known for its dead than for its living. Behind sanctified walls, an entire quarter of the city quietly sits as a massive, urban tomb. Shops, schools, markets, and estates serve as eternal resting places for those lost to madness and disease. To manage such an immense project, the city’s entire economy shifted to the industry of interment. Almost 1,800 years after the necropolis’s inception, many of Wati’s residents continue to serve the city’s funeral industry, either directly as embalmers, undertakers, and clerics of Pharasma, or indirectly by crafting the myriad grave goods all Osirians hope to carry with them into the afterlife. Death has become the city’s lifeblood, and Wati prospers from its morbid specialty.

HISTORY
In –1608 ar, Pharaoh Djederet II ordered the construction of a grand city to mark the birthplace of the Osirion’s greatest natural resource: the River Sphinx, springing from the confluence of the Asp and the Crook. With its early foundations magically laid by the church of Nethys, the city sprang to life within just a year. Named Wati, the riverside town soon dominated trade across southern Osirion. Hardwoods and spices from Katapesh and the Mwangi Expanse bound for Sothis, and manufactured goods and luxuries from the nations surrounding the Inner Sea bound for Osirion’s southern territories, all paused long enough in Wati’s warehouses and markets to make its citizens famously wealthy. For centuries, Wati endured through political upheaval and the births and deaths of entire dynasties as it dominated its younger sister cities of An and Tephu.
But Wati’s destiny was forever warped in 2499 ar, when the cult of Lamashtu unleashed the Plague of Madness among the city’s thriving populace. Many of those whom the fever did not immediately kill were driven to murderous insanity, and within months, more than half the city had fallen in painful, anguished death. Most of the survivors fled Wati to make new homes elsewhere, but a stubborn minority remained behind, determined to reclaim their city. But even once the plague had run its course, their livelihoods collapsed as An and Tephu took over Wati’s once-exclusive trade routes, and their floundering community struggled against recurring outbreaks of the undead from the city’s many abandoned buildings-turned-tombs.
It took almost half a millennium for Wati’s fortunes to reverse thanks to the church of Pharasma. With the tacit permission of Osirion’s Keleshiite sultan, a Pharasmin priest named Nefru Shepses marched on Wati in 2953 ar with a small army of alchemists, masons, and morticians under his banner, intent on consecrating the entire city to the Lady of Graves, beginning with a new, monumental temple to Pharasma called the Grand Mausoleum. Over the next 30 years, Nefru Shepses and his followers recovered the bodies of those slaughtered in the Plague of Madness from their hasty, makeshift graves and the Pharasmins walled off that portion of the city that had been abandoned, transforming it into a metropolis of makeshift tombs. Thousands of corpses were given formal burial rites and reinterred in this dead copy of the living city, which continues to serve as Wati’s necropolis today.
The consecration of the city and its necropolis revitalized Wati, and though it never reclaimed its dominance among the cities of the south, over the next 1,700 years Wati grew until its necropolis—once more than half of the city— took up less than a quarter of the city’s total area. Today, long after the necropolis’s completion, Wati continues to produce a great variety of grave goods for Osirion’s honored dead. A steady stream of burial figures, canopic jars, embalming fluids, prayer books, and sarcophagi sail downstream on the Sphinx, outpacing Wati’s crop and textile exports. Even Wati’s criminal underworld revolves around death, as competing gangs regularly raid the necropolis for valuables and even human carrion.

CITY OF THE LIVING
From the tidy Midwife district to the mazelike streets of Asp, Wati’s citizens appreciate life in ways that only come from respecting the dead. Taverns, dance halls, bathhouses, and game parlors dot as many corners as shops and artisans, and Wati’s boulevards and markets teem with life under the hot Osirian sun.

DISTRICTS
Wati is divided into six districts, with its necropolis serving as an unofficial seventh district.

Asp: This long, winding district of low buildings and twisting alleyways runs along Wati’s southern edge. Asp was built without the planning or engineering insight of Wati’s core, making navigation difficult for newcomers. Few of Asp’s residents think of themselves as members of a common community the way inhabitants of Midwife or Morning Sun might. Instead, the district is a loose alliance of dozens of blocks, neighborhoods, and streets all pursuing their own agendas. These associations hold bitter rivalries as well, usually along economic lines, which run from the well-off estates in the west to the slums of mud-brick hovels huddling against the walls of the necropolis in the east.

Bargetown: Wati’s unwashed masses, heretics, and down-on-their-luck foreigners gather in this semipermanent floating district literally built atop the River Sphinx. Lashed vessels replace buildings, and narrow planks and rope railings make up Bargetown’s rickety streets. Each family maintains its own tiny barge or keelboat, and joins the community for years or for only a few days, meaning Bargetown’s layout is constantly in flux. The downtrodden bargers supply most of Wati’s fish and shellfish, drawn from the Sphinx’s sacred waters. The crocodiles and giant crayfish that prowl the river are a constant threat to the bargers, scavenging leftovers, waste, and the occasional drunk who falls into the water.
Bargetown hosts most of Wati’s smuggling operations, as its residents are mostly ignored and anonymous in the eyes of Wati’s mainland citizens.
Bargetown is a dangerous place, and not merely for its criminal element. Disease spreads quickly, and the city guards are quick to sever the ropes securing Bargetown’s boats to shore at the first sign of plague. Fire is also a constant worry on the poorly maintained collection of wood, rags, and pitch.

Midwife: The district of Midwife is the heart of Wati, cradling most of the city’s temples, markets, and professional artisans. Along with the necropolis, Midwife is the oldest of Wati’s districts, with a history stretching back to the city’s founding, and its residents take pride in maintaining their ancient community. Midwife’s buildings, carved from stone and towering two to six stories tall, reflect the grandeur of Osirion’s First Age, and house a wide variety of apartments, shops, and workshops.

Morning Sun: The majority of Wati’s noble estates sit on a small rise west of Midwife called Morning Sun, so named because the district enjoys the first touch of the sun’s rays at dawn. Morning Sun is Wati’s least populous district, containing a mere two dozen wealthy estates that consist of palatial homes, storage buildings, servants’ quarters, orchards, vineyards, and a handful of lavish apartments—all of which are colorful, well maintained, and surrounded with lush gardens and statuary. Morning Sun is the home of two major noble families who squabble for dominance in local politics. The older, conservative Mahfre family enjoys the support of many of Wati’s longtime residents and those who look to the past, while the Okhenti family holds the hearts of romantics, the young, and many newcomers to the city.
The Mahfre family was one of the stubborn remnants who stayed in Wati following the Plague of Madness, rallying their fellow citizens when times got hard and overseeing the city’s management in the absence of official leadership from Sothis. Their influence has declined in the centuries since the coming of the Pharasmins and the rebirth of the city, but the family’s loyalty and bravery in Wati’s darkest hours all but guarantees the Mahfres will always have a place in the local government. The family’s current matriarch, Damej Mahfre, sits on the city council and revels in her ancestors’ legacy while resenting the influx of lowborn outsiders into her city.
The Okhenti family, on the other hand, fled Wati after the Plague of Madness, journeying through northern Garund and across the Inner Sea. A noble family with no lands or people to govern, the Okhentis finally returned to Wati alongside Nefru Shepses and the church of Pharasma. Today, the house of Okhenti has its fingers in most of Wati’s trade and counting houses, and many acolytes at the Sanctum of Silver and Gold are either distant relations or adopted family members. The Okhentis still send their young scions to study abroad and bring back fresh new ideas and contacts to govern with a wider perspective. Critics accuse the family of being globetrotting dilettantes with no concern for their hometown, while proponents claim the Okhentis bring new lifeblood to Wati’s markets. The family’s swaggering, middle-aged patriarch, Ahbehn Okhenti, spent his youth as an adventurer in Absalom and Thuvia, and does little to convince detractors of his family’s competence. Ahbehn’s roguish charms have earned him both a reputation as a ladies’ man around town.

Outer Farms: West of Wati, beyond the stable sandstone shelf on which the city rests, miles of silty, verdant farmland stretch along the banks of the Crook River. Barley, beans, cabbage, cucumbers, flax, garlic, melons, and millet fill Wati’s fields, but onions reign supreme on nearly every farm. Wati’s residents believe that onions are a gift from Pharasma. Beyond being a representation of the Great Beyond, the onion’s stalk represents life, while the bulb’s persistence represents the many stages of a soul’s growth before, during, and after mortal existence. Many local recipes incorporate one or more varieties of onion, and embalmers across Osirion stuff onions into the chests or eyes of the dead. Most farms also support a small stand of date palms or pomegranate trees, as well as goats and chickens. Larger livestock like oxen are considered an affectation of the rich or out-of-touch foreigners, and any farmer investing in them opens herself up for ridicule. Livestock must be brought inside or otherwise protected for several weeks every summer when the rivers flood, making large animals more trouble than they’re worth.
Most of the region’s farmers are composed of independent families, though they tithe a percentage of their crops to the pharaoh, whose wisdom and counsel with the spirits ensures the yearly flood and the rich silt it delivers. Wati’s haty-a, or governor, collects these tithes as the pharaoh’s representative, and his surveyors spend the end of each summer measuring and marking each farm after the annual floods shift the land. Small intrigues abound just before autumn, as farmers beg, bribe, and cajole bureaucrats to enlarge their properties or squabble over strange treasures washed ashore by the floodwaters.

The Veins: Nestled between Midwife and Bargetown, Wati’s harbor district stacks block upon block with woodcarvers, tar kilns, warehouses, and whatever shanties can be crammed between them. Its myriad shallow canals breed unabating clouds of insects, the bites of which spot the bodies of the locals, who stain their hands and cheeks with pitch to repel the pests.

NOTABLE LOCATIONS
The following are some of the more notable locations found in the living city of Wati.

Getwahb’s Tarworks: The largest and most profitable business in the Veins ironically has little to do with shipping. Instead, the sprawling, brick structure belonging to Getwahb Zet houses dozens of enormous kilns and cauldrons. Day and night, Getwahb’s dwarven and human workforce process wood shipped down the Crook River into tar, charcoal, and wood alcohol for the city’s other industries. With Wati’s reliance on barge traffic, fired bricks, and embalming, the old dwarf’s venture has paid off, making him one of Wati’s richest citizens and giving him unparalleled influence along the waterfront. While city politics bore the aging engineer, the same can’t be said for his eldest daughter, Meehr Zet, who eagerly spends her father’s money to buy her way into high society events.

Golden Lake: Separating the Grand Mausoleum from the Sunburst Market, this artificial pool takes its name from the coating of gold dust cast over its surface each year on the Day of Bones. The lake also houses a rare breed of white crocodiles that are sacred to Wati’s Pharasmin church. Regularly fed and cared for, these long-lived cousins of the more dangerous crocodiles found in Osirion’s rivers pose little threat to tourists or residents. Crocodile Keeper Neb-at demonstrates an uncanny control over the sacred beasts.

Grand Mausoleum: Rivaled in size and importance only by the High Temple of Pharasma in Sothis, Wati’s temple of Pharasma dominates the cityscape and handles the business of the city’s births and deaths, as well as the details that occur in between. Since the Lady of Graves eclipsed Nethys and Abadar as Wati’s patron deity, her followers have assumed control over much of the city’s infrastructure, and have combined the Grand Mausoleum into a cross between a house of worship and city hall. All final decisions are still made by the city council and overseen by the haty-a—the pharaoh’s personal representative—but council meetings and the day-to-day affairs of state are held within the sprawling complex. The temple’s high priestess, Sebti the Crocodile, rose to power from the common rabble. Daughter of the previous keeper of Pharasma’s sacred crocodiles and largely self-educated, Sebti has been a constant thorn in the side of Wati’s nobles since assuming control of the church a decade ago. Preaching a doctrine of personal fulfillment rather than happiness, wealth, or achievement, Sebti invariably sides with the common citizenry on government matters, making her popular with the common folk.
In addition to the temple’s clergy, the Grand Mausoleum hosts an arm of the militant wing of the church called the Voices of the Spire, dedicated to eradicating any undead within the city’s sprawling necropolis. They are led by the humorless Nakht Shepses, a bastard son of the influential Shepses line.

Hall of Blessed Rebirth: A multitude of professional funerary organizations once flourished in Wati before Bahjut Everhand took control of the city’s influential embalmer’s guild. Most of the region’s morticians, doctors, and alchemists have joined the guild, transforming the guildhall into an academy specializing in anatomy, chemistry, and medicine, and even tutoring exceptional students in alchemy and wizardry. While most of Wati’s residents give the school a wide berth, ambitious families across Osirion send their children to the Hall of Blessed Rebirth to master the Half-City’s techniques in medicine and embalming.
Mistress Bahjut Everhand is a worshiper of Anubis, the ancient Osirian god of the dead, and the Hall of Blessed Rebirth contains a shrine devoted to the jackal-headed deity. Bahjut gained her epithet from her desiccated left hand. Rumors claim that she preserved the exquisitely mummified appendage while still an apprentice. Others claim the old crone mummified her heart as well, as she’s never shown a hint of fear or compassion, even to the Pharasmins whose oversight she has come to resent.

House of the Pharaoh: Wati’s massive and illustrious House of the Pharaoh is the pharaoh’s personal estate in the city. The palace hasn’t seen a royal occupant in over 30 years, however, and the building functions as the center of Wati’s secular authority—though in practice, more of the city’s governance takes place at the Grand Mausoleum. While the pharaonic apartments remain empty, the rest of the estate buzzes with bureaucrats maintaining the city’s property laws and economic records. Oshep Kahmed, the personal representative of Pharaoh Khemet III, serves as Wati’s haty-a, or governor, and head of the city council.

Insula Mater: The prominence of Pharasma’s faith in Wati attracts many expectant mothers to the city from outlying villages and regional settlements. Many of Pharasma’s clerics donate time as caretakers and midwives at the Insula Mater, a temple, clinic, and dormitory for pregnant travelers and new mothers. Although eclipsed in importance by the Grand Mausoleum, the Insula Mater still enjoys a steady stream of donations and gifts from Wati’s wealthiest women. “Aunty” Anjet Jehuti leads the Mother’s Handmaidens, the temple’s small, full-time staff of clerics and healers.

Mender’s Row: While Wati’s sister city of An exports far more raw textiles, Wati dominates the trio of southern sister cities in the creation of finished garments, funerary wrappings, and rugs. Mender’s Row—more often referred to as “the Mend” by locals—is the core of Wati’s textile industry, stretching from the Rising Phoenix dye market for several blocks to the city’s only textile mill, run by the Essesh family. Competitive pride keeps several dozen independent weaver’s shops churning out quality clothing at a steady pace and in a variety of hues. The Rising Phoenix’s technique for creating a distinct reddish-purple dye from the local giant crayfish remains a closely guarded secret of the proprietors, Shamihn Hep and Ohmun Kotem, and ensures that Wati’s fashions stand out in markets as far-flung as Absalom.

Precinct of Left Eyes: This retrofitted fortress houses Wati’s town guard. Long ago, Wati’s laws dealt only two punishments: gouging out the right eye, or death. Though these laws soon proved untenable, over the years, the locals’ nickname for the palace of justice came to be its official moniker. The precinct encloses guard barracks, a jail, and two dozen pillories used for public punishments for minor transgressions. Befitting a city obsessed with death, Wati’s criminal underworld revolves around the trade in grave goods and even the dead themselves. In response, the militant wing of the Pharasmin church, the Voices of the Spire, has taken over guarding the tombs in the city of the dead.

Sanctum of Silver and Gold: This small, comfortable temple of Abadar has held sway over Wati’s economy for thousands of years, and has been rebuilt and remodeled dozens of times to accommodate the waning and waxing of Abadar’s appeal in the region. The result is a confusing layout that confounds visitors and faithful alike, but protects the temple’s vault like no guard ever could. The Sanctum’s leader, Banker Anok Tejuht, implies (but never outright states) that minotaurs stalk his temple’s forgotten corners, and at least one would-be burglar has been found at sunrise, mysteriously gored in the temple’s adytum.

Shrine of Wadjet: When Pharaoh Djederet II ordered Wati’s construction, he laid a golden brick where the Asp and Crook rivers mingle to form the Sphinx. The priesthood of Wadjet, the ancient Osirian goddess sometimes revered as the embodiment of the River Sphinx, established a small shrine on the site and constructed a stone staircase on either side leading down into the water. Although Wadjet’s faith is no longer as popular as it was during the city’s founding, the shrine remains, and most religious and civic festivals in Wati begin or end on these stairs and the plaza before them. Popular superstition claims that water drawn from the base of the stairs under the sun of the solstice has healing properties, and pilgrims come from across Osirion to make offerings and bathe in the first currents of the holy river. Even the priests of the Grand Mausoleum draw the water for their fonts from the stairs’ edge.

Sunburst Market: This enormous open-air market forms the bustling heart of Wati. Decorated pillars mark out a regular grid, and various merchants hang attention-grabbing banners and samples of their wares from the painted sandstone columns. On busy days, the open plaza transforms into a maze of tents and tables that display goods ranging from artwork, cosmetics, and food to weapons, poisons, and magical tomes. Traveling merchants from neighboring cities often come to the sunburst market to ply their wares. In theory, all merchants must register with and pay a fee to Abadar’s Sanctum of Silver and Gold at the north end of the market, but in practice, as much as a quarter of Sunburst Market’s retailers are squatters who move in and out of the city with all the oversight of the desert wind. Most of the fees the temple collects pay for the services of the so-called “Marketwives,” Rekitre and Khipa Yannanza, who patrol the market in daylight hours, watching for pickpockets and delivering swift justice to thieves. Anyone foolish enough to violate Abadar’s law under their gaze soon finds one of their hands added to the dozens already dangling from the plaza’s grisly Pillar of Second Thoughts.

Terhk’s Fine Expeditions: Part caravan company, part hunter’s lodge, and part adventurers’ guild, Terhk’s Fine Expeditions tries to be all things at once for anyone traveling the deserts of southern Osirion. Terhk Fourwinds, the towering, scar-riddled proprietor, is always eager to bring on new guards or wilderness guides, though word about town claims he eats those who fail him once too often.

Threshed Souls Fragrances: One of Wati’s countless perfume and incense sellers, Threshed Souls Fragrances stands out both for its variety of iris-based scents.

Tooth & Hookah: This modest inn and hookah bar is best known for its mascot, Toothy—a tiny crocodile that lives in the inn’s well.

Ubet’s Folly: Built atop a fang-shaped jut of rock in the River Sphinx, this fortress was among the first structures completed in Wati’s infancy. Intended to protect the harbor from waterborne raiders, it saw little use and was eventually abandoned. Centuries later, the half-crazed dwarf sorcerer Ubet Sandborn took possession of the neglected ruin and spent a lifetime shaping the fortress’s exterior into the likeness of a sphinx and carving tunnels deep beneath it. Ubet and his small cult vanished overnight more than 100 years ago. The general assumption is that one of their poorly planned tunnels collapsed, crushing the lot, but some whisper that Ubet stumbled across a secret from Wati’s founding best left buried. Ubet’s Folly, as the sphinx is now known, still draws occasional curious adventurers, but most of Wati’s residents recognize it for what it is—a crumbling ruin more likely to collapse than reveal any treasure. Still, it remains an open secret around town that real sphinxes occasionally visit the structure for some mysterious purpose, otherwise ignoring the city proper.

Whispering Stone: Run by Teht Blackblossom, the Whispering Stone has been Wati’s most popular tavern, inn, and game house for generations. The bar is built around an enormous, ruined statue buried up to its shoulders and broken off halfway up the head, leaving only a chin and pair of lips visible atop a 7-foot-high neck. Determining the identity of the so-called “Stone Lips” is a popular pastime in Wati, and the statue has been variously identified as representing Pharasma, some ancient Osirian goddess, one of Osirion’s forgotten pharaohs, a local noblewoman lost to history, a warlord who conquered Wati in its earliest days, or a nameless wizard who supposedly tamed the local elementals. Those looking for luck in love sneak a kiss from the sandstone smile—usually after buying a few drinks, of course.

CITY OF THE DEAD
The sturdy stone buildings of Wati’s necropolis were once part of the living city, and even now could still be mistaken for apartments, estates, shops, or tenements if not for the faded paint and desert sand piling up in the streets. Separated from the rest of the city by high stone walls inscribed with prayers and blessings, the necropolis has an outward appearance of peace and repose. The dusty streets are mostly empty of life, but a variety of creatures, both living and undead, still call the necropolis home, surreptitiously avoiding the notice of Pharasma’s clergy. Entrance to this section of the city is highly regulated by the Church of Pharasma, and the priesthood reconsecrates the necropolis each year as part of a weeklong festival surrounding the Day of Bones. Astute locals know that this ceremony provides little actual protection from the dangers hiding in the necropolis.

NOTABLE LOCATIONS
The following are some of the more prominent locations within Wati’s necropolis.

Acrid Street: Once the center of Wati’s incense and perfume industry, this area takes its present name from the stench of the ravenous dead that now inhabit its streets—ghasts and ghouls. The ghouls have existed here since the Plague of Madness, and even the Pharasmin Voices of the Spire have thus far failed to eliminate them.

Archives of the Ibis: A combination library and monastery, this quiet retreat for contemplation and learning was dedicated to Thoth, the ancient Osirian god of knowledge, literature, and science.

Cenotaph of the Cynic: After the Plague of Madness decimated Wati’s population but before the necropolis was consecrated, Wati’s few remaining citizens constructed this tomblike monument in honor of all those who had fallen to the plague. With the coming of the Pharasmins and the creation of the necropolis, the cenotaph was repurposed to house the remains of those citizens who professed no faith in the gods at all.

The Dry Veins: Once part of Wati’s busy harbor district, most of the canals in this section of the necropolis have been drained and bricked over, creating a network of crypts for the poor and unknown. Artistically inclined clerics of Pharasma make room for new bodies by stacking the desiccated bones into creative sculptures and decorations, giving the catacombs an unsettling charm.

Dust Parlor: Wati’s largest gambling house now stands eerily empty, avoided even by the undead of the necropolis. Strange lights and noises float through its shuttered windows under the new moon, leading most residents of Wati to conclude that a powerful ghost or demon haunts the building.

Pharasma’s Needle: Soon after the Pharasmins arrived in Wati to rebuild and consecrate the city, a burning rock fell from the sky into the River Sphinx where Bargetown now floats. Nefru Shepses took this as a sign of approval from the Lady of Graves, and ordered the black stone dredged from the river’s depths and carved into a capstone for a sacred obelisk, erecting the monument just inside the gates to the necropolis. Today, mourners interring their loved ones inside the necropolis still stop at Pharasma’s Needle on their way to the gravesites to gain the goddess’s blessing for the deceased’s journey to the Boneyard.

Sanctum of the Erudite Eye: This ancient temple of Nethys was abandoned following the Plague of Madness.

Tahetep’s Dance Hall: Born a nameless slave to a Keleshiite master in Totra, the warrior who would be called Tahetep won his freedom after saving the life of his master during a slave uprising. Ashamed that he had sided with his master instead of his fellow slaves, the freedman fled to Wati and took a new name, Tahetep. He established a popular dance and music hall to help drown his guilt in shallow pursuits of the flesh, but the Plague of Madness struck before the old warrior could find any peace. With inhuman strength and skin that reportedly turned aside iron blades, Tahetep slaughtered his wife, children, and two dozen patrons in the course of a single night. Local stories claim the authorities boarded up Tahetep in his dance hall, fearing a confrontation with the lunatic, and other stories insist he remains there even after centuries: immortal, insane, and forever singing the few songs his broken mind remembers.
The story would likely end there, had Tahetep not left his master’s service with a fortune in foreign silver. Every few years, a silver ingot stamped with Qadiran markings surfaces in the Sunburst Market, tempting treasure hunters and adventurers to brave the sealed dance hall in search of more. The only person ever known to return is the so-called Dancing Lady of Wati, a now-elderly woman who emerged from the dance hall blind, deaf, and mute, and who waltzes on her single remaining leg through the city streets to a melody only she can hear.

Umbracene Well: This deep shaft carved into the bedrock beneath Wati existed even before the city’s founding, covered by an immense stone plug crafted by unknown hands. In the worst throes of the Plague of Madness, the well became a makeshift pauper’s grave, and corpses by the hundreds, if not thousands, were cast into its black depths, which showed no sign of ever filling. Locals believe the well is bottomless, but sages speculate that the shaft likely connects to the Darklands, possibly plunging as deep as the Vaults of Orv. The stone plug that originally covered the well is long lost, and residents of Wati, both living and undead, avoid the site, no doubt due in part to the hundreds of tiny, toothed mouths that line the walls of the shaft, hungrily smacking their lips in the darkness.

Vizier’s Hill: Before the Plague of Madness, many of Wati’s nobles settled upon this hill, but like the other residents of the current necropolis, they abandoned their estates during the pestilence. A clan of dark folk known as the Xotl emerged from the Darklands into Wati’s necropolis more than a century ago, taking up residence in the subterranean wine cellars of the villas upon the hill. The church of Pharasma tolerates the dark folk’s presence in the necropolis, as they help keep the more dangerous vermin in the district under control.


Bargetown: Those in the know can easily find looted grave goods, poisons, drugs, and all varieties of poached animals and bizarre magical reagents on the ever-shifting flotsam market. To skirt inspections and find buyers, local smugglers generally rely on the genderless halfling fixer and fence called Dredge, while most of Bargetown’s more bizarre goods and narcotics flow through the fingers of the self-titled “Queen of Scows,” Eswab (female human).

Threshed Souls Fragrances: This shop is know not just for its perfumes, but also for cornering a very special market - trade in mumia, a drug made from the flesh of the mummified dead. The shop serves as the headquarters for the Fading, Wati’s most successful gang of mumia smugglers. The proprietors of Threshed Souls, Khim-ali and Jhen-din Seht (male humans), are the sons of wealthy Katapeshi immigrants.



https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_QMM9gkDj4px_CL5wymEzzDC95XsERZ5R-X2HWNJoSlYbVjxe2FeWDdLK_axhBPD0HbjpfTKdSUkBMqU--X5eYiwjBvTiApZSnwdFz_Z5235ewv-KPO7yc5iGOJG06GluT74nV-kuw=w2400

(Red arrow = direction pointed at by the elegiac compass)

1: Grand Mausoleum
2: Hall of Blessed Rebirth
3: House of the Pharaoh
4: Insula Mater
5: Mender’s Row
6: Pharasma’s Needle
7: Precinct of Left Eyes
8: Sunburst Market
9: Canny Jackal
10: Tooth and Hookah
11: Sanctum of Silver and Gold
12: Shrine of Wadjet
13: Ubet’s Folly
14: Whispering Stone
15: Tomb of Akhentepi
16: House of Pentheru
17: Sanctum of the Erudite Eye
18: Bright River Brickworks
19: The Dry Veins
20: Cenotaph of the Cynic
21: Asetiti Estate
22: Marid’s Caress
23: Shiny Bauble
24: Gulla Market
25: Tomb of Menket Maatya
26: Kawab Villa
27: Pyramid of Arithmetic Bliss
28: Observatory of Truth and Wisdom



1. What game system are you running?
Pathfinder.

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.)?
Standard Pathfinder set in Golarion.

3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?
In this case, the 4 of you guys. Should you wish to add somebody else, that's fine, as long as you think that person would be a good fit and unlikely to drop off. There's a small chance I propose for someone else to join at some point in the distant future, conditional on acceptance from the group.

4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?
OOTS forum, with IC and OOC threads. I'm also open to using Hangouts in addition to the regular OOC thread.

5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?
Level 1.

6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?
Average starting wealth for the 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?
Anything from Paizo is allowed, although I always reserve the right to nix something if it looks unbalanced or somehow inappropriate (I haven't ever nixed anything as far as Paizo material is concerned, so this is mostly a precaution clause).
If one or more characters elects to use firearms, then firearms will exist in Osirion; otherwise, you won't encounter any.
Third-party or homebrewed content is not allowed.

8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?
Anything from Paizo is allowed. However, non-Core races are exceedingly rare. This means, if you want to play one, you'll have to come up with an extra strong story to explain why the character became an adventurer, how he/she relates to other races, etc. Special scrutiny will be given to races with RP>10. Also, please be prepared for the character to have trouble getting accepted by NPCs. That said, I won't stand in the way of an innovative, exciting character idea.

9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?
25 point buy. Max hit points at first level. Afterwards, roll a half-die + half max (example: instead of 1d10, roll 1d5+5).

10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
Yes, characters are expected to be following their alignment in RP. No alignment restrictions, but characters must be able to work with the party as a team. Evil or criminal acts towards NPCs will be met with proportionate reaction from NPC authorities and/or allies of the victims.

11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?
Normal Pathfinder rules.

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?
Most rolls should be made in the IC thread, together with your post concerning the action. When a description of your action depends on the roll result, it is recommended that you edit your post after the roll, rather than writing another post. If you mess up a roll (that happens to everybody), just post the make up roll in the OOC thread. Characters will roll their own rolls, except when necessary in the interest of speed: For example, I will roll for Perception and Inititative most of the time.

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.
Your character gets two traits, one of which is a campaign trait (please refer to the Mummy's Mask Playr Guide), and can optionally get a third trait together with a drawback. If that's not enough traits, you can have more with the Additional Traits feat. Your traits and drawback (if any) need to be somehow linked to your background, and they should be roleplayed accordingly.
http://esix.pbworks.com/f/RaisingtheStakes.pdf
This is an entirely optional rule, ie. using it or not is each player's choice. The general idea of Raising the Stakes is trying to implement more exciting combat by making up temporary rules on the fly, for mechanics that the rules don't cover, or just to make your character look cool. All raises should be made in the OOC thread. I may counter raise sometimes, meaning I like the idea, but it is balanced too heavily in your favor.
The point of this rule is to speed things up in the PbP context. It works like this:
- Each character has individual initiative, while enemies have initiative as a group (equal to the average of all members).
- If one party only is aware of their opponents, then that party gets a surprise round.
- Round 1: The characters with inititiative higher than the enemy initiative act; then, the enemies act.
- Round 2: All characters act; then, the enemies act. Etc.
- Character actions are resolved in the order of posting. When necessary, you can indicate conditional actions to modify that order: For example, "Berndik waits until Alzobar casts his spell, then he charges the ogre leader; if the leader is down, he charges the closest ogre instead".


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)?
Yes. You don't need to write a very long story (but if you wish to do so, it's fine, especially if you can make it an entertaining read). But I'd like you to cover at least: Who the characer is and where he/she comes from (race/ethnicity, place of origin, family, upbringing, training), why he/she chose to do what he/she does, and what brought him/her to Wati in search of tomb exploration opportunities. Originality and flavor are strongly encouraged. Your story should indicate at least a few specific links to Golarion places, events, and/or people. It should also explain about at least a couple of NPCs that are important to your character's story (parents, siblings, mentors, past or present love interests, children, friends, enemies, etc). In addition, I request that you write a personality description - again, not necessarily a long psychological profile, but at least something to help understand how the character interacts with other people. And a short physical description is in order.
On top of that, as a group, please write a description of how you got together. Chose a team name (if you haven't done so, as soon as you arrive in Wati, you'll notice every other would-be tomb raider group has one). You may have known each other for years or for a couple of hours, but you must present as a team. If you decide your characters have known each other for a long time, please also write something to explain what they think of each other.

