World of Warcraft - Interbellum (OOC Thread) [Archive]

WindStruck

2021-10-02, 12:18 PM

I think I finally was able to come up with an actual elf-like surname, by looking at other examples of Thalassian. But still, we could use them interchangeably, either Arkhana'skrit or Runescribe, as apparently we do have other names in use like Sunstrider or Windrunner.

https://puzzleit.ru/files/puzzles/184/184377/_original.jpg

Isaera's family was well-to-do, living in the heart of Quel'Thalas. All of her family were quite skilled in the arcane arts, and she was no exception. She was slated for a boring life, perhaps even an unfulfilling one, nose stuck in books and repeating experiments which had been verified ten times over.

Then the undead scourge hit, and razed her entire estate. Some of her family, including her father, were killed or had gone missing. Her mother, some siblings, and distant cousins managed to escape and sought refuge. They came back to desolation and had nothing...

Now Isaera and what is left of her family are trying to pick up the pieces of their former lives. But hey, on the bright side, at least something interesting happened.. kind of like she had wished. Silently, she blames herself, as completely illogical as it is. As the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for. She wishes things were dull and boring as they were before.. and yet, a part of her doesn't. At least now, there is definitely a lot to do, and something new to study...

Strength: -2
Stamina: -3
Agility: -2
Dexterity: 1
Fighting: -3
Intellect: 5
Awareness: 4
Presence: 4

Racial boon: +1 intellect, +1 dexterity

Parry: 0 (-3)
Dodge: 0 (-2)
Toughness: -3
Fortitude: 0 (-3)
Will: 4 (8)

Acrobatics: 0 (0)
Athletics: 0 (-2)
Close Combat: 0 (-3)
Deception: 10 (+14)
Expertise (alchemy): 9 (+14)
Expertise (enchanting): 8 (+13)
Expertise (history): 3 (+8)
Expertise (literature): 2 (+7)
Expertise (arcane magic): 9 (+14)
Expertise (natural sciences): 3 (+8)
Insight: 10 (+14)
Intimidation: 0 (+4)
Investigation: 9 (+14)
Perception: 6 (+10)
Persuasion: 10 (+14)
Ranged Combat: 0 (+1)
Sleight of Hand: 0 (+1)
Stealth: 0 (-2)
Technology: 1 (+6)
Treatment: 0 (+5)
Vehicles: 0 (+1)

Crafting boons: +5 expertise (magic), +5 expertise (alchemy), +8 extra to enchanting
Racial boons: Keen senses, +2 Perception

Assessment
Artificer
Attractive 2
Ritualist

Fire Bolt - magic, fire
-Damage 6
-Ranged 1

Frost Bolt - magic, frost, resisted by fortitude
-Damage 1
-Ranged 1
-Affliction 7 (dazed + hindered)
---Limited Degree 2
---Extra Affliction

Arcane Missiles - magic, arcane
- Damage 4
- Ranged 1
- Accurate 1
- Homing 3

Arcane Explosion - magic, arcane
- Damage 2
- Area Burst 1
- Reduced Range 1
- Selective
- Fast Cast

Magical Cantrips - magic, and other possible properties
- Variable 1
--- Free Action to change

Feather Fall - 1 PP
This is Flight rank 1 or 2 with the "levitation" and "gliding" flaws. But either way, behaves as expected.

Frost Armor - 7 PP
A linked effect with Protection 3 and Energy Aura 1.
The energy aura doesn't deal damage, but rather inflicts afflictions (2 extra effects, and limited to only 1st degree).
Enemies attacking Isaera in melee make DC 11 fortitude save or become dazed, hindered, and impaired.

== Spellcasting ==
Spellcasting is a difficult art which requires both hands free, freedom of movement, and the ability to intone arcane syllables clearly. If any of these conditions are hampered, an expertise (magic) roll is required. DC 15 for one hampered ability, 20 for two, 25 for all three. If both hands are occupied, you're completely bound, or unable to speak, you can't cast spells at all.

Most spells also have a full casting time, triggering on the beginning of your next turn, unless specifically stated otherwise. If you take damage while casting, you need to make an expertise (magic) roll of the same toughness DC. But if you get stunned or incapacitated from taking damage, the spell fails anyway.

Additionally, casting spells costs Mana. After prolonged use of these abilities, the character may need to expend extra effort to continue casting and become fatigued.

== Story Complications ==

Motivation: Seeking Knowledge - It's no secret that Isaera is a scholar. She might be willing to do some risky or even questionable things, if it's for the sake of discovery.

Motivation: Peace - In the end, it isn't about doing good for the sake of goodness, or bringing down justice upon the evil. Isaera just wants to glue the pieces of the world back together so that it can heal, and so she and everyone else can get back to trying to live like normal, minding their own business, and trying to live in peace.

Motivation: Manabread for the Family - With her family essentially being refugees, with little to no possessions and barely even a place to call home, they are struggling. Badly. Any resources that Isaera can send to her family, to her new home, would be a great help.

Bad Blood: the relation between elves and the alliance are very strained. Quel'Thalas is fractured and crumbling, and in part, no thanks to the alliance which could not protect Silvermoon, and their precious Sun Well. Of course, the others had lost much to the scourge as well. But the rampant racism displayed in the alliance's upper ranks simply crosses the line. Tensions between human and elf are at an all-time high.. and for the stupidest of reasons.

A Lot to Live Up to: magic has run strongly in Isaera's family. All of them skilled enchanters, runesmiths, and knowledgeable of the arcane. Even her father was some famous arch mage, gone missing and presumed dead or lost to the conflicts with the undead scourge. Isaera has a name for herself to uphold.. and unfortunately, she was best suited to do that in a lecture hall or a library, not on a dangerous adventure.

Mana Addiction: Well. Some elves have it worse. A lot worse. To the point of being dangers to themselves and everyone else around them. Isaera and her family seem to have it all together for the most part.. but the pains and lethargy are still ever-present, slowly creeping upon their minds and bodies at all times. It can't be helped. Since her people had basically evolved basking in the Sun Well's power, physiological side effects from its absence would be inevitable.

+

8 skill points added to expertise: enchanting as per discussions related to the professions tweaks.

Orcish will be learned by everyone for free now.

8PP
Adding Featherfall and Frost armor!

Feathersnow

2021-10-02, 12:24 PM

HelloRacial features:

Extraordinary Effort
Luck x2
Well-informed
Second chance

Profession features (alchemy):

Expertise: magic +6
Equipment +1
Artificer

Other advantages: (9)
Move-by attack
Improved Smash
Power attack
Takedown
Fast grab
Improved grab
Improved hold
Uncanny dodge
Assessment

Skills: (23)
Fighting +10
Insight +5
Investigation +5
Athletics +5
Treat +5
Perception +5
Intimidation +1 (+3)

Abilities (20)

Strength +1 (+5)
Stamina +1(+5)
Agility +1
Dexterity +1
Fighting +3
Intellect +1
Awareness +1
Presence +1

Power- permanent growth 4

Plaids

2021-10-02, 12:49 PM

Hi everyone.

How frequently should we post going forward?
I'd like to know when to keep my phone handy when away from the desktop.

Racial 5:
Persistent Regeneration 2 = 4pts
2nd Chance to disease = 1pt

Profession 5:
Expertise Herbalism 8 = 4pts
Expertise Cooking 2 = 1pts

Power Pts 60:

Abilities 26:
AWE 3
STR 0
STA 1
AGL 1
DEX 3
FGT 1
INT 1
PRE 3

Powers 23:
Selective Environment Control 3 = 9pts // 250ft radius
Comprehend Elements 2 = 2pts // To freely converse with elementals in the vicinity
Blast 5 = 10pts
Deflect 2 = 2 pts // To harness the elements to protect allies. Like using gusts of wind to stop flying spears.

Skills 9:
Investigation 4 = 2 pts
Persuasion 6 = 3 pts
Perception 4 = 2 pts
Ranged Combat 4 = 2 pts

Advantages 2:
Network = 1 pts //Converse with local elements/elementals
Connected = 1 pts //Requesting aid from local elements/elementals.

Character:
Motivation: Diplomacy - In the tumultuous world of Azeroth allies are more important than ever and the only way the village will endure future catastrophes is to make alliances.
Motivation: Home - Duty to ones tribe guides Jakk'ari but the comforts of home are hard to forget.

Reputation: Traveling shaman
Quirk: Eager to please - While hospitable and considerate the duty of a diplomat with need to make allies compels Jakk'ari to defer to figures of authority reverently for the divine and deferential to the political

I accidentally made a character with attack power exceeding the campaigns power level. So here is my revision.

Racial 5:
Persistent Regeneration 2 = 4pts
2nd Chance to disease = 1pt

Profession 5:
Expertise Herbalism 8 = 4pts
Expertise Cooking 2 = 1pts

Power Pts 60:

Abilities 26:
AWE 3
STR 0
STA 1
AGL 1
DEX 2
FGT 1
INT 1
PRE 3

Powers 23:
Selective Environment Control 3 = 9pts // 250ft radius
Comprehend Elements 2 = 2pts // To freely converse with elementals in the vicinity
Blast 4 = 8pts
Reflective Deflect 3 = 6 pts // To harness the elements to protect allies. Like using gusts of wind to stop flying spears.

Skills 9:
Investigation 4 = 2 pts
Persuasion 6 = 3 pts
Perception 4 = 2 pts
Ranged Combat 2 = 1 pts

Advantages 2:
Network = 1 pts //Converse with local elements/elementals
Connected = 1 pts //Requesting aid from local elements/elementals.
Leadership = 1pts //Remove dazed, fatigued, or stunned with the use of 1 victory point.

Character:
Motivation: Diplomacy - In the tumultuous world of Azeroth allies are more important than ever and the only way the village will endure future catastrophes is to make alliances.
Motivation: Home - Duty to ones tribe guides Jakk'ari but the comforts of home are hard to forget.

Reputation: Traveling shaman
Quirk: Eager to please - While hospitable and considerate the duty of a diplomat with need to make allies compels Jakk'ari to defer to figures of authority reverently for the divine and deferential to the political

Racial 5:
Persistent Regeneration 2 = 4pts
2nd Chance to disease = 1pt

Profession 5:
Expertise Herbalism 8 = 4pts
Expertise Cooking 2 = 1pts

Power Pts 64:

Abilities 24:
AWE 3
STR 0
STA 1
AGL 1
DEX 2
FGT 1
INT 1
PRE 3

Powers 29:
Selective Environment Control 3 = 9pts // 250ft radius
Comprehend Elements 2 = 2pts // To freely converse with elementals in the vicinity
Blast 4 = 8pts
Reflective Deflect 3 = 6 pts // To harness the elements to protect allies. Like using gusts of wind to stop flying spears.
Empathic Healing 4 = 4pts // To heal someone the character healing must transpose the wounds onto themselves.

Skills 8:
Investigation 4 = 2 pts
Persuasion 6 = 3 pts
Perception 4 = 2 pts
Ranged Combat 2 = 1 pts

Advantages 3:
Network = 1 pts //Converse with local elements/elementals
Connected = 1 pts //Requesting aid from local elements/elementals.
Leadership = 1pts //Remove dazed, fatigued, or stunned with the use of 1 victory point.

Character:
Motivation: Diplomacy - In the tumultuous world of Azeroth allies are more important than ever and the only way the village will endure future catastrophes is to make alliances.
Motivation: Home - Duty to ones tribe guides Jakk'ari but the comforts of home are hard to forget.

Reputation: Traveling shaman
Quirk: Eager to please - While hospitable and considerate the duty of a diplomat with need to make allies compels Jakk'ari to defer to figures of authority reverently for the divine and deferential to the political

Budget - 15pts
Powers:
Fluid 1: 5pts - Swarm of bees moves fluidly like water
Flight 1: 2pts - Swarm of bees can fly
Dazzle 4: 8pts - Swarm of bees can interfere with the senses of others and sting
Immunity5 Arrows Mundane: 5pts - 3E Guide lists bullets as a "particular damage effect" immunity costing 5. Mundane arrows are the WOW bullets in a sense.
Senses Accurate4 & Counter Concealment2 Olfactory: 6pts - Swarm of bees has great sense of smell
26pts Total

Skills:
Expertise Sugar foraging 2: 1pts
1pts

Stats:
STR -2: -4pts
FGT -1: -2pts
PRE -1: -2pts
INT -1: -2pts
WILL -1: -2pts
-12pts Total

Everything not mentioned would be a default value.

WindStruck

2021-10-02, 01:24 PM

Hi! I don't think an established posting speed or expectation was ever written...

My personal preference would be to check back daily, or perhaps, whenever you get a decent chunk of free time. Typically pbp games can update once a day, or every 2-3 days if they are "quick".

However, we players can post more quickly amongst ourselves, which is what might typically happen when one of our characters starts interacting with another. It kind of simulates actually having a conversation, you know? But that's only up to a certain point. It's good to allow others a chance to interact, too, in case a few people get carried away...

MrAbdiel

2021-10-02, 08:51 PM

WindStruck is correct, and the idea of "post ideally daily, or at least every couple of days" is what we're going for here. I won't backseat-drive your character's actions unless you've been quiet for at least two days, and in that case I'll make them do whatever seems most sensible for their character and moves the story along. If you go silent for a week or more without any announcement, I'll look for a chance to retire your character from the scene and perhaps the game. So communicate absences if you're gonna have 'em, and I'll try to do the same!

BananaPhone

2021-10-02, 10:17 PM

Marion Mordis

https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/033/654/152/large/sielvia-warlockver1.jpg?1610211108

Name: Marion Mordis
Race: Human
Homeland: Former Kingdom of Alterac
Profession: Warlock, former apprentice at Dalaran
Age: 19

Abilities: (4pp + 4pp Human Spirit (Awe 2))
Str 0, Sta 0, Agl 0, Dex 0, Fgt 0, Int 3, Awe 2, Pre 0

Defenses: (13pp + 1pp Human Spirit (Will))
Parry 4
Dodge 4
Toughness 0/4
Will 4

Skills: (17pp, +4pp (Expertise (Mining) and Technology 5CP Skills)
Expertise (Mining) +7, Expertise (Business) +11, Expertise +11 (Magic - Fel), Insight +5, Perception +5, Persuasion +8, Technology +11.

Advantages: (6pp + 1pp Skills (Inventor))
Attractive, Benefit (Status - Minor Noble), Ritualist, Inventor, Move-by Action, Benefit (Wealth 2 - Independently Wealthy)

Powers: (32pp)

Summon Demon(Enhanced Trait 4pp)
Enhanced Trait: Inreased Duration (continuous), Heroic, Distracting, Mental Link, Sacrifice, Noticeable, Check Required (DC 16 Expertise: magic), Quirk (Requires 1 Soul Shard as created by Artificer), Activation (Create Summoning Circle via Ritualist)

Minion - Voidwalker - Varghast

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/02/93/90/029390de0533185165dfba3952fc94e9.jpg

Abilities: 0pp (Straight zeroes.)

Defenses: 0pp. Zeroes across the board except toughness, which is 8 because of the Protection power.

Skills: (10pp.)

Insight +5, Perception +5, Intimidation +5, Close Combat +4, Expertise: Demonology +1.

Advantages: (2pp.)

Uncanny Dodge and Interpose.

Powers: (33pp)

Immunity: Interaction Skills - 5pp

Demonic Regeneration (Array) - 11pp
Consume Shadows: Regeneration 10 (1 Toughness Penalty Removed per Round)
Alternate Consume Shadows: Regeneration 20, Persistent, Source: Nether Energies, Limited: Only when Unsummoned.

Torment ("Mass Taunt" Weaken:Attack) - 9pp
Weaken:Attack - 4 Ranks
Selective +1 Per Rank
Area Burst +1 Per Rank
Quirk (Penalty Removed if attacking the Void Walker) -2 Flat
Activation (Move) -1 Flat.

Protection - 8pp
+8 Toughness

"Demon Armour" (Multiple Effects 8)
Protection 4: Toughness 4
Regeneration 4: Regeneration 4, every 2.5 rounds.

"Destruction and Affliction" (Array 20pp)
Main Power: Shadow and Fire (Blast 4, 16pp))
Accurate 2, Range 400 ft, DC 19, Homing 1, Multiattack, Variable Descriptor (Fire or Shadow)

- Alt. Power: Corruption (Blast 4, 16pp)
Perception range, DC 19, Secondary Effect

- Alt. Power: Mass Cripple (Burst Area Affliction 4, 12pp)
400 ft, 30ft Burst, 1st Degree: Fatigued, 2nd Degree: Stunned, Resisted by: Will, DC 14, Increased Duration (Concentration), Increased Range (Ranged), Limited Degree.

- Alt. Power: Death and Decay (Cylinder Area Damage 3, 15pp)
Area (Cylinder) 30ft, 300 ft range, DC 18, Contagious, Increased Duration (Concentration), Increased Range (Range)

- Alt. Power: "Blast Wave" (Blast: Cone Area Damage 4)
400ft range, DC 19, Cone Area 2: 120 feet cone, DC 14.

6 Abilities + 33 Powers + 6 Advantages + 17 Skills + 13 Defenses = 75pp

1 pp left, need to spend.

Complications:
Motivation: Thrills:

Motivation: Knowledge Accumulation:

Motivation: Restoration of Family Name:

Reputation: Alteraci Minor Noble:

Reputation: Warlock:

Quirk: Flirt:

Feathersnow

2021-10-03, 05:11 AM

My macro failed. For that matter, I fully expect you to GM Fiat that pay is non-negotiable. But, in any event, [roll0]

MrAbdiel

2021-10-03, 07:55 AM

Acknowledged, Feathersnow! I'm planning on being pretty abstract about money in this game - I'll be damned if I'm going to complicate my life and yours by requiring everyone to track pennies and figure out how much each ogre head consumes in food and drink per week. But I welcome players making any presumptive rolls they want in their posts to economize on time - the worst I can say is "it doesn't apply."

In this case, it might have applied a little bit if only for your allies to be impressed that you increased the reward pot - but an eight, sadly won't make the bacon. :D

Also, WindStruck, concerning your character's name - Going by Arkhana'Skrit or Runescribe works for me! Elves in the lore seem to usually have names like you said - Feathermoon, Windrunner, Starbreeze - but we have to assume those are common translations of elven names for use in the lingua franca. Additionally, I postulate (and because I'm running the game, have decided) that while elves might have an inherited 'family name' that is expressly tied to ancestors, they may or may not use as their presented 'second name' in introductions. I'm forced to assume that elves as individuals and perhaps as families choose their second name or have it bestowed upon them according to some cultural mechanism. I get to his because shortly after Kael'Thas Sunstrider (a good, high elven 'sun' name) renamed his high elven remnant "blood elves", you started running into elves with names like "Bloodstar" and "Bloodscorn", which obviously relate to the rebranding of their race! So the final verdict is: choose the name that sounds coolest to you, and that'll work just fine.

WindStruck

2021-10-03, 06:51 PM

I really am feeling leery about the job. I am sorry because it's like.. I know we're supposed to be going on some kind of adventure! That's what the game is all about!

But I do think the situation seems waaaaay too risky, between the nature of the mission, and even the potential risk of not trusting your "allies"! I mean, just thinking about this, as a player I would love to get a mission started.. but I really think everything in my character's mind is saying "No! Bad idea!"

Soooo... I don't know.

Is there any other incentive we can come up with to get this seen through? Isaera could, perhaps try a persuasion roll (and she'd be quite good at it) to try to sweeten the deal or get further assistance. At the very least, I've just thought of an idea that could alleviate the whole "we don't trust a troll or ogre" problem. I guess I should at least try to do something.

Or if, failing that.. we could perhaps, wait for a different job... :smalltongue:

MrAbdiel

2021-10-03, 07:01 PM

You can definitely try to persuade for more. It seems like Marion's of one mind with you in that! Roll them bones, and we'll see what the Captain can cough up when his last ditch effort to save these Cadets is beating him up with intimidation and persuasion checks. :)

WindStruck

2021-10-03, 07:19 PM

Haha, I rolled the bones alright!

I did quite well.... I don't see him refusing. :smallamused:

Plaids

2021-10-04, 01:57 AM

MrAbdiel

2021-10-04, 05:20 AM

Quick question how is using skills on fellow play characters going to be handled?
I don't want to fight, try suppress other players, or try to persuade other characters to walk off bridges but I think insight just affects me.
I also just rolled insight on Windstruck's Isaera since Isaera was acting kind of suspicious.

Another question. Does editing a posts flavor text change the die roll made on the post?

Last question first: It does not. When you edit a post with a roll on it, the roll's outcome is not directly editable. It's visible as [roll0] and [roll1] and similar things, which seem to be variables the generated roll is saved as in reference to your post. It is -theoretically possible- to post, then see you had a bad roll, and then delete that roll result and input something that looks like a roll result just using bolded text; but that will be detectable to any mod or admin who cares to inspect the post and can result in bans, so any cheatery is easilly revealed. There's the Dice Roller sub forums specifically for rolls and those posts can't be edited, but it's a pain in the but to reference back and forth so I (and most DMs) just trust players for the most part. Also worth noting, if you preview a post in which you are using a roll macro, it'll break the macro and the roll won't work.

As for using social skills on other players, just that way can lead to madness and player disatisfaction, I'm going to err on the side of trusting the players, and step in if I feel things are being done disingenously in some fashion. But you all seem cool, so I don't think it'll be an issue. Still, here's my take:

Intimidating, Persuading, Deceiving, and seeing through deceptions are all things you conduct with other players through RP. If you want, you can make a one sided roll to establish what the other player is reacting to; but ultimately they're going to decide if their character is persuaded, or frightened, or lets slip a telling look.

Example:

Rexxar to Thrall: "If you think I'm going to get involved in your ridiculous fight, 'warchief', you've got another think coming. Now stand aside before I make you stand aside."

Rexxar is attempting to intimidate Thrall. He rolls his intimidate - let's say at +8 - and gets a 25.

Thrall's player considers his options. There are two:

a) Thrall, bewildered and frustrated, stands aside and lets the Mok'nathal pass; storms flickering in his eyes.

In this option, Thrall's player is honoring Rexxar's ferocity, either as a character trait or because of the impressive roll. Thrall is brave, but he's not completely fearless; so he elects to have the young orc yield to the grumpy half-ogre.

b) Thrall flinches a little at the threat, but doesn't shift his stance. "Do what you think you have to do, warrior."

In this option, the Thrall's player recognizes Rexxar's threat, and even tries to salute it a little by having Thrall flinch; but it just doesn't make sense to him for Thrall to back down in this scenario, and so he sticks to his guns.

So in your case, it's up to Isaera to decide what Jakk'ari might interpret with his efforts at insight. It's not exact a cleancut solution, but it avoids the worst pitfall, which is players feeling resentful to other players, so I think it's the best way to go.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-04, 07:58 AM

Yikes, a couple of times now you guys have responded so quickly to stuff in the IC thread that I haven't realized everyone has posted and is waiting for me to move it along. Kudos on that response time. I guess that's the power of weekends! :D

WindStruck

2021-10-04, 08:16 AM

I guess!?! But the funny thing is, weekends, like holidays, are strange things.

You'd think that this means more free time, but often times people say that these periods are actually busier for them. Some people seem to only post/play at work... :smalleek:

But yeah! So far, so good!

If you do want an insight roll on Isaera, I would say that you think she is uncomfortable, like most other people who backed out, with the fact that there's a troll and two-headed ogre on this mission too.

That much may as well be obvious enough!

hand ax ranger

2021-10-04, 10:58 AM

WOOOOOOO

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/288495974219907073/894274864351940718/Zachary_Black_of_the_Alliance-portrait.png

Motivation: Responsibility
Motivation: Patriotism (to the Alliance)
Temper (Cold but vicious, generally lessened by maintaining a slight buzz)
Addiction (High-functioning Alcoholic, thankfully not usually a violent drunk)

Str 1
Sta 2
Agl 2
Dex 1
Fgt 3
Int 1
Awe 2
Pre 1

Uncanny Dodge
Evasion
Tracking
Agile Feint
Close Attack 4
Skill Mastery (Athletics)

Acrobatics 4 (+6)
Athletics 5 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+6)
Perception 6 (+8)
Ranged Combat 5 (+6)
Stealth 5 (+6)

Dodge 3 (+5)
Parry 2 (+5)
Fort 3 (+5)
Toughness
Will 2 (+5)

(Note: All are linked)
Alchemical Homeostasis:
Regeneration 1
Immunity 1 (Aging)
Immunity 2 (Disease and Poison), Limited: Doesn't affect respiratory and digestive

Enhanced senses:
Danger Sense
Low light vision
Accurate Hearing
Quirk: Over Stimulation (Requires Audio Protection)(Fort DC 12)
Quirk: Over Stimulation (Requires Visual Protection)(Fort DC 12)

Alchemist:
Expertise: Alchemy 4 (+5)
Artificer Advantage

Woodsman:
Expertise: Nature 4 (+5)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdmoATaJP1Q
HAHA! You have been tricked, fooled, and quite possibly..bamboozled!

lol

Feathersnow

2021-10-04, 12:36 PM

Yes. Mor'Lag has a totally Nietszchean morality that considers the Orcs being comprehensively beaten in the Second War to be the equivalent of the Alliance being "good" and the Horde being "bad."

This said, she utterly disdain Lightweilder religion, and secretly suspects "The Light" of being N'Zoth in a fancy hat.

hand ax ranger

2021-10-04, 01:09 PM

Lol interesting

WindStruck

2021-10-04, 08:16 PM

I will roll some expertise skills to see if Isaera may have heard of Marion.

history: [roll0]

literature: [roll1]

Bananaphone, feel free to say if you think Isaera should know anything.

BananaPhone

2021-10-04, 08:51 PM

MrAbdiel

2021-10-05, 05:44 AM

Depends how familiar with human lands she is. Alterac was the smallest of the human kingdoms (and Marion didn't say she was from there). Likewise, the Mordis' were a minor but very wealthy noble family, so unless she's familiar with Alteraci nobility it's unlikely she knows the name.

I might suggest it would be appropriate with those tolls for Isaera to know that Marion's accent is not one from the nations with most traditional interaction with Quel'Thalas - Lordaeron, Dalaran, or Stormwind. That is, if Marion isn't taking pains to conceal her accent. But the elf is unlikely to pick her right away as Alterac born.