15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?
The game is a Pathfinder Adventure Path, so I expect it to include healthy doses of RP, exploration, and combat, and very few if any puzzles. Due to the specific constraints of RP, it is likely that I accelerate the scenario a little bit, for example by merging some encounters, or skipping them altogether. In particular, I will strive to make exploration faster by reducing the need for characters to listen and check for traps at every single door in a dungeon; so, you may sometimes see a post that describes the group exploring a whole lot of rooms in one go.

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?
Anything by Paizo on the pfsrd (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/)is allowed.

17? Any other things that would be nice to know?
Players are expected to post about once per day, and I will endeavour to do the same. Whenever you are offline for more than 2 days, please post an advance notice. If waiting for a post from a player makes the game stop for more than 48 hours, I may bot the character without warning.
I request that every character have a sheet up on Mythweavers, detailing feats, class features, equipment, racial abilties etc. Please don't forget to indicate your favored class bonus choice. Please use the boxes at the bottom of the sheet to record your backstory, personality, description etc.

For IC posts, I appreciate a modicum of effort to use correct grammar and spelling (but I know we all make typos...). Also, I recommend a degree of consistency in style, namely, either everybody writes narration in the present tense, or everybody uses the past tense. I don't mind either way, but I prefer a consistent take: One or the other. I find it makes reading more natural.

Please use the regular text style methods for PbP:
- Every character has a unique text color.
- Character speech is written between quote signs, in the character's color.
- Character thoughts are written without quote signs, in the character's color, in italics.
- Description of actions is in black, regular font.
- Technical descriptions and die rolls go in a spoiler.


1) We will use the Unchained rules for crafting.

2) Arcanists can equally use Pearls of Power and Runestones of Power. These two items have different functions.

3) If you describe your movement but don't state map coordinates, I will assign coordinates for you. I will not be open to correction after I have posted enemy action, unless my interpretation turns out to be unreasonable (mistakes happen, after all). The only way to guarantee you don't run into trouble with that rule is to post coordinates.

4) A familiar is considered part of its master's gear as long as it hides inside the master's clothing or carried equipment. In that situation:
- The familiar can't take any action and doesn't get to take rolls separately from its master.
- The familiar can't take damage separately from its master. It doesn't roll any saving throws.
- The familiar doesn't count as a separate creature and cannot be subject to spells or effects separately from its master (this includes channeling).
- The familiar is treated as gear for any practical purposes (e.g. Invisibility, it becomes invisible with the same conditions as gear).
As soon as the familiar leaves its master's protection, it is treated as a separate creature for all purposes, and can act. This includes the familiar showing itself, even if it remains in physical contact with the master. Switching from the hidden to the active state, or back, is a move action.

5) Flying up (at an angle of 45 degrees or more) reduces movement to half speed. For the purpose of charging, this is considered "hindered movement".
Therefore, one cannot charge when flying upwards.

[Gwynfrid]

Important findings


Vershab hurriedly withdraws beyond the reach of the fanged monster, ducking to leave a clear shot to Menedes. The dwarf takes full advantage of the opportunity, landing two superbly aimed arrows, one of which destroys half of the creatures' skull. Then Lehasti steps in, and the great falchion finishes the monster off. It collapses to the floor in a clatter of bones and small metal joints.

Grekka turns her head towards the ruckus, just in time to see Menedes push his next, half-drawn arrow back into the quiver.

Vershab avoids the ouat's gaze as he comes back into the secret chamber. "I thought whoever had taken the artifact would have dispatched any guardians. My mistake. They must have bypassed it somehow. This means they're very good at burglary, or had magical help of some sort.

A touch from the healing wand would be most welcome..."

Vershab comes back to examine the remnants of his attacker. "This is not an undead monster. It's called a necrophidius, a magically built guardian. Its fascinating dance is its most dangerous weapon, it's fortunate that we resisted its lure."

He turns back to the hieroglyphs on the wall. "All right, where was I... Ah, yes. Obviously, the place's builders wanted to threaten would-be thieves in the hope of scaring them away." Oblivious to the irony of his words, he resumes his translation:

"Woe to you who would plunder the Reliquary of the Thrice-Divided Soul. Turn away, lest the harsh judgment of the Forgotten One fall upon you and your descendants for a thousand generations. Turn away, for his ka cannot be appeased and it shall call forth legions of the dead and the damned. Turn away, and may the All-Seeing Eye and the Lady of Graves take pity on you, for if not, the Forgotten Pharaoh shall consume you, body and soul."



Then, he takes the group upstairs, to the ransacked library. "While I was on my own, I took a deeper look here. I found these things, I think they could be interesting", Calathon explains to Vershab. He presents his godson with a few magical scrolls, and two stone tablets, one of them large and heavy, and the other smaller. This one bears a text in Ancient Osiriani:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/aDjeRUhr8iJCsmATMN9jAIiod93N2YDT1uR8Cg7ypV2PGi6rN9 muJtePJxVn6X8fB_I3DTlm3lVLTwnX2-opL3_2eVtFTuIy5qcsQe423DEqpBdoE2fCsYqiZ9yUC2M34oGe tALtvw=w2400




Toilday, 29 Rova to Oathday, 22 Lamashan

After rendering their prisoner to the Grand Mausoleum, the Relic Knights can finally take an extended rest. For some, it is a busy one. Vershab, naturally, expounds on their discoveries for the diligent examination and record by the Pharasmin priests, particularly their resident scholar, Lempteph. Together, they go back to the Sanctum, to recover the contents of the temple's library before looters and random monsters can ransack them. It takes them nearly a week to pore over the rich contents. Vershab strikes a deal with Lempteph: The documents are left to the Mausoleum in exchange for a nice sum in gold, as well as the right to come and consult them for information, should he need it in the future.

The arcanist gathers his friends over a round of the most excellent of the Tooth and Hookah's ales, but out of sight, in a private room at the back of the tavern, for what he has to share should not be made public. He explains the gist of the discoveries he made. The tablet they found is really a royal decree of Pharaoh Djederet II, who was the founder of the city of Wati (clearly identifiable with terms like "the new city where the Crook and the Asp join"), reigning sometime around –1600 AR, over 6000 years ago. It would seem the Sanctum of the Erudite Eye was built, in part, with the purpose to hide the artifact that Vershab sensed a lingering trace of, when the group found the hidden underground room in the temple.

"The language of the warning we found is not completely clear, but it is worrisome. It speaks of the "Reliquary of the Thrice-Divided Soul". Most likely, this is the relic that was hidden there. The tablet Calathon found in the library hints at this, too, and it mentions a "scandal" and an "obscenity". Obviously, Djederet wasn't happy about the turn of events and wanted it kept secret. We couldn't find any record at the Mausoleum, and not even when Lempteph sent to Sothis for information! He speculated that possibly, the authorities of the day purged the records. This is the only way the secret could stay buried for such a long time...

The warning also speaks of a "Forgotten Pharaoh" and his ka. The ka, as you may know, is a portion of a man's soul in the religions of ancient times. Our ancestors believed in a concept of the soul, which was divided into five parts. The ka contains a person’s “vital spark,” that which distinguishes the living from the dead.

So, when it says "his ka cannot be appeased and it shall call forth legions of the dead and the damned", this is a terrifying threat. Sebti the Crocodile came to listen to the conclusions of our research, and urged us not to disclose this to anyone; I'm making an exception for you, because you know a lot already, and you need to understand the import of this discovery we made. So, please, keep your mouths shut... such news could cause a panic in the city, and even the whole kingdom.

To think that someone would be irresponsible enough to steal the relic even in the face of such a clear warning..."



Evenly, the skeletal champion replies to Vershab. The arcanist quickly understands that the undead isn't about to volunteer any information, but neither is he capable of resisting his commands in any way.

"Neferekhu was Nebta-Khufre's grandmother. She had oracular insights sometimes. That brought wealth to the family. Then she died. Nebta-Khufre animated her head and placed it here so he could continue to benefit from her prescience. She had visions of a golden mask and a god-king of the skies. Nebta-Khufre used her guidance to come here and find the mask, and the power to raise the dead.

But Neferekhu hated him and spat many insults. So he locked her up here, with us. He only comes when he needs to know about the future."


Behind the table, Calathon lifts his eyes from the sheaf of papers haphazardly spread over the beautiful mahogany surface. "This story seems confirmed by these writings over here." Indeed, a mass of journals in front of him, once examined, reveal the grandmother and grandson story in similar terms.


Looking for the lineage of Hakotep yields only frustration, but he soon finds another way, via indirect religious references. Here, his prodigious memory and many hours of study serve him right: At long last, he lays his eyes on an index that catalogs all of the scrolls copied from Hakotep's library. However, the scrolls are not where the index says they should be! They have clearly been moved or hidden at some point.

...

Working from Vershab's clue, but focusing on the history of the pharaohs' successive reigns, Calathon makes another breakthrough: The missing scrolls from Hakotep's library, a huge pile containing several references to the Sky Pharaoh and his participation in some ancient war... The two scholars excitedly spend the rest of the day going through this treasure trove of information.

The Sky Pharaoh is represented by a very distinct hieroglyph of a winged pyramid. According to the scrolls, the Sky Pharaoh was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who lived in cities in the clouds, and that he was frantically searching for a weapon to defeat them. Apparently, the pharaoh eventually succeeded in finding it, but all that remains of the scrolls that detail this weapon are a handful of ragged papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns - these scrolls should be here, but have clearly been removed. It appears whoever wanted this knowledge hidden went to great lengths to make it vanish from the records.


Calathon picks up where he left off the earlier day, and continues tracking the long line of pharaohs across the many ages of Osirion. A large collection of tablets bound in cloth marked with the Sky Pharaoh’s winged pyramid hieroglyph contains a number of transcribed recollections of several courtiers at Hakotep’s court. These accounts make passing references to the Sky Pharaoh having access to stolen Shory magic. "The Shory! Interesting..." He mutters. As his friends cast puzzled looks at him, he explains: "Yes, the Shory. That is the name. An ancient people. They traveled the world in great flying cities during the Age of Destiny. What a time of wonders that must have been! They built an empire in central Garund known for its arcane engineering and cities in the sky."

Vershab, having understood the complex layout of the library, sets out at a great speed, feverishly browsing through the endless stacks of papyrus, until he makes several great finds. A dusty, otherwise unremarkable scroll contains a lengthy passage about the burial of Hakotep I, with a remark about his tomb having wings. The scroll also contains a tantalizing fragment of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, who claimed that when the Sky Pharaoh was interred, his heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was lost to the skies. These two objects supposedly contained the pharaoh’s soul, but his body was left behind in the tomb. This confession was extracted in -1560 AR, some 50 years after the pharaoh’s death. There are also references to considerable efforts by Hakotep’s successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, to round up members of the Sacrosanct Order for questioning. The results of the interrogations were recorded on a collection of scrolls called the Scrolls of Inquiry, but this collection is not held within the Spiral Archive.

Vershab remembers having heard of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a secretive sect of the priesthood of Nethys dedicated to the collection and preservation of knowledge. The Order is not necessarily concerned with keeping such information hidden, but secrecy is a useful tool for safeguarding it. The order’s members are also unconstrained by such mortal concerns as morality - the acquisition and preservation of the information is paramount, not the methods used to do so.

At this point, the companions feel like they have found everything that they might be able to get in this place, but at the end, it is the paladin, stubbornly refusing to lay her bulky armor down for the purpose of research, who makes the final breakthrough. Her patience and humility are richly rewarded, when her exhaustive search for all Nethys references leads her to an old curator’s catalog. It reveals that the Scrolls of Inquiry were moved to another of the Inner Sanctum’s libraries, the Dark Depository, 103 years ago.


While the group recovers from the fight, Vershab combs the shelves for additional information. It takes him hours to go through the unreliable classification methods and the multiple cross-referencing systems of the ancients archivists who left their life's work in this place. He finally extracts a bunch of cumbersome rolls - the Scroll of Inquiry. Another hour is spent going through records of many criminal interrogations, the importance of which has long been lost to time. Then, at last, his eyes fall on the transcript he was looking for:

Inquisitor: Why did the Sacrosanct Order enter Hakotep's tomb?
Prisoner: Mercy! May the gods pity me!
Inquisitor: Why did the Sacrosanct Order enter Hakotep's tomb?
Prisoner: To take the Pharaoh’s heart and death mask.
Inquisitor: Why?
Prisoner: I cannot! Death is better than the punishment I'll receive.
Prisoner subjected to further flaying for approximately one hour, and subsequently revived after passing out.
Inquisitor: Why did the Sacrosanct Order steal the Pharaoh's heart and mask?
Prisoner: [unintelligible] Please, no more!
Inquisitor: Why? Answer!
Prisoner: It was believed the Pharaoh's soul, his ib and ka, were contained within them. Please, gods have mercy!
Inquisitor: Why did the order want the Pharaoh's ib and ka?
Prisoner: No, I cannot!
Inquisitor: Why did they divide his soul?
Prisoner: No more! Have pity!
Prisoner subjected to the Trial of Seventy-Seven Scarabs.
Questioning resumed.
Inquisitor: Why did the order steal the Pharaoh's ib and ka?
Prisoner: We hoped to learn the secrets of the Shory from his soul.
Inquisitor: Did you succeed?
Prisoner: No, no! May the gods pity us for our hubris!
Inquisitor: Where is the Pharaoh's heart? Where is the mask?
Prisoner: No, no, please! I'll tell you! The heart was taken to Sothis, hidden beneath Azghaad's Spire.
Inquisitor: And the mask?
Prisoner: A shrine. A shrine to Nethys in Wati, where none would ever find it. No more, I beg you!
Questioning continued for three more days without further confessions until subject expired. Subject interred for future questioning, if needed.

Further Information here.
(https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24879988&postcount=949)


Calendar of events

Book 1 - The Half-Dead City
Oathday, 17 Rova, 4715 AR: Ceremony and lottery for attribution of explorer permits to the Necropolis.
Fireday, 18 Rova: The necropolis is open. The Relic Knights explore Akhentepi's Tomb.
Starday, 19 Rova: Report at the Grand Mausoleum, treasure trading, evening at the Tooth and Hookah, meeting with Turi and Azkin.
Sunday, 20 Rova: Meeting with the Sand Scorpions, battle plans.
Moonday, 21 Rova: Shopping and crafting activities.
Toilday, 22 Rova: Victory over the two ghoul gangs. Arrest by the Voices of the Spire, release thanks to Lempteph's help.
Wealday, 23 Rova: Exploration of the House of Pentheru. The wounded Relic Knights get help from the Pharasmins. Calathon, feeling ill, takes leave of the group to recover. The Voices of the Spire impose the presence of Menedes in the group.
Oathday, 24 Rova: Back at the House of Pentheru, the Relic Knights vanquish the vargouilles and the doru div. Worried about the vargouille's curse, they leave, but it turns out none are affected. There are some trust issues between Menedes and the rest of the group, but a night of inebriated revelry together eases the situation.
Fireday, 25 Rova: The Relic Knights explore Pentheru's crypt.
Starday, 26 Rova: The Relic Knights set out to the Sanctum of the Erudite Eye. Ambushed by six thugs, they disperse them, capturing two. After leaving them in custody, they return to visit the Sanctum. They are forced to withdraw after receiving several curses from an agash div, a foul monster that seems to have taken residence in the temple's nave.
Sunday, 27 Rova: After attending to religious duties, the Relic Knights get back to the Sanctum. The agash div is nowhere to be seen, so they can explore freely. They find the temple library, and the entrance to the catacomb. There, they are stopped by a graven guardian, a stone that wards against non-Nethys worshippers. Grekka falls unconscious, and they barely save her. They spend the night in a quiet place within the Sanctum, but are attacked by another guardian - an ahkhat, a magical construct tasked with maintaining the temple's structure.
Moonday, 28 Rova: Calling upon Calathon for help opening locks and upon Vershab for illusions to bypass the graven guardian, the companions discover a hidden room in the temple underground. They find that this place used to hold an extremely powerful artifact, hidden there by order of Pharaoh Djederet II, the founder of Wati. However, someone else was there first, and made away with the artifact.
Then, the Relic Knights are attacked by the Scorched Hand, a rival group of adventurers led by the Osirianologist, Velriana Hypaxes. They are worshippers of Nethys, who resent the intrusion into what they see as their temple and attempt to take possession, in violation of their exploration permits. A fight ensues, during which Khelru, one of the Scorched Hand, is killed. While her other companions surrender, Velriana fights to the end. She is finally vanquished and taken into custody.
29 Rova - 22 Lamashan: The companions rest, purchase new equipment, and share their discoveries with the Pharasmins.

Book 2 - Empty Graves
Fireday, 23 Lamashan: Auction at the Canny Jackal. The evening is interrupted by a deadly undead uprising. The Relic Knights manage to save most of the auction hall employees and customers from zombies and crawling hands, and even come to an understanding of sorts with Amadjawet, an ancient mummy woken up from her grave by the necromantic forces at play in Wati. Coming out in the streets, they meet and save Bal Themm, a Pharasmin cleric guard, before they let Amadjawet return to the Necropolis in peace.
Starday, 24 Lamashan: Wati is under a situation of near complete lockdown. The Relic Knights explore the streets to try and find the source of the uprising. They detain the grief-maddened Sehhosep, destroy the crazy undead judge Sotenre and find the Wati jail has been hit with an undead attack, losing a lot of guards and prisoners. They meet the nosoi Qasin, and help find her master, the priest Lempteph, who had been captured by the Silver Chain smuggling gang.
Sunday, 25 Lamashan: The group meets with High Priestess Sebti the Crocodile and commander of the Voices of the Spire Sakht Nepses. The two Pharasmin leaders are fighting over Sakht's plan to vanquish the undead by unleashing summoned guardian psychopomps over the city. The conflict is resolved in a trial by combat against Nakht's most powerful psychopomp ally, a vanth. The Pharasmins agree to entrust the group with finding the source of the necromantic wave, and give them equipment and hints for their upcoming exporation of the Necropolis. Devices called elegiac compasses will help tracking down the necromantic source.
Moonday, 26 Lamashan: The group enters the Necropolis through the tunnels in the Dry Veins. They find a destroyed elegiac compass. They also find another one at the Shiny Bauble shop, and manage to get it back in operation after a tough negotiation with Shardizhad the crystal dragon, from whom they purchase magical equipment in exchange for gems. They find they have been followed by Azkin and Turi, who now unofficially join the group, provided they behave and stay out of harm's way.
Then they visit the Marid's Caress bath house, to find it destroyed, very likely along with the elegiac compass that was there. Then, following Lempteph's advice, they seek out the xotl at the Asetiti Estate. They meet the leader, Unwrapped Harmony, who's willing to help but asks the group to apprehend a rebel who formed his splinter group, Gaunt Cadaver. They decide to visit the Gulla Market first, but on the way they are attacked by an undead horde. The boys hold their own well, and in fact Azkin discovers in himself a great vocation as a servant of Sarenrae. In a former spice shop in the Gulla Market, they discover a group of drug traffickers from the Fading. In the battle, two of the gang are killed, but one of the thugs, Date Palm, and the undead alchemist, Bheg, manage to escape.
Toilday, 27 Lamashan: After spending the night barricaded inside the former Fading outpost, the group visits the Pyramid of Arithmetic Bliss. Menedes manages to make a discreet entrance though a window, and finds a dead cultist inside, with some very informative notes in his pocket. Unfortunately, the dwarf takes one risk too many, and is very nearly killed by two mummies. His companions rescue him in the nick of time, but Menedes comes out of the encounter very badly hurt, and cursed with the infamous mummy rot disease. As they finish exploring the old masons' guildhouse, the companions see a group of Forgotten Pharaoh cultists approaching. They ambush them and win a decisive victory, making two prisoners and killing the rest. After that, they use flight magics to exit the Necropolis and repair to the Grand Mausoleum for help.
Wealday, 28 Lamashan: Azkin is welcomed by the priests of Sarenrae as one of them. The group confers with Lempteph at length, to decide on their next steps. They decide to enlist Shardizhad's help against the undead, then to go investigate the Kawab Villa. They find the renegade dark stalker, Gaunt Cadaver, busy turning his followers into juju zombies. The fight against his cultists, armed with magical darkness, is won with the help of Vershab's conjured archons. Having thus saved the lives of several misguided xotl, the group earns Unwrapped Harmony's gratitude. She gives them information about a man in a golden mask, and a star chart that the left behind.
Oathday, 29 Lamashan: Having rested at the Mausoleum for the night, the Relic Knights decide that all hints found thus far point to the Observatory of Truth and Wisdom. Exploring it, they find a magically hidden and sealed trapdoor, leading them to a huge underground complex: A sepulcher to the leading luminaries of Wati. They are attacked from behind by a gang of Forgotten Pharaoh cultists. In the nick of time, they're joined by Calathon, who finally recovered from his ailment. They're victorious, with only the cultist leader, a woman, escaping. Unfortunately, just after this success, they're attacked by the revenant of their old enemy, Velriana Hypaxes. Bent on revenge against the ouat who captured her, the undead Velriana kills Menedes.
In spite of this tragedy, the group presses on. They have a hard fight against the undead head of Neferekhu and her skeletal guards, but, having controlled one of them, Vershab learns a great deal about their enemy, the necromancer Nebta-Khufre. Finally, the group confronts the half-orc ghast, Naghut, an ally of Nebta-Khufre. Vershab manages to control her for a moment, and obtains a great deal of information from her, until, driven by hunger, she attacks, forcing the group to destroy her. After, the tired explorers use an extradimensional space to spend a quiet night outside the Sepulchre.
Fireday, 30 Lamashan: The group makes their final move against Nebta-Khufre. The fight is merciless and deadly, costing Grekka her life. The necromancer has a veritable army of zombies at his command, and also two mummies which paralyze and kill the unfortunate warpriest. Vershab uses a scroll from the pharasmins to call a vanth to attack, causing the necromancer to flee away. During the brief lull in the fight, the group discovers that this place is the tomb of the great hero and builder, Nefru Sepses, founder of the Necropolis. Nebta-Khufre has been performing unspeakable rituals to desecrate de tomb and bend Sepses' soul to his will, not yet successfully. The necromancer comes back to attack, having animated Menedes' body as a juju zombie. Lehasti and Turi, helped with spells from Vershab and frozen bombs from Calathon, finally managed to vanquish Nebta-Khufre and capture the artifact called the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh, which appears to have been the source of the necrotic pulse through Wati. The pulse ceases with Nebta-Khufre's death, however.
The victorious group carries the bodies of their friends, as well as that of Nebta-Khufre, back to the Grand Mausoleum, where Lempteph and Sebti the Crocodile welcome them.
Starday, 18 Abadius, 4716: After several weeks spent resting, recovering, and researching the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh, Nebta-Khufre's documents, and the names Hakotep and Sky Pharaoh, the Relic Knights meet again with Sebti and Lempteph. Sebti announces that Pharasma's guidance indicates the that group should keep the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh, as it is tied to their destiny, as well as that of an immense number of people. Vershab decides he will be wearing the Mask, using a magic disguise to make it not immediately apparent to onlookers. Lempteph advises that the next logical step in the group's research should be in Tephu's renowned libraries.

Book 3 - Shifting Sands
Moonday, 20 Abadius, 4716 AR: The Relic Knights arrive in Tephu, and hire the services of Sabef, a young boy, as their guide to the city. They stay at the comfortable Inn of the Desert Winds. They visit the Great Library's Outer Sanctum and Upper Stacks, when they find just scraps of information about Hakotep. They're informed that getting to the next, more secret level of the Library - the Inner Sanctum - they need a written permission from Deka An-Keret, Tephu's haty-a (or governor).
Toilday, 21 Abadius: The group visit the Sanctuary of Nethys, which is the seat of power in Tephu. They manage to convince Deaconess Sekek that their mission is important enough that she should sollicit a meeting with the haty-a on their behalf. But she can't set up a firm appointment and asks them to come back daily, until the governor is available.
Starday, 25 Abadius: After spending several days enjoying the life of tourists in Tephu, the companions finally get to meet Deka An-Keret. To their shock, their request for access to the more secret areas of the Great Library is turned down, without explanation. However, they overhear something important: Her Excellency Muminofrah of Sothis, Fan-Bearer on the Right Side of the King, is in town. This great noblewoman has rank superiority to the haty-a and could possibly overrule her. They decide to go and pay their respects, which requires the acquisition of a suitably tasteful (and expensive) gift for Her Excellency. They briefly experience the life of courtiers on Muminofrah's barge. As it turns out, the noblewoman becomes infatuated with Turi! while the young boy fails to responds to Muminofrah's advances, Vershab and Lehasti contrive to present their story in the form of a show, supported by impressive illusions. Pleased with them, Muminofrah calls the haty-a to her and has a permission arranged for her new friends. During the show, mingling with the courtesans, Turi recognizes the voice of one of the Forgotten Pharaoh cultists the group had to fight, back in Wati.
Moonday, 27 Abadius: The Relic Knights finally visit the Spiral Archive, in the Great Library's Inner Sanctum. The place is guarded by a monstrous ceustodaemon, but they have official permission, so they pass. They meet a strange woman who seems engrossed in her reading, and, a little bit later, a stone statue of what seems to be mist, shaped into a humanoid form. The Spiral Archive is a circular chamber crisscrossed by a lattice of bridges made of papyrus. In it, they begin to find references to Hakotep, the Sky Pharaoh, but cannot finish their research that day.
Toilday, 28 Abadius: The Relic Knights find references to the Sky Pharaoh having access to stolen Shory magic; also, a fragment of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, who claimed to know about what happened to the Sky Pharaoh's body. But the interrogation records were moved to another of the Inner Sanctum’s libraries, the Dark Depository.
Wealday, 29 Abadius: The group goes back to the Sanctuary of Nethys to seek further permission to visit the Dark Depository. but Diaconess Sekek turns them down. Thanks to Sabef's contacts in the city, they obtain a map of the Depository's data, but this information is not only secret, it appears to be dangerous - Sabef demands a large payment, and arranges to disappear for the rest of the day. Undaunted, the group decides to continue their exploration illegally, and at night. They find the Dark Depository at the bottom of a deep well, well protected by traps, monsters, and secret passages. After a fight with a bone golem, they use an extra-dimensional space create by Vershab in order to spend the night in safety.
Oathday, 30 Abadius: The group continues with the hard work of deciphering ancient papyrus in the Dark Depository. They find the Scrolls of Inquiry, a full account of the interrogation of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather.

NPCs

Due to excess character count in the top posts, the NPC table is now found here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25277422&postcount=1014).



Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh
Major Artifact
Slot: head and headband
CL 17th
Weight 5 lbs.
Aura: overwhelming necromancy and transmutation

Carved from gold and inlaid with cobalt, lapis lazuli, and onyx, this elaborate funerary mask is a powerful artifact. When worn, the mask occupies both the head and headband magic item slots. After 24 hours, the mask attunes itself to its wearer, granting its wearer a +2 enhancement bonus to one of his mental ability scores (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). The wearer chooses which ability score is enhanced the first time he puts on the mask. If the mask grants a bonus to Intelligence, it also grants ranks in skills as a headband of vast intelligence: first in Knowledge (nobility), then, as the bonuses increase, in Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (religion). Once the mask is attuned to a wearer, the enhanced ability score cannot be changed unless the mask attunes itself to a new wearer (which takes another 24 hours). In addition, the mask provides its wearer with deathwatch (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/deathwatch/) as a constant spell-like ability. The mask cannot be detected by any sort of divination magic, and grants its wearer a constant nondetection (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/n/nondetection/) effect. Once attuned, the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh has additional powers based on its wearer’s alignment. If worn by an evil character, the mask enhances the wearer’s control over undead, doubling the number of undead the wearer may control with animate dead (https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/a/animate-dead/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwiX__i-66rZAhWtt1kKHdY1DvEQFggEMAA&client=internal-uds-cse&cx=006680642033474972217:6zo0hx_wle8&usg=AOvVaw1S31ROZvf2Z5yn0JSLRSYe), control undead (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/control-undead/), the Command Undead (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/command-undead-final/) feat, and similar effects. Additionally, the wearer can cast animate dead once per day as a spell-like ability. If worn by a good character, the mask grants its wearer immunity to disease, including supernatural diseases such as mummy rot. In addition, the wearer can cast death ward (https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/death-ward/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwiLwo3766rZAhVI61MKHYV3C2AQFggEMAA&client=internal-uds-cse&cx=006680642033474972217:6zo0hx_wle8&usg=AOvVaw1yNb8Sg7FHMBSMKp0G1kug) and speak with dead (https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/speak-with-dead/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwjN1LOD7KrZAhVHuVkKHd0wDKQQFggEMAA&client=internal-uds-cse&cx=006680642033474972217:6zo0hx_wle8&usg=AOvVaw3mY6UOEBm7iZosVPnlHP4A) each once per day as a spell-like ability. A neutral character who is neither good nor evil must choose to be treated as either good or evil when he first dons the mask. Once made, this choice cannot be reversed. A neutral character who uses the mask to create undead gains 1 permanent negative level for each Hit Die of undead created. These negative levels cannot be overcome in any way (including restoration spells), but they are immediately removed if the undead creatures are destroyed. The Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh reveals additional powers as its wearer increases in levels. At 7th level, the mask’s enhancement bonus to a mental ability score increases to +4. Also at this level, an evil wearer can cast create undead (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/create-undead/) once per day, and a good wearer can cast eyebite (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/eyebite/) once per day instead. At 11th level, the mask’s enhancement bonus increases to +6, an evil wearer can cast control undead once per day, and a good wearer can cast finger of death once per day. At 15th level, an evil wearer can cast create greater undead once per day, and a good wearer can cast symbol of death (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-death/) once per day.

The mask is the source of the necromantic pulse. There's certainly more to know, especially about how it was created and how it can be destroyed (mundane and regular magical methods will fail). But such knowledge is beyond the reach of mere Spellcraft.

Puzzle Falchion
Price: 4000 gp. CL15 (mending, magic weapon, flame strike)
This special falchion needs to be assembled, just like a puzzle, by its owner, as quickly as possible, for its magic to function. This action takes about one minute, the puzzle not being very difficult. Depending how fast the user is in assembling the puzzle, its magic manifests more strongly. Roll a Dexterity check. If the result is 12 or less, the weapon behaves as a +1 falchion. If the result is 13 to 19, the weapon becomes a +1 flaming falchion. If the result is 20 or higher, it becomes a +1 flaming burst falchion. Any additional properties fade after 24 hours, after which the falchion is just a regular +1 weapon. The owner can disassemble it, with a simple twist of the falchion's guard, and reassemble it later, but new attempts will not change the result unless 24 hours have passed since the last one.
The falchion has only hardness 5 when submitted to a sunder attempt. However, if it gets sundered, it isn't broken, but simply disassembled: It is possible to put the pieces back together, providing none goes missing. The falchion cannot be reassembled unless all 27 pieces are present.

Ushabti of the Willing Servant
Price 3900 gp. Slot: none, CL 7th, weight 1 lb., aura: moderate evocation
This small stone figurine depicts a mummiform servant holding carved tools in its crossed arms. It appears similar to the funerary figurines called ushabti frequently found buried with the deceased in Osirian tombs. Upon command, an ushabti of the willing servant conjures a ghostly attendant that performs simple duties or manual labor at its owner’s behest, as an unseen servant. The ghostly attendant remains for 1 hour at a time, and cannot move farther than 30 feet from its ushabti. If the ushabti’s owner inscribes his or her own name on the figurine (which requires a successful DC 10 Craft [sculpture] or [stonecarving] check), the ushabti of the willing servant gains an additional power. While it can still summon an unseen servant, the owner can command the ushabti to instead summon a ghostly warrior to fight and defend its owner. This warrior functions as a spiritual ally armed with a flail for 7 rounds. Once an ushabti of the willing servant has been used to conjure a spiritual ally in this way, the ushabti loses all of its magic, becoming only a mundane figurine.