ALSO! I've posted and done a few new things. I like spoiler tags, and I use them a bunch. Here's what I mean when I use them.

An "OOC" tag provides pertinent information for you the player, often a required roll.
A tag that contains a required roll DC contains additional information that only characters that pass the roll will know. It'll often list a bunch of appropriate skills or expertises, your best of which you may roll. Normal rules apply that most expertises can't be used untrained, but go ahead and use your intuitions about whether another skill you have is similar enough to substitute from context. If you are unsure, feel free to ask here in the OOC thread; but I'm not going to hide some critical superspoiler in a clickable tab I can't control, so don't worry too much if you roll, look, and then I say it doesn't count. If it's a REAL secret, I'll directly message you.

Additionally, if a spoiler is marked as {Fluff}, then feel free to look at it whether or not it requires a roll or you succeed at that roll. The roll determines whether or not your character knows the contents, but I know we have varying degrees of comfort with early and later Warcraft lore, so I thought I'd throw in tidbits like that both to enjoy being able to editorialize on them myself and to offer some world context. Let me know if you like that kind of thing, and I'll do more or less of it.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-05, 06:07 AM

Mor'Lag is miserable. They barely fit under a tarp, let alone a tent. They at least borrowed some of the ungent to repel bugs. That they could have made it themselves was immaterial. The stuff costs money, and offering it allowed Jak'kari to bond with the somewhat racist Vrykuls.

Oh! Poor Mor'Lag. :( Sad ogre is surprisingly compelling.

WindStruck

2021-10-05, 08:05 AM

Wow, MrAbdiel, you've seriously put some good effort into this! I'm not really itching to get into combat right away myself... and frankly, my character would probably get KO'd pretty quickly if that did happen. So anyway! More of this RP stuff sounds fun..

I can roll fortitude, but man, her rolls are abysmal! I think that thankfully, one way or another, she tried some of that herbal remedy...

Fortitude: [roll0]

expertise (natural science): [roll1]

expertise (history): [roll2]

Oh dear, I think she's gonna come down with something.... :smalleek:

MrAbdiel

2021-10-05, 08:46 AM

MrAbdiel

2021-10-05, 08:52 AM

Oh and also, it’s very funny to me that there are 3 alchemists and a herbalist in the group. I imagine long journeys where everyone is discussing the usefulness of Kingsblood and Goldenthorn, except Marion going slowly crazy at these plant-nerds.

WindStruck

2021-10-05, 08:56 AM

Oh, and don’t worry about that 0 on the Fort check. I’m sure it’s nothing. >:)
Nothing? Well I'll tell you what it is! It's two degrees of failure, and it almost would have been three!

Oh and also, it’s very funny to me that there are 3 alchemists and a herbalist in the group. I imagine long journeys where everyone is discussing the usefulness of Kingsblood and Goldenthorn, except Marion going slowly crazy at these plant-nerds.
lol yeah! Lots of alchemy to throw around... though of course, it's not just plants! There's magic you can infuse into concoctions, and other stuff, like working with strong acids, metallic solutions. Maybe even the dream of turning lead into gold!

hand ax ranger

2021-10-05, 11:36 AM

The surplus of Alchemists is really amusing to me XD

hand ax ranger

2021-10-05, 11:51 AM

[roll0]

Nothing, I'm immune to contact poisons and diseases.

hand ax ranger

2021-10-05, 12:53 PM

I forgot to add this to the above I'm sorry

So generally the Gm rolls the design DC in secret So I'll skip to the part where I do the construction check

Cripple powder
Ranged Affliction 1 (Vulnerable, Exhausted, Fort resists.)
Limited effect,

Construction DC: 11
[roll0]

Plaids

2021-10-05, 01:23 PM

So how is contacting elementals going to occur?
Is it going to be a skill check or a random encounter?

1d20

WindStruck

2021-10-05, 03:32 PM

If you are trying to make a roll, you can't edit it in. Rolls can only be made the first time the post is created. So keep that in mind. If you mess up rolls, you'll probably have to double post somewhere to get the proper roll in.

BananaPhone

2021-10-05, 04:09 PM

Fort roll: [roll0]

BananaPhone

2021-10-05, 04:15 PM

Btw, Mr GM, can I have Marion already possessing a few Soul Shards? Like roll a D4 or something?

Maybe SS: [roll0]

MrAbdiel

2021-10-05, 11:49 PM

Btw, Mr GM, can I have Marion already possessing a few Soul Shards? Like roll a D4 or something?

Maybe SS: [roll0]

You are thusly blessed. Have your 3 shards.

BananaPhone

2021-10-06, 12:00 AM

Spiffy, tyvm.

Plaids

2021-10-06, 12:57 AM

I'm liking how the games going so far.
I'd like to see if any elementals are in the vicinity and if they know about anything of the local factions activities.
[roll0]

MrAbdiel

2021-10-06, 01:59 AM

I'm liking how the games going so far.
I'd like to see if any elementals are in the vicinity and if they know about anything of the local factions activities.
[roll0]

Sorry Plaids, I saw your earlier post too! I promise I’m not ignoring you, just giving thought to how I’d like to handle spirits now and in perpetuity. I’ll have an elemental reply for you in a couple hours when I get home.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-06, 05:08 AM

Okay, so vis-à-vis contacting elemental spirits: I'm going to say under normal conditions it's a DC 10 Expertise: Magic check that requires you to speak Kalimag (you do). Since you've paid for the power to be able to have just such consultations, I'm happy to say you can do the routine Take 10 and pass unless you're doing so in the middle of a combat, or if the DC is higher because, say, fel taint or arcane bleed has squashed the natural elemental presence somewhat. You might end up getting called upon by the elements in turn, too; but whether you pick up the phone will be up to you.

WindStruck

2021-10-06, 09:00 AM

I'm not very enthusiastic about the whole scouting idea.. namely because, the technique of just being loud to ward predators away works quite well, and we'd all be together to face any potential threats.

Also, we really shouldn't be expecting any other particular dangers, like.. horde forces here. We're traveling to some other outpost, a watchtower or something, if I understood correctly, so until we get there, when we break off with this group of medics, I think we'll be fine.

And then when we're on our own, we'll have a smaller group that can be stealthy.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-06, 09:03 AM

Plaids

2021-10-06, 08:56 PM

I'm liking these clues and how everyone came together to set up camp.

Feathersnow

2021-10-06, 09:55 PM

I was AFK for a day and a half. Thanks for looking after Mor'Lag. I don't think they would make a good scout, though

MrAbdiel

2021-10-07, 04:18 AM

Well I'm glad y'all like it so far! A word on that kind of narration: I will occasionally take the liberty to tie up a scene or introduce some turn of events that way with a very minor supposition of your character's involvement. In this case, based on everyone's displayed temperaments and previous actions, it seemed pretty intuitive that they'd collaborate on something like that project if it was obvious it was an option; and me describing it in one hit like that saves on a pretty protracted back and forth. I'm not going to make your character say specific things or act out of character even in those minor presumptions, but if I ever do manage to step on someone's toe by making their character do or not do a thing how you'd prefer, just let me know and I'll edit-retcon it to smooth it out.

BananaPhone

2021-10-07, 04:32 AM

Marion is just an unassuming traveller...

MrAbdiel

2021-10-07, 04:42 AM

Some would say suspiciously unassuming!

BananaPhone

2021-10-07, 05:02 AM

Who, Marion? Never...

MrAbdiel

2021-10-07, 06:01 AM

I posted, then realized Marion had posted just before me so edited in a reaction to her actions; and then realized I hadn't resolved Zach's artificin' so I edited that in too. Tomorrow I'll set up the next days travel, and if Zachary wants to scout ahead with or without company I'll edit that in as needed! :D

hand ax ranger

2021-10-07, 08:29 AM

Yey my artifice is recognized. Granted I vanished for a whole day but eyyy I had real life things steal all my attention lol.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-07, 08:40 AM

Yey my artifice is recognized. Granted I vanished for a whole day but eyyy I had real life things steal all my attention lol.
Real life > RP. If someone takes more than a day and a half to respond then IÂ’ll consider moving the scene forward with no malice toward them. WeÂ’re playing a game meant for short face to fact sessions, but we are doing it with typed words in individual blips of time and text over a period of weeks and weeks. We can afford to forgive each other a little! :)

hand ax ranger

2021-10-07, 08:42 AM

Real life > RP. If someone takes more than a day and a half to respond then IÂ’ll consider moving the scene forward with no malice toward them. WeÂ’re playing a game meant for short face to fact sessions, but we are doing it with typed words in individual blips of time and text over a period of weeks and weeks. We can afford to forgive each other a little! :)

Well said lol. I got nothing more to say to this except "yey and such"

MrAbdiel

2021-10-07, 04:47 PM

Little warning - I realised I have a pretty packed next… 48 hours, so my next scene post might be a bit longer coming seeing as I can’t just crank those out in 10 minute slots on my phone during a work break! But I’ll do it as soon as I can!

Edit: But don’t let me stop you guys from posting, because this is all great.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-07, 05:47 PM

MrAbdiel

2021-10-08, 03:45 AM

Hey gang! I’m planning to do a little stuff exploring your characters backgrounds and stuff going forward. Naturally, because you have written short backgrounds like I asked and not exhaustive Wikipedia pages, there’s plenty of play in the joints for me. My approach by standard is to see any vacant space in your background as something I can do something with in the rough direction of your character concept.

For example, if you have mentioned your character came from a big family, I will feel at liberty to introduce parts or all of that big family as appropriate. If you’ve specified a family of three girls and three boys, I’ll work on that narrower parameter, and so forth. If I’m going to introduce something challenging to your characters story, it’ll always be something that in my best efforts I see conforms to your character’s concept. For example, a character who was playing a squire who wanted to be a knight like his father may leave the specifics about his father open to me. I might introduce the idea that his father sought to become a Paladin, but had no patience for the mystical studies. I would -not- I introduce the idea that his father was a coward, because that so plainly contradicts the character’s concept.

So that level of care is my default. It’s easier to make interesting things for you to react to with about that much “room” to define things in your character’s life and background. If there’s anything about that which you are unsure about, go ahead and point it out to me. I’m here to co-write good stories and try to drive these PCs into your personal pantheons of “favourite characters I’ve played.” Your satisfaction is my mission!

BananaPhone

2021-10-08, 04:45 AM

Did you enjoy the Starcraft lore? At least beforw they went insane with Heart of the Swarm and onwards.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-08, 05:06 AM

Starcraft lore is awesome and I considered doing a Starcraft PBP also. I even didn't hate the expansion on zerg as the weird darwinian hunger games. But everything about the Xel'Naga came off as anti-cool, and Kerrigan is just... Well, you know.

BananaPhone

2021-10-08, 05:12 AM

I loke the lore up until Wings of Liberty, and even the end of de-zerging kerrigan in that was silly. Heart of the Swarm is when the lore went off the rails, imo.

If you ever do a Starcraft one let me know. Playing an ex-ghost turned merc or wraith pilot etc would be fun. There's a free D6 versiob (based off Star Wars D6) floating around somewhere I think.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-08, 05:38 AM

I will let you know! I kind of liked the de-zerging of Kerrigan as it was the perfect end of Raynor's arc. Kerrigan once told him that the knight in shining armor routine suited him - just not now. And at the end, he gallantly threw himself into the jaws of the dragon to carry her from its wicked teeth. That's beautiful, imho. The current fascination with devaluing classic prince-and-damsel mythology not withstanding, it seemed to hit all the right notes. But it's not just Raynor's story, it's also Kerrigan's; and the re-zerging immediately at the beginning of HotS felt like almost a... meta-sacrifice. Like Raynor's story had to be sacrificed to save Kerrigan from being seen as god-forbid vulnerable. And the Protoss campaign was so wholecloth new Protoss lore with its crystals, and its space gods, and its beam battles it's one big, unmemorable multicolored blob in my memory. I remember the great snippening of the brain cords, and that's about it.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-08, 06:49 AM

Oh, before I forget!

@Feathersnow - did you have a particular ogre clan you wanted to be from, or are you happy to let me play with that space? Family details, same question? I know that Mor'Lag's father and grandmother fought in the orc-human wars. Did you have ideas for a specific arrangement for those things, or am I free to unfold that history? Additionally, I don't think I ever asked you for complications for Mor'Lag, which is a huge oversight on my part; but if you can throw a few of those into your sheet, it'll give me clues for how to present story to her and ways for me mechanically to reward you with VPs. Oh, and I should ask how old Mor'Lag is.

@Bananaphone - Any details about Marion's family besides that the Mordis were a minor noble house that you'd like to lock down before I start calling on that backstory? Family members still living, or dead, or executed for collaboration with the horde - or you can just trust me. :D

@Plaids - You've mentioned that your troll is a diplomat from a desert village, and I kind of pigeonholed you into being a sand troll (Sandfury, as Mor'Lag has said). This doesn't have to be the case if that's not what you meant! But the Sandfury (or "Farraki") are the most deserty trolls available. Any immediate family you want me to consider for him, going forward? And how old is Jakk'ari? His temperament suggests to me he's not super young, but maybe not quite middle aged. Since trolls live under normal conditions approximately as long as humans and orcs, he might be in that 20-40 range? Oh, and in case you were wondering in regards to Zachary's question, I can't find any lore that suggests trolls implicitly have low light vision. But I wouldn't be surprised if some kinds (jungle trolls for example) possessed it. But sand trolls if anything will be adapted for extreme-light mitigation! ;)

@WindStruck - Isaera comes off as young, but she's an high elf, so that could be like.. a hundred years old. Since elves mature as fast as humans physically, she could be as young as 18 or 19, in which case she would have been born right about the time the elves got pulled into the 2nd War, and in her mid teens when the scourge hit. I think I know enough about your family from your background, but if there's anything you want to specify or add, that's up to you!

@hand ax ranger - Same questions! How old is Zachary? If he was experimented on during the late third war period to potentially be used against the horde, he'd want to be 25+ now, since that was about 5 years ago. Does he have any living family that he knows about or is in contact with, or has he cut himself off from his old life? Or a war orphan - possibly contributing to why he was selected for that profane transformation? Any particular human nation or kingdom you want him to be native to - Stormwind, Kul Tiras, Lordaeron, Dalaran, Gilneas, etc? Stormwind being the current heart of the alliance, Lordaeron being the gold standard for humans whose lives were obliterated by the scourge.

I think that's all. Thanks everyone!

WindStruck

2021-10-08, 07:25 AM

MrAbdiel

2021-10-08, 07:49 AM

I think Isaera could have been like 20 during the 2nd war. As I had said in one of the IC posts regarding the sailor shanty, she was a child as the second war hit.

So I guess that puts her at around 40. For an elf, I guess 40 or so is still pretty young... but honestly I'm not really a fan of the whole, "you are a child for a full century".

There's probably different ways you could have elves treat another based on that, but I do believe she should be treated as an adult and her own person.

Ah, yes, I do recall that from your post! Thank you. :D And 40 is fine and dandy. As far as the rate elves age, I've always assumed (and will impose) that they age at basically the same rates as humans, and are considered adults at that point of maturity as well. The difference comes in where at 40, a human woman is considered middle aged, perhaps on the edge of the image of maternal wisdom and so forth. An elf at 40 is a 20 year old elf with 20 years of experience being 20, more or less. And their culture doesn't do much to incline an elf of 40 years to start thinking about her future and planning her retirement, etc. She might be looked down on as an insufferable youngster by a 300 year old elf, but that's a matter of perspective; and such a commentator would only consider Isaera a child in the way that 65 year olds consider 30 year old humans children - as a hyperbolic insult, rather than a demographic assessment.

Feathersnow

2021-10-08, 10:03 AM

Details-

Mor'Lag are the orphaned daughters of a two-headed warlock who died heroically in the Second War. After his death, she was taken in my her mother's (one head) clan, and her grandmother (one-head) was a ship captain. She and her daughter both married well to marry a warlock and advance in rank, respectively.

Because of Mor'Lag's fathers' early death, she has no other full siblings and does not stand to inherit. Additionally her lack of magical talent shames her.

Complications-

1) Mor'Lag hates the Horde as the shameful losers who got her father killed

2)Mor'Lag is effectively orphans. Other Ogres feel they owe her nothing.

3) Mor'Lag is in awe of arcane and fel magic and covets them, though she has no aptitude for channeling them.

hand ax ranger

2021-10-08, 10:23 AM

Oh, before I forget!

@hand ax ranger - Same questions! How old is Zachary? If he was experimented on during the late third war period to potentially be used against the horde, he'd want to be 25+ now, since that was about 5 years ago. Does he have any living family that he knows about or is in contact with, or has he cut himself off from his old life? Or a war orphan - possibly contributing to why he was selected for that profane transformation? Any particular human nation or kingdom you want him to be native to - Stormwind, Kul Tiras, Lordaeron, Dalaran, Gilneas, etc? Stormwind being the current heart of the alliance, Lordaeron being the gold standard for humans whose lives were obliterated by the scourge.

He was 22 at the time of his transformation, though he looked more 25-26 back then now...... he still looks 25-26 because he doesn't age. As ageless as stone. Or a Hostess Twinkie XD

Due to the many things that have occurred since the transformation he has fallen out of contact with his family, just as much to protect them from those who would seek him out as it is to avoid the temptation to throw his hands up and call it quits for good.

As far as nations I have no idea, my understanding of the geology has long left me lol.

Plaids

2021-10-08, 01:18 PM

Being Sandfury works fine with me. I just chose being from a high desert since I that's a biome I like. I think being from Tanaris would be a viable homeland for Jakk'ari
I think the 20-40 range is good and the Jakk'ari would be above the age median of the party.
I don't think trolls have darkvision. Either way I didn't choose powers to get it.

As for family I didn't consider it in the backstory. But given the age I think having a wife and some children would give some good opportunities for characterization.

As for general backstory I revised it on the fly between recruitment and the first session. I started out Jakk'ari trying to uncover a mystery with only one clue to start off with.
But after reading in a WOW wiki how the Twilight Hammer set up a foothold in the Tanaris I went for a diplomat seeking allies to fight against the cult. Specifically a diplomat who drew the short stick among the group of diplomats and has been assigned to seek allies outside Tanaris. But due to having no political leverage and being a troll outsider has had their efforts stall out in Theramore.

Complications:
Homesick: Anxious to return their homeland but motivated by the thought of returning their family.
Respectful: Courteous and friendly but quick to acquiesce to figures of divine or political authority.

BananaPhone

2021-10-08, 07:59 PM

@Bananaphone - Any details about Marion's family besides that the Mordis were a minor noble house that you'd like to lock down before I start calling on that backstory? Family members still living, or dead, or executed for collaboration with the horde - or you can just trust me. :D

She hails from a Minor Noble family, the Mordis'. I'm making all this up as I go, but they were wealthy through mining, particularly ore and precious gems, and made a killing selling the materials across the Alliance. Whether or not they were involved in Perenolds attempt to betray the alliance and join the Horde is murky at best, but their family fell into the national infighting at the end of the Second War. By the time the third war rolled around, they still had their lands as one of the last vestiges of "civil" society in Alterac, even so far as being a Barony with Baron Valimar Mordis (https://wowwiki-archive.fandom.com/wiki/Valimar_Mordis) as their family patriach who ruled with an even and steady hand...and then he fell to the scourge.

Marion was the eldest child and had been sent to Dalaran, but was lured away into the study of Demonology. With her family and national history, the teachers at Dalaran had 0 patience for her, so she had to flee, and she did, to Theramore.

As things are shaping up now, she has no living adults, and she is the oldest of (any) surviving siblings. She considers herself the heir to the Mordis' barony title, but is currently landless and penniless. When she gets her own estate again, she'll self-claim the title back, and then get to the business of having some kids. She's deliberately going to try and find a male of no station to marry, so that he'll be more inclined to take up her last name/heritage than his own. That way, via her plan, her family name is saved and restored.

At the moment, she's looking to try and get a good sized piece of Dustwallow Marsh, where she'll use her engineering know-how to drain it all and set up a bountiful farm/plantation, estate, warlock tower and engineering school.

She comes from a place that looks like:

https://static1-us.millenium.gg/articles/3/90/63/@/96294-wg-article_image_t-1.jpg

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wccs-dungeons-and-dragons/images/1/1a/Barrowton_1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20181030102739

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/the-roleplaying-palace/images/6/6a/AJ_Trahan_Concept_Art_16.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160921013409

MrAbdiel

2021-10-08, 08:08 PM

Thank you all, that's very helpful!

BananaPhone

2021-10-09, 02:02 AM

Hey Mr GM, just a thought that crossed my mind, but would Marion be able to be a free-willed necromancer instead of warlock? Same character/background, but instead of 'lured by Demonology', they were someone who fell during the Scourge, was at Scholomance, but through means got their free will back and so fled to Kalimdor? They still have the same plans as outlined above. (acquire a bit of the marsh, drain it, make a farm/plantation estate etc) If you want an alignment they'd be Lawful Neutral.

Or are Necros too taboo for even lawless Dustwallow to tolerate?

MrAbdiel

2021-10-09, 02:07 AM

At this stage in the story, Warlocks are getting the reluctant greenlight from the Alliance and Horde, but necromancy is still the biggest, most awful taboo due to the recency of the scourge. If the events of this game mirror those of the MMO, eventually when the deathknights of the Ebon Blade defect from the scourge, the inroads for practical necromancy for better living will be paved in both factions. :( Hope that's not too much of a downer.

BananaPhone

2021-10-09, 02:09 AM

Nah all good, it was a flight of fancy and wasn't expecting anything to come of it :smallwink:.

hand ax ranger

2021-10-09, 09:59 AM

[roll0]

[roll1]

MrAbdiel

2021-10-10, 07:40 AM

Whew! It was a chonk of a post, but I got it done.

I'm doing a little dream stuff so everyone has things to react to and do while Jakk and Zach are scouting ahead. Feel free to read each other's dreams, I don't think there's anything secret in there! Obviously, your character doesn't know what anyone else dreamed about.

Apologies if you've already done a little wake-up-stuff in posts; we'll just do the atemporal mambo and cut back to where you were up to when I'm ready to snap the party back together. For now, it's dream/memory time! These are highly detailed dreams, but not lucid dreams (That is to say, you are immersed in them and not aware they are dreams, and they are playing out more or less as they did in your history - so consider it a flashback maybe.) You don't need to roll anything, since it's your past; just narrate how things play out within reason. Jakk and Zach will check out their off-road objective, and I don't expect that to take super long; then the party will reunite and the plot proper will advance.

WindStruck

2021-10-10, 11:22 AM

MrAbdiel

2021-10-10, 12:28 PM

Wow. That's... amazing.

And you seemed to beat my most glaring weakness.. the ability to come up with names!

I guess we, uh... reply to these things.. even though they are dreams.. Hm. Not that I haven't done dreams before though. :smallwink:

Hey, coming up with names is my middle name!

As for how to respond to the dreams, do whatever you want, and I’ll keep pace - reflect on it from afar as a prisoner to the past, rage against it from within the memory, play it out how it was… it’s all good. We’re just filling out some backstory the longer, more fun way that lets me plan things, and write about heart eating and happy doomed elf lovers and desperate dying fiefdoms!

Plaids

2021-10-10, 01:45 PM

[roll0]Given the character AGL of 1

[roll1]Given character AWE of 3 and being skilled in perception by 4.

Now this is tantalizing mystery. Do we trust the hermit, or not going in as commandos either extracting the target coming back the next day with the whole party?

MrAbdiel

2021-10-11, 07:39 AM

Now this is tantalizing mystery. Do we trust the hermit, or not going in as commandos either extracting the target coming back the next day with the whole party?

I am delighted to tantalize.

Also! Jakk And Zach whispering to each other reminded me to clarify languages. Here's the languages you speak and write by default, with the bolded one as your native tongue, obviously.

Jakk'ari: Troll, Kalimag, Common.
Mor'Lag: Ogre, Common, Orcish.
Isaera: Common, Thalassian.
Marion: Common, Demonic.
Zachary: Common, Orcish.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-11, 06:39 PM

Will be posting some progress on dreams and side quest about 13 hours hence, using judicious assumptions to move things along if necessary!

hand ax ranger

2021-10-11, 07:07 PM

I will, at some point, contribute. I swear. I am tired from a work day that went more exhaustion than expected.

Fulfilling, but tiring.

BananaPhone

2021-10-11, 11:03 PM

Sorry about being a bit slow recently to post. One is coming.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-11, 11:04 PM

No worries, guys. I’ll wait for your posts. :)

BananaPhone

2021-10-12, 04:49 PM

I'm going to be stymied for the next few days of posting. Please continue on without me, I'll put my Dream response post up AND IC actions next time I post in the next few days.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-12, 04:57 PM

No worries, BananaPhone. Thanks for letting us know - communication is key, and all that! :D

MrAbdiel

2021-10-13, 07:31 AM

Had intended to make a little advance for Mor'Lag's dream, Isaera's dream and the scouting party, but I got carried away with the first one. Will do more tomorrow!

Feel free to react as little to, or as much to, these dreams as you prefer. They may be direct recollections of your memories, or disjointed composites. But they're there as an opportunity for you to flesh out some of your own backstory stuff by bouncing off my suggestions, or to greenlight what I've put out for you.

Thanks for hanging in there guys. More tomorrow.

hand ax ranger

2021-10-14, 05:26 PM

Sorry for my appearance, it's been hard to pool the creative energy to do much on these forums.

I'll throw together something to kick this along.

Feathersnow

2021-10-14, 06:28 PM

Want to say I am blown away by the dream sequences. I'm just not sure how to respond IC

hand ax ranger

2021-10-14, 08:26 PM

Want to say I am blown away by the dream sequences. I'm just not sure how to respond IC

Well shucks...now I wanna see them..... grumble grumble

MrAbdiel

2021-10-14, 08:49 PM

Glad you like it, Feathersnow. If it fits your vision of Mor’Lag’s past, then I’m happy. No need to respond to it if you aren’t sure how or don’t want to! Perhaps it’ll become relevant in a later adventure? ;)

And I think it’s okay to read each other’s dreams. Just, obviously, that’s player knowledge, rather than character knowledge!

hand ax ranger

2021-10-14, 09:08 PM

Yey I get to appreciate art! :D

MrAbdiel

2021-10-16, 11:45 AM

Woo! Replied finally, for Zac'n'Jac, and Isaera's dream. Forgive my delay!

hand ax ranger

2021-10-16, 02:20 PM

Well that's good...even though I'm dying fo the flu over here lol

MrAbdiel

2021-10-16, 06:54 PM

Sucks to fail that RL Fort roll. Get well soon!