Summon Lesser Psychopomp
School conjuration (summoning); Level cleric 5, sorcerer/wizard 5, summoner 4, witch 5
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, F/DF (a crocodile skull funerary mask)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one or more summoned psychopomps (see text)
Duration 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This spell functions like summon monster, except that it summons 1d3 esobok psychopomps or 1d4+1 nosoi psychopomps.

Summon Vanth
School conjuration (summoning); Level cleric 6, sorcerer/wizard 6, summoner 5, witch 6
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, F/DF (a vulture skull funerary mask)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one summoned vanth psychopomp
Duration 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This spell functions like summon monster, except that it summons a single vanth psychopomp.

[Farmerbink]

Grekka Cailean (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=82324)
High Concept:
Abrasive Divine Devestator
Grekka has always been... big. For her age, for a girl, and now as an adult half-orc; her shoulders are as broad as she is tall. She has never made friends easily, well, or quickly, but has never tired of trying. She continues to go out of her way to both meet new people and attempt to impress them. It seems, however, that perhaps she tries too hard. She often comes off as overbearing and difficult to stomach, to say the least.

Trouble:
Unlikeable, Unlikely Hero
Grekka is... unpleasant to be around. Her sense of humor fails to amuse, and most often offends. She doesn't intend to turn people off, she just never really learned how to interact in society. As an orphan, she was valued by the other children for strength and skill: her "team" would win competitive games much more often than half the time. As an adult, she hasn't ever learned how to translate that usefulness into more social pursuits, and is often viewed almost as an outcast, now despite her strength and skill.

Where do you come from?
Peculiar Partnership
Grekka was born in the insula mater. She never knew her mother, who abandoned her in Wati (she could still be around, and I just don't know, or left Wati when she could). Life was hard as a half-orc orphan in an unfriendly environment. She might not have survived but for the compassion of the matrons and an unlikely partner-in-crime, a halfling boy named Hopton. After several years of companionship and mutual support, the two were inseparable. When the boy died in an ill-fated "adventure" to the necropolis, Grekka became depressed and increasingly difficult to deal with. Just a few weeks later, the first of many "lucky" occurrences took place:

Why are you an adventurer?
School of Hard Knocks
Just after Hopton's death, the man who would become Grekka's mentor wandered into Wati. Andres Shickle, an experienced adventurer, often wowed the locals with his tales of reckless adventure and daring escapades. As the days passed, Grekka would often sneak into the taverns to hear him talk and see his face light up as he described his most recent exploits. When the time came, and Andres wanted to move on, Grekka approached him, and asked to be his pupil. He agreed, and she journeyed with him for several years, learning all he could teach, including how to give due praise to Cayden Cailean, and earn his favor. The apprenticeship was not easy work, she often toiled in the sun for many hours, not understanding the task. The work further hardened her, however; she became steadfast, indeed, in the intervening years.

After an unhappy parting, back in Wati, some 8 years later, Grekka swore that she would remember the halfing boy, long forgotten by the people of Wati. Hopton would be avenged, and the necropolis emptied, or Grekka would kill herself trying.

The hook (brings you BAAAaaaaAAAAACK)
Committed No Crime
One evening, Grekka was walking through the marketplace as the vendors were putting away their stalls for the night. A pair of young boys bumped into her roughly, before scrambling onward past her. Stupid kids! I'da been flayed for that, when I was a child! she grumbled to herself as she resumed walking. Before she had taken two paces, she was confronted by a vendor, who appeared to be chasing after the boys. Stop! You are a thief! I will not let you steal my prized amulet!! Grekka pointed the man to the two thieves, scampering around a corner. There are your thieves! Leave me be, crazy man! she said. No! It was you! I saw you, and I call you a liar and a thief! He insisted.

Knowing the weight of the claim, Grekka turned to face her accuser. Calling to another nearby man, she said, You there! Come give witness to this man's accusation! The man nodded, and approached as requested. Grekka began going through her pockets, starting with the two hidden in her coat. As they were emptied onto the table, finally she reached her belt pouch. You see, old man?! Your accusations are baseless, and you are a liar! As she opens the pouch at her belt, no one is more surprised than she when she pulls out a gem-encrusted amulet. Shock plastered across her features, she throws the amulet at her accuser. You! You fraud! That amulet was planted on me! She looks around, pleading for intercession from one of the many sure witnesses. Come now! You all saw what this man's ruffians did! I will not stand for this!

Her accuser, a wicked gleam in his eye, raises his voice. Guards! Arrest this woman! She is a thief and a liar! As the nearby guards dutifully move forward to oblige, the witnesses remain silent. Grekka looks about in disbelief. But.. but they...

Complication:

Resolution:

Grekka is a short, but brawny woman. She is not attractive, but not particularly ugly. She is lean and athletic, clearly built for physical exploits. Her quasi-hulkish form is very distinct, many natives to Wati would recognize her, even if the reverse is not true.
Grekka is loud, boisterous, brusque, and generally disliked. She aggressively attempts to meet new people, and often comes across as uncomfortably open. The only thing she enjoys more than meeting new people is showing off her abilities; she eagerly pursues opportunities to prove her physical prowess, infrequently making friends in the process.
Shaman's Apprentice (racial- not a "trait" per se): Grekka was apprenticed to a wandering pilgrim, who spread the worship and adoration of Cayden Cailean and that which he embodies. The constant travel and harsh circumstances helped develop Grekka's endurance.
Fate's Favored: For some reason, Cayde Cailean has smiled upon Grekka's life. She is luckier than makes sense. Certainly more so than most people.
Reckless: As a young child in Wati, Grekka was already eager to show off for her meager group of friends. Often, she and her closest companion, a halfling orphan known as "Hopton," would play at the banks of the river, challenging each other and other youngsters to games of 'hit the back.' The person who struck more aggressive crocodiles on the back of its torso was the winner. Through clever and acrobatic tactics, the pair regularly won such contests- and managed to retain all of their limbs.

Overprotective: Another common past time for Grekka and Hopton was sneaking into the necropolis. On one such occasion- the last one- they came across a pair of ghouls. Despite their clever antics, Hopton was struck down. Grekka never fully recovered, emotionally, and exhibits unusual generosity to most halflings, and a powerful response to threatened allies.
Grekka was born in the insula mater. She does not know her mother, and was abandoned shortly after birth. Life in Wati was challenging for a half-orc orphan, but she managed to scrape by. The occasional attention from figures in authority among the various religious groups helped, but for the most part, she survived on her wits and the wits of the other local orphans, notably the aforementioned friend, Hopton.

For several years, Hopton led Grekka in minor escapades, his extra few seasons lending to a similar size around age 7 or 8, after which Grekka quickly surpassed him. After his death, when Grekka was 13, she fell into a deep depression. Before a week had passed, the first of many "lucky" occurrences took place: the man who would become her mentor, Andres Shickle, wandered into town. An experienced adventurer, Andres wowed anyone who would listen to his tales of derring-do and fantastic escapades. When he was ready to move on, Grekka finally got the guys to approach him directly. She asked him to teach her what he did. He obliged.

Grekka traveled with Andres for several years, learning everything the man could teach her. It turns out that Andres was something of a wandering prophet/evangelist for Cayden Cailean, so he appreciated the opportunity to have an apprentice almost as much as Grekka appreciated the opportunity to leave Wati- at least for the time. She learned much under Andres tutelage, not the least of which being how to properly respond to grief. She blamed herself slightly less for Hopton's death as the years went by, but never forgot the him- forever engrained into her memory as a happy-go-lucky 15 year old.

From town to town, they traveled. The environment and the apprenticeship molded Grekka into a hearty and tough adult. She learned many things from Andres: different ways to fight, how to please Cayden Cailean, and perhaps most importantly, how to stay alive in dangerous situations. While she never had noteworthy success impressing townsfolk, as Andres did, she never stopped trying, either. Almost 8 years after they left, Andres and Grekka returned to Wati, on their meandering path through the region.

While there, Grekka developed an overwhelming sense of responsibility for Hopton's death again. Much against her master's wishes, when it was time to move on, Grekka stayed. Andres ranted and raved, blaming Grekka for her own problems, and in the end claimed that she would be unwelcome among the church if she did not continue traveling to exemplify C.C.'s wanderlust. She would not be swayed, and they parted unhappily. Since, Grekka has dedicated her time and efforts to aiding the Pharasmin church in their efforts to cleanse the necropolis, but has held on to her faith in Cayden Cailean throughout.

[DarkOne-Rob]

DarkOne/Rob here. I am currently working on Vershab Fethi (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1047278), a human Undead-Blooded Arcanist (Blood Arcanist archetype) planning to specialize in Necromancy (at level 5). He is a socially awkward but intense and passionate man with a complicated relationship with undead, given his family history (which will be detailed as we continue).

I am planning to use undead (when able) to fight undead - not to become a minion-mancer. I also plan to be a debuffing, battle-field-controller using esoteric magical tricks to altar reality in the favor of the party. One item that will need approval is the use of Words of Power (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/ultimateMagicWordsOfPower.html) (by way of the Experimental Spellcaster (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/ultimateMagicWordsOfPower.html#experimental-spellcaster) feat) to make undead control less prohibitive (by using the Undeath (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/wordsOfPower/effectWords/deathWords.html#undeath-(death)) word, which functions similarly to the spell Animate Dead (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/animateDead.html#animate-dead) but lacks the costly material components and can be done at range). I mention this because I don't want it to look like a surprise or "trick" - instead of spending money on onyx stone I would spend a feat.

When speaking, Vershab will use gray.

Intense and focused, Vershab dresses conservatively with a large robe and hood to keep out the sun on his pale skin. His black hair grows to shoulder length with a leather loop to keep it controlled when he removes his hood. When smiles, his blue eyes seem to sparkle slightly with a subdued mirth.
Cautious to the point of paranoia and deeply untrusting of most, Vershab often has difficulty opening up to strangers. When interacting with new contacts he is cold and distant, often to the point of being rude. Once he learns to trust you, he remains "hands-off" but is more likely to smile and laugh and less likely to be rude (though it can still be awkward).
Reactionary (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/combat-traits/reactionary) - Vershab has been the target of bullies throughout most of his youth. He never looked tough enough to defend himself, so he learned to avoid conflict when possible by keeping a close eye about his surroundings.

Eyes and Ears of the City (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/religion-traits/eyes-and-ears-of-the-city-god-of-commerce) - Both of Vershab's parents were devout worshipers of Abadar, the Master of the First Vault and champion of civilization. While Vershab only really gives lip-service to the deity, he did spend time learning the responsibilities of a watchful citizen during his youth in Wati, gaining a better mastery of the tricks used to pierce darkness and illusion.

Cynic (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/cynic-regional-mendev) (Mendev) - It was during one of the last of his family's many travels that they went to the far north and visited Mendev. While there his parents helped him learn to pierce the deceptions of others who would try and sell relics or services as if they were themselves divinely inspired. Many were not - giving young Vershab plenty of time to practice the skill of reading them.

Blood of Dragons (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/race-traits/blood-of-dragons) - While not present enough to express itself in his blood (and largely overwhelmed by the more significant influence of undead), a brass dragon made its influence known many generations ago in Vershab's heritage. Today, this expresses itself in his keen night vision.

Mummy Cursed (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/campaign-traits/mummy-s-mask/mummy-cursed) - The incredible influence of the undead originates in powerful magic to which Vershab's parents were both exposed. In the years before they retired and Vershab was born, both parents were active tomb-explorers and were frequently exposed to the taints and curses of the undead. Before it was cured his father lost an arm to the mummy rot that plagued him, while his mother recovered more easily. Vershab was conceived during this time, and his pale complexion and unnatural powers resulted from the timing of their union.
Socially Crippled - Vershab is...off, and it shows. He is categorically unable to open up to anyone, even his allies, which makes it difficult for him. He tends to be a loner with wildly defensive, paranoid tendencies, often making even his allies uncomfortable.
Vershab's childhood was filled with stories of his parents' exploits adventuring in the deserts of Osirion. The family lived an easy life in Wati, where his parents were largely retired consultants for the Pathfinder Society living in the Midwife district. However, as he entered his teens their money started to dry up.

When the Pathfinders offered to send them to Mendev to represent the society there, both Jade (mother - cleric) and Henry (father - wizard) took the opportunity. It helped to open Vershab's eyes to the world outside Wati, but also highlighted how their son was...different.

He had always been this way, but when traveling people would notice and point out how he never made eye contact, was too pale, spoke to the air instead of to the listener, and so on. His parents learned to help him adjust, but it was clear that he would never be "normal" by any measurement.

When his parents were killed in an unfortunate accident, the Pathfinders supplied Vershab with a package of funds to get him "home" to Wati, where he has been ever since. When he arrived he found work as the apprentice of a Garundi employed by the Embalmers Guild working out of the Hall of Blessed Rebirth. Omar Habatani is a good mentor to Vershab - his specialty (undead and defending against them) is in high demand by the residents of Wati, and even the Pharasmins accept him. The necromancer is one of the better kept secrets in town - a well-behaved expert with no ambitions that might lead him to cause problems for the living and no motivation to advance the goals of undead in the Necropolis.

His closest (only) friends (insert PC names here), have taken several years to really get to know him, and it has tried their patience sometimes. He doesn't try to be difficult, but he just doesn't always understand things as easily as they do. Luckily, their persistence has led to him having a small cadre of people he trusts.

When the announcement of the competition is made, Vershab thought it a wonderful chance to start following in his parents' footsteps. He had a company in mind immediately, and spoke to them right away.
Vershab Fethi (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1047278)

High Concept (the character's role-playing concept summed up in a short phrase)
Brilliant and Unorthodox Necromantic Genius
Vershab is a true arcane prodigy, with such a natural penchant towards the undead and necromantic arts that it was inevitable that he would become an expert. Nothing absorbs his attention as much, and few can understand his attraction to this dark art. However, he has never been drawn to the evil that so often consumes the practitioners of such magic, perhaps because of his childlike wonder at its marvels - he simply never saw it as a path to power.

Trouble (how the DM can torture this character that I, as a player, will enjoy)
Utterly Socially Crippled
On the opposite side of his magic lies the rest of the mortal world. For every bit of his genius in the affairs of magic and the living dead, he does not understand the living one iota. Growing up he was always the target of bullies and teasing, even when he didn't realize it, and his few confidants are largely the result of the efforts of his loving parents. Continually bewildered and never understanding people, he has learned to keep to himself and be very cautious, rarely speaking to strangers and even less frequently making eye contact. The fact that these behaviors make things worse has never occurred to him.

From where do I come?
Touched by Death
Even as a child there was an odd miasma about this young man. People would get chills as he walked by, the smell of musty earth (or worse) would occasionally assault those near him, and his pale skin was unlike the other inhabitants of Wati. Traveling the Inner Sea area didn't often help things, as mysterious (and frightening) signs of death or decay seemed to happen when he arrived in a place. Though nothing happened so bad as to attract the attention of authority, people just seemed to know that he had less in common with them and more in common with the dead. And he seemed to agree, most of the time.

What inspired me to be an adventurer?
Following in his Parent's Footsteps
Vershab's parents were very loving and devoted to him. When his mother discovered she was pregnant with him they stopped adventuring and tried to settle down, but their stories and trophies always fascinated him (especially of their many expeditions to tombs and burial chambers in Osirion). His parents encouraged his curiosity and held nothing back from their only son, guaranteeing him excellent tutors and all the guidance they could. When they died supporting other adventurers for the Pathfinders Society, Vershab vowed to become a great adventurer too, one day. His adoration of his parents was one of the only human elements he demonstrated, and mimicking his heroic parents was as natural as could be.

Guest Starring #1 in Lehasti's story (My effort to complicate another PC's First Adventure)
Been the Victim Before
Right before Lehasti enters the alley an unusually pale man says a little too loudly, "They tried to pull this trick on me last week - if you go in that alley they are likely to jump you." The man is dressed in a large, heavy robe with the hood covering much of his head and he seems to be deliberately looking past everyone and not making eye contact with anyone. "You could probably handle a few of them, but at best you will walk away with some injuries. They aren't nice people and have no interest in exploring the tombs..." as he is speaking one of the nearby crowd steps forward and gets in his face, which immediately makes him lurch awkwardly back in discomfort. "Shut your damned mouth, you creep! Just because you could freak your way out of there last week doesn't mean you will get out this time!" the con-man yells, pushing the smaller man towards the alley roughly causing him and Lehasti to bump into each other. "Besides, we have more people this time - you won't get away so easily, even with two of you!"

Guest Starring #2 (My effort to resolve another PC's First Adventure)
Calm in the Face of...being Oblivious to the Danger
As Vershab was walking to meet his godfather, Cal, for lunch he hears a massive commotion coming from a nearby construction area. Turning to observe the locals he sees the fire, his godfather, and his new compatriot Grekka in the midst of the developing inferno. He takes several moments to calmly observe the area before seeing an option to save the remaining workers without placing anyone else at risk.

Quietly he walks over to a rope/pulley system and releases it, causing a lift to raise to the level of the men on the platform trapped above the flame. He watches as they scramble onto it and the balance of weight shifts, lowering them past the growing flames onto the ground. As the flames consume the now empty platform he walks over to Cal and Grekka and says, "I am not an expert on construction, but they usually have some safety precautions in place for this kind of thing. You just have to know where to look. Who wants lunch?"

[CleverDragon]

Placeholder for Marty/CleverDragon!

Speech color shall be blue.

I'll get some character details fleshed out after work today :)

EDIT: Gwynfrid, what would you say to a Samsaran as a race? It has 11RP, same as a dwarf. Granted, it's a somewhat unusual race, and I'm good with being looked at askance as a result. Still not 100 percent sure on class, but leaning towards either an oracle, rogue, or slayer. I know that's greatly diverse :smallsmile:

[JWallyR]

Edited post for Lehasti Gesmeha, Paladin of Sarenrae. Per our discussion elsewhere, her parents (Qelifa (mother) and Huushmad (father)) are currently down-on-their-luck merchants stuck in Wati until they are able to finance the next leg of their merchant travels, likely through Lehasti paying back their poorly-timed purchase of a wand of Cure Light Wounds.

Lehasti Gesmeha (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1103438)

High Concept (the character's role-playing concept summed up in a short phrase)
Fiery Redeemer of Sarenrae!
Lehasti is an impetuous young woman whose eyes are lit with a zest for life! While not overbearing or aggressive, she is vocal about the tenets of Sarenrae, and quick both to forgive and to forcibly "redeem" those who make their unrepentant wickedness known. Quick to laugh and quicker still to throw herself into harm's way to protect the innocent (or just to prove her fervor), she seeks to live out the Dawnflower's radiant glory among the people!

Trouble (how the DM can torture this character that I, as a player, will enjoy)
Trusting and Reckless
As with all paladins, Lehasti is motivated by a number of convictions; among them that her life is not her own, but is a sacred trust with which she is endowed to work for the good of others. Her comparative disregard for her personal safety is further fueled by the formative experience that drove her into the church of Sarenrae, and while not precisely foolhardy, she is more aggressive in the pursuit of evil than many would deem prudent. In addition, the personal experience of her miraculous resurrection has made so personal her relationship with her deity that she finds it almost impossible to conceive that others might not be so grounded in the truth as to be lying...

From where do I come?
On the Road Again
As a child, Lehasti was not particularly remarkable. While good-natured, strong and sturdy, her personality was tempered by the realities of life as the child of a merchant family; always on the road, moving from city to city following the winds of trade. While not rich, her family was certainly not poor; while not subject to the rabid anti-religiosity of the Rahadoumites, neither were they particularly religious. As she grew into her teenage years, Lehasti was introduced to the ways of arbitrage and dealing, but she yearned for an existence above and beyond the mundanities of trade and travel, travel and trade.

What inspired me to be an adventurer?
Glorious Purpose
Several days' travel out of the city, the family caravan was passing through the desert. Spotting signs of water nearby, Lehasti shouted out to her parents, and before they could warn her of the first signs of an impending sandstorm she had taken off at the excuse to ride a little harder and feel the wind blowing her hair. Suddenly the storm was upon her, and although she tried to locate her family, her horse lost its footing and tumbled, and off it went into the wilds. Unknowing that she had managed to reach the path mere hundreds of feet ahead of the circled wagons of her family, she pushed on until at last strength had left her.
Just before dawn when the storm had passed, her family broke camp and made to search for her, and the first runner returned almost before the echoes of his hoofbeats had died with Lehasti's motionless form strapped to his horse. The sudden wails of her parents split the morning stillness, and as her mother clutched her daughter to her breast, the sun crested over the dunes. The morn's first light seemed to fall heavily upon them, and a sudden wave of wind (lacking the gritty teeth of the night before) blew Lehasti's long hair around the two women, and breath returned to her! Claiming to have seen visions of a bronze-skinned woman caressing and somehow healing her sand-scarred skin with her fiery hair, Lehasti would not rest until they reached a temple of Sarenrae, where she pledged herself to be a living emblem of the glory of the Dawnflower.

New Kid in Town (Story Title)
Fresh from her training, news reached Lehasti of the opening of the tombs of Wati. Seeing this as a perfect opportunity to glorify Sarenrae in bringing life back to the parts of the city relinquished to the grasp of death, she left on the first caravan out, arriving in the city with her arms and her good name, and little else. While no stranger to the sights and sounds of commercial districts, the freedom to wander the roads seized her attention, and she found herself walking along a canal in the Veins. As she turned a corner, she came upon a man shouting, Adventurer wanted to explore the tombs! Well-armed and strong! Having not considered the need for a party, Lehasti rushed to the man, eagerly giving voice to her zeal! Right this way, young woman! I'm sure we can use your... skills! Unfortunately, she didn't see the wicked grin that split the man's face as he turned away to lead her down to an unremarkable side alley...

Been the Victim Before
Right before Lehasti enters the alley an unusually pale man says a little too loudly, "They tried to pull this trick on me last week - if you go in that alley they are likely to jump you." The man is dressed in a large, heavy robe with the hood covering much of his head and he seems to be deliberately looking past everyone and not making eye contact with anyone. "You could probably handle a few of them, but at best you will walk away with some injuries. They aren't nice people and have no interest in exploring the tombs..." as he is speaking one of the nearby crowd steps forward and gets in his face, which immediately makes him lurch awkwardly back in discomfort. "Shut your damned mouth, you creep! Just because you could freak your way out of there last week doesn't mean you will get out this time!" the con-man yells, pushing the smaller man towards the alley roughly causing him and Lehasti to bump into each other. "Besides, we have more people this time - you won't get away so easily, even with two of you!"

Bonk
Just as the two of them get roughly shoved into the alley-way, the con-man nearest the road goes crosseyed and falls to the ground. Suddenly, the forces propelling them towards the alley diminish, and in the vacancy, they see a stunningly wide half-orc woman. With a slightly-lopsided and overly toothy grin, she hefts what appears to be a heavy, ornate wooden staff and slams it into the head of another one of the thugs. "Come on, then! What's three, when you're ready for two, eh?!" The half-orc's eyes widen as she looks past the pair of unlucky victims. "Erm. There's quite a few of them, back there. MOVE!" She grabs the hands of the man and woman, and helps them regain their balance as they move towards the street. Tossing the staff aside, she yells behind her "Sorry about the damage!" As if to punctuate her statement, she topples a nearby cart in front of the alley-way. "That should hold them; follow me!"

A few short minutes later, it becomes apparent that they're no longer being followed. Smiling her toothy grin, the half-orc extends a hand in greeting. "Name's Grekka Cailean. I'd avoid that particular block, unless you care to be recruited again. It's one of many unpleasant little districts about Wati. Though, you're eager to help clear out the necropolis? There's someone I'd like you to meet." She lifts her hands, making it clear that she intends no threat. "That is, assuming you trust me to not jump you!" Grinning, she laughs aloud before turning the unlikely trio down a side street and towards the Pharasmin cathedral.

[Gwynfrid]

Welcome all!


due to the 3 day weekend I'm playing catchup, as I have vastly MORE time while I'm in the office than when I'm at home, and expected to be sociable with the wife and friends, help around the house, etc.

Looks like you have your priorities in the correct order :smallsmile:

Now that we've got the placeholders for everybody, we can chat about characters to our hearts' content. My comments on what you've said so far:

@ Farmerbink: Inquisitor and travel are fine choices. What of divinity/philosophy?

@ DarkOne: I need to read and understand the Arcanist (I have no prior knowledge of the hybrid class), but it looks like an interesting new take on spellcasting. On Words of Power... Well... That option strikes me as rather complicated, maybe needlessly so. Am I correct in my understanding that you are only interested in it to circumvent the regular cost of animating undead? I'm not sure that's worth using up a feat for. That said, it's a level 5 plan, you'll have plenty of time to decide if that's the right thing for you. At this time I'm not saying yes or no (unless you ask me for a decision now, in which case I'll ask for a couple of days to think about it).
Some comments on your backstory:
- I suggesting adding details about childhood and coming of age. The arcanist is a scholar, so he must have had at least a teacher and/or go to some sort of school. You mentioned bullying, some detail could be interesting, for example, did he make lasting enemies, is there somebody he remembers with feelings of hate and/or fear from that time? Did his parents do anything about it?
- How on earth did he make any friends? You need to develop that, since we'll need some starting point for the group's interaction.
- With this type of background and personality, I would expect the character to have a dismal score in Cha.

@ CleverDragon: Samsaran... Never seen that before. Interesting. Like I said in the 16, you'll need a strong backstory behind it. However, assuming you're from Osirion, or, even better, Wati itself, I can readily think of a logical way it would fit in the AP's setting. Naturally, that will make the character a freak in many people's eyes, by you're ready for that, right? As for classes, we may or may not need a healer in the group, it's up to you guys. If nobody takes the role, I'll come up with something so that it doesn't hinder the group (like a NPC friend who happens to be a cleric, or some cheap source of healing potions...).

@ JWallyR: Why not a paladin indeed. What would be his motivation for institutionalized tomb robbing, is a question for you... And maybe an opportunity to define an interesting personality/background to deal with it. Maybe he opposes tomb robbing but since it's going to happen anyway, he wants to ensure it's done in a way that's respectful to the dead? Or he thinks all those dead are cursed/undead and he wants to purge them... Or many other possibilities.

@ All: Does everybody agree that the group starts as friends who've known each other for some time as suggested by DarkOne? I recommend you collectively come up with your backstory as a group, in that case. Many combinations are possible, I'll leave it to you. However it goes, I'll ask that you give a short description of what your character thinks of the others. I find this is very useful to inititate RP in the first couple of pages of a game.

On my side: I just started reading the AP. Tonight I will post some material on the city of Wati, which I'll encourage you to read so that you have some framework to help build your backstory and think of your first steps.

[Farmerbink]

Re, all: I'm happy with it. It'll take doing on our part, but should simplify the actually difficult part more.

[DarkOne-Rob]

@ DarkOne: I need to read and understand the Arcanist (I have no prior knowledge of the hybrid class), but it looks like an interesting new take on spellcasting. Arcanists (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advancedClassGuide/classes/arcanist.html) use a hybrid system of semi-prepared spellcasting and "exploits" that "bend" the laws of magic. Their spellcasting is primarily based on Intelligence, with their exploits largely based on Charisma. The archetype I am planning to take gets them most of the characteristics of a sorcerer's bloodline, and I plan to learn the "School Understanding" exploit (Necromancy) at level 5.


On Words of Power... Well... That option strikes me as rather complicated, maybe needlessly so. Am I correct in my understanding that you are only interested in it to circumvent the regular cost of animating undead? I'm not sure that's worth using up a feat for. That said, it's a level 5 plan, you'll have plenty of time to decide if that's the right thing for you. At this time I'm not saying yes or no (unless you ask me for a decision now, in which case I'll ask for a couple of days to think about it).
I do not want to handle all of the Words of Power subystem - only a very, very small list of "words" (spells) with some unorthodox casting methods. It isn't too bad when you look at the feat first (which I would advise). That said - it is a long ways away, so I understand it not being a priority.


Some comments on your backstory:
- I suggesting adding details about childhood and coming of age. The arcanist is a scholar, so he must have had at least a teacher and/or go to some sort of school. You mentioned bullying, some detail could be interesting, for example, did he make lasting enemies, is there somebody he remembers with feelings of hate and/or fear from that time? Did his parents do anything about it?
If you think it be a worthwhile addition to things I can go into more details, but I hadn't anything in mind specifically yet. The bullying is intended as part of the overarching theme of social awkwardness. I can try to come up with a teacher, but would also be fine if there is an appropriate NPC contact you find I would be fine with that. And finally, I imagined Victor's folks being rather busy and more interested in their son being tough enough to stand up for himself than they would be interested in interfering. That said - you're the DM, so if you want to have them (as NPCs) try to do something, I am open to discussing it.


- How on earth did he make any friends? You need to develop that, since we'll need some starting point for the group's interaction.
Agreed - to do that I would like to have the help of all the other players, since it closely involves them. As a teacher (in what feels like another life) I had students (with tendencies like I am describing in Victor) who developed friendships with outgoing and kind young people around them (most of whom were also in choir with the socially awkward student). If this gives the other players some ideas on how to get started, great!


- With this type of background and personality, I would expect the character to have a dismal score in Cha.
The Charisma score is as much mechanical as it is based on fluff. That said - he is not intended to be the face of the party, but has a strong sense of self. I plan to play up the socially awkward part by not spending any points in the social skills and only rarely rolling those checks. If this is a big hang-up, let me know and I can begin rethinking everything about his backstory.


@ All: Does everybody agree that the group starts as friends who've known each other for some time as suggested by DarkOne? I recommend you collectively come up with your backstory as a group, in that case. Many combinations are possible, I'll leave it to you. However it goes, I'll ask that you give a short description of what your character thinks of the others. I find this is very useful to initiate RP in the first couple of pages of a game.
It has been mentioned in our google hangout that using the aspect (http://fate-srd.com/fate-core/aspects-fate-points) system (as applied in the Dresden Files RPG/Fate system - see "Character Creation" here (http://www.evilhat.com/home/dresden-files-rpg-downloads/) for some discussion on the topic) has worked well in several of our previous games to get the PCs connected. If this appeals to you and the other players, we can do a truncated version of that here, too.

[Gwynfrid]

If you think it be a worthwhile addition to things I can go into more details, but I hadn't anything in mind specifically yet. The bullying is intended as part of the overarching theme of social awkwardness. I can try to come up with a teacher, but would also be fine if there is an appropriate NPC contact you find I would be fine with that. And finally, I imagined Victor's folks being rather busy and more interested in their son being tough enough to stand up for himself than they would be interested in interfering. That said - you're the DM, so if you want to have them (as NPCs) try to do something, I am open to discussing it.

I'm not going to push you to pick a particular story or other, but I do request some more detail (per the 16) to flesh out the character, and create links that I can use later to develop the story and allow for richer RP. Indeed a NPC from the AP might fit that purpose, it's a good idea. I'll see if I can find a suitable one and come back to you.