BananaPhone

2021-10-17, 03:17 AM

Sorry for short post, posting is still choppy.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-17, 03:49 AM

Sorry for short post, posting is still choppy.

Hey BananaPhone! Glad to have you back. And post length isn't an issue for me; there's only so much to react to in PbP and as the GM I have the privilege of being able to define as much scenery and NPC conversation as I like to bulk things out.

I do think the scene might have gotten a little criss-crossed, however! Here's how it stands:

Jakk'ari and Zachery are trudging off the beaten path, talking to Swamp-Eye Jarl and worrying about the horde scout.

Mor'Lag, Isaera and Marion are back with the camp which, at this point, is just waking up, packing up, and starting to move. They don't know about Jak'N'Zak's discoveries yet, so Marion doesn't need to worry about the horde busting in just yet.

There's also the dreams, which chronologically happened overnight and reference your character's pasts, which you might feel free to respond to or not however you wish. But it seemed like it might be more fun to have something to bounce off while the party is split.

I've been updating a little slow for the last week and the scene has become slightly disjointed, but bear with me, I'll bring it back together shortly!

hand ax ranger

2021-10-17, 12:23 PM

So i am still alive, and i will post again soon, but I'll probably be a bit. Creative well is dry currently.

Plaids

2021-10-17, 04:33 PM

I would like to reunite the party soon if possible. I like how everyone gets a chunk of story but it feels like the stakes are more heavily weighted on Jakk'n Zach.

I don't know how feedback is done on play by post games since I'm accustomed to not breaking the directors pace and waiting till after they are done with an episode/session.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-17, 06:42 PM

No worries mate; like I said, the group will be back together shortly. And I’m glad the two wilderness-ish characters got a little flex. Stakes will level out over time.

As for feedback, feel free to message me; but there will be breaks between “episodes”. You’re about halfway through one now.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-18, 06:57 AM

There we go. Party reunited, and just in time for our first combat scene. I also threw in a little narrative spackle to help with the earlier confusion about who was where. This is the first M&M combat I will have run, so bear with me guys and roll some initiative. :)

Feathersnow

2021-10-18, 09:28 AM

[roll0] here's my initiative

WindStruck

2021-10-18, 11:12 AM

Initiative: [roll0]

Wasn't sure what to do, but considering that it takes a full round for Isaera to cast most spells, I figure I can begin casting some arcane missiles and hold that power before releasing it on the first thing I see?

Plaids

2021-10-18, 12:49 PM

[roll0]

Jakk'ari will prepare an the use of his powers hindering movement in a 200 foot radius excluding the caravan in the center of it by summoning strong winds to whip through the forest.

BananaPhone

2021-10-18, 05:56 PM

Initiative: [roll0]

Action: Casting Death and Decay, 30 foot cylindrical radius, on an area that'll catch the most raptors.

It's also Contagious so they can spread it to nearby Raptors. All infected have to take DC 18 Toughness check.

*Think* I'm not sure how you're treating surrounding flora, whether they're 'objects' or living things that also need to take Toughness checks lest they rot away too. (And then spread it to surrounding flora via Contagious)

hand ax ranger

2021-10-18, 09:03 PM

[roll0]

Behold my Initiative! Oh and Hi I'm back lol.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-19, 12:58 AM

Welcome back, ax ranger! Spells and actions cast and prepared to launch are fine and dandy. BananaPhone, Marion can’t see the raptors yet - she just knows danger is coming from somewhere soon. Did you want to cast and hold that Death and Decay, launched at the first multiple of enemies you see?

BananaPhone

2021-10-19, 01:17 AM

Sure. Aimed to catch as many as possible in the aoe.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-19, 07:16 AM

Great! Forgive my slowness tonight, time got away from me and I don't want to set this combat scene up while I'm falling asleep. I'll resolve people's prep actions and the first raptor movements tomorrow, hopefully in the morning before work.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f8/3e/67/f83e67bcb2346002b267cd278c1b6499.jpg

hand ax ranger

2021-10-19, 01:38 PM

Well Zachary is going to run for a position of cover/concealment and use an aim action. once his next turn comes up he'll fire on of on theses assailants.

Feathersnow

2021-10-19, 02:11 PM

Mor'Lag will draw their fire and be obvious

MrAbdiel

2021-10-20, 06:04 AM

Awesome. Preparing a visual aid and resolving actions presently. It took a little extra time because I futz around with tokens and things.

Raptor Group 1 Initiative: [roll0]
Raptor Group 2 Initiative: [roll1]
Raptor Group 3 Initiative: [roll2]
Raptor Group 4 Initiative: [roll3]

MrAbdiel

2021-10-20, 06:59 AM

BananaPhone

2021-10-20, 07:54 AM

That's the general jist. Damage effects are DC 15 + Rank.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-20, 08:05 AM

Ahah! I see it now. Thanks!

WindStruck

2021-10-20, 08:49 AM

When the raptors get their dodge save at first, I thought it would halve the effect, no?

So let's say death and decay dealt 3 damage and the full effect required a DC 18 toughness save. Successfully dodging should make that damage 1, and need a DC 16 toughness save, right? Not sure where the 14s are coming from...

BananaPhone

2021-10-20, 09:01 AM

I believe those were from a prior interpretation of a saved reflex roll meant "halved" damage, so 18 goes to 14.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-20, 09:34 AM

I think I halved the DC modifier before adding the ten as it seemed intuitive to me for some reason. Interpreting the SRD to my best capacity, and happy to learn how it works from people who have played!

BananaPhone

2021-10-20, 09:51 AM

It's all good, you're doing better than 90% of GM's out there :smallwink:.

Plaids

2021-10-20, 08:15 PM

Overall combat is looking pretty good. I think Mutants and Masterminds is one of the more complex systems especially once the enemies get powers too.

Feathersnow

2021-10-21, 01:09 AM

Mor'lag is going to grab one and attempt to throttle it.

[roll0] fighting roll to hit
[roll1] fighting roll to grab

MrAbdiel

2021-10-21, 01:44 AM

Two minions and a pack leader near you, Mor’Lag - any preference as to target?

Feathersnow

2021-10-21, 01:50 AM

Two minions and a pack leader near you, Mor’Lag - any preference as to target?
Definitely the leader. Try to Intimidate them, or at least disrupt their command structure.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-21, 03:48 AM

Ah! A hit, but it rolled an 18+6 so squeaks over the margin to not be grabbed by one!

Zach can take his shot, and Isaera can release her arcane missiles and then charge her next spell!

MrAbdiel

2021-10-21, 06:59 AM

Another raptor down! After Zach takes his aimed shot, I'll update the map!

BananaPhone

2021-10-21, 07:19 AM

Taking actions for next turn?

I'm assuming Group 1 + 4 of raptors are swarming the ogre?

MrAbdiel

2021-10-21, 07:58 AM

You can queue up an action, sure; I'm all about juicing whatever extra speed we can get our of otherwise sluggish PBP shackles! Yes, groups 1 and 4 are swarming towards Mor'Lag. Group 4 will attack next turn, the others will still have to fight through the bloody wind to get close enough to attack the turn after.

BananaPhone

2021-10-21, 08:28 AM

Hmmm, well if each square is 5 feet, then a 30ft radius area effect will about cover an entire half of the map, almost - at least practically speaking it'll cover all the 'enemies'.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-21, 08:31 AM

Map’s not to scale, it’s just a prompt to better manage theatre of the mind for now!

hand ax ranger

2021-10-21, 10:45 PM

Oh yes I have this bullet. Might want to use it lol.

Edit to prevent double posting: Well shoot that went poorly. Granted i goofed up the math and didn't add the aim bonus by accident but still.....I don't think that would hit as a 10 anyway.

Hop you enjoyed the perspective though. just kind of came to me.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-22, 08:42 AM

MrAbdiel

2021-10-22, 09:48 AM

Preparation Turn Sequence:

20 - Marion conjures her Death and Decay, and holds it ready for the first targets to emerge.
16 - Jakk'ari arrives at the wagons, and compels the spirits of air to hinder the movement of attackers incoming.
8 - Zachary arrives at the wagons, hurls himself into cover in the northmost one, and begins scanning around where he saw glimpses of red scale on his way in with an Aim action.
8 - Isaera offers an unprompted and hilarious accusation to the GM's delight, and casts arcane missiles. Strictly speaking she isn't holding her action, since her magic requires a turn to cast and then 'goes off' at the beginning of her next turn. Functionally, she casts the spell and prepares to fling it at an emerging target on her turn.
3 - Mor'Lag charges out into the open space between the treeline and the wagons, making herself an obvious target for the raptors.
1 - The medics try to calm the horses, which are skittish at the group's tension. The drivers take up spears and step into the spaces between the wagons encouraging Isaera and Marion to keep behind them for protection - not a particularly progressive offer, but one they seem intent to follow through on.

Turn 1:

The raptors become visible as their stalking effect is broken by the pack leader's command to attack. All four groups become visable.

Trigger: Marion's prepared action goes off. She launches her Death and Decay at Raptor group 3, which emerges into her view. (Rolls here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?637740-Warcraft-Interbellum-Rolls&p=25239395#post25239395).) One is immediately killed, the other two survive.

22 - Raptor group 1 moves forward; but because of Jakk'ari's buffeting winds, they cross only half the distance to the wagons.
21 - Raptor group 3 moves forward, with the two surviving raptors struggling out of the radius of the death and decay - but in doing so, they pass their decaying comrade, triggering another roll from the contagion. One more keels over, the last survivor pushes halfway to the wagons through the winds.
20 - Marion's turn again!

BananaPhone, it's your action. I'll render these results dynamically in the IC thread presently.

But while I'm showing my greenness with the system, since your Death and Decay is an area damage 3 effect, let me see if I understand how it works.

Because it's area, there's no attack roll; just a dodge roll to experience it at half ranks.

After that, everyone makes a damage resistance check - a toughness check - at either the full ranks of the power, or half the ranks if they passed the dodge. Your power lists a DC of 18 - shouldn't it be 13? Is there an extra 5 from somewhere I don't understand?

Doesn't change the rolls as they lay, but I am here to learn! :)

https://i.ibb.co/DG9RmDv/Raptor-Attack-Turn0.png

20 - Marion casts Corruption, killing the last raptor in group 3.
20 - Raptor group 2 moves forward, now halfway to the wagons.
16 - Jakk'ari throws lighting at a raptor in group 2, but misses.
13 - Raptor group 4 closes to melee with Mor'Lag, and will begin attacking next turn.
8 - Zachary takes his aimed shot, but misses.
8 - Isaera snipes one of the minions from group 1 with an arcane missile.
1 - The medics kill a raptor in group 2 with their wands, Brother Bright fails to cast Power Word: Shield, and the driver near Marion moves up to support the driver facing off against group 2.

Turn 2:

Mor'Lag and Isaera suffer the effects of their failed saves against the bugbites, and are Impaired on all checks that involve mental focus including fighting, and casting spells.
22: Raptor group 1 moves into melee with Mor'Lag. They will begin attacking next turn.
21: Raptor group 3 moulders quietly on the ground.
20: Marion moves to the midst of the wagons where she can see Mor'Lag, uses extra effort, and casts a death and decay which excludes Mor'Lag on the scrum. Marion is fatigued by the extra effort. It kills a minion from group 4, and wounds the pack leader of group 1 (-1). The zone remains, and will impact them again next turn if Marion sustains it.
20: Raptor group 2 closes the distance, and are now in melee range of the two drivers on the north east. They will begin attacking next turn.
16: Jakk'ari's turn!

https://i.ibb.co/DzyqP4R/Raptor-Attack-Turn2.png Edit: Forgot to nix the one Isaera killed. There's one less raptor in group 4, at the beginning of turn 2!

There remain 2 raptors bearing down on the drivers nearby Jakk'ari; 2 raptors and 2 pack leader raptors engaging Mor'Lag. After Jakk'ari's action, the remaining minion and pack leader from group 4 will attack Mor'Lag - the first actual attack the enemies will have been able to attempt this combat!

Also, I used dodge as the defense roll against D&D before, but now that I think about it, it's more of a fortitude thing for sure. The tradeoff made no difference in the rolls so far, but it feels more appropriate.https://i.ibb.co/7YtySsG/Isaera.png
https://i.ibb.co/b7Q9x34/Jakkari.png
https://i.ibb.co/j43RHrf/Marion.png
https://i.ibb.co/jGDdcsL/MorLag.png
https://i.ibb.co/fxbRcDH/Zachary.png

hand ax ranger

2021-10-22, 11:44 AM

I did enjoy the perspective! But alas, there is little that can be done to redeem a natural 2 on the dice. :(

As for your rifle - Hmm! Well, the crossbow is Ranged Damage 3. Let's use that, except we'll penalize it with a 1 flat point quirk (Loud and Smokey); and benefit it with a 1 flat point bonus (Dangerous) to give it a critical range of 19-20. There. Your starter rifle - starting to get a little old and in need of retirement, but functional enough!

With your ranged attack of +6, and the weapon's damage of 3, you go one point above the power cap; so I'll let you decide if you want the attack profile to be henceforth "+5 attack, 3 rank effect" or "+6 attack, 2 rank effect". But you'll have to decide it once for this item and lock it in - there's advantages to buy that allow shifting back and forth between damage effect and attack bonus. Or you could find another gun and have it be the 'accurate' one by contrast, if you like.

Neat.

yeah shoot I'll have to think just give the rifle-musket inaccurate, decreasing it by two and having it work out. Thus atack +4 Damage 3, Dangerous, Quirk (Loud and Smokey, Inaccurate (Due to decayed rifling).

I also have it based of the long rifles style muzzle-loaders, but this one being as old as it is it makes sense it's not shooting too straight now...

Edit: wait this is a muzzle loader, so it would have activation (standard action) wouldn't it? In that case it give me a -2 flaw, which means I could go attack +4,, Damage 4, etc etc.

WindStruck

2021-10-22, 01:52 PM

Plaids

2021-10-22, 06:57 PM

I made some small changes to my character since the ranged attack mod was above the campaign power level.
So some power points were reallocated to the Deflect power and Leadership advantage.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-23, 08:46 AM

Hm. How would you be handling this disease for being impaired?

Normally what I did for Isaera's spellcasting complications was make it a DC 15 (or higher) expertise: magic DC if something was wrong. She could always make that, except now being impaired on her rolls, there's a small chance it fails?

Nah, it's not big enough to trigger a complication. It's just a -2 to attack rolls with spells in addition to with weapons, and also to expertise checks if they are already being called for. It won't independently make you roll something you weren't rolling, just make it harder to succeed existing rolls. :)

hand ax ranger

2021-10-23, 10:52 AM

On that note, thoughts on gun?

MrAbdiel

2021-10-23, 04:07 PM

Neat.

yeah shoot I'll have to think just give the rifle-musket inaccurate, decreasing it by two and having it work out. Thus atack +4 Damage 3, Dangerous, Quirk (Loud and Smokey, Inaccurate (Due to decayed rifling).

I also have it based of the long rifles style muzzle-loaders, but this one being as old as it is it makes sense it's not shooting too straight now...

Edit: wait this is a muzzle loader, so it would have activation (standard action) wouldn't it? In that case it give me a -2 flaw, which means I could go attack +4,, Damage 4, etc etc.

Sorry sorry, meant to do that. I’d rather not tinker around and make it a very customised power at this stage. That’s very much the kind of thing you can do with an engineer on hand, but for now,

atack +4 Damage 3, Dangerous, Quirk (Loud and Smokey, Inaccurate (Due to decayed rifling).

Looks alright to me!

Feathersnow

2021-10-23, 04:25 PM

I'm unclear on when I need to roll. But, when Mor'Lag hits their turn in initiative, they will punch the biggest threat in range and follow up the punch with a grab attempt, as per their advantage.

[roll0] hit
[roll1] grab

MrAbdiel

2021-10-23, 05:00 PM

When ever it looks like there’s unlikely to be a big change in your circumstances and you can afford to declare actions a roll before your initiative, do it! What you did now was perfect for example.

Edit: Though you do need to make a toughness roll against that raptor-slash, DC24!

MrAbdiel

2021-10-23, 06:28 PM

Victory! You have murdered these poor, endangered animals. The couple of survivors have fled. I made the assumption Marion would trigger her death and decay again while she had the chance, but since Mor'Lag isn't whispering in sadistic pleasure while fighting these things like Marion was, Mor'Lag can decide if they're going to let this sick, injured raptor go or if they're going to give it a tombstone from the top rope. Mor'Lag can kill it in as grisly a fashion as she prefers, with no roll required at this point!

Everyone may gain 2 Character Points, at the end of this 'session', on account of your success and the good times had by all. Feel free to post your character's reaction in the aftermath, questions/appreciation they have for each other now that their first test of arms is over, or the likewise for the NPC's. I'll pack up the scene and move it on with the assumption that there is a pause for retrieval of the injured cadet from the swamp hut, and I'll set up the next point in the adventure later today. Though I will obsessively check the thread for updates all of today.

Feathersnow

2021-10-23, 06:31 PM

Mor'Lag is an amoral pragmatist, not a sadist. She would probably release the thing if the party doesn't want to eat it.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-23, 06:36 PM

By some standards, that's pretty damn humanitarian.

Ogretarian?

Goritarian?

BananaPhone

2021-10-23, 07:44 PM

Victory! You have murdered these poor, endangered animals.

F***'em.

Out of curiosity, what was the Fort roll for? I'm assuming that was a typo and meant Reflex to save against an AoE?

MrAbdiel

2021-10-23, 09:16 PM

I think I mentioned it in one of the spoiler tags, somewhere up there, but after the first D&D, reading the rules on the damage power in the SRD, it used the loose indication of “using the defence most appropriate”. And I thought if any power is going to require a fortitude roll rather than a dodge one, it’s a zone that is literally trying to rot you to death; so I started rolling it as Fort. It’s hard to imagine “dodging” the zone as it stands, after all.

BananaPhone

2021-10-23, 09:18 PM

Interesting.

My CP expenditures are thus:

- A new spell: blast wave, details to come.
- New Advantage: Move-by Action.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-23, 09:20 PM

CP spends look good to me.

Does the Fort shift bother you at all, by the way? I understand it happened kind of mid stream, but I’m open to persuasion back to dodge if thats what you were counting on.

Feathersnow

2021-10-23, 09:27 PM

Think I'm going to raise my Agility or else save my CP to possibly RP gaining magic.

Any thoughts?

BananaPhone

2021-10-23, 09:30 PM

It changes some things a bit, but ultimately as you mentioned it's 'as the GM sees fit', and your reasoning works. I don't mind :smallsmile:.

New spell for approval:

"Blast Wave" (Blast: Cone Area Damage 4)
400ft range, DC 19, Cone Area 2: 120 feet cone, DC 14.

Pretty simple and straight forward: a big AoE fire wave spell.

https://i.redd.it/1s27tfo687u11.gif

Plaids

2021-10-23, 10:26 PM

I'm thinking of giving Jakk'ari some more defenses attributed to being rejuvenated by the wilderness and away from the Theramore bureaucracy.

I think either option for Mor'Lag could work well. The DEX based one could dovetail into a parable on how "you don't need dripping magic swag to be cool since you had the power inside all along" while the other could be "friends help bring out the best in you" if this was a novel.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-23, 11:08 PM

Think I'm going to raise my Agility or else save my CP to possibly RP gaining magic.

Any thoughts?

Agility is nice. We are forced to picture it as a kind of 'physical awareness' of her supermuscled platform of a body rather than ballet skill, but it's hard to go past the dodge bonus AND some initiative AND some mitigation to your stealth difficulties. And Mor'Lag learning magic - perhaps from one of her party members - would be a cool route to take, but I think you're right to set it down the track a bit. It's fun seeing Mor'Lag as a physical wrecking machine who is fascinated by the mysterious powers of weedy little finger wigglers.

It changes some things a bit, but ultimately as you mentioned it's 'as the GM sees fit', and your reasoning works. I don't mind :smallsmile:.

New spell for approval:

"Blast Wave" (Blast: Cone Area Damage 4)
400ft range, DC 19, Cone Area 2: 120 feet cone, DC 14.

Pretty simple and straight forward: a big AoE fire wave spell.

https://i.redd.it/1s27tfo687u11.gif

I like the spell, and it's fun seeing Marion get power drunk with her destruction spells in combat, so I'm inclined to encourage more of that. 400ft range is hyuuuuuge though. It's like being a magical artillery piece. Is that kind of how you're picturing Marion? Raining fire from extreme ranges?

I'm thinking of giving Jakk'ari some more defenses attributed to being rejuvenated by the wilderness and away from the Theramore bureaucracy.

Works for me. Getting out of the necessary but suffocating confines of 'civilization' and back close to the elemental heart of the world.

While we're talking about it, I'm happy for CP expenditure to happen outside of active challenges as long as the changes are subtle enough it's conceivably understood as the expression of increasing skill; or as the first manifestation of a previously undisclosed ability. So an increase in atheltics, or the gaining of a new fighting technique or spell permutation is great. But if, for example, Zachary decided he wanted to become a druid, I would want to RP our way to something justifying that before the points were committed!

BananaPhone

2021-10-23, 11:51 PM

I like the spell, and it's fun seeing Marion get power drunk with her destruction spells in combat, so I'm inclined to encourage more of that. 400ft range is hyuuuuuge though. It's like being a magical artillery piece. Is that kind of how you're picturing Marion? Raining fire from extreme ranges?

It's a product of the system, as each "spell" gets 100 feet of range per 1 rank of effect. (so rank 4 = 400 feet)

What is "big" about it though is the cone effect, as it's 120 ft (2 ranks of area (cone)). So it has a 400 ft range and from any point within that 400 ft the spell gets cast, which is a 120ft range 90' degree cone. Is that alright?

MrAbdiel

2021-10-24, 12:00 AM

Oooooh yeah. Hmm. Well, it's alright. I expect you not to grieve me by doing something horrifying like casting it 400ft away, 120ft up in the air, deleting everything in a downward firecone before giggling and hiding behind a rock. The spell's implied image is that Marion focuses on a point between her and the target and the fire rolls outward from there, right?

Edit: Lol Plaids. Crazy Old Swamp Man: Blearg, pay me in eyeballs! Troll Chef Jakk'ari: This is perfectly acceptable currency.

BananaPhone

2021-10-24, 12:26 AM

Oooooh yeah. Hmm. Well, it's alright. I expect you not to grieve me by doing something horrifying like casting it 400ft away, 120ft up in the air, deleting everything in a downward firecone before giggling and hiding behind a rock.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a1/0e/a6/a10ea6d9b559f4f34781854f909b9f7c.gif

*thinks*

....no, I promise I won't do that :smalltongue:.

WindStruck

2021-10-24, 01:46 AM

Hm. Not sure how to spend CP at the moment..

MrAbdiel

2021-10-24, 02:00 AM

That's alright; it doesn't expire, so feel free to bank it. As a mage, you have perhaps the most power projects you could pursue - a defensive teleport, a fiery shield, a polymorph - the possibilities are endless, and it may pay off not to choose hastily. :D

BananaPhone

2021-10-24, 02:40 AM

Marions next few "spells" will most def be along the utility line. Maybe 1 or 2 more, then focus more points into skills/advantages.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-24, 03:09 AM

Murder is a kind of utility!

Also, I'm gonna keep doing dream stuff - and kick into the same for Jakk'ari and Zachery. You can decide whether they are dreams your character has at some point, or if it's just backstory that it's fun to illuminate about our characters. I'll just keep calling them dreams, though.

BananaPhone

2021-10-24, 05:32 AM

I'm consistently impressed by the amazing effort you put into this, Mr GM.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-24, 06:30 AM

I'm consistently impressed by the amazing effort you put into this, Mr GM.

I am but a servant of my people. :) Glad you’re enjoying it.

hand ax ranger

2021-10-24, 10:43 AM

Hm. Not sure how to spend CP at the moment..

Same. I might just pool the up for now.

Plaids

2021-10-24, 08:23 PM

I currently can’t post for a bit due to a power outage. Just know that I have not left and will be back eventually.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-24, 08:43 PM

Acknowledged, my good troll. Jakk’ari is on sensible autopilot for the moment. The scene will progress after I get home tonight; maybe around 10 hours from now.

Plaids

2021-10-25, 02:13 PM

Does anyone want help during their down time?
Otherwise Jakk'ari is going to look for some pain killers for any injured recruits who are far from a medic.

Feathersnow

2021-10-25, 02:37 PM

Mor'Lag is going to try to make a potion of intellect boosting.
[roll0]

WindStruck

2021-10-25, 03:31 PM

I think a salve that would deal with advanced infections would be in order.

alchemy: [roll0]

Plaids

2021-10-25, 05:03 PM

Jakk'ari will be foraging for some "peace weed" or any in lore equivalent in preparation for a very likely meeting with any representatives from the horde.
[roll0]

MrAbdiel

2021-10-26, 07:10 AM

All those rolls look good to me. We're working on a compressed time schedule which doesn't strictly permit the normal minimum 5 hours for design and execution of a gadget/artifact, but that's fine for me in this "Prologue" mission. After this mission (presuming everyone votes to stay on!) we'll start doing the formal process.

For now:

Isaera uses some of the healing potions on hand, cut with the right proportion of the mundane anti-infection unguents in the medical kit, to make a high potency recovery salve that will be very effective combating the wounds any living cadets might have left untreated in the last few days.

Mor and Lag put their heads together and make a potion that will boost intellect by 3, for 24 hours after it is ingested. All that remains is for one to convince the other that they should be the one to drink it!