The Charisma score is as much mechanical as it is based on fluff. That said - he is not intended to be the face of the party, but has a strong sense of self. I plan to play up the socially awkward part by not spending any points in the social skills and only rarely rolling those checks. If this is a big hang-up, let me know and I can begin rethinking everything about his backstory.

From my perspective, the character's personality should drive the mechanics to some degree, or at least, the two shouldn't be in contradiction. If a character has high Int and Knowledge ranks left and right, he can't also be an illiterate street urchin; if he has low Wis, he can't also be a successful adviser to the king, unless the king is a madman or a 4-year old child; if he's a bar brawler he can't have low Str, unless he loses every fight but continues fighting for some crazy creason; etc. In the case of Cha, I wonder how a paranoid, socially inept guy can get Cha bonuses to Bluff, Diplomacy etc.

I don't want to force you to rewrite the whole thing though. Bossing you around isn't why I was interested in being DM :smallsmile:. This is more to encourage you to think of an explanation for the social awkwardness in an Arcanist. Or is there an archetype somewhere that would let you swap Cha for something else in the exploit mechanics?


It has been mentioned in our google hangout that using the aspect (http://fate-srd.com/fate-core/aspects-fate-points) system (as applied in the Dresden Files RPG/Fate system - see "Character Creation" here (http://www.evilhat.com/home/dresden-files-rpg-downloads/) for some discussion on the topic) has worked well in several of our previous games to get the PCs connected. If this appeals to you and the other players, we can do a truncated version of that here, too.

I'll check it out later, thanks.

[DarkOne-Rob]

I'm not going to push you to pick a particular story or other, but I do request some more detail (per the 16) to flesh out the character, and create links that I can use later to develop the story and allow for richer RP. Indeed a NPC from the AP might fit that purpose, it's a good idea. I'll see if I can find a suitable one and come back to you.
- Perhaps one of the other guys helped out instead of Victor's parents (re: bullying). I will put out the plea to someone to step into Victor's history in that way.
- I will wait excitedly for a possible teacher to show up from the AP. Let me know if no one does and I will try to imagine someone interesting.


From my perspective, the character's personality should drive the mechanics to some degree, or at least, the two shouldn't be in contradiction. If a character has high Int and Knowledge ranks left and right, he can't also be an illiterate street urchin; if he has low Wis, he can't also be a successful adviser to the king, unless the king is a madman or a 4-year old child; if he's a bar brawler he can't have low Str, unless he loses every fight but continues fighting for some crazy creason; etc. In the case of Cha, I wonder how a paranoid, socially inept guy can get Cha bonuses to Bluff, Diplomacy etc.
-------------------------------------------

I don't want to force you to rewrite the whole thing though. Bossing you around isn't why I was interested in being DM :smallsmile:. This is more to encourage you to think of an explanation for the social awkwardness in an Arcanist. Or is there an archetype somewhere that would let you swap Cha for something else in the exploit mechanics?
Everything mechanically about Charisma is centered on the following exploit, which I am planning to pick up at level 5:


School Understanding: The arcanist can select one arcane school from any of the schools available to a character with the arcane school wizard class feature, but does not have to select any opposition schools. The arcanist gains one ability of that arcane school as though she were a 1st-level wizard, using her Charisma modifier in place of her Intelligence modifier for this ability. The ability must be one gained at 1st level and is limited in its use per day to 3 + the arcanist's Charisma modifier. As a swift action, the arcanist can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir to bolster her understanding, allowing her to treat her arcanist level as her wizard level for the purpose of using this ability for a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1). During this time, she also gains use of the other ability gained at 1st level for her selected school. She does not gain any other abilities when using this exploit in this way, such as those gained at 8th level.
I am planning on taking Necromancy as my specialist school for the Power over Undead ability (Command Undead as a bonus feat - as noted in the quoted text above all the ability score dependent stuff is Charisma-based again, unlike the Wizard). To have more than 1 round of functional use of the ability I need some Charisma.

However, if you want to rule I can do it all with Intelligence and something else, I am flexible. There is not an archetype currently that changes the ability scores of the exploits to something other than Charisma. From an optimizing standpoint, Charisma is the weakest ability score other than Strength for my PC, so changing from Charisma to something else will be a stealth-buff, which is not what I was aiming to get...

[Gwynfrid]

In typical fashion, I'm finding that getting ready for this adventure takes a little longer than I was hoping for. I'm still working on extracting a description of Wati for you guys. Hopefully I'll be able to do it tonight.


- Perhaps one of the other guys helped out instead of Victor's parents (re: bullying). I will put out the plea to someone to step into Victor's history in that way.
- I will wait excitedly for a possible teacher to show up from the AP. Let me know if no one does and I will try to imagine someone interesting.

I hope the closest thing to an arcane school in Wati will make of sense for your character: The Hall of Blessed Rebirth, the city’s influential embalmer’s guild. Lead by an old halfling woman called Bahjut Everhand (so nicknamed from her desiccated left hand), it gathers most of the region’s morticians, doctors, and alchemists. It serves as an academy specializing in anatomy, chemistry, and medicine, and even tutoring exceptional students in alchemy and wizardry - that would be you! While most of Wati’s residents give the school a wide berth, ambitious families across Osirion send their children to the Hall of Blessed Rebirth to master techniques in medicine and embalming.


I am planning on taking Necromancy as my specialist school for the Power over Undead ability (Command Undead as a bonus feat - as noted in the quoted text above all the ability score dependent stuff is Charisma-based again, unlike the Wizard). To have more than 1 round of functional use of the ability I need some Charisma.

However, if you want to rule I can do it all with Intelligence and something else, I am flexible. There is not an archetype currently that changes the ability scores of the exploits to something other than Charisma. From an optimizing standpoint, Charisma is the weakest ability score other than Strength for my PC, so changing from Charisma to something else will be a stealth-buff, which is not what I was aiming to get...

For the reasons I gave before, I think this is a bit contradictory in RP terms. However, I prefer that to tweaking the rules, and to pushing you to redo a backstory that you have settled on. So, let's go with it as is.

@ all: Any news of the other 3 characters? How about the group's story of getting together?

[DarkOne-Rob]

I hope the closest thing to an arcane school in Wati will make of sense for your character: The Hall of Blessed Rebirth, the city’s influential embalmer’s guild. Lead by an old halfling woman called Bahjut Everhand (so nicknamed from her desiccated left hand), it gathers most of the region’s morticians, doctors, and alchemists. It serves as an academy specializing in anatomy, chemistry, and medicine, and even tutoring exceptional students in alchemy and wizardry - that would be you! While most of Wati’s residents give the school a wide berth, ambitious families across Osirion send their children to the Hall of Blessed Rebirth to master techniques in medicine and embalming.
That sounds like a perfectly weird place for my PC to get his start! Shall I use Bahjut as the mentor or make up an NPC and have them be affiliated with the Hal?


For the reasons I gave before, I think this is a bit contradictory in RP terms. However, I prefer that to tweaking the rules, and to pushing you to redo a backstory that you have settled on. So, let's go with it as is.
I will do my very best to not make you or anyone else regret that. If it helps - I am open to a home-brew drawback instead of Paranoid that gives a big penalty on Charisma-based checks. Additionally, I will do my best to hinder Victor's (few) social interactions in ways that reasonably apply penalties to the rare check he attempts.

Would it help for me to plan to be "charismatic" with regards to his interactions with undead specifically? Sort of like a little kid talks to their toys, very animated and comfortable even though they aren't real...Does that make sense and help make it easier to stomach?

[Gwynfrid]

That sounds like a perfectly weird place for my PC to get his start! Shall I use Bahjut as the mentor or make up an NPC and have them be affiliated with the Hal?
Not Bahjut herself, she's more versed in alchemy than spellcasting, and more of a political/business figure than a teacher. Feel free to invent a NPC, or to remain vague by just saying he was trained by the guild.


I will do my very best to not make you or anyone else regret that. If it helps - I am open to a home-brew drawback instead of Paranoid that gives a big penalty on Charisma-based checks.
Not sure I want to play the homebrew card for that relatively minor issue. How about existing drawbacks for the same purpose? For example, Anxious (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/drawbacks/anxious)?


Would it help for me to plan to be "charismatic" with regards to his interactions with undead specifically? Sort of like a little kid talks to their toys, very animated and comfortable even though they aren't real...Does that make sense and help make it easier to stomach?
This is a very good idea, I love it. Not only does it bring more consistency, it adds great flavor to the character.

Regarding background, if characters are from Wati: I recommend you look up these short descriptions of Osirion (http://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Osirion) and the Garundi (http://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Garundi_(human_ethnicity))people. It has useful background, and help for things like character names etc. You can also lookup Wati (http://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Wati), although I'll give you a more detailed description later.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Not Bahjut herself, she's more versed in alchemy than spellcasting, and more of a political/business figure than a teacher. Feel free to invent a NPC, or to remain vague by just saying he was trained by the guild.
Will do - I don't have any ideas yet, but will try and think of something tonight if I have time.


Not sure I want to play the homebrew card for that relatively minor issue. How about existing drawbacks for the same purpose? For example, Anxious (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/drawbacks/anxious)?
I am not opposed to that drawback instead, though I was honestly thinking of something more detrimental as far as "3rd party" would be - like -2 on all Charisma checks, not just Diplomacy. That said, if you want to avoid anything out of the Paizo-realm for consistency sake, I will look at either take Anxious or something similar instead of Paranoid.


This is a very good idea, I love it. Not only does it bring more consistency, it adds great flavor to the character.
Glad to hear it! That will be a plan then.

[Gwynfrid]

I am not opposed to that drawback instead, though I was honestly thinking of something more detrimental as far as "3rd party" would be - like -2 on all Charisma checks, not just Diplomacy.

Hey, my point wasn't to nerf him just for the hell of it :smallamused:

Also, you know that you are under no obligation to have a drawback in the first place, right?

[DarkOne-Rob]

I wouldn't consider it much of a nerf, honestly.

An yeah, I am a trait-aholic. I never seem to have enough on a PC.

[CleverDragon]

The alchemist contact might be an in for the character I'm considering. I'm tossing up either some version of an alchemist or investigator, both of which make heavy use of alchemy. I still haven't narrowed it down, though.

[Gwynfrid]

The alchemist contact might be an in for the character I'm considering. I'm tossing up either some version of an alchemist or investigator, both of which make heavy use of alchemy. I still haven't narrowed it down, though.

Both are fine, it would give the two characters a natural connection.

[Farmerbink]

BTW, I'm updating the above post as I hash out the fluff on my inquisitor. I can post in the thread to direct you there, but it's taking all the free time I've got left to keep up with other games and make meager progress on this.

[Gwynfrid]

BTW, I'm updating the above post as I hash out the fluff on my inquisitor. I can post in the thread to direct you there, but it's taking all the free time I've got left to keep up with other games and make meager progress on this.

Thanks for flagging that. I wouldn't look to the top of the thread otherwise, because when you edit a post, I don't get an alert from the forum.

[Farmerbink]

Also, I'm thinking that Grekka might be at least some portion of a tie that binds this group together. She's very outgoing, and usually disliked, so while Victor may not make friends easily, neither does he make an effort to NOT be Grekka's friend. And really, that's about all it takes. :smallbiggrin:

That said, it's fairly late, I've gotta get up early and drive in the snow tomorrow, so.... g'night! Hopefully, I'll get background and the rest of the fluff up tomorrow. It's gonna be good.

[Gwynfrid]

I edited the OP with a good description of the city of Wati. Enjoy, and please use this as inspiration to write character backstories with ties to the city.

[DarkOne-Rob]

I haven't had much time today, but I did get to read the info on Wati over lunch. When I have time I will update my back story with some new connections to the setting.

[DarkOne-Rob]

So, it has been a busy day or two for me, Gwynfrid. The wife and daughter are both sick, but I hope to have some more background written today.

Have you been able to get into google hangouts? There has been a bit of conversation there between everyone else, so I don't want you to think we have forgotten about this game. They just haven't posted here...

Let me know when you want an invitation to the hangout!
------------

I read the "Raising the Stakes" .pdf. Some of that sounds entertaining, but most of it seems like it would work better in person than via PbP to me. If the other players want to use any of those rules, I am game, but my vote is a neutral-emotionally "no" due to the venue.
------------

I was browsing the drawbacks in http://www.d20pfsrd.com/ (while trying to determine a better drawback to fit the fluff of my PC) and came upon a couple of things that got me thinking:

Anxious (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/drawbacks/anxious) (which was suggested earlier) is pretty good but only penalizes one of the social skills. I am fine as a player with Victor struggling with all the social skills.

Misbegotten (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/drawbacks/misbegotten) is a drawback that hits Dexterity skills the way I would be comfortable hitting Charisma skills. There are 7 Dexterity-based skills and there are 7 Charisma-based skills. How about I take a (new) trait with that effect?

The fluff for Vain (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/drawbacks/vain) is completely wrong, but the effect is closer to what I imagine Victor suffers.

How about we describe the drawback mechanically as "-2 to Charisma-based skills" and give it the fluff of "socially crippled" ? Does that sound like a manageable home-brew drawback?

[DarkOne-Rob]

Edits to Victor's Backstory
Victor's childhood was filled with stories of his parents' exploits adventuring in the deserts of Osirion. The family lived an easy life in Wati, where his parents were largely retired consultants for the Pathfinder Society living in the Midwife district. However, as he entered his teens their money started to dry up.

When the Pathfinders offered to send them to Mendev to represent the society there, both Jade (mother - cleric) and Henry (father - wizard) took the opportunity. It helped to open Victor's eyes to the world outside Wati, but also highlighted how their son was...different.

He had always been this way, but when traveling people would notice and point out how he never made eye contact, was too pale, spoke to the air instead of to the listener, and so on. His parents learned to help him adjust, but it was clear that he would never be "normal" by any measurement.

When his parents were killed in an unfortunate accident, the Pathfinders supplied Victor with a package of funds to get him "home" to Wati, where he has been ever since. When he arrived he found work as the apprentice of a Garundi employed by the Embalmers Guild working out of the Hall of Blessed Rebirth. Omar Habatani is a good mentor to Victor - his specialty (undead and defending against them) is in high demand by the residents of Wati, and even the Pharasmins accept him. The necromancer is one of the better kept secrets in town - a well-behaved expert with no ambitions that might lead him to cause problems for the living and no motivation to advance the goals of undead in the Necropolis. (I have not given him a level or character sheet - I figured it would be better to leave that up to you, Gwynfrid.)

His closest (only) friends (insert PC names here), have taken several years to really get to know him, and it has tried their patience sometimes. He doesn't try to be difficult, but he just doesn't always understand things as easily as they do. Luckily, their persistence has led to him having a small cadre of people he trusts.

When the announcement of the competition is made, Victor thought it a wonderful chance to start following in his parents' footsteps. He had a company in mind immediately, and spoke to them right away.

[Gwynfrid]

So, it has been a busy day or two for me, Gwynfrid. The wife and daughter are both sick, but I hope to have some more background written today.

No worries. I got pretty buried at work myself, especially the last 2 days. Still got some to do over the weekend I'm afraid.



Have you been able to get into google hangouts? There has been a bit of conversation there between everyone else, so I don't want you to think we have forgotten about this game. They just haven't posted here...

Oopsie. :smallredface: I just sent you a PM about that.


I read the "Raising the Stakes" .pdf. Some of that sounds entertaining, but most of it seems like it would work better in person than via PbP to me. If the other players want to use any of those rules, I am game, but my vote is a neutral-emotionally "no" due to the venue.

Not a problem. Like I said, it's your option and if you don't feel like using it, it just won't come up.



I was browsing the drawbacks in http://www.d20pfsrd.com/ (while trying to determine a better drawback to fit the fluff of my PC) and came upon a couple of things that got me thinking:

Anxious (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/drawbacks/anxious) (which was suggested earlier) is pretty good but only penalizes one of the social skills. I am fine as a player with Victor struggling with all the social skills.

Misbegotten (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/drawbacks/misbegotten) is a drawback that hits Dexterity skills the way I would be comfortable hitting Charisma skills. There are 7 Dexterity-based skills and there are 7 Charisma-based skills. How about I take a (new) trait with that effect?

The fluff for Vain (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/drawbacks/vain) is completely wrong, but the effect is closer to what I imagine Victor suffers.

How about we describe the drawback mechanically as "-2 to Charisma-based skills" and give it the fluff of "socially crippled" ? Does that sound like a manageable home-brew drawback?

I'm OK with either one of these:
- Take the effect of Vain, and just rename it "Awkward".
- Homebrew as you suggested, even though I find it rather harsh relative to most drawbacks.
Your call.


Edits to Victor's Backstory

This is fine. We'll say that Omar is something like expert 5 / necromancer 4, in his sixties. No need for a character sheet at this point, I think.

(Edited for clarity) The only remark I have left is about your character's name, Victor. As he is a local, you might want to pick a name more in tune with the setting, don't you think?

[DarkOne-Rob]

- Homebrew as you suggested, even though I find it rather harsh relative to most drawbacks.
Your call.

This is fine. We'll say that Omar is something like expert 5 / necromancer 4, in his sixties. No need for a character sheet at this point, I think. The only remark I have left is about the character's name. As he is a local, you might want to pick a name more in tune with the setting, don't you think?
Went with the -2 Cha checks option, called it something stupid like "Socially Crippled" (it needs work).

I had intended that name to fit - change it if you feel so motivated and I will follow along.

[Gwynfrid]

I had intended that name to fit - change it if you feel so motivated and I will follow along.

My bad, I was unclear. Omar is fine. I meant Victor: rather not a Garundi style of name.

[DarkOne-Rob]

My bad, I was unclear. Omar is fine. I meant Victor: rather not a Garundi style of name.
A decent point - let me think on it.

[Farmerbink]

I'm having a lazy Saturday at home (thanks, snow), which actually hasn't been lazy at all, so far. That said, if I'm not able to complete my background and post it tonight, I feel certain that I will have plenty of time to do so tomorrow.

Is "Grekka" a decent name for a quasi-local? She's a half-orc, born in the Insula Mater to an impoverished peasant mother. I haven't put anything about whether or not her mother stayed around or went on, or died- I'm happy to consider any of the above options. In any case, her mother is NOT a locally-born woman, though [Grekka] was born in Wati, so perhaps the name isn't quite as important.

Planning on being a native, for the campaign trait, and also to tie in with my dirty fighter trait and my overprotective drawback. Again, should have history done tonight or tomorrow.

[Gwynfrid]

If you're a half-orc then a half-orc name is fine, but then you'll be seen as a half-orc first and foremost. Whereas if you have a Garundi name then it would mean your human heritage dominates, at least in the eyes of others. Does that make sense? You can choose either way.

[DarkOne-Rob]

How about changing my PC's name to Vershab Fethi?

[Farmerbink]

If you're a half-orc then a half-orc name is fine, but then you'll be seen as a half-orc first and foremost. Whereas if you have a Garundi name then it would mean your human heritage dominates, at least in the eyes of others. Does that make sense? You can choose either way.

In the interest of perhaps playing into most people general dislike of me, I'll stick with the half-orc name, then. Good thing I'm outgoing, and Victor Vershab has no friends, or we'd never get anywhere!

[Gwynfrid]

How about changing my PC's name to Vershab Fethi?


In the interest of perhaps playing into most people general dislike of me, I'll stick with the half-orc name, then. Good thing I'm outgoing, and Victor Vershab has no friends, or we'd never get anywhere!

Both are fine by me.

Now, regarding the matter of healing. I understand the group will not include a full healer; possibly, at level 1, nobody will have healing abilities. I don't want to force one of you to pick such a class, that's boring. On the other hand, without a healer you're unlikely to get far. So, I came up with a couple of workarounds. Please pick one of the below (or use this as inspiration to propose another):
1) Overprotective parents
One of the paladin's parents had a short, unsuccessful adventuring past, lost several friends to traps and monsters, and swore that career off. Understandbly, neither parent is happy with their son's chosen path. They're very worried, but when they realized there was no dissuading him, they opened an old chest, extracted a dusty Wand of Cure Light Wounds and gave it to him. The family's means are modest, and the paladin realizes the wand's value is a significant part of their meagre fortune. (To be clear: This means the paladin will have to refund the wand's full value at some point, ie 255gp). The wand has 17 charges.
2) Shrewd sponsor
The investigator has a couple of rich acquaintances, and one of them sees great potential in him. When he heard the investigator was planning to participate in Wati's exploration lottery, he offered to sponsor him. His help takes the form of a set of 15 potions of Cure Light Wounds, plus a 50gp stipend to spend on equipment. In exchange, he asks for 10% of the first 3 explorations' proceeds (ie. the resell value of any valuables, including magic items), with a hint that continued association could bring great benefits to both parties.
3) Supportive church
The church of Sarenrae in Wati is rather small, with clergy consisting of just 2 full clerics and 1 acolyte, but they are ambitious and would like to raise the Dawnflower's profile in the city. Being joined by a budding paladin was a great boost to their group, as this is a rare event. They are eager to support him, so they offered him 3 potions of Cure Light Wounds as a gift upon receiving his vows of service, and promised to provide healing to him and his friends at half the usually charged cost (5 gp x spell level x caster level, and a 10 gp flat fee for restorative channeling).
4) Embalmer's Guild connection
Omar Habatani noticed the adventuring streak in his student, Vershab, and as he grew to like the socially inept young man over the years, he wants to give him a little help on the side, without letting the guild authorities in to it. He gave Vershab a box full with potions brewed by the guilds' medical students during the course of their exercises. Most are healing potions, but they aren't suitable for sale, because they're flawed. They work - usually (80% chance), but there are a few random side effects. The imbiber must make a DC12 fort save or be affected by a mild affliction (1d4: on a 1, the potion is extremely salty making the imbiber painfully thirsty; character is fatigued until he gets a chance to drink at least a full bottle of water (1 liter); on a 2, the potion is horribly bitter, and causes the character to be nauseated for 4 rounds, then sickened for 1 hour (Fort DC12 for half duration) ; on a 3, the character experiences a strong flash of body heat; he suffers a -2 penalty to saves vs fire damage or the effects of heat, for the rest of the day; on a 4, the character becomes dizzy, with a -4 penalty to Dex for 1 hour). There are 28 potions in the box, 24 of which are Cure Light Wounds and 4 are other 1st-level spells.

EDIT: Some changes done, see blue text.

[Farmerbink]

#1 seems... too easy? I mean, obviously, the implication is that we'll help support his/her family, but by adventuring standards, modest accommodations are VERY cheap.

#2 seems like it could be a very healthy mix of helpful and costly. Also opens lots of opportunities for later RP options.

#3 involves reliance on potions, which is arguably worse in every way than a wand. And also may involve running back to town to heal (not something I remember particularly fondly from D2).

As amusing as #4 sounds, it suffers from the same issue as number 3, and I do NOT want to find myself nauseated when I really needed the 1d8+1 Hpz.

My vote goes for #1 or 2. Either one will (hopefully) get us over the hump that is level 1 healing, and both have their own brand of costs.

With sufficient background tie-ins, I'd even be glad to have Grekka and the paladin (who's name I have not yet committed to memory) be close enough that she'd pay from her share to help support the parents, also.

[DarkOne-Rob]

As a player I always fear the "easy" options presented by a DM, and #1 is easy. That scares me enough to make me consider meta-gaming and being concerned with their survival and well-being before anything has even happened.

Numbers 2-4 all have significant enough costs to make the PC debate the value of each option, making them all interesting, though. I like the wand option best, but there are advantages to having a stash of potions too.

In the final analysis I would vote for #2, but could be convinced to try #3 too.

[Gwynfrid]

I drafted this without paying close attention to exact cost vs value of each option. I could be talked into changing some parameters.

The way I see it, you have this:
- option 1 is easy but not cheap since you will have a moral obligation to refund Dad and Mum. Also, when the charges are gone, that's it, there's no more where it came from.
- option 2 offers a useful connection but the cost is unknown. Your investor could make a lot of money on this. He might also end up losing some.
- option 3 is cheap but having to get out for healing is a serious drawback.
- option 4 is the only one that's free. Problem is, quality is low. That said, I went overboard with the nauseating effect: scratch that, sickened is bad enough.

[JWallyR]

I liked #2 and 3 the most at first blush, but I'm starting to like the idea behind #1. My paladin's "Resurrected" campaign trait might play into the parents' dislike of their child's choice to go adventuring, as she has died once already! I like the RP behind 3, and while 2 has some RP fun potential, there's also the potential for a lot of loot getting taxed.

[Gwynfrid]

On second thought, I made a few changes, see above in blue text.

[Farmerbink]

Grekka's background is finally done, and updated in my original post. Pending responses on the G+ hangout, Grekka's high concept and trouble are:

High Concept: Abrasive Divine Devestator
Trouble: Unlikeable, Unlikely Hero

First conflict: ????

[Gwynfrid]

@ Farmerbink: I had a quick look at Grekka, and while her personality is interesting and probably a nice fit, the choice of inquisitor as a class is a little puzzling. An inquisitor is supposed to hunt down the enemies of the faith; I don't see much in her background that would lead her to do so. Also, Cayden Cailean doesn't strike me as the kind of deity that would have much use for inquisitors in the first place. Can you explain?

@ all: To help with backstory writing, I suggest you answer these few basic questions, taken and expanded from the 16:

1) Where does your character come from?
- race/ethnicity
- place of origin
- family/upbringing
- training
- attitude to religion, especially the churches present in Wati
2) Why did he/she choose to do what he/she does
- why did he/she take this particular character class
- what he/she does for a living
- what are his/her ambitions in life, if any?
3) Why does he/she want to explore tombs in Wati?
- what are longer term goals, if any?
4) Can you name and describe at least a couple of the following:
- parents, siblings, pets, mentors, past or present love interests, children, friends, enemies...
5) What is his/her relationship with the other group members
- how did they meet
- what does he/she think of each of them?

[Farmerbink]

Are you of the opinion that Cayden Cailean's church simply has zero inquisitors?

I mean, the class might not be common, but it's hard for me to think that having negative experiences with undead (which are largely considered the enemies of most faiths- since they're the enemy of most living things), and training from a worshipper of Cayden Cailean wouldn't explain it, right there.

She's trained in combat- for the sake of protecting herself and others, but she has more personal desire to oppose undead (namely in the necropolis), due to her childhood. She worships C.C. because that's what she was taught.

[Gwynfrid]

Are you of the opinion that Cayden Cailean's church simply has zero inquisitors?

I guess I can't find a reason for one to exist, but hey, other people might have better imagination than mine, that's OK :smallwink:


I mean, the class might not be common, but it's hard for me to think that having negative experiences with undead (which are largely considered the enemies of most faiths- since they're the enemy of most living things), and training from a worshipper of Cayden Cailean wouldn't explain it, right there.

She's trained in combat- for the sake of protecting herself and others, but she has more personal desire to oppose undead (namely in the necropolis), due to her childhood. She worships C.C. because that's what she was taught.

To me, this describes a cleric adventurer perfectly. Why an inquistor instead?

[Farmerbink]

First, and most importantly, I'm more personally interested in the inquisitor class than the cleric class. Secondly, I'm intending to play her more on the edgy combat side of things than I interpret the generalist cleric to be involved in. She's MUCH more interested in retribution and the eventual sanctification and sealing of the necropolis than she is in anything else that the church might be a part of.

But honestly, a BIG part of it is that I just don't want to play a cleric. I'm not tremendously familiar with spells in general (this is a huge understatement), and choosing a class that is less spell-centered and more ability-centered than a cleric or wizard seems like a better way to gain some familiarity without feeling like I'm in too deep.

It's kind of an inside joke, how often I try to trade away spells for other abilities, when I make a character, soI'm trying to get over that, without overwhelming myself.

[Gwynfrid]

First, and most importantly, I'm more personally interested in the inquisitor class than the cleric class. Secondly, I'm intending to play her more on the edgy combat side of things than I interpret the generalist cleric to be involved in. She's MUCH more interested in retribution and the eventual sanctification and sealing of the necropolis than she is in anything else that the church might be a part of.

But honestly, a BIG part of it is that I just don't want to play a cleric. I'm not tremendously familiar with spells in general (this is a huge understatement), and choosing a class that is less spell-centered and more ability-centered than a cleric or wizard seems like a better way to gain some familiarity without feeling like I'm in too deep.

It's kind of an inside joke, how often I try to trade away spells for other abilities, when I make a character, soI'm trying to get over that, without overwhelming myself.

All right, not going to force your hand of course. Still, I have a bit of cognitive dissonance when reading the description of the inquisitor next to that of Cayden Cailean:


The faithful of Cayden Cailean hold their patron's two loves, freedom and drink, as the pillars of his church. Free to seek their own means of venerating the Drunken Hero, it's not uncommon for followers to take part in events involving one or both of these. The creation and drinking of spirits is often considered a noble and holy, though not formal, pastime. Likewise, the act of fighting for freedom, both that of others and of oneself, is highly respected and honored; both liberators and chevaliers are welcome additions to the Lucky Drunk's faith.

(...)
Cayden Cailean's clergy is comprised primarily of clerics, though a smattering of druids and bards can also be counted among their number. In the rare instances where any structure exists, the church favors a loose hierarchy. Typically, priests are free to spread the ideals of their faith as they see fit; the priests of the Lucky Drunk are often barkeeps, freedom fighters, or adventurers traveling alone or as part of a group.

(...)
Cayden Cailean is not known to have taken the time to write a book or manual describing his divine teachings. Instead, he chooses to let his actions before and after attaining divinity serve as an example to his followers.
Placard of Wisdom
Consisting of no more than a few lines of text, this writing usually takes the form of a simple wall-hanging that summarizes the traits that should be embraced by the followers of the Drunken Hero


Grim and determined, the inquisitor roots out enemies of the faith, using trickery and guile when righteousness and purity is not enough. Although inquisitors are dedicated to a deity, they are above many of the normal rules and conventions of the church. They answer to their deity and their own sense of justice alone, and are willing to take extreme measures to meet their goals.

Inquisitors tend to move from place to place, chasing down enemies and researching emerging threats. As a result, they often travel with others, if for no other reason than to mask their presence. Inquisitors work with members of their faith whenever possible, but even such allies are not above suspicion.

Then there are all the inquisitor abilities dealing with judging people, rooting out traitors, intimidating people, tracking them down, discerning their lies and generally trusting no one. All of that is hard to reconcile with the tenets of the most laid-back god in the entire pantheon.

[Farmerbink]

That's part of why she has the heretic archetype. She's not entirely in-line with C.C.'s antics, though she seems to try to be. She's less laid-back than he is, less prone to wanderlust, and all-in-all, just a bit more serious (at least when it comes to judging the undead).

If you'd rather, I can rework her background somewhat and make her an inquisitor of Abadar instead. That was the original idea, actually. I just felt like incorporating luck bonuses and making her the CC worshipper that never fits in, no matter how hard she tried, (for flavor) would be a really fun and interesting character to play.

[DarkOne-Rob]

On second thought, I made a few changes, see above in blue text.
My votes don't change. I like #2 and #3 best, but would be willing to do any of the four. If the rest of the party likes #1 best, that would be fine too.
---------------------

Regarding classes and pre-determined roles: I began actively playing during 3.5 when mixing and matching classes was pretty common. The fluff generally took second place to the mechanics of a given class, so you made sure your PC could do what you wanted them to do and then gave them fluff for the rest.

The high priest of a church could be an expert, with no levels of Cleric at all. Likewise, the inquisitor could be a hardened ex-paladin who fell but did not stop serving their faith. There were (obviously) certain things that couldn't be adjusted (you had to have trapfinding in 3.5 to be the anti-traps guy and only some classes had that), but as for a PC's relationship with their game world, I figured it was exceptionally rare that a PC's class was synonymous with position in society.

Taking the "heretic" archetype would lead to not fitting in the standard church, but being an inquisitor wouldn't necessarily mean that you would fit in with the Spanish Inquisition.

All that said, if you claim to be an arcane caster with no levels in such a class...yeah, you had better be able to explain that well. In the case we are discussing, would Greka being a Battle Oracle be more fitting in your mind, Gwynfrid? And if it would be, John, would you consider that sort of an adjustment?

Just my 2 cp.

[Gwynfrid]

That's part of why she has the heretic archetype. She's not entirely in-line with C.C.'s antics, though she seems to try to be. She's less laid-back than he is, less prone to wanderlust, and all-in-all, just a bit more serious (at least when it comes to judging the undead).

If you'd rather, I can rework her background somewhat and make her an inquisitor of Abadar instead. That was the original idea, actually. I just felt like incorporating luck bonuses and making her the CC worshipper that never fits in, no matter how hard she tried, (for flavor) would be a really fun and interesting character to play.

Oh, that's what you meant. Reading your backstory a second time under that angle, I get it a little better. There is this thing about her halfling's friends' death being the reason for her taking a departure from the live and let live approach of her faith.

Again, I'm not here to force anything: So please keep it as it is. We'll see in play how the RP for this pans out.


My votes don't change. I like #2 and #3 best, but would be willing to do any of the four. If the rest of the party likes #1 best, that would be fine too.
Sure. I designed it in such a way that the four have, in my opinion, roughly balanced pros and cons. #1 is the easiest but will cost you a lot eventually. #2 will be the most expensive if you win big in the field, less so if you only find mediocre treasure. #3 is cheap but will slow you down, and carry risk. #4 is free but inconvenient, and in some cases it could slow you down.


Regarding classes and pre-determined roles: I began actively playing during 3.5 when mixing and matching classes was pretty common. The fluff generally took second place to the mechanics of a given class, so you made sure your PC could do what you wanted them to do and then gave them fluff for the rest.

Ha, I see. My normal approach is the exact opposite: Think of a character concept in terms of story and personality, and once that's 80% settled, look for the mechanics that fit. The rest is minor adjustments in story as more ideas come up while finding feats and class abilities. I might have mentioned that in a more explicit manner when we were discussing styles. No big deal though.

I'm not saying that your method lacks merit, it's just different. Let's just do things the way you guys are used to.


The high priest of a church could be an expert, with no levels of Cleric at all. Likewise, the inquisitor could be a hardened ex-paladin who fell but did not stop serving their faith. There were (obviously) certain things that couldn't be adjusted (you had to have trapfinding in 3.5 to be the anti-traps guy and only some classes had that), but as for a PC's relationship with their game world, I figured it was exceptionally rare that a PC's class was synonymous with position in society.

Sure it would work for a paladin-style outlook... Not so much with Cayden Cailean as a patron.


Taking the "heretic" archetype would lead to not fitting in the standard church, but being an inquisitor wouldn't necessarily mean that you would fit in with the Spanish Inquisition.

Well, it says "heretic" on the can, but in reality it isn't much of a departure from the regular class. The description says:


While all inquisitors hunt the enemies of the faith, sometimes, either through political maneuvering by her enemies or an unyielding tenacity that breaks her faith’s basic tenets, an inquisitor can find herself a heretic. Still unyielding in her cause, these heretics are accustomed to using guile and deception to hide themselves and their activities while they continue to hunt their enemies.
It's still all about hunting people down... More importantly, the archetype's abilities are only modified at the margins. Overall the class is still based on judgment, intimidation, tracking, uncovering lies etc.


All that said, if you claim to be an arcane caster with no levels in such a class...yeah, you had better be able to explain that well. In the case we are discussing, would Greka being a Battle Oracle be more fitting in your mind, Gwynfrid? And if it would be, John, would you consider that sort of an adjustment?

Yes it would (so would be a combat-oriented cleric who only ever uses spells for buffing before combat, healing after combat, and the odd divination here and there) but I definitely don't want to ask for such a big change. I'm asking questions and maybe it comes out as challenging you guys' ideas. But at the end of the day, this remains the player's call.

tl;dr: I explained my views but at the end of the day I'll take the characters you want to play.

[Gwynfrid]

@ Farmerbink & DarkOne: Do you think your character sheet is complete from a mechanical perspective? Let me know if it's the right time for me to review.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Ha, I see. My normal approach is the exact opposite: Think of a character concept in terms of story and personality, and once that's 80% settled, look for the mechanics that fit. The rest is minor adjustments in story as more ideas come up while finding feats and class abilities. I might have mentioned that in a more explicit manner when we were discussing styles. No big deal though.
I have always been a gamer who likes to role-play and optimize my PCs. The optimizing coming first is a result of personal motivation - I want to have something to do as much of the game as possible and not pull down my allies ever with my performance. We also play our PC's mechanics rather heavily (at least in combat), while we can role play with no relation to mechanics (outside of social skills, which many groups don't use).

It is always very interesting to see how other players do it. The Fate system (which we have mentioned for its fluff) actually closely ties the fluff and mechanics when used as its own game system. Someday I would like to play it - in the meanwhile it is certainly handy for connecting PCs' backgrounds.


@ Farmerbink & DarkOne: Do you think your character sheet is complete from a mechanical perspective? Let me know if it's the right time for me to review.
Mechanically I am pretty confident I am good. Please review Vershab Fethi (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1047278) at your leisure.

[Gwynfrid]

Personally, I tend to give RP priority over mechanical optimization when writing a character, but I recognize the need to have some optimization in order for the character to stand his/her own. Anyway, as long as we agree on no homebrew and no 3rd party content, I don't mind optimization. I think PF keeps within reasonable limits and I have no seen examples of things going crazy within that framework.

On to Vershab Fehti: The sheet looks fine to me. It's interesting that you're making a long-term investment in Cha, which won't pay off until level 5 given your archetype choice, but why not? It's not necessarily optimal but it's in character (I mean, the undead bloodline is in character), so I like it.

Only 3 minor remarks:
- Unless I read the Arcane Reservoir rule wrong, the fact that you're listing it as 4/4 implies that you have used Consume Spells to fill it up to full capacity.
- I recommend that you have a space somewhere in the spell list to indicate spells casts in the day; that's for easier tracking, in case a long IRL time and/or many IC pages pass between two fights.
- I suggest you dump Necril, it won't come up.

By the way: Every character born in the city gets Osiriani as a free bonus language. It's not in the Player's Guide, but I think it should be.

[JWallyR]

Sorry for lurking more than posting; I have been unusually busy both at work and at home. My character is (I hope) mechanically complete: Lehasti Gesmeha (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1103438)

While I want to work some with the other members of the party on my character's backstory, I took the Resurrected trait and the plan is as follows: while on a journey with her family (perhaps a pilgrimage to Wati for some reason?), Lehasti became separated from her family and caravan, and succumbed to the ravages of a sandstorm. While her body was found (ironically very near to the road ahead, which made the finding of her body relatively easy for the caravan) and she was pronounced dead, she was miraculously returned to life, describing a vision in which Sarenrae, the Dawnflower, appeared to her. Following the visionary proclamation of a greater purpose, Lehasti sought out a temple of Sarenrae to submit herself to the Dawnflower's service.

Some years later, at the end of her formal training, she has been sent out to the world to proclaim healing and redemption. With the opening of the necropolis in Wati, the opportunity to reclaim and redeem this portion of the great city drew her to the area, where she came into contact with a rather odd group of acquaintances, but in the spirit of Sarenrae, she looks for the good in each of them and seeks to be the social buffer through which to ease their (hopeful) transition from outcasts into unlikely heroes!

Personality-wise, Lehasti is welcoming, forgiving and easygoing, but has an almost brash eagerness for battle in the name of Sarenrae! Her tendency to assume the best in people can lend itself to naivete, and her rush to the fray could be described as almost foolhardy, however.


Thoughts? I want to spend some time working with the other players to work out circumstances in which they might have come to work with each other.

[Gwynfrid]

Hi JWallyR, I sure understand about RL constraints :smallwink:

About Lehasti: Looks like a pretty good baseline. The resurrection is the defining moment of her life and character. It would do that for me, too :smallbiggrin:

I'll look at the mechanics tonight.

About Vershab Fehti: It took me a while looking up the rules about languages, but I finally got the point: Since Vershab is human, he can pick whatever bonus language he wants; while it would require a trait for him to do so, if he were non-human. So I recommend Ancient Osiriani in place of Necril. In the setting, it serves the same goal, and then some.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Only 3 minor remarks:
- Unless I read the Arcane Reservoir rule wrong, the fact that you're listing it as 4/4 implies that you have used Consume Spells to fill it up to full capacity.
- I recommend that you have a space somewhere in the spell list to indicate spells casts in the day; that's for easier tracking, in case a long IRL time and/or many IC pages pass between two fights.
- I suggest you dump Necril, it won't come up.

By the way: Every character born in the city gets Osiriani as a free bonus language. It's not in the Player's Guide, but I think it should be.

About Vershab Fehti: It took me a while looking up the rules about languages, but I finally got the point: Since Vershab is human, he can pick whatever bonus language he wants; while it would require a trait for him to do so, if he were non-human. So I recommend Ancient Osiriani in place of Necril. In the setting, it serves the same goal, and then some.
1. That is a good catch - I will correct that.
2. I was intending to keep track of spells cast like a sorcerer (#of times cast next to the spell listed, when they add up to my daily total I am done). Is that clear enough for you to be cool with it?
3. I will certainly take Ancient Osiriani in that case. Thanks for the bonus freebie (Osiriani) too!
----------

May I suggest something for Lehasti - player and DM should cooperatively write your specific paladin code together. That way there are no disagreements on what would constitute actions within the code, actions that need explanation, and actions that are outside the code (threatening the loss of paladin status).

Ideally I think this sort of thing would be a series of short-ish oaths or precepts that make it clear how a paladin of Sarenrae is expected to handle herself in a variety of morally challenging situations. That way it can serve as a tool for both DM and player to guarantee the PC behavior stays in line with both your expectations.

[Gwynfrid]

2. I was intending to keep track of spells cast like a sorcerer (#of times cast next to the spell listed, when they add up to my daily total I am done). Is that clear enough for you to be cool with it?

Yes, that works. You'll need to add the uses of Consume Spells to the list, but that's doable.
In the same vein, I recommend you have a line somewhere to capture the remaining uses of per-day powers like Arcane Reservoir and Grave Touch.


May I suggest something for Lehasti - player and DM should cooperatively write your specific paladin code together. That way there are no disagreements on what would constitute actions within the code, actions that need explanation, and actions that are outside the code (threatening the loss of paladin status).

Ideally I think this sort of thing would be a series of short-ish oaths or precepts that make it clear how a paladin of Sarenrae is expected to handle herself in a variety of morally challenging situations. That way it can serve as a tool for both DM and player to guarantee the PC behavior stays in line with both your expectations.

Good idea. JWallyR, does that make sense for you? If so, would you mind draft a first version?

[JWallyR]

Good idea. JWallyR, does that make sense for you? If so, would you mind draft a first version?

If I wasn't such a detail-oriented person, I would probably be MORE interested in working on that, because in my mind, I am going to have to write a pretty comprehensive legalistic rant. Blech. But I will try to start from the general and see if/when you feel like I've covered the necessary bases thoroughly enough. :P

[DarkOne-Rob]

Yes, that works. You'll need to add the uses of Consume Spells to the list, but that's doable.
In the same vein, I recommend you have a line somewhere to capture the remaining uses of per-day powers like Arcane Reservoir and Grave Touch.
Good call on those other daily uses, especially consume spells. Let me look at the sheet layout and determine where I will track them. Do you need me to include those details on character status spoilers during combat?

I am glad you both like the idea of a code. As far as details, I would avoid going so far as using the Uniform Code of Military Justice as a model (legalistic system of regulations) and aim towards a creed instead. For example, the code I am using in another game is:

I will take great joy in life, from the waters of birth through the many cycles of the years. As I celebrate I will guard and defend children, for they have just begun their lives. While we age together I will stand beside families and aid them in their struggles. My duty shall be to fight till my last breath to provide the aged comfort and peace in their final days.

Just as the rain falls to the earth and the stream flows to the sea, so too must all things pass away. Pharasma spins and guides the threads of fate; when she wills it I shall read it in the stars and bring her judgement. None may escape their final destination, nor their designated time. I shall have faith in her guidance.

When the hourglass has run its course I shall bring death as peacefully as I am able. Those who accept their final rest shall find comfort with me. I will honor the body that housed their soul, protect it from defilement, and allow it to return to the cycle of waters to be reborn anew as appointed by fate. I will defend the soul that the whippoorwill may guide it to my lady's spire. With grace, someday I will follow.

Cheating the cycle of life and death is the most heinous crime of all. Nothing will stop me from sending the unresting dead to Pharasma's spire, there to be judged as we all must be. Only when the waters wash clean all trace of such corruption will I be satisfied.
This was more poetic and flowery than a strict code, which made sense for the deity in question, IMO. I made it a point to consider her areas of influence, noting unusual items like her power over the domain of Water and involving it as best I could.

Sarenrae, as a neutral good deity, shouldn't be too strict either, if you ask me. Check out her domains and see what inspires you.

[DarkOne-Rob]

If I wasn't such a detail-oriented person, I would probably be MORE interested in working on that, because in my mind, I am going to have to write a pretty comprehensive legalistic rant. Blech. But I will try to start from the general and see if/when you feel like I've covered the necessary bases thoroughly enough. :P
Hopefully it will never come to this, but use this suggestion as a fail safe or tool to defend your PC's actions should a concern on your paladin status every arise. The more comprehensive and legalistic the less useful it is, IMO. You want a way to defend the spirit of your PC's actions, not handcuffs for them.

[Gwynfrid]

If I wasn't such a detail-oriented person, I would probably be MORE interested in working on that, because in my mind, I am going to have to write a pretty comprehensive legalistic rant. Blech. But I will try to start from the general and see if/when you feel like I've covered the necessary bases thoroughly enough. :P

I side with DarkOne on this. No legalese, but a short, inspirational text, even poetic, please... I also agree that Sarenrae isn't a rigid-minded deity, so her code should reflect that. Here's from the Sarenrae entry in the Golarion Wiki:

Known to her faithful as the Dawnflower, the Healing Flame, and the Everlight, Sarenrae (pronounced SAER-en-ray) teaches temperance and patience in all things. Compassion and peace are her greatest virtues, and if enemies of the faith can be redeemed, they should be. Yet there are those who have no interest in redemption, who glory in slaughter and death. From the remorseless evil of the undead and fiends to the cruelties born in the hearts of mortals, Sarenrae's doctrines preach swift justice delivered by the scimitar's edge. To this end, she expects her faithful to be skilled at swordplay, both as a form of martial art promoting centering of mind and body, and so that when they do enter battle, their foes do not suffer any longer than necessary.




Good call on those other daily uses, especially consume spells. Let me look at the sheet layout and determine where I will track them. Do you need me to include those details on character status spoilers during combat?

Yes. I tend to copy that information from the spoilers into the sheet for my own characters, because sometimes the games I play in can go into extended lull.
But for us, if we maintain a fast enough pace, then keeping this up to date in the character sheet may not be necessary.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Yes. I tend to copy that information from the spoilers into the sheet for my own characters, because sometimes the games I play in can go into extended lull.
But for us, if we maintain a fast enough pace, then keeping this up to date in the character sheet may not be necessary.
K, that just directs me somewhat where in the sheet I should place that info - since spells aren't in that blurb provide by the Mythweavers sheet but status effects are, I will place them in that box.

[Farmerbink]

Hey, just checking in. I think, with the notable exception of general adventuring gear, that Grekka Cailean (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=82324) is ready for inspection. I am unlikely to come up with 49 pounds worth of other stuff or more than 15g, so I'm not too worried about hashing that out- just need free time to do it.

[Gwynfrid]

Hey, just checking in. I think, with the notable exception of general adventuring gear, that Grekka Cailean (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=82324) is ready for inspection. I am unlikely to come up with 49 pounds worth of other stuff or more than 15g, so I'm not too worried about hashing that out- just need free time to do it.

Looks good overall. Few remarks:
- Your speed, lady traveller, I think should be 30, not 20...
- Please note your bonus from sacred tatoo is a luck bonus; so we don't forget it doesn't stack with effects like Prayer.
- It's "Necropolis Native", not "Wati Native".
- Max Dex bonus on hide armor is +4.
- You sure you don't want a ranged weapon?
- I'd prefer you to not use non-standard acronyms, such as "FC".
- Your CMD should be 16.
- Your armor check penalty should apply to a bunch of skills.
- Please list your equipment; indeed I'm not too worried about exceeding light load, and even if you did, you use medium armor anyway.

[Gwynfrid]

Sorry for lurking more than posting; I have been unusually busy both at work and at home. My character is (I hope) mechanically complete: Lehasti Gesmeha (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1103438)

I like her. Remarks:
- It is not mandatory, but still customary to calculate the bonuses, ie for falchion, damage = 2d4+6.
- Please list your traits under "feats and special abilities"; there's a box for traits at the bottom but it's just for the fluff.
- You have only 1 trait, so one is missing. I take it you aren't interested in drawbacks, no problem.
- I think your AC and CMD should both be 16 including Dex.
- Please list the number per-day for abilities (used/total) like Smite Evil.
- I didn't check the weight or the expended equipment budget. You didn't go crazy so it should be ok.

[JWallyR]

I haven't been calculating damage numbers due to the volatility that always seems to be going on. I don't *always* want to power attack, so that's one variable that changes.
I'll add the traits there... that's actually where I have put most of them in the past, but some of our players in other games have borrowed that "Traits" box, so I figured, why not?
I hadn't decided on a second trait, thanks for the reminder.
For some reason the dex bonus to AC and CMD wasn't taking, but after reentering that value the sheet seems to have fixed itself.
I have the times per day for Smite Evil listed in the spells area... but I'll add it onto the listing in the Feats and Special Abilities area.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Farmerbink]

- Your speed, lady traveller, I think should be 30, not 20...

Does hide armor not restrict movement as per medium armor?

The rest has been covered, and I switched out the dirty fighter trait for reckless. I'll probably take "additional traits" later, and retake dirty fighter. There are plenty of other traits that I want pretty badly. Gotta have that acrobatics to be a semi-nimble melee character, though.

[Gwynfrid]

Does hide armor not restrict movement as per medium armor?

Yes, but your base speed is 40 (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/cleric/domains/paizo---domains/travel-domain), so with the armor on, it's 30 (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alignment-description/carrying-capacity).

[Farmerbink]

Yes, but your base speed is 40 (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/cleric/domains/paizo---domains/travel-domain), so with the armor on, it's 30 (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alignment-description/carrying-capacity).

SEEEEEXXXXXXXY. I missed that part. Hell, I already thought the travel domain was awesome. O_o

[Gwynfrid]

Glad you like it :smallbiggrin:

In new news: I just uploaded a map of Wati, visible in the OP for your viewing pleasure.

@JWallyJ: Not to nitpick, but I like all the the character features in one place if possible: definitely include traits at the top please, especially as you guys seem to be very fond of having many of these...
Also, I like using the spells area for the per-day power counters, but I hadn't noticed here, all hidden at the very bottom. That works.

[CleverDragon]

Warning: the following is very much stream of conscious. Please comment, correct, advise, negate, or otherwise butcher at your leisure :smallbiggrin:

Now that my massive amount of work is behind me, I'm now starting to try to catch back up in my games. As far as this game is concerned, I've decided on an elf alchemist named Calathon Amradi (Please, call me Cal). He's a bit of a savant at whatever he attempts (high Int) but due to an unfortunate incident, he's a terribly burned alchemist and as a result has a love/hate relationship with his alchemy and specifically fire.

I've taken the "Burned" drawback to explain his horrific scarring. He has a healthy fear of fire, stemming from an accident that left his face, right arm, both hands, neck, and right side of his torso burned wickedly. He will, as a result, be constantly offering to make sunrods for the group, as he would rather have no torches anywhere near him.

But, in a twist of fate, because of his constant exposure to fire from his experimentation and learning the finer points of alchemy, he's developed a physical tolerance for fire as well, resulting in fire resistance 5 in terms of game mechanics. (This was received as a result of the alternate elven racial trait. I just refluffed it to be explained by his alchemy versus the region in which he grew up) So while he really doesn't take that much damage from fire anymore, most of his concerns are mental in nature.

Also, as a result of his somewhat obsessive behavior with alchemy, he has "taste-tested" too many liquids (before learning safer methods) that turned out to be acidic, and so the tip of his tongue and lips have largely burned away or scarred over, so he speaks with an unintentional lisp. Couple that with his appearance, he has a hard time getting people to talk to him for a long period of time or to look him in the eyes.

Despite his low Charisma, I envision him as being fairly personable, if not a little excitable about some of the more scholastic pursuits (history, alchemy, archaeology, etc) but he has a hard time carrying a long conversation with folks simply because he's not used to people being willing to converse for a long time with him.

Since he's considerably older than everyone else in the group, my thoughts are that he served as an "advisor" to Vershab's (Rob's character) parents in terms of Osiriani history. History is his other passion. He's fascinated with Osirion's tombs and artifacts and the ancient pharoahs and civilization of old. I envision him being an amateur archaelogist, and uses his alchemy to preserve history scrolls and texts, clean artifacts, reveal hidden writing, and any number of other similar needs. So, to complete the picture, Vershab grew up with Cal around and in the last few months of their lives, Vershab's parents made Cal his godfather or something along those lines. (Rob and I had talked about this in chat...you might have seen it)

Gwynfrid, if there's a museum that he could work for, or the government as a minor historian or an alchemist's guild that he serves as an assistant curator of historical goods or something along those lines, that'd be awesome. I'm thinking that Cal was born in the Mwangi jungles to the southwest, and in his formative years (ages 1 - 40ish) he learned to use the standard elven weapons, but Kelesh slavers captured him and his parents. He got separated from them early on, and learned to adapt (as savants do) and realized that all he needed to do was bide his time for his owners to simply perish...which they did. Kelesh law provided for his freedom at that point. He hasn't seen his parents since and there's a latent desire to follow up on that...at some point. His former owner had business dealings with an alchemist, of which he'd heard a lot of their conversations. Upon his freedom, he offered that business contact his service as an apprentice or employee.

Turns out that the businessman/alchemist, Malakeh Amradi, was an Osiriani merchant. Cal ended up traveling to Sothis to study with Malakeh at around the age of 80ish. It was during that time that he developed his love of Osiriani history as well as finding his niche as an alchemist. I have in my mind that whatever accident that caused him to get burned also resulted in the death of one or more people, which caused his relocation to Wati to make a new living at around 110 years old. He would hire himself out as a sage or researcher, and a few years later an adventurer that hired him was Vershab's father. Continued hiring and a shared love of history ensured their eventual closeness and friendship, and when baby Vershab came into the picture, Cal would occasionally babysit or go on minor excursions into archaeological sites with them.

Now, at the age of 143 he is Vershab's godfather and mourning the loss of not only his own parents but also Vershab's, but also has a respectable job as [insert Gwynfrid's suggestion of employer and profession]. But when Vershab heard about the city's contest and excitably contacted some of his friends (whom Cal had encountered from time to time), Cal was delighted at the opportunity.

So...thoughts? :) I'll have a sheet available soon. It's partially finished but it's well past my bedtime and I need sleep.

[Gwynfrid]

Very nice, I like your ideas for a flavourful alchemist. Also, the concept for tying your character with Vershab is excellent.


Since he's considerably older than everyone else in the group, my thoughts are that he served as an "advisor" to Vershab's (Rob's character) parents in terms of Osiriani history. History is his other passion. He's fascinated with Osirion's tombs and artifacts and the ancient pharoahs and civilization of old. I envision him being an amateur archaelogist, and uses his alchemy to preserve history scrolls and texts, clean artifacts, reveal hidden writing, and any number of other similar needs.

Sure thing. His employer for this kind of expertise is Minnothet, the owner of the Canny Jackal, a prestigious art gallery and auction house located in the Sunburst Market area. She's the expert for appraising the authenticity of antiquities, but certainly can use somebody like Cal to ensure items are correctly preserved or, if necessary, restored. Also, proper cleaning and presentation is important, as the Canny Jackal is a business that caters to people with refined tastes and significant means.

Cal might also work for the Hall of Blessed Rebirth, but their interest is more centered towards the dead themselves, rather than their wordly goods, so I think the Canny Jackal is more up his alley. That said, there is no exclusivity: He can also be a member of the embalmer's guild if you want to, as nearly all of Wati's alchemists are.

[CleverDragon]

Working for Minnothet is perfect. What race is she, how old(ish), and what's her general demeanor? And would she have any issues with Cal trotting off to raid tombs? (I'm assuming not)

Thanks!

[Gwynfrid]

Working for Minnothet is perfect. What race is she, how old(ish), and what's her general demeanor? And would she have any issues with Cal trotting off to raid tombs? (I'm assuming not)

Thanks!

Minnothet is human, native of Wati, in her sixties. She's a small, rather frail woman, with a kind heart, but also a shrewd mind and an ability to ingratiate herself to wealthy customers. She's also a respected Osirionologist with a true passion for new findings and mysterious, ancient objects. She has no issues letting Cal go on exploration, simply asking to have first look at whatever he finds. Cal knows her excitement is for the prospect of discovery, even more than for the potential business that might be attached to it.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Vershab Fethi (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1047278)

High Concept (the character's role-playing concept summed up in a short phrase)
Brilliant and Unorthodox Necromantic Genius
Vershab is a true arcane prodigy, with such a natural penchant towards the undead and necromantic arts that it was inevitable that he would become an expert. Nothing absorbs his attention as much, and few can understand his attraction to this dark art. However, he has never been drawn to the evil that so often consumes the practitioners of such magic, perhaps because of his childlike wonder at its marvels - he simply never saw it as a path to power.

Trouble (how the DM can torture this character that I, as a player, will enjoy)
Utterly Socially Crippled
On the opposite side of his magic lies the rest of the mortal world. For every bit of his genius in the affairs of magic and the living dead, he does not understand the living one iota. Growing up he was always the target of bullies and teasing, even when he didn't realize it, and his few confidants are largely the result of the efforts of his loving parents. Continually bewildered and never understanding people, he has learned to keep to himself and be very cautious, rarely speaking to strangers and even less frequently making eye contact. The fact that these behaviors make things worse has never occurred to him.

From where do I come?
Touched by Death
Even as a child there was an odd miasma about this young man. People would get chills as he walked by, the smell of musty earth (or worse) would occasionally assault those near him, and his pale skin was unlike the other inhabitants of Wati. Traveling the Inner Sea area didn't often help things, as mysterious (and frightening) signs of death or decay seemed to happen when he arrived in a place. Though nothing happened so bad as to attract the attention of authority, people just seemed to know that he had less in common with them and more in common with the dead. And he seemed to agree, most of the time.

What inspired me to be an adventurer?
Following in his Parent's Footsteps
Vershab's parents were very loving and devoted to him. When his mother discovered she was pregnant with him they stopped adventuring and tried to settle down, but their stories and trophies always fascinated him (especially of their many expeditions to tombs and burial chambers in Osirion). His parents encouraged his curiosity and held nothing back from their only son, guaranteeing him excellent tutors and all the guidance they could. When they died supporting other adventurers for the Pathfinders Society, Vershab vowed to become a great adventurer too, one day. His adoration of his parents was one of the only human elements he demonstrated, and mimicking his heroic parents was as natural as could be.

My First Adventure (the "hook" which I want other PCs to help me complicate/resolve)
"Smear the Mummy-Lover!" (Story Title)
Never Understands the Haters
One day while walking to his studies at the Hall of Blessed Rebirth Vershab found himself hemmed into a side street by a pack of bullies led by a hulking thug. His nose in one of his texts he didn't even notice his danger until one of them knocked it out of his hands and got directly in his face, eliciting a frightened yelp and a reactionary slap from the thin young man. Instinctively reacting to his fear, he seemed to conjure some base magical effect (Grave Touch (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/classes/wizard.html#necromancy-school)), which left his attacker shaken and the others enraged! "Um, help? I think?" he cried in confusion towards the crowded street, not knowing how to defend himself or react without using his magic against the ruffians...

Guest Starring #1 in Lehasti's story (My effort to complicate another PC's First Adventure)
Been the Victim Before
Right before Lehasti enters the alley an unusually pale man says a little too loudly, "They tried to pull this trick on me last week - if you go in that alley they are likely to jump you." The man is dressed in a large, heavy robe with the hood covering much of his head and he seems to be deliberately looking past everyone and not making eye contact with anyone. "You could probably handle a few of them, but at best you will walk away with some injuries. They aren't nice people and have no interest in exploring the tombs..." as he is speaking one of the nearby crowd steps forward and gets in his face, which immediately makes him lurch awkwardly back in discomfort. "Shut your damned mouth, you creep! Just because you could freak your way out of there last week doesn't mean you will get out this time!" the con-man yells, pushing the smaller man towards the alley roughly causing him and Lehasti to bump into each other. "Besides, we have more people this time - you won't get away so easily, even with two of you!"

Guest Starring #2 (My effort to resolve another PC's First Adventure)
Calm in the Face of...being Oblivious to the Danger
As Vershab was walking to meet his godfather, Cal, for lunch he hears a massive commotion coming from a nearby construction area. Turning to observe the locals he sees the fire, his godfather, and his new compatriot Grekka in the midst of the developing inferno. He takes several moments to calmly observe the area before seeing an option to save the remaining workers without placing anyone else at risk.

Quietly he walks over to a rope/pulley system and releases it, causing a lift to raise to the level of the men on the platform trapped above the flame. He watches as they scramble onto it and the balance of weight shifts, lowering them past the growing flames onto the ground. As the flames consume the now empty platform he walks over to Cal and Grekka and says, "I am not an expert on construction, but they usually have some safety precautions in place for this kind of thing. You just have to know where to look. Who wants lunch?"

[Gwynfrid]

That's a nice story. Nice format, too.

[Farmerbink]

High Concept:
Abrasive Divine Devestator
Grekka has always been... big. For her age, for a girl, and now as an adult half-orc; her shoulders are as broad as she is tall. She has never made friends easily, well, or quickly, but has never tired of trying. She continues to go out of her way to both meet new people and attempt to impress them. It seems, however, that perhaps she tries too hard. She often comes off as overbearing and difficult to stomach, to say the least.

Trouble:
Unlikeable, Unlikely Hero
Grekka is... unpleasant to be around. Her sense of humor fails to amuse, and most often offends. She doesn't intend to turn people off, she just never really learned how to interact in society. As an orphan, she was valued by the other children for strength and skill: her "team" would win competitive games much more often than half the time. As an adult, she hasn't ever learned how to translate that usefulness into more social pursuits, and is often viewed almost as an outcast, now despite her strength and skill.