Marion uses the tower's limited workshop, and a borrowed cluster of the insect-repelling herbs from Jakk'ari, and makes a small, belt-wearable brass sphere with tiny holes in its surface. When carefully stuffed with the herbs and exposed to heat, they are starved enough of oxygen to only smoulder over a long time - just enough to release sub-visible amounts of vapor which is too subtle for most humanoid noses to smell, but still is more effective at keeping the insects at bay long term due to the constant running of it. The party will not have to check for insect-related nuisances while they are in the Dustwallow Marsh, so long as Jakk'ari can keep the burner supplied with a little of his repellant herbs.

Jakk'ari finds a cluster of peacebloom, and harvests it. The flowers are pretty ugly in this swamp variety; but the leaves are perfectly suitable for burning in the Tauren style, and will make an adequate diplomatic gift in the event that the party encounters someone from the Horde.

Zachery is also presumably working on some manner of potion or tonic, and I'll allow him to backfill and roll that answer when he gets around to posting.

Finally, if I could get any rolls you would like to make on this first day of searching as you move towards Brackenwall, I'll incorporate their results into the scenesetting. Fort saves are voided by Marion's burner. Specifically, I'd like everyone to make a Perception roll and an Investigation roll. These are team checks, so one member of the group will make the core roll against a DC I won't tell you, and everyone else will be rolling at DC 10 to assist. If you succeed on your assist roll, that's a +2 for the main roller; +5 if you have the Teamwork advantage.

Isaera is the group skill monkey, and easilly has the highest investigation, so she'll lead the Investigation roll.

Isaera also has the highest perception, edging out the ranger Zachery by 1 (it's those big ears, what do it!); but since Zach has the very important tracking advantage, he's got the necessary talents to find the lads in the wilderness, so Zachery will lead the Perception Roll.

So gimme dem rolls!

BananaPhone

2021-10-26, 07:37 AM

Perception: [roll0]

Too busy in her workshop.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-26, 08:00 AM

Sometimes the dice just say no! :P But make the Investigation roll too; I'll fold it all into the first leg of the journey, searching for the cadets.

Oh, and Plaids! I noticed in your post you mentioned 5 cadets; I think that was bad communication on my part. 5 cadets went AWOL; 1 returned back to Theramore and collapsed after reporting their ill-fated escapade, and 1 you've recovered from the swamp hermit's hut. So there's 3 out there unaccounted for.

Feathersnow

2021-10-26, 08:12 AM

Mor and Lag try to help!
[roll0] Perception

[roll1] investigation

BananaPhone

2021-10-26, 08:28 AM

Investigation: [roll0]

WindStruck

2021-10-26, 02:27 PM

So I guess, I'm the lead investigator! [roll0]

And she'll help with the tracking: [roll1]

Plaids

2021-10-26, 03:13 PM

Jakk'ari helps with the investigation and perception scanning the ground and horizon for any leads.

Investigation: [roll0]

Perception: [roll1]

hand ax ranger

2021-10-26, 07:51 PM

Zachery is also presumably working on some manner of potion or tonic, and I'll allow him to backfill and roll that answer when he gets around to posting.

This is accurate. I was gone yesterday due to events but I will be doing something with Alchemy.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-27, 04:12 AM

No worries, Hand Ax m'boy. We'll backfill your alchemy shenanigans when you have a little more time. For now, I'll go ahead and roll that Perception and Investigate check for ya, just so I can compose the next scene.

[roll0] vs DC 10 to assist Investigate

[roll1] Open to lead Perception.

Final Investigation result is 25+2+2+2+0= 31 :O

Final Perception result is 23+5+2+2+0= 32 :O . Isaera succeeded on her assist with 3 degrees, making her contribution a +5; and no one who failed a roll failed by 2 or more whole degrees, so there's no negatives. A 31 and a 32 is big-boy rolls, and you should be proud. I'll go ahead and describe that search.

BananaPhone

2021-10-27, 04:18 AM

Jakk'ari finds a cluster of peacebloom, and harvests it. The flowers are pretty ugly in this swamp variety; but the leaves are perfectly suitable for burning in the Tauren style, and will make an adequate diplomatic gift in the event that the party encounters someone from the Horde.

If that doesn't work, Marion has her own diplomatic gift that also involves burning >_>.

Plaids

2021-10-27, 06:40 PM

It looks like we have two small mysteries to unravel.

I imagine that splitting the party isn't viable. For the moment Jakk'ari will be voting for venturing further into the wilderness instead of going to BrackenWall.

hand ax ranger

2021-10-27, 07:02 PM

Actually, I have thought this over, and I would like to step down from this game for a while. As much as I like this concept I was having trouble even getting the character built and it hasn't gotten easier. Pressures from a new job, family issues, a wrecked schedule and many other factors have made me feel incapable of paying proper attention to this game and another I have going in the forum (which I am sending a similar message to as well

I would like to suggest you find someway to have Zachary get pulled away/lost/something, because I think need to take some things off my plate for now and it;s unfair to make you guys have to track me down or wait on me. I do hope I can participate soon because this concept is awesome and I really like how this character came out.

Please do not take it personal, I just need some breathing room in my daily checklist.

BananaPhone

2021-10-27, 07:04 PM

Sorry to see you go hand ax, best of luck with everything.

hand ax ranger

2021-10-27, 07:07 PM

Sorry to see you go hand ax, best of luck with everything.
Well I was hoping to make this more of a short term thing, hopefully as things go on it'll all clear and I'll be good to take part again. If however you are against that then I will step down fully but I would hope not.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-27, 08:39 PM

Plaids

2021-10-27, 08:45 PM

To Hand Axe Ranger, I hope you balance your schedule.
I hope you work things and out and maybe return later but just do what's best for you. Campaigns don't break if someone drops them unlike the more important things in life.

hand ax ranger

2021-10-27, 08:58 PM

RL > RP, Hand Ax. I’ll arrange for Zachary to elegantly disappear with the possibility of returning later when you’re feeling stable enough. Shoot me a message when the time comes, no hard feelings!

Ok then thank you. I do hope to return, and it would probably be best to when I am certain of my ability to dedicate proper attention to this. That might be a long while, but better to hold off for a triumphant return that to burn myself fully out or never return at all.

To Hand Axe Ranger, I hope you balance your schedule.
I hope you work things and out and maybe return later but just do what's best for you. Campaigns don't break if someone drops them unlike the more important things in life.

Too true man, all of that. Thanks for the support.

Edit: I will still be reading the ICC both to keep up with it for my hopeful return and alos because it's real interesting in general.

WindStruck

2021-10-27, 09:40 PM

It's too bad if you have to go, but I don't mind keeping Zachary around, in any case.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-29, 10:09 AM

Rah! There, I posted the results of the ritual!

Although a note on rituals - as I suspect in time that there will be more than one of you who is calling upon them in play! Strictly speaking, this ritual as a 6PP ritual requires 24 hours of careful research and paging through grimoires and the guys of fel-tainted seagulls to design; and another hour to execute the casting itself. I'm going to wave the casting time for this particular ritual because just like with the crafting abilities, I'm playing fast and loose with them in this Prologue adventure. In subsequent chapters, players will need to 'Jury-Rig' rituals, gadgets and artifact/potions with the spending of a Victory Point if they want to be able to create or cast them in a matter of turns instead of hours.

I took a while to parse through all the adders on the ritual to make sure I understood them, because this is my training to run the system like I know what I'm doing instead of fumbling around right now. But a couple of the negative modifiers I might object to, under normal circumstances. Unreliable (5 uses) isn't really much of a limitation on a ritual you're casting to track an enemy in one scene; it's more appropriate for something you might actually have to use five times in a short span. And Sense-Dependant, from what I read on the SRD, is not so much "it depends on me having this sense" but "it depends on the enemy perceiving the ability with this sense"; like a medusa petrifying stare. As it stands, the ritual requires the demon you are looking for to also be sensing the use of the power with its own demon sense... I think.

That said, I see what you were going for, and jiggling around the cost-mitigators wasn't going to radically change the outcome. But as I grasp the rules better and better I'm gonna become progressively more stingy! So as the lion says, be prepared.

For now, the ritual succeeded, and Marion has cast her gaze into the Twisting Nether to discover some critical information that might inform the party's decision making. :)

Feathersnow

2021-10-30, 12:47 PM

To break it down-

1)Kal'dorei and Quel'Dorei are visibly different due to the fact all Elves are warped physically by the nature of magic they use to feed their metabolic need for mana. You are highly unlikely to pass as a member of a different kind of Elf, just as Mor'Lag can't easily pass as a member of a different clan without the right tattoos and accent.

2)Darnassus is a theocracy, not a monarchy. There is no king, so claiming you are he would reveal your ignorance, just as a bi-fold ogre would be expected to know lots about local politics Mor'Lag doesnt.

3)You are female, and thus can't be any sort of king, at least under Mor'Lag's understanding of gender as purely a matter of physiology. Equally, a bi-fold as old as Mor'Lag would be so rare that people would immediately notice them.

3)Kal'Dorei are famously matriarchal and live in trees. A harem in a palace is farcical for a hypothetical king of their capital. Likewise, you reveal your ignorance of Ogre culture.

In conclusion, Ogres are terse and often ignorant, not necessarily stupid. Each pronouncement might have layers of meaning.

WindStruck

2021-10-30, 05:18 PM

Well unfortunately, in Mor'Lag's dull haste to be offended, she completely missed the point about what Isaera was asking of her, and turned it into the strawiest strawman ever.

First off, Isaera was not asking that Mor'Lag impersonate any royalty, or any position of power.

Second, and more important: Isaera was asking if she could just claim to be from another tribe. As in, not the one they were visiting. You'd think that it would be pretty tricky to pull that off. Obviously. Her idea was to just make up some distant clan that the one nearby would likely know very little, if anything, about.

Or lastly, it would have been simple to just.. you know.. not say you were disowned and clanless. It would be, for example, as if Isaera had committed some heinous crime and was a fugitive in Quel'thalas. Just keep quiet about it, and no one has to know.

But in any case, I don't want to debate it further IC and.. it's become a rather moot point now, regardless.

Feathersnow

2021-10-30, 05:26 PM

I'm sorry. It's more... Mor'Lag is pretty sure they would know instantly something was seriously wrong with her, and her being a clanless outcast is probably the least horrible assumption they might come up with.

If nothing else- why doesn't she have the right tattoos and why is would a Bif-fold born before the Second War be going around without a passel of servants? Back when her kind were super rare, they were basically royalty, and one of them showing up as a mercenary working for humans is... suspicious.

But... I admit Lag may have over reacted. I am trying characterization and I regret if I offended you OoC.

WindStruck

2021-10-30, 05:41 PM

Well, again, I think you could be making assumptions about one clan's culture and another's. If you, for example, made up a clan, you could cater its customs to whatever suited your needs. That said, having not heard about another clan would probably draw suspicion indeed...

Though I suppose it would be funny if everyone else posed as Mor'lag's servants! :smallbiggrin:

MrAbdiel

2021-10-30, 06:31 PM

Happily, I'm pretty sure no one is OOC annoyed as much as being careful to make sure their character isn't being mistaken for saying something outright stupid, since no one particularly wants that! :)

For ogres, well, the truth is just as weird as one might hope. The biggest thing is the ogre retcon: back in WC1, ogres were uniform big dumb dumbs the orcs used as herded shock troops. In WC2, they became elite infantry who were capable of a brutal shamanic magic, despite being dim witted. But in WC3 and then WOW, with the exponential expansion of the lore's depth, the writers had to do some backwards work about who the ogres are especially by the Warlords of Draenor expansion in which the deep history of the Orc/Ogre homeworld was revealed. By then, ogres became both the historical power empire over the orcs, and also their spiritual predecessors having thrown off the monstrous hegemony of the gronn before them.

So basically it was retroactively decided that it was more interesting for ogres to be a complete species with their own rituals and culture and history, but also there's a bunch of embedded situations and places where ogres are burping farting dumb dumbs and you infiltrate their camp and kill their leader with a paper mache mask and a bag full of ham hocks.

So there's a lot of negative space I am happy to work with as a GM here. Although Isaera isn't actually saying ogres are stupid and would be fooled by a dumb ruse, there's definitely a lot of dumb ogres who would be easily fooled by a dumb ruse (which I tend to explain by the way Gul'Dan's warlocks prematurely aged a bunch of orcs and ogres for the war effort [which is canon], creating the swathes of such creatures whose minds are underdeveloped like many ogres and orc peons [which is my extrapolation]). Even if one doesn't count on such things, because the nature of the setting is one that encourages farcical hijinks, you might get pretty far just on a Bavarian Fire Drill (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BavarianFiredrill) alone.

But all it would take is one more attentive and insightful ogre to see through an infiltration attempt, as is the case with all such plans, so you know. There's a tradeoff of dangers in such a scenario, and it makes sense that Marion and Isaera would see the risk as manageable while Jakk'ari and Mor'Lag fear it to be likely to fail. As in many cases, the dice would have the final word.

As your GM and candidate running for GM of the Year (one day I will have your crown, Matt Mercer), I'll interpret whatever plan you come up with in the most reasonable fashion to make it executable without lowballing your opponent's abilities.

If the group is reasonably agreeable concerning "Zachary's" plan and my transparent maneuverer to exit him from the immediate narrative, I can progress the scene to the approach of Brackenwall. Don't let me push you around, though; you are the heroes, and I, a barefoot teller of tales.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-30, 06:33 PM

Also, since this is the prologue where no one knows each other, now is a great time for people to misunderstand each other, to make assumptions that are proved wrong, and to generally RP out the grinding gears that precedes a more hard-won cooperation. I dig it.