Where do you come from?
Peculiar Partnership
Grekka was born in the insula mater. She never knew her mother, who abandoned her in Wati (she could still be around, and I just don't know, or left Wati when she could). Life was hard as a half-orc orphan in an unfriendly environment. She might not have survived but for the compassion of the matrons and an unlikely partner-in-crime, a halfling boy named Hopton. After several years of companionship and mutual support, the two were inseparable. When the boy died in an ill-fated "adventure" to the necropolis, Grekka became depressed and increasingly difficult to deal with. Just a few weeks later, the first of many "lucky" occurrences took place:

Why are you an adventurer?
School of Hard Knocks
Just after Hopton's death, the man who would become Grekka's mentor wandered into Wati. Andres Shickle, an experienced adventurer, often wowed the locals with his tales of reckless adventure and daring escapades. As the days passed, Grekka would often sneak into the taverns to hear him talk and see his face light up as he described his most recent exploits. When the time came, and Andres wanted to move on, Grekka approached him, and asked to be his pupil. He agreed, and she journeyed with him for several years, learning all he could teach, including how to give due praise to Cayden Cailean, and earn his favor. The apprenticeship was not easy work, she often toiled in the sun for many hours, not understanding the task. The work further hardened her, however; she became steadfast, indeed, in the intervening years.

After an unhappy parting, back in Wati, some 8 years later, Grekka swore that she would remember the halfing boy, long forgotten by the people of Wati. Hopton would be avenged, and the necropolis emptied, or Grekka would kill herself trying.

The hook (brings you BAAAaaaaAAAAACK)
Committed No Crime
One evening, Grekka was walking through the marketplace as the vendors were putting away their stalls for the night. A pair of young boys bumped into her roughly, before scrambling onward past her. Stupid kids! I'da been flayed for that, when I was a child! she grumbled to herself as she resumed walking. Before she had taken two paces, she was confronted by a vendor, who appeared to be chasing after the boys. Stop! You are a thief! I will not let you steal my prized amulet!! Grekka pointed the man to the two thieves, scampering around a corner. There are your thieves! Leave me be, crazy man! she said. No! It was you! I saw you, and I call you a liar and a thief! He insisted.

Knowing the weight of the claim, Grekka turned to face her accuser. Calling to another nearby man, she said, You there! Come give witness to this man's accusation! The man nodded, and approached as requested. Grekka began going through her pockets, starting with the two hidden in her coat. As they were emptied onto the table, finally she reached her belt pouch. You see, old man?! Your accusations are baseless, and you are a liar! As she opens the pouch at her belt, no one is more surprised than she when she pulls out a gem-encrusted amulet. Shock plastered across her features, she throws the amulet at her accuser. You! You fraud! That amulet was planted on me! She looks around, pleading for intercession from one of the many sure witnesses. Come now! You all saw what this man's ruffians did! I will not stand for this!

Her accuser, a wicked gleam in his eye, raises his voice. Guards! Arrest this woman! She is a thief and a liar! As the nearby guards dutifully move forward to oblige, the witnesses remain silent. Grekka looks about in disbelief. But.. but they...

Complication:

Resolution:

[Gwynfrid]

Good stuff... We're getting there.

@ Farmerbink: That's an interesting hook. I take it the outcome is open? Or do you mean to write it later?

@ All: When you're done, please edit your first post on page 1, to add all the settled details of your character, including the above stories. This is for easy reference later on. I intend to connect certain events to your backstories as best I can. Thanks!

[Farmerbink]

@ Farmerbink: That's an interesting hook. I take it the outcome is open? Or do you mean to write it later?


That's part of the beauty of this system. I have an idea how the hook could resolve, but ultimately, it's now out of my hands. One of the other three party members will "intervene" and complicate the scenario- NOT solve it. And then one of the remaining two (in my head, the paladin is our best choice here) steps in and resolves the issue. The other two people, however, write that part of the story. If they want my input, they can of course ask, but it's their story to finish now, just as Vershab's story is now ours to finish.

[Gwynfrid]

Ah, I get it. Very neat concept.

[JWallyR]

Lehasti Gesmeha (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1103438)

High Concept (the character's role-playing concept summed up in a short phrase)
Fiery Redeemer of Sarenrae!
Lehasti is an impetuous young woman whose eyes are lit with a zest for life! While not overbearing or aggressive, she is vocal about the tenets of Sarenrae, and quick both to forgive and to forcibly "redeem" those who make their unrepentant wickedness known. Quick to laugh and quicker still to throw herself into harm's way to protect the innocent (or just to prove her fervor), she seeks to live out the Dawnflower's radiant glory among the people!

Trouble (how the DM can torture this character that I, as a player, will enjoy)
Trusting and Reckless
As with all paladins, Lehasti is motivated by a number of convictions; among them that her life is not her own, but is a sacred trust with which she is endowed to work for the good of others. Her comparative disregard for her personal safety is further fueled by the formative experience that drove her into the church of Sarenrae, and while not precisely foolhardy, she is more aggressive in the pursuit of evil than many would deem prudent. In addition, the personal experience of her miraculous resurrection has made so personal her relationship with her deity that she finds it almost impossible to conceive that others might not be so grounded in the truth as to be lying...

From where do I come?
On the Road Again
As a child, Lehasti was not particularly remarkable. While good-natured, strong and sturdy, her personality was tempered by the realities of life as the child of a merchant family; always on the road, moving from city to city following the winds of trade. While not rich, her family was certainly not poor; while not subject to the rabid anti-religiosity of the Rahadoumites, neither were they particularly religious. As she grew into her teenage years, Lehasti was introduced to the ways of arbitrage and dealing, but she yearned for an existence above and beyond the mundanities of trade and travel, travel and trade.

What inspired me to be an adventurer?
Glorious Purpose
Several days' travel out of the city, the family caravan was passing through the desert. Spotting signs of water nearby, Lehasti shouted out to her parents, and before they could warn her of the first signs of an impending sandstorm she had taken off at the excuse to ride a little harder and feel the wind blowing her hair. Suddenly the storm was upon her, and although she tried to locate her family, her horse lost its footing and tumbled, and off it went into the wilds. Unknowing that she had managed to reach the path mere hundreds of feet ahead of the circled wagons of her family, she pushed on until at last strength had left her.
Just before dawn when the storm had passed, her family broke camp and made to search for her, and the first runner returned almost before the echoes of his hoofbeats had died with Lehasti's motionless form strapped to his horse. The sudden wails of her parents split the morning stillness, and as her mother clutched her daughter to her breast, the sun crested over the dunes. The morn's first light seemed to fall heavily upon them, and a sudden wave of wind (lacking the gritty teeth of the night before) blew Lehasti's long hair around the two women, and breath returned to her! Claiming to have seen visions of a bronze-skinned woman caressing and somehow healing her sand-scarred skin with her fiery hair, Lehasti would not rest until they reached a temple of Sarenrae, where she pledged herself to be a living emblem of the glory of the Dawnflower.

My First Adventure (the "hook" to which I want other PCs to help me complicate/resolve)
New Kid in Town (Story Title)
Fresh from her training, news reached Lehasti of the opening of the tombs of Wati. Seeing this as a perfect opportunity to glorify Sarenrae in bringing life back to the parts of the city relinquished to the grasp of death, she left on the first caravan out, arriving in the city with her arms and her good name, and little else. While no stranger to the sights and sounds of commercial districts, the freedom to wander the roads seized her attention, and she found herself walking along a canal in the Veins. As she turned a corner, she came upon a man shouting, Adventurer wanted to explore the tombs! Well-armed and strong! Having not considered the need for a party, Lehasti rushed to the man, eagerly giving voice to her zeal! Right this way, young woman! I'm sure we can use your... skills! Unfortunately, she didn't see the wicked grin that split the man's face as he turned away to lead her down to an unremarkable side alley...

Guest Starring #1 (My effort to complicate another PC's First Adventure)
Reserved

Guest Starring #2 (My effort to resolve another PC's First Adventure)
Reserved

[CleverDragon]

Calathon "Cal" Amradi's sheet posted here (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=88647)!

It has his background, personality, and all the fluff as well as the crunch listed there. I'll get the High Concept, Trouble, etc filled in tomorrow. I'm running out of energy now. Until then, let me know what you think. Thanks!

[DarkOne-Rob]

My First Adventure (the "hook" to which I want other PCs to help me complicate/resolve)
New Kid in Town (Story Title)
Fresh from her training, news reached Lehasti of the opening of the tombs of Wati. Seeing this as a perfect opportunity to glorify Sarenrae in bringing life back to the parts of the city relinquished to the grasp of death, she left on the first caravan out, arriving in the city with her arms and her good name, and little else. While no stranger to the sights and sounds of commercial districts, the freedom to wander the roads seized her attention, and she found herself walking along a canal in the Veins. As she turned a corner, she came upon a man shouting, Adventurer wanted to explore the tombs! Well-armed and strong! Having not considered the need for a party, Lehasti rushed to the man, eagerly giving voice to her zeal! Right this way, young woman! I'm sure we can use your... skills! Unfortunately, she didn't see the wicked grin that split the man's face as he turned away to lead her down to an unremarkable side alley...
Guest Starring #1 (My effort to complicate another PC's First Adventure)
Been the Victim Before
Right before Lehasti enters the alley an unusually pale man says a little too loudly, "They tried to pull this trick on me last week - if you go in that alley they are likely to jump you." The man is dressed in a large, heavy robe with the hood covering much of his head and he seems to be deliberately looking past everyone and not making eye contact with anyone. "You could probably handle a few of them, but at best you will walk away with some injuries. They aren't nice people and have no interest in exploring the tombs..." as he is speaking one of the nearby crowd steps forward and gets in his face, which immediately makes him lurch awkwardly back in discomfort. "Shut your damned mouth, you creep! Just because you could freak your way out of there last week doesn't mean you will get out this time!" the con-man yells, pushing the smaller man towards the alley roughly causing him and Lehasti to bump into each other. "Besides, we have more people this time - you won't get away so easily, even with two of you!"


Calathon "Cal" Amradi's sheet posted here (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=88647)!
It looks solid to me. I didn't check any of the math, but the concept works and the fluff looks entertaining!

[Gwynfrid]

Cal looks great. Remarks on the mechanics part:
- Longsword crit range is 19-20.
- Your CMD is 15.
- You didn't indicate your favored class bonus. Looks like it's 1 skill point, right?

I like this new sheet format on Mythweaver by the way, it looks better than the old one.

On the background part, what's there is nice, I liked that you introduced a additional NPC. But I think it isn't complete; it's more bits and pieces. I'd like an overall story. The high concept / trouble / where do I come from format will serve you fine to complete that portion.

So, provided we can have all of the complication / resolution pieces together, I'll be ready to kick off at some point tomorrow.

[CleverDragon]

I've clarified Calathon's background. It's all spelled out in the "Other Notes" section of the character sheet. Check it out. :) Let me know if you have any questions or comments. It gives a better explanation of the "Enemies" notes.

[CleverDragon]

High Concept (the character's role-playing concept summed up in a short phrase)
Gifted but Troubled Alchemist
Calathon Amradi, often abbreviated as Cal, is fascinated by history and alchemy, though has a healthy respect and fear of the latter. If you're not careful, he will talk your ear off about either subject. He's a friendly sort, but his heavily scarred appearance often turns people off rather quickly. He's a creature of habit and follows routines as much as possible.

Trouble (how the DM can torture this character that I, as a player, will enjoy)
Scarred in Many Ways
As a result of being brought up a slave and being rather well-treated, he has a surprisingly lackadaisical view of slavery. Due to a chemical accident, he's greatly scarred all over the right side of his body, and is afraid of fire, whether magical, alchemical or mundane. The accident killed his "brother's" family and he holds a great shame over this.

From where do I come?
Roots Have Never Grown Deep
He was born in the Mwangi Expanse. As a child, Calathon was taken as a slave by Kelesh slavers. After his period as a slave and thus gaining his freedom in Katapesh some 30 years later, he relocated to Sothis, Osirion to begin his life as an alchemist's assistant. After an accident resulting in his scars and several deaths, he relocated once again to Wati. There, he met Vershab's parents and got a job as an artifact restoration specialist at the Canny Jackal.

What inspired me to be an adventurer?
Intense Curiosity
Calathon is a brilliant man with an exceptionally analytic mind. He enjoys losing himself in historic studies, poring over ancient tomes and artifacts, and toying around with the volatile but fascinating world of chemicals (largely to perfect the means to preserve artifacts of old). Having worked for the Canny Jackal for many years, he has had the opportunity to visit a few tombs and historic sites, which has consistently reinvigorated his curiosity of what else is waiting and hidden in the sands. When the city announced the opening of certain sites in the Half Dead City, he could barely contain his enthusiasm. Being the godfather of a boy that is the son of adventurers and having heard their tales also helps.

My First Adventure (the "hook" to which I want other PCs to help me complicate/resolve)
Help! (Story Title)
Cal was strolling through the bustling streets of Midwife, enjoying a rare day off and visiting one of his favorite areas of the city due to the many remnants of the golden age of Osirion. He walked by a monument that had a series of scaffolds set up with some workers busy cleaning the surfaces of the ancient monolith. A voice from above broke him out of his reverie. "Hey, you there. Can you hand me one of those planks?" the laborer pointed to a stack of vertically arranged wooden planks that were to be used in the scaffold as they went ever higher up the monument. "Sure. One moment, sir," Cal happily replied and moved over to the pile.

As he picked up one of the planks and was about to lift it, another of the workers came around the corner and threw a tindertwig into a vat of pitch next to him. The flames shot up as expected and the worker started throwing trash into it. Meanwhile, Cal stumbled backwards with the plank in hand, eyes wide with fear as he backed against the stack of planks which toppled over, knocking the vat of pitch over. Cal half-stood, half-cringed and was entirely frozen as the flames and pitch dumped onto the planks. The workers were yelling at Cal, but he did not hear them - he just stood there, paralyzed by fear.

Guest Starring #1 (My effort to complicate another PC's First Adventure)
Reserved

Guest Starring #2 (My effort to resolve another PC's First Adventure)
Reserved

[CleverDragon]

This table shows who has the highest score in any given information-gathering skill. <snip>
The entry for Perception shows +7 as the highest, which is incorrect. Cal has a +8. Otherwise, near as I can tell, it's correct. (sorry about the multiple posts in a row!)

[Gwynfrid]

I've clarified Calathon's background. It's all spelled out in the "Other Notes" section of the character sheet. Check it out. :) Let me know if you have any questions or comments. It gives a better explanation of the "Enemies" notes.

Excellent. I especially like how you have tied his drawback to his personality and his history. Great RP potential there.

One thing you may want to add is a timeline. His story extends to a really long time. Malakeh might well be dead by now, for example. Unless he's a long-lived race too?

[Gwynfrid]

The entry for Perception shows +7 as the highest, which is incorrect. Cal has a +8. Otherwise, near as I can tell, it's correct. (sorry about the multiple posts in a row!)

Now fixed.

[CleverDragon]

Excellent. I especially like how you have tied his drawback to his personality and his history. Great RP potential there.

Thanks! Glad you liked it.


One thing you may want to add is a timeline. His story extends to a really long time. Malakeh might well be dead by now, for example. Unless he's a long-lived race too?
Hmm, fair point. I'll start drawing something up shortly. Maybe Malakeh can be a half elf? Hmm...will think on that a bit...

[Farmerbink]

My First Adventure (the "hook" to which I want other PCs to help me complicate/resolve)
Help! (Story Title)
Cal was strolling through the bustling streets of Midwife, enjoying a rare day off and visiting one of his favorite areas of the city due to the many remnants of the golden age of Osirion. He walked by a monument that had a series of scaffolds set up with some workers busy cleaning the surfaces of the ancient monolith. A voice from above broke him out of his reverie. "Hey, you there. Can you hand me one of those planks?" the laborer pointed to a stack of vertically arranged wooden planks that were to be used in the scaffold as they went ever higher up the monument. "Sure. One moment, sir," Cal happily replied and moved over to the pile.

As he picked up one of the planks and was about to lift it, another of the workers came around the corner and threw a tindertwig into a vat of pitch next to him. The flames shot up as expected and the worker started throwing trash into it. Meanwhile, Cal stumbled backwards with the plank in hand, eyes wide with fear as he backed against the stack of planks which toppled over, knocking the vat of pitch over. Cal half-stood, half-cringed and was entirely frozen as the flames and pitch dumped onto the planks. The workers were yelling at Cal, but he did not hear them - he just stood there, paralyzed by fear.

Guest Starring #1 (My effort to complicate another PC's First Adventure)
Win Some, Lose Some

Grekka was returning from a meeting with the clergy of Pharasma- trying again to present herself to aid in the efforts to restore the necropolis when she heard the shouts of workers nearby. Frustrated, but not urgently needed elsewhere, she trotted towards the sound. Through the flames, she saw a man, paralyzed in shock and consumed in the flames and dashed to his side. As she got closer, it became apparent that he was not currently burning, but had certainly been burned before. She slapped him across the face twice to get his focus off the flames and kick-start his brain. Snap out of it, man! You're only going to get hurt, if you can't help! Shoving him towards the safety of the scaffolding- somewhat removed from the flaming pitch, she turned her attention to the scene before her.

The pitch splashed across the sand, drenching the now-scattered pile of timber. Elevated and aerated, the planks were consumed at a prodigious rate. From the side of the pile nearest the scaffolding, Grekka threw handfuls of sand onto the boards to smother the ever-spreading flames. Little by little, she began got the blaze under control, and succeeded at keeping it away from the scaffolding. She looked up from her work, briefly and beheld a troublesome sight.

To her dismay, it was only then that she noticed the man, still transfixed with fear. The plank he held, as he faced her and the bulk of the blaze, had been splashed with pitch before she moved him away. Now held haphazardly in the same position, he had unintentionally placed it just under the lowest board of the scaffolding. As the scaffolds began to smolder and catch on their own right, she looked up in dismay. 8 workers stood above, now trapped between the flames and the sky.

[DarkOne-Rob]

I have complicated James/Lehasti's story hook here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18819735&postcount=82) and updated my post. My next step is to resolve another person's story, so someone else needs to write a complication!

[Gwynfrid]

Good. So, if I get this right, we only need 3 more complications and 4 resolutions, then the characters will be complete.

Two other questions for you:
- The adventure assumes that the PCs have already formed an adventuring party and have registered for this lottery with the priesthood of the Grand Mausoleum. I there any issue or question you would like to address in that regard before we begin?
- Could you please decide on a name you're going to call yourselves as a group, and on who will be the party spokesperson with authorities? It is likely that perrson will come to be considered the party's leader by third parties unless you explicitly state otherwise.

On my side, I'm nearly done putting together the first IC post, so we can start anytime you guys are ready with the complications and resolutions to finish setting the group up.

Finally, I see that one of the party (Vershab) has ranks in Knowledge(Local), so I will roll a check to see if he has some additional, less generally known intelligence about Wati.

Knowledge(Local) [roll0] - EDIT: I added two tidbits of knowledge for Vershab, under "information not everyone knows" in the first post.

[Gwynfrid]

I forgot to add: Since CleverDragon went for alchemist rather than oracle, you will need to decide on one of the healing methods suggested. Well, you could also go without, but that would be rather risky. If you'd like, I could also throw in an option #5 consisting of borrowing money outright. However, considering the risk to the lender that you don't return or don't ever make enough to repay the loan, the interest rate will certainly be very stiff.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Good. So, if I get this right, we only need 3 more complications and 4 resolutions, then the characters will be complete.
That is correct as far as I am aware.


Two other questions for you:
- The adventure assumes that the PCs have already formed an adventuring party and have registered for this lottery with the priesthood of the Grand Mausoleum. I there any issue or question you would like to address in that regard before we begin?
- Could you please decide on a name you're going to call yourselves as a group, and on who will be the party spokesperson with authorities? It is likely that perrson will come to be considered the party's leader by third parties unless you explicitly state otherwise.
This priesthood is of the faith of Pharasma, right? I would suggest someone knowledgable of that detail conclude Lehasti/James' story and include directing us to the proper registration as part of that conclusion.

I am not sure re: party names, but I nominate Lehasti to be our face, since she is likely the only party member with any real hope of success in that arena.

As for healing options, I still vote for either #1 or #2 for their value as hooks. Either would be fine by me.

[CleverDragon]

This priesthood is of the faith of Pharasma, right? I would suggest someone knowledgable of that detail conclude Lehasti/James' story and include directing us to the proper registration as part of that conclusion.

That leaves Grekka (John), then. Cal is pretty ignorant of religion.


I am not sure re: party names...
There are some samples listed in the Player's Guide. I'm cool with using one of them. Or maybe one of the following:
- Relic Knights (I kinda like this one)
- The Blade and Spell
- Hunters/Seekers of the Lost (with the "Lost" meaning lost history/relics)
- Ruby Alliance (alludes to the Ruby Prince, the current ruler of Osirion)


but I nominate Lehasti to be our face, since she is likely the only party member with any real hope of success in that arena.
Seconded.


As for healing options, I still vote for either #1 or #2 for their value as hooks. Either would be fine by me.
Ditto. :)

[Gwynfrid]

This priesthood is of the faith of Pharasma, right? I would suggest someone knowledgable of that detail conclude Lehasti/James' story and include directing us to the proper registration as part of that conclusion.

I am not sure re: party names, but I nominate Lehasti to be our face, since she is likely the only party member with any real hope of success in that arena.

The Grand Mausoleum is the temple of Pharasma, correct. But you don't need any special competence. Registering is not difficult; there are no background checks or special fees or requirements. A priest simply records the name of the group and the names of its members, and gives them a token that they should present when the group receives its first assignment at the lottery’s opening ceremony.

That said, as party's face Lehasti is obviously the most viable candidate.

[Farmerbink]

1: While knowledge:religion is a reasonable thing for Grekka to have ranks in, she doesn't- at least yet.
2: Uh. Yeah, Lehasti will be our party face, for sure! The rest of us are.... not equipped.
3: I think I vote for option #1, at this point.
4: Finally, I have some time off today. Working on a complication for Cal (edit: updated) and then a Resolution for Lehasti!

[Farmerbink]

My First Adventure (the "hook" to which I want other PCs to help me complicate/resolve)
New Kid in Town (Story Title)
Fresh from her training, news reached Lehasti of the opening of the tombs of Wati. Seeing this as a perfect opportunity to glorify Sarenrae in bringing life back to the parts of the city relinquished to the grasp of death, she left on the first caravan out, arriving in the city with her arms and her good name, and little else. While no stranger to the sights and sounds of commercial districts, the freedom to wander the roads seized her attention, and she found herself walking along a canal in the Veins. As she turned a corner, she came upon a man shouting, Adventurer wanted to explore the tombs! Well-armed and strong! Having not considered the need for a party, Lehasti rushed to the man, eagerly giving voice to her zeal! Right this way, young woman! I'm sure we can use your... skills! Unfortunately, she didn't see the wicked grin that split the man's face as he turned away to lead her down to an unremarkable side alley...


Guest Starring #1 (My effort to complicate another PC's First Adventure)
Been the Victim Before
Right before Lehasti enters the alley an unusually pale man says a little too loudly, "They tried to pull this trick on me last week - if you go in that alley they are likely to jump you." The man is dressed in a large, heavy robe with the hood covering much of his head and he seems to be deliberately looking past everyone and not making eye contact with anyone. "You could probably handle a few of them, but at best you will walk away with some injuries. They aren't nice people and have no interest in exploring the tombs..." as he is speaking one of the nearby crowd steps forward and gets in his face, which immediately makes him lurch awkwardly back in discomfort. "Shut your damned mouth, you creep! Just because you could freak your way out of there last week doesn't mean you will get out this time!" the con-man yells, pushing the smaller man towards the alley roughly causing him and Lehasti to bump into each other. "Besides, we have more people this time - you won't get away so easily, even with two of you!"

Bonk
Just as the two of them get roughly shoved into the alley-way, the con-man nearest the road goes crosseyed and falls to the ground. Suddenly, the forces propelling them towards the alley diminish, and in the vacancy, they see a stunningly wide half-orc woman. With a slightly-lopsided and overly toothy grin, she hefts what appears to be a heavy, ornate wooden staff and slams it into the head of another one of the thugs. "Come on, then! What's three, when you're ready for two, eh?!" The half-orc's eyes widen as she looks past the pair of unlucky victims. "Erm. There's quite a few of them, back there. MOVE!" She grabs the hands of the man and woman, and helps them regain their balance as they move towards the street. Tossing the staff aside, she yells behind her "Sorry about the damage!" As if to punctuate her statement, she topples a nearby cart in front of the alley-way. "That should hold them; follow me!"

A few short minutes later, it becomes apparent that they're no longer being followed. Smiling her toothy grin, the half-orc extends a hand in greeting. "Name's Grekka Cailean. I'd avoid that particular block, unless you care to be recruited again. It's one of many unpleasant little districts about Wati. Though, you're eager to help clear out the necropolis? There's someone I'd like you to meet." She lifts her hands, making it clear that she intends no threat. "That is, assuming you trust me to not jump you!" Grinning, she laughs aloud before turning the unlikely trio down a side street and towards the Pharasmin cathedral.

[JWallyR]

"Smear the Mummy-Lover!"
Never Understands the Haters
One day while walking to his studies at the Hall of Blessed Rebirth Vershab found himself hemmed into a side street by a pack of bullies led by a hulking thug. His nose in one of his texts he didn't even notice his danger until one of them knocked it out of his hands and got directly in his face, eliciting a frightened yelp and a reactionary slap from the thin young man. Instinctively reacting to his fear, he seemed to conjure some base magical effect (Grave Touch (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/classes/wizard.html#necromancy-school)), which left his attacker shaken and the others enraged! "Um, help? I think?" he cried in confusion towards the crowded street, not knowing how to defend himself or react without using his magic against the ruffians...

Out of the Frying Pan..

Lehasti was walking through the Asp district, enthusiastically dividing her attention between the ear of sweet roasted corn in one hand and a seared haunch of... some sort of beast in the other. Doesn't taste like alligator, and it's certainly too tender to be any beast of burden, she thought idly as she chewed and meandered among the newer dwellings of the city. As she turned a corner mid-bite, out of the corner of her eye she saw a scuffle developing. With narrowed eyes, she chewed as she looked down the narrow street toward the bustle. Seeing that it was neither a regimented competition between equals nor the apprehension of a miscreant by the officials of law, she moved purposefully toward the scuffle. Catching sight of the rather bookish man surrounded by a semicircle of angry, stronger young men, she lets slip a mild epithet of dismay, looking disappointedly at the food in her hands as she drops them, rushing to shove aside one of the encroaching attackers.
Hold! she cried, moving to stand between the tiny cornered man and his attackers. What wrong has this man done that you take the burden of vengeance upon yourselves? What good is served by the spilling of his blood on your hands? She watches their faces, and failing to see evidence that their opinions are being swayed, she continues: If you have grievances, make them known! As Sarenrae teaches, with honesty there can be redemption, and with redemption healing!
As she mentions her deity, she sees a man across the alley start in his tracks, his bearing changing from panic to sudden rage. The thug turns back to the fray, pushing his way through the pack to roar madly in Lehasti's face, Your Sarenites killed my family, you- you- his words fade into frenzied gibberish, and Lehasti wipes flecks of spittle from her shocked face. Taken aback from the man's foaming visage, she notes a similar malice on the faces of his friends, some muttering Let's show her the justice of Laws of Man! and others growling their agreement. Backing slowly into the corner with the tiny scholar, Lehasti mutters to Vershab as she reaches for her flail, This looks like it'll get worse before it gets better...

[DarkOne-Rob]

My First Adventure (the "hook" to which I want other PCs to help me complicate/resolve)
Help! (Story Title)
Cal was strolling through the bustling streets of Midwife, enjoying a rare day off and visiting one of his favorite areas of the city due to the many remnants of the golden age of Osirion. He walked by a monument that had a series of scaffolds set up with some workers busy cleaning the surfaces of the ancient monolith. A voice from above broke him out of his reverie. "Hey, you there. Can you hand me one of those planks?" the laborer pointed to a stack of vertically arranged wooden planks that were to be used in the scaffold as they went ever higher up the monument. "Sure. One moment, sir," Cal happily replied and moved over to the pile.

As he picked up one of the planks and was about to lift it, another of the workers came around the corner and threw a tindertwig into a vat of pitch next to him. The flames shot up as expected and the worker started throwing trash into it. Meanwhile, Cal stumbled backwards with the plank in hand, eyes wide with fear as he backed against the stack of planks which toppled over, knocking the vat of pitch over. Cal half-stood, half-cringed and was entirely frozen as the flames and pitch dumped onto the planks. The workers were yelling at Cal, but he did not hear them - he just stood there, paralyzed by fear.


Guest Starring #1 (My effort to complicate another PC's First Adventure)
Win Some, Lose Some

Grekka was returning from a meeting with the clergy of Pharasma- trying again to present herself to aid in the efforts to restore the necropolis when she heard the shouts of workers nearby. Frustrated, but not urgently needed elsewhere, she trotted towards the sound. Through the flames, she saw a man, paralyzed in shock and consumed in the flames and dashed to his side. As she got closer, it became apparent that he was not currently burning, but had certainly been burned before. She slapped him across the face twice to get his focus off the flames and kick-start his brain. Snap out of it, man! You're only going to get hurt, if you can't help! Shoving him towards the safety of the scaffolding- somewhat removed from the flaming pitch, she turned her attention to the scene before her.

The pitch splashed across the sand, drenching the now-scattered pile of timber. Elevated and aerated, the planks were consumed at a prodigious rate. From the side of the pile nearest the scaffolding, Grekka threw handfuls of sand onto the boards to smother the ever-spreading flames. Little by little, she began got the blaze under control, and succeeded at keeping it away from the scaffolding. She looked up from her work, briefly and beheld a troublesome sight.

To her dismay, it was only then that she noticed the man, still transfixed with fear. The plank he held, as he faced her and the bulk of the blaze, had been splashed with pitch before she moved him away. Now held haphazardly in the same position, he had unintentionally placed it just under the lowest board of the scaffolding. As the scaffolds began to smolder and catch on their own right, she looked up in dismay. 8 workers stood above, now trapped between the flames and the sky.
Guest Starring #2 (My effort to resolve another PC's First Adventure)
Calm in the Face of...being Oblivious to the Danger
As Vershab was walking to meet his godfather, Cal, for lunch he hears a massive commotion coming from a nearby construction area. Turning to observe the locals he sees the fire, his godfather, and his new compatriot Grekka in the midst of the developing inferno. He takes several moments to calmly observe the area before seeing an option to save the remaining workers without placing anyone else at risk.

Quietly he walks over to a rope/pulley system and releases it, causing a lift to raise to the level of the men on the platform trapped above the flame. He watches as they scramble onto it and the balance of weight shifts, lowering them past the growing flames onto the ground. As the flames consume the now empty platform he walks over to Cal and Grekka and says, "I am not an expert on construction, but they usually have some safety precautions in place for this kind of thing. You just have to know where to look. Who wants lunch?"


- Relic Knights (I kinda like this one)
I like this name just fine. Heroic, flavorful, and seems to fit us well.

[Gwynfrid]

Let me try to summarize the group's work-in-progress story so far. Please bear with me as I'm contracting your stories down to the bare bones below.


Hook Complication Resolution [
Calathon causes a fireGreeka tries to helpVershab saves the day
Vershab runs into bulliesLehasti finds they hate Sarenrae
Grekka framed for theft
Lehasti meets thugsVershab finds there's more of themGrekka helps them escape


I see two issues there:
- Obviously, Vershab's complication assumes he doesn't know Lehasti yet, and Lehasti's complication assumes she doesn't know Vershab yet. They can't both be true.
- Three out of the four hooks involve a random encounter with street criminals. That stretches credibility. Wati is a reasonably civilized city, you know... Besides, all but Lehasti are native to it; barring some serious obliviousness, they shouldn't all walk into such traps so easily, I think.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Let me try to summarize the group's work-in-progress story so far. Please bear with me as I'm contracting your stories down to the bare bones below.


Hook Complication Resolution [
Calathon causes a fireGreeka tries to helpVershab saves the day
Vershab runs into bulliesLehasti finds they hate Sarenrae
Grekka framed for theft
Lehasti meets thugsVershab finds there's more of themGrekka helps them escape


I see two issues there:
- Obviously, Vershab's complication assumes he doesn't know Lehasti yet, and Lehasti's complication assumes she doesn't know Vershab yet. They can't both be true.
- Three out of the four hooks involve a random encounter with street criminals. That stretches credibility. Wati is a reasonably civilized city, you know... Besides, all but Lehasti are native to it; barring some serious obliviousness, they shouldn't all walk into such traps so easily, I think.
I hadn't noticed point number 1. Good catch, James and I need to discuss that.

I actually mentioned something about #2 in the Google hangout. I can change mine, even though it was first, if no one else wants to change theirs. Just let me know, guys.

[JWallyR]

In the hangout, we talked about Vershab's social obliviousness perhaps leading to his:
1) not really having paid attention to who exactly was being tricked into the dark alley
2) leading to his blunt speaking instead of a tactful warning to Lehasti.

At the same time, with a party of 4, there's only so much interaction that we can do without assuming that they all know each other at a certain point... I mentioned something along the lines of ironing out a timeline for these little vignettes for continuity purposes, but I think we may be reaching the limits of this tool's usefulness.

[Farmerbink]

I'm certainly not going to make you guys finish it, I just like the ties it creates. *shrugs*

I agree that our hooks aren't as varied as might have been nice, but our characters have a lot of "people think we're weird" going on.... It's kind of a typical response to charisma in general, though. That said, I know I'm content to start the real AP- all this stuff was intended to do was create some ties and give a little personality to our characters. I know who Grekka is, and there will be time to learn about the others.

TLDR: I wouldn't hold up on account of the fate process, if we (you guys) even want to complete it, at all.

[Gwynfrid]

All right, I've been dying to go for a while, and I agree with Farmerbink - we don't need to have the whole process finished. It is enough that the four characters met each other, got to be friends, and discovered shared interests.

I'd like the backstory of the group to be finished cleanly, though. So, I suggest that Calathon and Lehasti's hooks be canon, along with the resulting complications and resolutions. This way, there is no redundancy or contradiction in the stories, and all four get to know each other. Please confirm this is fine for you: If not, I am open to retconning a little. If that's OK for everbody, then please copy those stories into the initial OC posts for these characters.

Other housekeeping points:

- I'll assume you're OK with healing method #1, unless someone disagrees. So, Lehasti now has a want of cure light wounds with 17 charges, and owes 255gp to her parents, who can't easily afford to buy another one.
@ JWallyR: Could you please add Lehasti's parent's names and whereabouts in your backstory. Please also edit your first OC post with said story.

- I understand the name "Relic Knights" works for everybody.

If the above assumptions are incorrect, please let me know and we'll fix it.

With that, Ladies and Gentlemen*, it is my pleasure and privilege to announce the grand opening of our IC thread:

Welcome to Mummy's Mask! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?399046-Mummy-s-Mask-%28IC%29&p=18831511#post18831511)

*: (since I note we have a perfect gender balance in the party)

[Gwynfrid]

A die makes some noise behind the DM's screen.

[roll0]

[Gwynfrid]

Based on the topic these values may vary. I will just roll them all and leave it to Gwynfrid to decide which rolls matter:

To identify the name Akhentepi
Knowledge (Arcana) [roll0]
(History) (untrained) [roll1]
(Nobility) (untrained) [roll2]
(Religion) [roll3]

To chart our course to the tomb
(Local) [roll4]
(Geography) (untrained, using the map if applicable) [roll5]

The name Akhentepi doesn't ring a bell. For charting the course, the sketch is clear enough that you don't need special expertise.

Right now I'm not answering IC, because I want to leave a chance to JWallyR to react first.

@ All: once we conclude the ceremony, you may want to check that the group has everything needed, as far as equipment is concerned. You have the rest of the day to buy things, if required. The suggested equipment list in the Mummy's Mask Player Guide may be helpful.

[JWallyR]

Gwynfrid,

I messaged the gmail chat we have going with my questions regarding the assignment. Is the forum a better place to be asking OOC questions during "business hours"?

My thoughts were as follows:

Would Lehasti have some "common knowledge" regarding the selection of sites for the lottery and what she might be expecting to find in the site we were given? I want to write a proper reaction to the assignment, if any reaction other than "thanks, chief. *walks back to party*" is warranted.

[Gwynfrid]

Gwynfrid,

I messaged the gmail chat we have going with my questions regarding the assignment. Is the forum a better place to be asking OOC questions during "business hours"?

During the day, I can post in the forum to some degree, but I can only spend time in the hangouts chat during non-work hours. Even then, please don't rely on it too much. My availability online may vary.


My thoughts were as follows:

Would Lehasti have some "common knowledge" regarding the selection of sites for the lottery and what she might be expecting to find in the site we were given? I want to write a proper reaction to the assignment, if any reaction other than "thanks, chief. *walks back to party*" is warranted.

She has no knowledge at all. It's up to you to decide if you want to ask questions, or just walk back to show the document to the group. You were able to see that some of the earlier teams had a brief dialog with the priests.

[Gwynfrid]

Responding to some questions asked in IC, and in the hangout.


Gwyn, for clarification, may I share?

Of course. The only reason I gave you this information via PM is to leave you free to present it to the others any way you like, without interference from the way I worded it. That way, your RP isn't constrained by me.

About healing:
- The choice for option #1 isn't final until JWallyR accepts it. It's his character after all.
- One way to settle it is for you guys to agree to a different option.
- Another way is to take option 1 and decide that for whatever reason (JWallyR's choice) Lehasti simply has to refund her parents as soon as she possibly can.
- That doesn't imply that the parents must somehow stay in town. They can be on a caravan far away. She must refund them all the same (find a messenger to do so or travel herself).

About traits: Please give me the name of the trait you're looking for so I can find the description in the PFSRD.

[JWallyR]

Just to post here the results of our conversation in the chat:
After some thought, I'm happy to go along with #1, the rationale being that the wand was purchased just before some poor fortune (I may have to think on exactly what form this fortune takes) caused this leg of the caravan's journey to be an almost total loss, leaving Lehasti's parents without the funds to finance the next leg. That might lend to some urgency for Lehasti to help get them back on the road (perhaps for concerns of making a certain pass while the weather conditions are still favorable, be it crossing a mountainous area before the worst of winter or a desert trail before the heat of summer?).

I've also decided to go with Indomitable Faith as my second trait, because it seems both appropriate for mechanical/RP purposes while allowing the proper penalties for low wisdom (perception, sense motive, etc.) to be effectual.

[Gwynfrid]

Just to post here the results of our conversation in the chat:
After some thought, I'm happy to go along with #1, the rationale being that the wand was purchased just before some poor fortune (I may have to think on exactly what form this fortune takes) caused this leg of the caravan's journey to be an almost total loss, leaving Lehasti's parents without the funds to finance the next leg. That might lend to some urgency for Lehasti to help get them back on the road (perhaps for concerns of making a certain pass while the weather conditions are still favorable, be it crossing a mountainous area before the worst of winter or a desert trail before the heat of summer?).

I've also decided to go with Indomitable Faith as my second trait, because it seems both appropriate for mechanical/RP purposes while allowing the proper penalties for low wisdom (perception, sense motive, etc.) to be effectual.

Yep, that makes sense. I updated Lehasti's entry in the table in the first post with +1 to Will. So we're settled. Thanks!

[CleverDragon]

I'm assuming that my Knowledge - History check of 15 didn't reveal anything about the name of the site we got?

[Gwynfrid]

I'm assuming that my Knowledge - History check of 15 didn't reveal anything about the name of the site we got?

Correct. Sorry about that, I should have been explicit.

[Gwynfrid]

One update: I added the location of Akhentepi's Tomb to the map.

I think Calathon, Vershab and Grekka all should have some place to call home in Wati, right? Let me know what you think. Each can afford something like a room in the better part Asp's eastern end (ie. somewhat above slum level). Any other ideas, welcome.

Should somebody want to research the name Akhentepi, the best place is the Grand Mausoleum, recorder of births and deaths. They have a very long memory (a.k.a. archive).

Otherwise, please just give me a final shopping list, and we'll proceed to the next morning.

[CleverDragon]

I can see Calathon and Vershab living in a small apartment that might've been owned/rented by Vershab's parents previously. Or if Minnothet has a room for rent above/under the Canny Jackal, that'd be ideal as well. Otherwise, if none of the above is possible, he'll have a small flat in Asp on the top floor of the building (so that people above him don't have to smell any strange chemical odors from time to time). Just let me know what the rent would be and I'll make sure to set aside that much per month.

As for shopping lists, the only thing I needed was the thieves tools and "alchemy supplies" (as referenced in my latest post). Otherwise, Calathon is as supplied as he's gonna get unless others can think of anything. (I'm also kind of imagining Cal being an unseasoned adventurer, so I'm not "optimizing" his gear. As he gains experience and goes up in levels, I can imagine his inventory will get a little more focused and sensible.)

[JWallyR]

Since we're on the topic of housing, I'm not sure what we think is best for Lehasti and her parents. I would imagine that paladin training would have taken some time, so perhaps it has been a year (or more?) since her initial training, but her housing might very well have taken the form of a spare bunk at the local (small) temple of Sarenrae, while her parents would be dealing with less-than-desirable housing arrangements in town.

[CleverDragon]

Or perhaps have taken out another "loan" just to live in a place, if your family is already having financial troubles? That could present an interesting roleplaying opportunity (read: side quest) revolving around your parents not being able to pay or having break-ins at their rented space, if you want to go that far with it.

[JWallyR]

Well, I suppose they'd be able to afford some modest housing but would also be working really hard to figure out a different way to make a living than arbitrage between cities until such time as they are able to get back on the road... A loan might be a last resort that could be leveraged for interesting RP though.

[Gwynfrid]

Or perhaps have taken out another "loan" just to live in a place, if your family is already having financial troubles? That could present an interesting roleplaying opportunity (read: side quest) revolving around your parents not being able to pay or having break-ins at their rented space, if you want to go that far with it.


Well, I suppose they'd be able to afford some modest housing but would also be working really hard to figure out a different way to make a living than arbitrage between cities until such time as they are able to get back on the road... A loan might be a last resort that could be leveraged for interesting RP though.

That's a good idea, let's run with that.

Re. IC in the tavern: sorry, no time to post properly IC right now. Will do tonight.

[Gwynfrid]

I wouldn't mind if you actually created an NPC that Calathon has consistently used over the years, that way my character is fleshed out a little further.I would like to note that Cal would make an attempt to find a vendor that was not tied to Malakeh (or his business) in any way, but that doesn't necessarily mean he was successful..

All right, will do.


I can see Calathon and Vershab living in a small apartment that might've been owned/rented by Vershab's parents previously. Or if Minnothet has a room for rent above/under the Canny Jackal, that'd be ideal as well. Otherwise, if none of the above is possible, he'll have a small flat in Asp on the top floor of the building (so that people above him don't have to smell any strange chemical odors from time to time). Just let me know what the rent would be and I'll make sure to set aside that much per month.

Let's say Calathon and Vershab share a place on the top floor of a rental building. They are skilled, employed tradesmen, so they earn enough to pay their upkeep of 10gp/month. We won't need to track that.


Since we're on the topic of housing, I'm not sure what we think is best for Lehasti and her parents. I would imagine that paladin training would have taken some time, so perhaps it has been a year (or more?) since her initial training, but her housing might very well have taken the form of a spare bunk at the local (small) temple of Sarenrae, while her parents would be dealing with less-than-desirable housing arrangements in town.

Lehasti does get a bunk in the temple, that's very modest lodgings. Her upkeep is only 3gp/month and she earns that for various services to the temple. Her parents are staying at the Tooth and Hookah, a relatively more modest inn, and are busy trying to secure a loan to get started in trade again after their last venture ended in a deadly disaster caused by a sandstorm. They survived, but their cargo was a total loss.

As for Grekka, I see her as a career adventurer. Let's say her adventures with Andres were gainful, allowing her to stay at the Whistering Stone until today, while she helped here and there and was waiting for another opportunity - which presents itself with the lotttery.

[Gwynfrid]

[roll0] - Edit - great roll, IC post with additional information forthcoming.
[roll1]

[Farmerbink]

D'oh! Ninja'ed! D:

[Gwynfrid]

Indeed, the rolls above were for Perception and Knowledge(Engineering). One success was enough to give you all the details you could possibly find. Good thing I rolled way better Perception than you did :smallcool:

You will need to first do away with the accumulated sand, which presently makes it impossible to open the doors outward. That done, you can then try the crowbar or other means to force the doors open.

[CleverDragon]

Before I post, does Calathon know anything about how historically the dead were entombed usually? Was it common practice to seal tombs like that? Or make it impossible to open except from inside? And was it commonplace or at least occasionally the case where some sort of hidden mechanism could be used to open the doors?

[roll0] Knowledge - History check

And even though he's not amazing at it, Cal wants to do a Survival check looking for recent(ish) tracks and/or determine how long ago the mortar was chipped by crowbar marks:

[roll1] Survival check

And last, how long would it take for that much sand to accumulate in front of the door? (Cal will be trying to correlate the chips on the door with how long it takes for the amount of sand to build up - in other words, if it takes a long time, then it's a fair assessment that someone tried a long while ago to get in)

[roll2] Knowledge - Nature check

Sorry for the barrage! :smallsmile:

EDIT: Booyah! Thank you for the nice rolls, oh great dice gods!

[Gwynfrid]

Impressive rolling :smallcool:

About the tombs, the dead etc in Osirion: Calathon knows, and in fact all Osirion natives know the basics: Osirion people, especially rich and important ones, are very big on funeral rites and elaborate burial. Under the ancient Osiriani religion, the dead face a long journey to the afterlife, and for this they need supplies (food, etc) and equipment (also slaves, for really rich people); it is therefore for utilitarian as well as honorary purposes that the dead take a lot of their wordly goods to their graves.

Such customs are much less prevalent in modern times, but they're deeply ingrained in the culture. The ancient gods (those represented with animal heads) are in fact still worshipped by small groups in Osirion nowadays.

So, it is common knowledge that the tombs are designed to be sealed forever. Tomb robbers have always existed, but everything in the construction is meant to discourage them - or kill them. There's zero chance of a mechanism being built into the door to accomodate a visit.

As a rule of thumb, you can assume that anything the general public knows about ancient Egypt is broadly applicable to Osirion, and your character is familiar with it.

About the sand and the marks: The crowbar marks are rather old: Decades, maybe centuries, as the chips bear marks of erosion from the often sand-laden wind. Sand like this could accumualte overnight in a big sandstorm in the middle of the desert. Here in the city, it would take some years of the door being left alone to get sand-logged in this way.

[Gwynfrid]

Bunch of Strength checks
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]

Knowledge(Religion)
[roll8]

[Gwynfrid]

@ CleverDragon


All right, will do.

Done - see the NPC table.

@ DarkOne: I looked at your equipment list, it seems you now have stuff adding up to Medium load. If you count the things like folding ladder, which you didn't list a weight for, you're overloaded. You'll want to revise and/or share the burden with the others.

[DarkOne-Rob]

@ DarkOne: I looked at your equipment list, it seems you now have stuff adding up to Medium load. If you count the things like folding ladder, which you didn't list a weight for, you're overloaded. You'll want to revise and/or share the burden with the others.
Oops. I will correct that - probably by using some of it shortly...

[Gwynfrid]

With the folding ladder, Grekka is getting close to medium load, fyi. It doesn't much matter since she has a medium armor already.

She can climb at quarter speed with the rope, DC5 (double move for 15ft/round)

Climb [roll0] - success
Climb [roll1] - success
Climb [roll2] - success
Climb [roll3] - failure by less than 5 - no move
Climb [roll4] - success - reached end of rope
Climb [roll5]

[Gwynfrid]

Before the dice start rolling for Grekka's proposed stunt, I'll wait until Lehasti decides what to do.

I also notice the team has brought some more rope... in Grekka's pack.

[Farmerbink]

... in Grekka's pack.

Yup. Thus should have left it up top.

[Gwynfrid]

"Who else brought rope?" asks Vershab. "Grekka used Lehasti's, did she bring some of her own too?"

Without waiting for an answer he goes to her bag and begins going through it till he finds the length of rope she brought along. "Here, untie the length here at the top and add this to it," he says to no one in particular, holding it out in front of him expectantly.

Nope, sorry. Grekka took her bag down, and the rope in it:


Grekka faces the arcanist with a raised eyebrow. Right... She places the folding ladder in the now overstuffed backpack, shaking her head slightly.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Corrected. Nice catch, boss!

[Gwynfrid]

All right, I looked into the rules and it looks like, per RAW, you could do this with zero chance of failure even if the rope was a mile long. That doesn't sound right to me. I'll rule that you take a -1 cumulative penalty on the check for every two checks attempted.

Also, I got it wrong, you need to do one check per move action. At quarter speed with a base of 30, that's one check per 7.5 feet, total 7 checks to travel down the 50-ft rope.

For Calathon, that's not a problem: By taking 10, he gets a result of 11 which is always successful even after he takes a total -3 penalty. Vershab, however, will find the exertion slightly challenging... Or very challenging, if he wants to carry all his equipment. Right now he carries 67 pounds, a Heavy load for him. This means a -6 on the Climb checks. On top of that, his speed is presently 20, meaning he needs 10 checks to get all the way down.

Acrobatics check to transfer from the rope to the ladder without falling: DC12, Calathon succeeds.
Strength check DC10 for Grekka to hold the ladder steady for Calathon: [roll0]
(Note that DC will become 12 for somebody over 200 pounds, such as a fully loaded Vershab, or DC14 for over 250 pounds, such as a fully loaded Lehasti).

If Grekka fails, Acrobatics [roll1] DC15 for Calathon to avoid [roll2] falling damage.
(I can't see Calathon's Acrobatics score on his sheet? I figured +4 Dex -1 ACP)

[Gwynfrid]

Falling damage [roll0]

[Gwynfrid]

Forgot, Str check for Grekka, DC10 (unloaded Vershab is less than 200 pounds) [roll0]

[Gwynfrid]

By taking 10, Lehasti succeeds at 7 climb checks, DC5 with increasing penalty (-3 on the final check).
She's very heavy, so DC14 on Grekka's Str check [roll0]
If Grekka fails, Lehasti fails her Acrobatics check, and takes damage [roll1]

[Gwynfrid]

Perception [roll0]

No time to post IC now, I'll do that tonight.

[CleverDragon]

Am I able to tell if the trap resets automatically? Is the trigger plate still active? Or do I need a disable device check?

If so: [roll0] versus trap DC for Disable Device

[Gwynfrid]

[roll0]
[roll1]

[JWallyR]

Ok, I've noticed some discrepancies in the way we're rolling things, and I'd like to get a few of those things squared away.

1) What sorts of checks do you (DM) *not* want your players rolling? Knowledge, Perception seem to be the big ones, but just to make sure we're on the same page (and prevent "but I rolled a nat'l 20 in the IC thread!!!" complaints) I'd like a clear indicator of what we're expected to roll or not

2) I have a concern regarding the rolling of stuff like perception... you (DM) noted who has the highest in the various knowledge/perception/etc. skills, but at the same time that means that 3/4 of the players' perception skills are ignored. Is that the intent? If so, then we can plan to not spend any skill points on those skills... but that seems to be an unintended consequence, and in the meanwhile the other 3 PCs aren't getting a chance to even roll. Thoughts?

[Gwynfrid]

Ok, I've noticed some discrepancies in the way we're rolling things, and I'd like to get a few of those things squared away.

1) What sorts of checks do you (DM) *not* want your players rolling? Knowledge, Perception seem to be the big ones, but just to make sure we're on the same page (and prevent "but I rolled a nat'l 20 in the IC thread!!!" complaints) I'd like a clear indicator of what we're expected to roll or not

2) I have a concern regarding the rolling of stuff like perception... you (DM) noted who has the highest in the various knowledge/perception/etc. skills, but at the same time that means that 3/4 of the players' perception skills are ignored. Is that the intent? If so, then we can plan to not spend any skill points on those skills... but that seems to be an unintended consequence, and in the meanwhile the other 3 PCs aren't getting a chance to even roll. Thoughts?

Good question, and I'm happy to provide clarification.

1) DM rolls

First, I never said that I don't want you to roll something. What I'm doing, however, is preemptively roll for "passive" checks rather than asking you to do so. This eliminates a lot of back and forth in such situations, greatly speeding our pace, as follows:

Normal tabletop play
DM: You enter the corridor. Please roll for traps.
Player: I got a 22.
DM: There's a nasty blade ready to spring from the side!
Player: All right, I'm trying to disable it... 18.
DM: Success! Now you can open the door safely.

Accelerated PbP play
DM: You enter the corridor, as usual you're looking for traps. You get a 22, then you disable it with a 18. You enter the next room, etc.

Now, even as I do that, if you post a roll IC as you describe your next move, I'm going to use it, not duplicate it. Indeed, when CleverDragon rolled a 25 for Perception today, I took that result to determine the outcome. I rolled other things later, to determine what Vershab made of the tapestry, rather than asking him to roll.

2) Players who don't have the best bonuses

Well, if I rolled everybody's Perception every time the group entered a room, there would be 99% guaranteed success to notice traps. Same for Knowledge rolls. So I'm rolling only the best of everyone; or, in the case of Perception, I'm rolling for the character who's first in the marching order. There may be circumstances when rolling everybody's check is warranted - for example, if the group is ambushed, then those who succeed in Perception will not be surprised. When applicable, the team members with lower bonuses on something can use Aid Another to improve the success chances of whoever leads in a certain skill.
So, no, the skills of those who aren't the best at somewthing aren't being ignored.

Does that work? I'm totally prepared to take your feedback and make changes if something makes you uncomfortable.

[DarkOne-Rob]

1) DM rolls
I think that makes plenty of sense. No complaints here.


2) Players who don't have the best bonuses

Well, if I rolled everybody's Perception every time the group entered a room, there would be 99% guaranteed success to notice traps.
I don't think the math supports this, especially with high DCs, but in spite of this I don't think it would be bad if it did happen that way. I am not saying this solely as a player, either - if all of us invest in medium-high Perception modifiers, shouldn't that matter?

That said, most of the time searching for traps won't be possible for everyone simultaneously without penalties for failures. If Cal is in front, misses the trap, and sets it off, there is no need for multiple rolls in the first place. If finding something requires being close (within 1 square) of it, then many times it will not be the entire party that can search for it with a chance of success.

What I think I am saying is that when possible and reasonable reward the players for their investments by rolling multiple rolls. When it doesn't make sense, we as players need to respect you and assume that if it isn't done you considered it and it would just be nonsense to have a roll for each of us. Does that make sense?

[JWallyR]

Echoing what Rob said, your answers to #1 make perfect sense, but in the absence of other stuff going on, it's not as though the other members of the party aren't going to be looking for traps and etc. along with the person in front/highest bonus. Also, counting characters that have penalties to their perception (like Lehasti) that can make some DCs below 20 *impossible*, it's not as simple as "more rolls = guaranteed success". Lastly... this last trap could have 100% => unconscious some of our party members, and I have a hard time thinking that that kind of potential damage is balanced against a single perception roll that can easily vary between 7 and 27 for even a solid +6 (made up to be appropriate at level 1) modifier.

Just my thoughts.

[Gwynfrid]

I don't think the math supports this, especially with high DCs, but in spite of this I don't think it would be bad if it did happen that way. I am not saying this solely as a player, either - if all of us invest in medium-high Perception modifiers, shouldn't that matter?

That said, most of the time searching for traps won't be possible for everyone simultaneously without penalties for failures. If Cal is in front, misses the trap, and sets it off, there is no need for multiple rolls in the first place. If finding something requires being close (within 1 square) of it, then many times it will not be the entire party that can search for it with a chance of success.

What I think I am saying is that when possible and reasonable reward the players for their investments by rolling multiple rolls. When it doesn't make sense, we as players need to respect you and assume that if it isn't done you considered it and it would just be nonsense to have a roll for each of us. Does that make sense?


Echoing what Rob said, your answers to #1 make perfect sense, but in the absence of other stuff going on, it's not as though the other members of the party aren't going to be looking for traps and etc. along with the person in front/highest bonus. Also, counting characters that have penalties to their perception (like Lehasti) that can make some DCs below 20 *impossible*, it's not as simple as "more rolls = guaranteed success". Lastly... this last trap could have 100% => unconscious some of our party members, and I have a hard time thinking that that kind of potential damage is balanced against a single perception roll that can easily vary between 7 and 27 for even a solid +6 (made up to be appropriate at level 1) modifier.

Just my thoughts.

You're making valid points. Also, checking my numbers, it appears I was rather optimistic on the group's success chances, considering the difficulty of the involved traps.

Therefore, going forward I'll change my policy to rolling for as many characters as make sense in the circumstances. Thanks for the useful feedback!

[JWallyR]

Hey, thanks for being flexible and working with our concerns. If nothing else, we can RP it as "we're all being a bit more careful after that first trap KO'd Vershab". :smallwink:

[DarkOne-Rob]

Recently our extended gaming group (family) has been really lucky to meet two great people - both CleverDragon and Gwynfrid have been friendly, reasonable, open to conversation and change, and on top of all that DMs!

All I can say is thank you, gentlemen, and please don't disappear suddenly like so many DMs do! We like you! :smallbiggrin:

[Farmerbink]

Just a side note, it's worth bearing in mind that you get penalties to perception for distance. No matter how good Vershab's eyes are, he's not going to notice from 20 feet away what Calathon will notice up close (granted, a -2 penalty isn't likely to be game-breaking, but it's just another layer of complications for you to keep track of ^_^).

Ironically, it's about the only thing in the entire game that tends to work in rogues favors.... so naturally it is ignored, basically always.

[Gwynfrid]

Hey, thanks for being flexible and working with our concerns. If nothing else, we can RP it as "we're all being a bit more careful after that first trap KO'd Vershab". :smallwink:
Anytime. Listening is part of the DM's job.


Recently our extended gaming group (family) has been really lucky to meet two great people - both CleverDragon and Gwynfrid have been friendly, reasonable, open to conversation and change, and on top of all that DMs!

All I can say is thank you, gentlemen, and please don't disappear suddenly like so many DMs do! We like you! :smallbiggrin:

That is much appreciated. And no, I have no intention to cast Vanish.


Just a side note, it's worth bearing in mind that you get penalties to perception for distance. No matter how good Vershab's eyes are, he's not going to notice from 20 feet away what Calathon will notice up close (granted, a -2 penalty isn't likely to be game-breaking, but it's just another layer of complications for you to keep track of ^_^).

Ironically, it's about the only thing in the entire game that tends to work in rogues favors.... so naturally it is ignored, basically always.

Good point, I'll need to remember that... +1 DC per 10ft.

[Gwynfrid]

Updated map (in IC) and character tables (in the 1st post OOC).

If I got that correctly, Lehasti used 4 charges of her wand:
- one on Vershab for 7, he's now at 5 out of 8
- two on Calathon for 2 and 3, he's now at 7 out of 8
- one on Grekka for 6, she now at 14 (max).

Right?

[CleverDragon]

Correct, at least as far as Calathon is concerned.

[JWallyR]

Table looks right for Lehasti, and I've updated her inventory to reflect the 4 spent charges of the wand.

[JWallyR]

Just to reiterate something that I think was said in the OOC thread but not posted on here, Lehasti will *always* move to be at worst abreast with people moving into unexplored areas unless specifically warded away by something noticed by another member of the party.

[Gwynfrid]

[roll0]
[roll1]

[CleverDragon]

Disable device checks:
1d20+9
1d20+9
1d20+9
1d20+9

[CleverDragon]

Oops...frigging space. Let's try again
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Gwynfrid]

Appraise [roll0] [roll1] (Calathon, Vershab)

[Gwynfrid]

Knowledge(Religion) for Lehasti [roll0]

[Gwynfrid]

Initiative

Calathon [roll0]
Vershab [roll1]
Grekka [roll2]
Lehasti [roll3]

Toy soldiers [roll4]

Edit: Uh-oh... they won a whole round of attacks.

[JWallyR]

Bringing my comments into the forum thread:

1) I didn't see any rolls for the surprise round. These dudes automatically get the jump on us? Not necessarily unrealistic, since they were apparently camouflaged among other toy soldiers on the table.
2) They got to move to surround Grekka without any AoOs, *and* get full-round attacks? I'm not sure I understand how that's possible.
3) As this is the first combat of the game, how do you want to do it? In some of the other threads, we have been posting a bolded Round X headline at the beginning of posts, followed usually by an RP description (often edited in after the fact) of our actions, spoiler'd away. How can we make it readable for you? Or would you like for us to just go with it for the moment?

[Gwynfrid]

As the group wasn't aware of a threat, there is a surprise round. The toys jump from the table at Grekka, make a single attack, and land on the floor. That's equivalent to a charge, although I didn't apply the attack bonus. They land on the floor because they just can't stay in the air.

Then, normal initiative is rolled and unfortunately, the whole group rolls dismally. The toys then make full attacks. They have 2 attacks per round, hence 6 total.

You don't need to write the round number. The round count is in my post. Just write your action description, then a spoiler with your rolls. Then you can edit as needed to add RP and descriptive flavour. Just don't add more rolls when editing as it doesn't work. If you need additional rolls, just do them in OOC.

[JWallyR]

I guess that all stands up. I mean, against more mundane foes they might have to roll stealth checks which would give opposing Perception checks some validity, but inactive (i.e. stationary) constructs in their "natural habitat" would probably get natural bonuses that would make their detection almost impossible anyway.

Just... at this rate, by die rolls, we're all gonna die before we ever get anywhere. >_<

[DarkOne-Rob]

I should have rolled a Knowledge (Arcana) check in the IC thread. Here it is (to identify the enemies): [roll0]

[Gwynfrid]

@ DarkOne:
- Per my group initiative system, it is indeed round 2, technically. But you don't need to count the rounds, that creates unnecessary clutter since I'm doing it already.
- The soldiers are animated objects. It is not uncommon to find warrior dolls such as these, set up to decorate and sometimes protect tombs or other sacred places. They're made of wood, which means they're resilient to blows (in technical terms: they have hardness). On the other hand, they're highly vulnerable to fire.
- You take a -4 penalty for firing at a creature engaged in melee.

@ JWallyR:
- No Perception roll could have detected these. They were not even hiding. It's just that they were objects lying there, until all of a sudden they animated. One way to find them out would have been to concentrate on them with Detect Magic and to make the Knowledge roll Vershab just made. Admittedly a very difficult hazard to avoid.
- Yes, Grekka threatens. She can attack, actually; it's just that she'll lose 1 hp if she does.
- Indeed you can attack, make a 5-foot step and draw your wand in one round.
- How do you get 1d10+9 damage? I figure it's got to be 1d10+6. See, that's why I recommended your sheet should show fully calculated stats...
- Nevertheless, with 11 damage you destroy your first target even after hardness is discounted.

[JWallyR]

The 1d10+9 damage is as follows:
1d10 from weapon (of course)
The base bonus for strength and power attack is +6 (4 from strength score, 2 from power attack)
The +6 bonus is multiplied by 1.5 due to the Heavy Flail being a two-handed weapon, resulting in +9

Due to the number of potential modifiers in play, noting what the bonus is based on allows me to calculate it as appropriate. I will often (but not necessarily always) be choosing to power attack, so the bonus to damage won't always be +9. I haven't played a melee character further than a barbarian I have going in another game, but a sorcerer I've been running for another game has been very regularly buffing our paladin with Enlarge Person, changing his strength score, necessitating another change to the resulting bonus damage.

In summary, I'm really not sure what advantage there is in posting a static value as a placeholder for a variable bonus when I can put an abbreviated formula for reference since I'm going to be figuring it out when I post anyway.

[Gwynfrid]

[facepalms, realizing how obvious it was] Your description of Lehasti's actions didn't say Power Attack (EDIT - it actually did, at the top the post... oh, well), and it just... didn't occur to me it might be one. Sorry for forcing you to explain the rule to me! :smallredface:

When I play a frontliner, I solve that problem in Mythweavers by entering the weapon twice, one with Power Attack and one without (and for a barbarian, with and without rage, as well). But I see you have no room to do that because you carry a great variety of weapons. All right, I'll remember next time. I'm still "learning" the characters and should be a bit more comfortable after we've had a few fights.

[JWallyR]

You have it exactly right. My barbarian has a heavy flail, a dagger, a sling, and a Bite attack (from a trait) and 2 Claw attacks (when raging) and even TRYING to compute the various bonuses for the combination of raging/not, power attacking/not would take several more character sheets. Referring to the strength bonus (whatever it happens to be at the time) and the multiplier (if applicable) gives me some direction about how to compute those bonuses without having to go look up the various mechanics.

[Gwynfrid]

Well, I know about that problem, but when I have to re-calculate it every time I attack, I get it wrong about 25% of the time, especially with PbP when several days or even weeks may pass between two fights, so I lose track.

I once designed a 12-level barbarian and I knew I just would never remember all his attack options correctly. So I just wrote a whole blurb at the bottom of the sheet. Quoted here just for the heck of it:

Full melee attack = 3 guisarme attacks + 1 tusk secondary attack

Weapon: +1 keen furious adamantine guisarme
Furious: +3 when raging
Move Name Type Atk Damage Crit Range Type Special
Attack |Melee | +19 | 2d4+13 | 19-20/x3 | S | Trip, reach |
Full Attack |Melee | +19/+14/+9 | 2d4+13 | 19-20/x3 | S | Trip, reach |
Attack, raging |Melee | +23 | 2d4+18 | 19-20/x3 | S | Trip, reach |
Full Attack, raging |Melee | +23/+18/+13| 2d4+18 | 19-20/x3 | S | Trip, reach |
Power Attack |Melee | +16 | 2d4+22 | 19-20/x3 | S | Trip, reach |
Full Power Attack |Melee | +16/+11/+7 | 2d4+22 | 19-20/x3 | S | Trip, reach |
Power Attack, raging |Melee | +20 | 2d4+27 | 19-20/x3 | S | Trip, reach |
Full PA, raging |Melee | +20/+15/+10| 2d4+27 | 19-20/x3 | S | Trip, reach |
Charge+PA |Melee | +18 | 2d4+22 | 19-20/x3 | S | Trip, reach |
Charge+PA, raging |Melee | +22 | 2d4+27 | 19-20/x3 | S | Trip, reach |

Weapon: tusks
Move Name Type Atk Damage Crit Range Type Special
Attack |Melee | +18 | 1d4+8 | 20/x2 | P | - |
Full Attack |Melee | +13 | 1d4+4 | 20/x2 | P | - |
Attack, raging |Melee | +20 | 1d4+10 | 20/x2 | P | - |
Full Attack, raging |Melee | +15 | 1d4+5 | 20/x2 | P | - |
Power Attack |Melee | +15 | 1d4+14 | 20/x2 | P | - |
Full Power Attack |Melee | +10 | 1d4+11 | 20/x2 | P | - |
Power Attack, raging |Melee | +17 | 1d4+16 | 20/x2 | P | - |
Full PA, raging |Melee | +12 | 1d4+8 | 20/x2 | P | - |

[Farmerbink]

Just gonna leave this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0034.html) here.

Unrelated, does anyone know how to populate the "stat block" portion of the new myth-weavers character sheets? Can't figure out how to translate it for Grekka without the long way.

[Gwynfrid]

Just gonna leave this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0034.html) here.

I new what it was going to be before I clicked on it :smallbiggrin:


Unrelated, does anyone know how to populate the "stat block" portion of the new myth-weavers character sheets? Can't figure out how to translate it for Grekka without the long way.

Ususally, I just leave that section empty (except when I want to detail options, like the above example).

[Gwynfrid]

OK, let's get to work...

Appraise [roll0], [roll1]
Appraise [roll2], [roll3]
Appraise [roll4], [roll5]
Appraise [roll6], [roll7]

Spellcraft [roll8]

[JWallyR]

Artist's rendition of "look of understated impressment":

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/138/246/tumblr_lltzgnHi5F1qzib3wo1_400.jpg

[JWallyR]

@John... I wasn't looking at the map, I would hope that it would be obvious that a non-blind person wouldn't miss that doorway or the apparent lack of other doors from the room with the shaft leading back up to the top. I'm going to amend my post to indicate that Lehasti is neither blind nor retarded, so I guess I'd appreciate you editing your character's reaction to my character's nonsensical (because they were based on player error, not character stupidity) actions. >_>

[Farmerbink]

Or tunnel vision on possible traps and poor perception.

Edit: just sayin

[Gwynfrid]

Some housekeeping, please signal any error:

HP
Calathon 7/8
Vershab 5/8
Grekka 11/14
Lehasti 12/12
9 charges left in the wand

Knowledge(Religion) Vershab [roll0] Lehsti [roll1]

Some other rolls [roll2] [roll3]

EDIT: I'm assuming Grekka now uses the Scarab Shield (her AC is unchanged) and you left all the other treasure behind. Carrying everything with you would be a lot of weight.

[DarkOne-Rob]

That all sounds about right to me.

[Gwynfrid]

Fort save
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[Gwynfrid]

Spellcraft, Calathon [roll0] Vershab [roll1]

[Gwynfrid]

Grekka stops suddenly. "[COLOR="#800080"]Anyone know of a vermin with the capacity to open doors? Last I checked, rats didn't have hands....

Hands aren't needed in this place since none of the doors so far had handles or locks. It's either push, or pull (with a crowbar, in your case). By the way, I think my description has been somewhat illogical. You should have been prying every door open with the crowbar, so far.


She steadies her grip on the spear and peeks through the cracked doorway.

Left or right door, Sir? :smallamused:

[Farmerbink]

Hands aren't needed in this place since none of the doors so far had handles or locks. It's either push, or pull (with a crowbar, in your case). By the way, I think my description has been somewhat illogical. You should have been prying every door open with the crowbar, so far.

Huh. That's odd... Still, we've been prying with a crowbar with two beefy chicas. Not sure what that says about the size of rodents this place employs...


Left or right door, Sir? :smallamused:

East! That is, uh.... Left.

[Gwynfrid]

Creatures:
Perception [roll0]
Initiative [roll1]

Calathon:
Knowledge(Nature) [roll2]

Initiative
Calathon [roll3]
Vershab [roll4]
Grekka [roll5]
Lehasti [roll6]

[Gwynfrid]

In case it was not fully clear, here's a description of how initiative works here.

Both Calathon and the solifugids failed their Perception rolls, so there is no surprise round.

Then, inititative is rolled. Calathon and Vershab beat the creatures, but Lehasti and Grekka fell behind. Therefore the order of action is as follows:

Round 1
- First, Calathon and Vershab in any order.
- Then, the solifugids.

Round 2
- The group, in any order.
- Then, the solifugids.

Round 3, etc.

Note: On the face of it, it looks like Grekka and Lehasti miss an entire round, but this is only a matter of presentation. In regular play, they would go at the end of round 1, then Vershab and Calathon would go at the beginning of round 2. All I'm doing here is conflating the end of round 1 with the beginning of round 2 and calling that "round 2". But in effect, there's no action lost.

Once the order of action is established, I'm ignoring the rolls: you can post in any order when it's the group's turn. This way, we aren't waiting for each other. I will resolve actions in the order of posting, unless you instruct me otherwise: You can post to indicate your action will wait until after somebody else has acted, or any more complex set of conditions as you see fit. By default, I'll resolve ambiguous cases in the group's favor anyway.

[DarkOne-Rob]

We have done this kind of thing before in other games. It makes life so much easier.

[CleverDragon]

I apologize for taking so long to respond with my combat actions. I got caught up at work teaching all day and then afterwards doing some sightseeing. There's a gorgeous set of waterfalls very close to the company's offices here, so I took a very scenic stroll. It was quite nice! Definitely a nice break from the endless white snow in Boston :)

[Gwynfrid]

I apologize for taking so long to respond with my combat actions.

Don't! RL has priority.


Attack roll versus FF Touch AC: [roll0] (normally +5 with Dex and PBS, but -4 for cover bonus)
Damage: [roll1] if hit, and 5 damage to the adjacent critter from the splash damage. Otherwise, you can determine the scatter roll if you prefer or I can, your call. :)
EDIT: Yay! I think I just barely hit, assuming a flat footed touch of 11 gets it, which it should by my calculations...unless these are special solifugids. lol


Technically, cover doesn't give you a penalty. It gives a bonus to AC, which boils down to the same thing. But please don't substract from your roll, just to make sure it doesn't get counted twice. Also, I recommend that you don't make assumptions regarding the monsters' AC, even after you made the Knowledge roll. You might get nasty surprises (not in this case though).

The solifugids are not tall enough to be visible behind the altar, so they also have concealment.

[roll0] - that's still a hit!

Ref saves
[roll1]
[roll2]

Last thing: As it evolves over time, can you please record the DC of the bomb Ref save on your sheet. Thanks!

[Gwynfrid]

DarkOne: Last round, both creatures had cover from you, provided by your comrades. This round, one of them has cover from Calathon, the other hasn't. Both are in melee, however, so your chances aren't great.

Then of course, with rolls of 5 and 3 on the die, cover doesn't matter much :smallsigh:

[Gwynfrid]

CleverDragon: Throw Anything (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/throw-anything-combat---final) gets you a +1 on attack with splash weapons, so your total bonus with Point Blank Shot is +6. I found that because I'm building an alchemist for another game right now.

[Gwynfrid]

Stealth [roll0]
Initiative [roll1]

Initiative
Calathon [roll2]
Vershab [roll3]
Grekka [roll4]
Lehasti [roll5]

[Gwynfrid]

Sorry for the lack of clarity here. I had anticipated that the monster would surprise Grekka, and the initiative rolls were planned for that case. Since she had seen it, you didn't have to begin combat - sorry if the presence of the init rolls made you think you had to.

Anyway, now that combat has been joined, your intiative is clearly superior in this case. I lack time to give you a plan, but the thing is Large, using up the entire width of the stairs. Two of you (the usual suspects) can fight it in melee.

Kowledge(The Planes) [roll0]

EDIT: There will be no need for a plan. When flat-footed against the entire group, a lone monster, even a strong one, doesn't stnad much of a chance.

[Gwynfrid]

Knowledge(Engineering)
Calathon [roll0]
Vershab [roll1]

[Gwynfrid]

Initiative
Calathon [roll0]
Vershab [roll1]
Grekka [roll2]
Lehasti [roll3]

Beetles [roll4]

[CleverDragon]

Know - Nature: [roll0] on the beetles (is it Ringo??) :smallcool:

[Gwynfrid]

Attack rolls for Grekka

[roll0] damage [roll1]

[Gwynfrid]

Re-doing botched rolls for the beetles

[roll0] damage [roll1]
[roll2] damage [roll3]

[JWallyR]

I'm gonna estimate F7 for Lehasti while Grekka goes the other way to C7ish?

[Gwynfrid]

Lehasti F7, OK. I'll let Farmerbink decide the exact square for Grekka. How about Vershab and Calathon?

[Farmerbink]

C7 sounds good. I'm just about to begin another round of house hunting, so I'm probably out of pocket until this evening at this point.

[Gwynfrid]

I'm not going to add an IC post for this, but: So far, nothing happens. Your move.

[Gwynfrid]

@ DarkOne: Lehasti is in F7, plase have Vershab pick another square. You can't get a good enough reading without touching the object, so I understand you're now waiting for the trap expert to determine danger.

Calathon's move.

[DarkOne-Rob]

How about C7? Will that work?

[Gwynfrid]

Er, not really:


C7 sounds good. I'm just about to begin another round of house hunting, so I'm probably out of pocket until this evening at this point.

What is it with these two squares that they're so incredibly popular? :smalltongue:

[CleverDragon]

:facepalm:

Of course you'd do that to me, silly forum dice roller! OK G, bring on the traps that inevitably spring! (gulp) :smallannoyed:

[DarkOne-Rob]

Alright, G6 is my final answer. :smallcool:

[Gwynfrid]

:facepalm:

Of course you'd do that to me, silly forum dice roller! OK G, bring on the traps that inevitably spring! (gulp) :smallannoyed:

Hard luck indeed. Had your rolls been in a different order, you'd have been fine. But here... Well...

I'll leave you hanging on that ominous note, though. I won't be able to post until late tonight (and by that I mean, tonight PST).

[Gwynfrid]

Dice noise

[roll0]
Calathon [roll1]
Vershab [roll2]
Grekka [roll3]
Lehasti [roll4]

[Gwynfrid]

Announcement: Tomorrow I will be traveling to Asia for work. I'll likely post nothing for at least 24 hours, and for the following week my posts will be rare and at odd times, since I will spend a lot of time in transportation. Please expect a bit of a slowdown in this game.

[Gwynfrid]

@ FarmerBink - I had forgotten the Shield of Faith, now duly noted.

Hit points current tally (if I'm not mistaken)
Calathon 2/8
Vershab 4/8
Grekka 11/14
Lehasti 6/12

[CleverDragon]

Sadly, you are correct about my HP. And, of course, in grand alchemist style, I miss the melee attack, and yet roll max damage. Ah well...let's hope I survive the next barrage!! I was considering taking my mutagen, but it seems unclear whether it triggers an AoO or not. (The rules don't call for one RAW, but if it's anything like drinking a potion, it would. Though, I have in my mind that Calathon's mutagens are more like a syringe that he stabs into his arm/chest/neck, but I imagine the actions would still provoke an AoO.

Ruling on that, G?:smallsmile:

[Gwynfrid]

I'll rule that drinking a mutagen or extract is the same as drinking a potion in every respect (exception: Accelerated Drinker doesn't work, as mentioned in the FAQ).

In further bad news: Hardness works against every type of damage, so Vershab's acid can't do squat. Besides, I just found that energy attacks do half damage to most objects. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/damaging-objects#TOC-Hardness) The rule allows for a bit of leeway, so I'll say that fire does full damage to the sarcophagus since it's made primarily of wood.

EDIT:
@JWallyR: I would use your earlier posted rolls; please don't post rolls twice, I'll generally use the first set in that case and discard the second (so next round you can roll afresh). In this particular case, well... not much of a difference...

EDIT2: Lehasti wasn't able to take that 5-ft step. You can't move diagonally past a corner (even by taking a 5-foot step). (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Tactical-Movement)

[JWallyR]

Oops, didn't roll the wand for its use on Lehasti: [roll0]

[JWallyR]

Posting here due to OOC nature: Lehasti would have examined the slave mummies with Detect Evil active, and I expect that any of the members capable of detecting magic would likewise have done so. Assuming that there's nothing to find, I'll move on and post IC as normal.

[Gwynfrid]

Posting here due to OOC nature: Lehasti would have examined the slave mummies with Detect Evil active, and I expect that any of the members capable of detecting magic would likewise have done so. Assuming that there's nothing to find, I'll move on and post IC as normal.

I passed over that a little too quickly, maybe. Your assumption is correct: No evil, and no magic. These people were buried correctly and their souls are at rest.

[Gwynfrid]

Calathon: [roll0]

[Gwynfrid]

Disable device [roll0]

[Gwynfrid]

Swarm Will save [roll0] DC11

[JWallyR]

Knowledge (Religion) check for any useful information about the sarcophagus or burial rites or anything else in this room: [roll0]

[Gwynfrid]

Knowledge (Religion) check for any useful information about the sarcophagus or burial rites or anything else in this room: [roll0]

Everything here is consistent with what your character knows of ancient Osiriani burial rituals: The sarcophagus, the divine representation and symbolism, the goods left close by to help the deceased in his afterlife journey, the mummified cats, the tapestries, slaves buried next to their master, etc. It seems Akhentepi ordered this to be constructed by the book. And it was done in the right way, as evidenced by the lack of any undead presence. So far.

[Gwynfrid]

The dice are making some noise behind the DM's screen. Pay no attention.

[roll0]

[Gwynfrid]

Reflex [roll0]

[Gwynfrid]

That was a critical threat right there.

Confirmation [roll0] addititonal damage [roll1]

[Gwynfrid]

Reflex [roll0]

[Farmerbink]

Good grief! This freaking cobra can't miss!

[Gwynfrid]

The cobra's d20 has rolled only 18 or 20, on 5 attack rolls or saves so far. Only exception, the crit confirm. Pretty scary. Good for her that Grekka has a good Fort bonus!

[Farmerbink]

Seriously. I was debating just a normal move so I could cast divine favor last round. Might not have done me much good to be unconscious.... 😳

[Gwynfrid]

Our heroes have vanquished the dangers of Akhentepi's Tomb. And with this victory...


DING!

Welcome to level 2! Your characters immediately gain all benefits of the new level, the only exception being spells (you need to rest for those).

Please roll your HP as a half-die + half max (example: instead of 1d10, roll 1d5+5, for 1d8, roll 1d4+4), plus Con and other bonuses as appropriate. Please let me know when you have updated your character sheets, so I can review.

[JWallyR]

Lehasti's additional HP: [roll0] <-- d10 (1d5+5) plus 2 Con bonus

[DarkOne-Rob]

Vershab's additional HPs - [roll0]

Favored Class Bonus will be +1 HP

Learning Magic Missile and Obscuring Mist this level

[Farmerbink]

Grekka's level 2 HPs: [roll0]

edit: boo. D:

Thanks for the half a HD free :-D

[Gwynfrid]

Grekka's level 2 HPs: [roll0]

edit: boo. D:

Thanks for the half a HD free :-D

You're welcome. In my experience, the impact of hp distribution variance isn't a symmetrical thing. A far above average hp total doesn't give a decisive advantage to a character, while far below average is crippling. My solution is to guarantee hp Is never below average, and the variance is greatly reduced.

[CleverDragon]

Cal's HD roll:
[roll0] (no Con bonus to speak of)

[Gwynfrid]

Bunch of Appraise rolls

Calathon [roll0] Vershab [roll1]
Calathon [roll2] Vershab [roll3]
Calathon [roll4] Vershab [roll5]
Calathon [roll6] Vershab [roll7]
Calathon [roll8] Vershab [roll9]
Calathon [roll10] Vershab [roll11]
Calathon [roll12] Vershab [roll13]

Spellcraft

Calathon [roll14] Vershab [roll15]
Calathon [roll16] Vershab [roll17]
Calathon [roll18] Vershab [roll19]

[Gwynfrid]

A question has arised relative to how soon the characters get their new abilities after leveling. I originally wanted to have everything available immediately, save for spells, since spells either need to be prepared, or are regained after rest, or are regained at a given time of the day. However, there is some inconsistency with how other, similar abilities are gained, such as Lay On Hands. There's a lack of RAW for how casters like Oracles and Inquisitors regain spells, notably.

So, for now and for future similar situations, I'll rule as follows:
- Upon leveling, all permanent stats (HP, abilities, BAB, saves, skills, caster level, etc) and all abilities that don't have a limited use per day are gained immediately.
- Spells and any abilities, magical or not, that have limited per-day uses, are gained after the next time the character rests (or regain spells, for those that don't need to rest for regaining spells).

One-time exception: Lehasti can use Lay on Hands immediately. Consider this a special favor from Sarenrae. (This is mostly because I don't want to walk back on stuff that happened in the IC thread).

[Farmerbink]

[roll0] bluff time!

[Gwynfrid]

Vershab's turn to Bluff [roll0]

[Gwynfrid]

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Gwynfrid]

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[DarkOne-Rob]

I think a moment of meat-game discussion is needed here. Is there another (reasonably likely) way out of this tomb than to send up treasure to our captors? As PCs I recognize none of us would know, but as players I am more inclined to do something than explore every other option for weeks of real life time.

If this is a moment of story-based railroading, I understand - let's get on with it.

If there is another (reasonably likely to be successful) option to be found, I am pretty sure all four players (and PCs) would prefer that option. Let's find it and try it.

(Absolutely zero criticism is meant towards Gwynfrid, especially regarding the use of the word "railroading," by the way. I suspect this encounter is written into the campaign by its original authors, so if I was upset it would be directed at them, not our DM.)

[Gwynfrid]

I think a moment of meat-game discussion is needed here. Is there another (reasonably likely) way out of this tomb than to send up treasure to our captors? As PCs I recognize none of us would know, but as players I am more inclined to do something than explore every other option for weeks of real life time.

If this is a moment of story-based railroading, I understand - let's get on with it.

If there is another (reasonably likely to be successful) option to be found, I am pretty sure all four players (and PCs) would prefer that option. Let's find it and try it.

(Absolutely zero criticism is meant towards Gwynfrid, especially regarding the use of the word "railroading," by the way. I suspect this encounter is written into the campaign by its original authors, so if I was upset it would be directed at them, not our DM.)

Thanks for approaching this problem via OOC. I had a feeling that the mindset of the group, as well as that of their opponents on this encounter, is such that the game could reach a deadlock. As DM, I want to avoid that, and if it happens, my job is to find ways to circumvent it.

First, to your question: There is no other way out than the shaft. Obviously, the tomb builders didn't plan for a escape hatch: The room you are in was designed as a death trap, as you noticed when the very first thing you found here was a dead body. If you had a means to breathe underwater, you could risk the underground river branch - but you don't.

To tell you the truth, I'm rather embarrassed right now, because this encounter is in fact to be blamed on me, not the story's authors: It's the first modification I have made to the campaign on my own. Obviously, the players are not exactly happy with this, so I think an apology might be in order.

Let me explain why I decided to spring this rather nasty surprise on you:
- The story reason is that, sure, there are criminals in Wati, and there are desperately poor people (check out the entries for Bargetown and Asp in the city's description in the first post). There also are people who visit the City of the Dead on the sly. The opening of the City of the Dead has been the talk of the town for weeks, and this charter for exploration was given to you in the most public manner possible. Put two and two together, and it's no surprise a group of soon-to-become rich explorers would become a juicy target for robbery.
- The author of the story did plan for something like this to happen, but that was more of an optional group of thugs from the random encounter table on your way back. I didn't find this very appealing, as it would have been just another combat.
- The metagame reason is this: the scenario's first section is 100% dungeon crawling. I thought a purely RP-based challenge would be a good change of pace.

Now, in hindsight, I realize this could be seen as railroading, as you feel you don't have any choice. For the record, I don't agree, as I think you have several options, some of which you have tried to some degree:
- The Bluff + Diplomacy option: You could say you have found nothing of value, because you have a grievously wounded team member, or you couldn't bypass a trap, or something along those lines.
- The Bluff + Intimidate option: You could threaten retaliation or capture by the authorities by inventing whatever lie might work in this case.
- The Diplomacy option: Appeal to your foes' decency and mercy. Lehasti did this rather well, and was successful in improving the robbers' attitude. Not enough, however, that they would give in entirely, because they are desperate (I hope I was able to convey a sense of that in the answer). But their response gave you an opening for negotiation, which you could decide to pursue further. It likely involves giving them something, however.
- The compromise option: You give them something of modest value, and wait to see if they ask for more.
- The trick option: You give them something that will give you a chance to track them down at a later time. That's Grekka's suggestion, which you're still free to pursue.

However, that I feel there are choices is irrelevant: Your perspective as players is what matters here. It seems my little addition to the story is less than a resounding success. Sorry about that. In the future, I should probably not throw this kind of curveball at you... I'll need to think about it some more. As for the resolution of the present encounter, it is up to you to decide if you want to go for one of the options above. The default right now is that the robbers' will have to make do with Vershab's spellbook.

[DarkOne-Rob]

This is such a great example of how things are supposed to work when GMs and players find themselves at odds - talk about it and figure out what is going to be fun for both.

Thank you for being willing to honestly share and respond, Gwynfrid.

I am going to post Vershab's suggestion in the IC thread, but the summary is: either let them sell my spellbook and try to track it down again or pay them the selling price for the spellbook and let them get a head start on us.

[JWallyR]

1) After 1 more point in Perception and a first point in Sense Motive, Lehasti's bonuses on these skills have increased to 0 and 2, respectively.
2) Do you have currency in that list of loot in the 2nd post? I know we'll have to either divvy stuff up or sell it as appropriate later, but Lehasti in particular would like to get her parents set back up ASAP.

[Gwynfrid]

1) After 1 more point in Perception and a first point in Sense Motive, Lehasti's bonuses on these skills have increased to 0 and 2, respectively.
2) Do you have currency in that list of loot in the 2nd post? I know we'll have to either divvy stuff up or sell it as appropriate later, but Lehasti in particular would like to get her parents set back up ASAP.

The currency is gp (aka gold pharaoh, I think that's the name someone proposed?)

Note the price you can get is normally 50% of the listed value of the items, with the exception of hard currency which delivers its full value.

[Gwynfrid]

A few points about next steps and loot:
- You don't need to show it to the Grand Mausoleum priests if you don't want to. But they'll certainly be appreciative if you do.
- In any case you have to report to them that you're done with your assignment, at least so that you can get the next one.
- Keeping the loot at Vershab and Calathon's place works.
- Much of the loot has maximum value to collectors and antiques afficionados. That means it won't sell fast, unless you settle for a bad price.
- Fortunately, you know the perfect channel for dealing with the materia, as well as store it until it can be disposed of: Calathon's boss, Minnothep.

[DarkOne-Rob]

- You don't need to show it to the Grand Mausoleum priests if you don't want to. But they'll certainly be appreciative if you do.
Let's keep them happy(-ish) with us as much as possible. Showing them the loot seems a reasonable starting point.


- Much of the loot has maximum value to collectors and antiques afficionados. That means it won't sell fast, unless you settle for a bad price.
How long in real-world time do you want to spend exploring this, Gwynfrid? Vershab would be best used in other areas (shopping for equipment for example) than in discussing things with potential buyers. How common are magical items in town? Can we easily purchase a couple of wands of Cure Light Wounds (for ourselves)? How about items like Cloaks of Resistance, Headbands/Belts of +2 Ability Scores, etc...? I am also strongly considering some scrolls for emergency/utility use...

[Gwynfrid]

How long in real-world time do you want to spend exploring this, Gwynfrid? Vershab would be best used in other areas (shopping for equipment for example) than in discussing things with potential buyers. How common are magical items in town? Can we easily purchase a couple of wands of Cure Light Wounds (for ourselves)? How about items like Cloaks of Resistance, Headbands/Belts of +2 Ability Scores, etc...? I am also strongly considering some scrolls for emergency/utility use...

I hope to spend as little time as possible on this. That's why Minnothep is such a neat solution: a pre-existing NPC contact who can relieve you of your excess loot as long as it's antique. It works like this:
- For any antique item worth 1000gp or less Minnothep can give you a fair price (ie 50% of listed value), immediately.
- For any antique item above 1000gp, she'll need 1d8 days to find a buyer at a fair price.
- Minnothep also organizes private auctions from time to time. If you're willing to wait fo a few weeks, this is a chance for you to obtain more than 50%.
- If you go to the market you can sell anything up to 25000gp immediately, but at less than a fair price. You get (20+5d6)% of the listed value.
- For non-antique or magical items, the market will give you a fair price.
- In the special case of the gold coins, they're ancient so they need to be exchanged, but you can do that immediately and for 100% of their listed value (I counted a discount in the listed value already).

On the purchasing side, I'll go by the description of Wati and the RAW:
- Any magic item up to 5200gp can be found in the market with a 75% probability.
- There also are a number of other items available, I'll need to roll from the tables to determine which.

In other news: You can retry Spellcraft to identify the properties of Akhentepi's armor once per day. So, eventually you find this:

Akhentepi's Armor - value 5235gp - weight 10lbs
This suit of +1 stanching padded armor is of traditional Osirian design, consisting of a quilted cuirass of lightweight, breathable linen; a linen kilt; and a teardrop-shaped groin guard of stiffened linen. Besides its anti-bleeding properties, Akhentepi’s armor grants its wearer a sense of impending danger. Once per day as a free action when the wearer attempts an initiative check, the wearer can add a +3 insight bonus on that initiative check.

[Gwynfrid]

In other news: 3 of you need to level! There's no rush, because the next few encounters will be mostly RP. Still, we'll need that done before your next big exploration.

I reviewed Grekka's updated sheet, looks fine.

[DarkOne-Rob]

In other news: 3 of you need to level! There's no rush, because the next few encounters will be mostly RP. Still, we'll need that done before your next big exploration.

I reviewed Grekka's updated sheet, looks fine.
Vershab (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=129623)'s sheet has been updated for a couple of days - I didn't realize that you hadn't seen it yet, Gwynfrid. He learned Color Spray and Magic Missile this level.

Also, note the new url - I moved him to the updated sheets. If want to change the link n the first OoC post you may.

[JWallyR]

So, my thoughts:
1) I'm happy to take as long as we need to get as much as we can from the loot.

2) I have -literally zero- experience equipping characters with bought magic items, so I would love some guidance on that process.

3) Lehasti (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=131216)has been updated to level 2 as well. Check at your convenience!

4) The magic armor from whats-his-face, is it essentially Padded Armor +1 with an additional quality of stanching? In other words, not attractive to Lehasti but maybe to a character that can make use of light armor?

[Gwynfrid]

OK, I just need to update my links to the sheets. No problem.


2) I have -literally zero- experience equipping characters with bought magic items, so I would love some guidance on that process.

I'm happy to offer advice.


4) The magic armor from whats-his-face, is it essentially Padded Armor +1 with an additional quality of stanching? In other words, not attractive to Lehasti but maybe to a character that can make use of light armor?
Pretty much, yes.

[Farmerbink]

For some reason, spoilers aren't playing nice with my phone anymore... Brilliant.

Loot: I think I would prefer to keep the alchemists fire, and I think the bows and scarab shield have also been spoken for. Vershab maybe wanted the spear? Unless I'm missing something, everything else is going to be sold.

Related: is Calathon's employer going to buy the chariot? If so, the armor may be all we really have to wait to sell.

Also related: can we roll the 5d6+20, and then decide to not sell if the percentage is too low for our liking?