WindStruck

2021-10-30, 08:14 PM

Honestly, Zachary's plan does sound really good, seeing as it seemed like a bad idea to go anywhere near that other clan of ogres...

BananaPhone

2021-10-30, 08:52 PM

Maybe my social antennae is just dim, but I couldn't pick up any 'argument' IC between the elf and the ogre. I figured the ogre just offered an idea that wouldn't work and that was that lol.

In either case, Zachs idea seems fine, as we'll go negotiate with the Horde while he scouts the ogres who we will also 'negotiate' with later.

Feathersnow

2021-10-30, 09:04 PM

More the Ogre didn't communicate effectively when trying to pre-emptively nix any plan based on appealing to commonality between Ogres.

Edit: I see the problem. Mor'Lag was talking about going to the Ogres. They will treat her no better than any of you.

The Horde is completely different and has totally different rules and expectations. That you even think of them as still related after decades and the Hirde shaming themselves so thoroughly wouldn't occur to Mor'Lag.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-30, 09:32 PM

More the Ogre didn't communicate effectively when trying to pre-emptively nix any plan based on appealing to commonality between Ogres. Mor'Lag's strength isn't self expression, sadly. And the depth of Mor'Lag's uniquely ogrish shame burden is something the other characters may have to gradually come to grasp, just as Mor'Lag herselves learns to overcome it, perhaps.

"Jakk'ari, please inform Isaera and I as to the decorum and hospitality ceremonies that would ingratiate us to our...hosts when we make contact with Brackenwall?"

Excellent. Though now we're ramping off into murky background, it should be fun. Plaids, feel free to fabricate whatever diplomatic strictures within reason you'll have Jakk'ari offer. You've already established the peacebloom offering; anything beyond that is up to you, and may be as accurate or not as you prefer.

Possibilities include:

Forsaken are used to being stared at, but try not to overdo it. - True
Orcs pride themselves on ferocity in battle but most of them, like you, want to get home at the end of the day to their families. - True enough
Tauren take avoiding eye contact as a sign of deception. - Made up by me but cool enough to be true
Even if you smell something weird cooking, it's not people - the Darkspear trolls gave up eating humanoids as part of their pact with the horde. - Big true
Orcs are as distrustful of horses as humans are of wolves. - Funnily enough, true
They're more scared of you than you are of them. - Probably false.

Also, as a little reminder:

Jakk'ari: Troll, Kalimag, Common.
Mor'Lag: Ogre, Common, Orcish.
Isaera: Common, Thalassian.
Marion: Common, Demonic.
Zachary: Common, Orcish.Jakk'ari doesn't belong to the Horde so I didn't assume he'd have orcish, though it may be on his list of ambitions to learn for his diplomacy ongoing. Mor'Lag speaks orcish, but Jakk'ari gets by fine with Troll (plenty of Darkspear diplomats within the Horde) and Kalimag (plenty of shaman, too).

EDIT: Also Marion, I dig the new art. Denise Richards as warlock works good!

BananaPhone

2021-10-30, 09:55 PM

Orcs pride themselves on ferocity in battle but most of them, like you, want to get home at the end of the day to their families. - True enough

I dunno about that one. Orcs seem to be pretty Klingon-ish in that they love the idea of dying in battle. There have been human cultures in our real world (eg. Spartans) who held this up as the pinnacle of achievement as well. They seem to be very much the Honor Culture (https://alexandria.ucsb.edu/lib/ark:/48907/f37d2s7h#:~:text=Honor%20cultures%20place%20import ance%20on,the%20social%20regard%20of%20others.) type. (then again, in the 'medieval fantasy' setting, all races would be this to an extent)

EDIT: Also Marion, I dig the new art. Denise Richards as warlock works good!

I honestly didn't make that connection lol. I saw the art piece, it had the collar, nice features, different colored eyes (more greyish), looked younger (Marion is 19) etc

MrAbdiel

2021-10-30, 10:08 PM

I dunno about that one. Orcs seem to be pretty Klingon-ish in that they love the idea of dying in battle. There have been human cultures in our real world (eg. Spartans) who held this up as the pinnacle of achievement as well. They seem to be very much the Honor Culture (https://alexandria.ucsb.edu/lib/ark:/48907/f37d2s7h#:~:text=Honor%20cultures%20place%20import ance%20on,the%20social%20regard%20of%20others.) type. (then again, in the 'medieval fantasy' setting, all races would be this to an extent)

They're definately an honor/shame culture at their core. But the horde, and especially the orcs, have been struggling with the transition into a culture that honors valor but does not crave war and death. It's not easy, since they used to be part of a race-wide demon fueled death cult; but much of Thrall's story in making the new Horde after the orcish lethary can be summarized as "my people once were warriors, and we must be warriors still in some part, but not like that." And while orcs are huge powerful barbarian types, it's worth noting that most orcs aren't warriors, even if they have a more pugilistic culture. Like most races, the warrior class is a layer up on the totem pole above farmers, craftsmen, and your workaday Joe ZugZug. Not that anyone on Azeroth could be reasonably chided for not going out of their way to carefully nuance their vision of orcs, of course. Most humans primary experience of orcs is hearing that they just burned down the neighbouring village; but there's enough substance to Warcraft orcs that you can have very rewarding 'We're not so different' stories.

EDIT: Even as a lifelong alliance paladin, possibly by favorite thing about the setting is the Horde/Alliance contrasts. Alliance races are typically noble, inspiring cultures that are trying not to degenerate into something lesser; Horde races are typically primitive, even stone age cultures grabbing on to each other and trying to drag themselves into an authentically owned sense of civilization. Orcs from bloodthirsty savages to shamanic honor culture; trolls from head-shrinking cannibal isolationists into a state culturally openness even if it means sacrificing less palatable traditions; Tauren from nomadic herdsmen to having their first fixed city and worked crops. Everyone hated BfA but me, lol.

"The road to the dark portal was long, and wide, and paved with the bones of the innocent. We called it the Path of Glory." (https://youtu.be/mDnPvhvWY5o)

BananaPhone

2021-10-30, 10:53 PM

They're definately an honor/shame culture at their core. But the horde, and especially the orcs, have been struggling with the transition into a culture that honors valor but does not crave war and death. It's not easy, since they used to be part of a race-wide demon fueled death cult; but much of Thrall's story in making the new Horde after the orcish lethary can be summarized as "my people once were warriors, and we must be warriors still in some part, but not like that." And while orcs are huge powerful barbarian types, it's worth noting that most orcs aren't warriors, even if they have a more pugilistic culture. Like most races, the warrior class is a layer up on the totem pole above farmers, craftsmen, and your workaday Joe ZugZug. Not that anyone on Azeroth could be reasonably chided for not going out of their way to carefully nuance their vision of orcs, of course. Most humans primary experience of orcs is hearing that they just burned down the neighbouring village; but there's enough substance to Warcraft orcs that you can have very rewarding 'We're not so different' stories.

Sure, but I don't think we'll be dealing with Joe ZugZug tending his crops or Bobby the Baker at Brackenwall village. A frontier outpost like that will mostly be the "death before dishonour!" boggle-eyed lunatic types. Imo anyway, you're the GM so it's your call :smalltongue:.

"The road to the dark portal was long, and wide, and paved with the bones of the innocent. We called it the Path of Glory." (https://youtu.be/mDnPvhvWY5o)

Hmm, what's this?

*clicks*

Battle for Azeroth?!

https://c.tenor.com/AIZW6449Tp8AAAAM/critical-role-crit-role.gif

Also:

Forever desperate to play WFRP2e, as a Bretonnian Knight.

I had a vampire knight I've wanted to play for a while too :smalltongue:.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-30, 11:34 PM

Hmm, what's this?

*clicks*

Battle for Azeroth?!

Don’t indulge the meme! BFA was great at its best parts and fine in its worst! Do not allow the Sylvannas stans inside your mind!

Also, hey, if you can find a GM to run 2 knights 1 tale, I’m in.

BananaPhone

2021-10-30, 11:48 PM

Haha, as far as I'm concerned the end of World of Warcraft vanilla is the 'end' of the current Warcraft canon. I loved the setting as this dark, quasi-gothic fantasy setting. World of Warcraft was great fun, but TBC onwards just got sillier/crazier for me, personally, in a way that didn't sit well or fit with what I liked about the setting.

In general, for me though, this basically sums up my sentiment towards 90% of pop culture:

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/344/605/b58.png

Also, hey, if you can find a GM to run 2 knights 1 tale, I’m in.

Very coy name :P haha. It'd take a new advertisement thread and a larger starting exp pool (something like 3,500) and finding a GM to do such a thing would be a challenge, imo.

Plaids

2021-10-31, 12:48 AM

I like the idea of going to Brackenwall first to get the lay of the land and then going to the ogre village. In character there is enough reason to believe someone affiliated with the horde is sympathetic to the party and giving information of a demonic presence would be appreciated given the ring the party has. We just need to be careful to not incriminate ourselves by revealing a fell wielder is in the party.

@Windstruck. Sorry if you felt like you got dogpiled by the party. The goal should be for everyone to have fun.
I hastily interpreted the conversation between Isaera and Mor'Lag as the following.

Isaera: "We need to infiltrate the ogre village. Mor'Lag you are an ogre they will trust you. Now all we need is a big conical for you to wear and everyone else to hide in to trick those idiots."
Mor'Lag: "Why do you assume that will work? Just because I'm an ogre. You have upset me."

I was making assumptions based on the Warcraft lore trend I know off which is that generally the more stereotypically monstrous races like orcs and minotaurs are made more sympathetic. Given details such as orcs were enslaved by Gul'dan, the tauren are peaceful nature lovers, and Thrall has similarities with the biblical Moses at least in the Warcraft movie and Warcraft 3 by being washed down a river then presumably adopted and leading his people on a journey in the wild. respectively. So I was assuming the elf was being rude to the ogre in the situation.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-31, 02:11 AM

But most importantly never call for a mak'gora only challenges from a leader respected by orcs will be given the privilege.

This is good advice, but now you’ve just planted the idea in their heads!

WindStruck

2021-10-31, 03:49 AM

Isaera: "We need to infiltrate the ogre village. Mor'Lag you are an ogre they will trust you. Now all we need is a big conical for you to wear and everyone else to hide in to trick those idiots."
Mor'Lag: "Why do you assume that will work? Just because I'm an ogre. You have upset me."

Yeah, I'd say the interpretation was very simplified and inaccurate. And no, I wasn't really assuming it would work, either IC or OOC.

Anyway! I'm glad things are moving along to a different subject now? I don't really have any particular vision of orcs set in my mind that disagrees with MrAbdiel.

MrAbdiel

2021-10-31, 08:23 AM

Indeedly we are! Tonight, I go to sleep. But tomorrow! Tomorrow, friends, you visit the Horde.

BananaPhone

2021-11-01, 06:43 AM

I think the GM was posting next, yes?

MrAbdiel

2021-11-01, 07:18 AM

Indeed, I have posted! Welcome to scenic Brackenwall village. You may with to communicate to the other characters what your plans are, but as the post will tell you, the place is reasonably open for you to explore despite some faction suspicions.

WindStruck

2021-11-01, 10:22 AM

Don't think I'm entirely against the idea of spending the night there. :smallsmile:

Though I'm sure Isaera herself would be.. a bit weary. Still an excellent point is brought up about how much camping does actually suck.

And it does seem like we should try and see the elders or whoever and get our mission done first, but I wouldn't mind exploring around a bit later.

Also regarding dream. I suppose if you want, I could continue with Isaera's dreams again, tonight.

MrAbdiel

2021-11-01, 10:42 AM

I am 100% behind more dream stuff. How else will we flesh our your father’s designs to marry you off to Prince Kael’thas?

Plaids

2021-11-01, 03:30 PM

[roll0] Here is the roll for persuading the guards at the front gate. It should be good.

Regardless Jakk'ari will be heading to the town hall to talk to the village chief preferably with the demonic ring as evidence to his support his claims of demonic presence.

One day I'll make a M&M character who doesn't break the power limit.
Also an explanation for how the magic/special moves work and are budgeted would be appreciated. I just picked powers fitting my character concept according to the official M&M3E book.

WindStruck

2021-11-02, 09:26 AM

Again, these are really good!

I'll have Isaera say a little something. But perhaps just a little introduction. Don't want to dominate the conversation (just yet). :smallbiggrin:

Feathersnow

2021-11-02, 09:30 AM

[roll0] Perception
[roll1] insight

MrAbdiel

2021-11-03, 05:08 AM

Again, these are really good!

I'll have Isaera say a little something. But perhaps just a little introduction. Don't want to dominate the conversation (just yet). :smallbiggrin:

:)

Also, don't worry; there will be ample opportunities to be conversational soon!

MrAbdiel

2021-11-03, 06:23 AM

Jakk'ari is receiving our first VP temptation! I'm not doing it strictly by the book here, so to explain myself:

Victory Points are the meta resource in M&M3e that allow you to push past your normal limits. They're great, and you should want them; and you are awarded them in play both for accomplishing things that I deem particularly cool, and also for being inconvenienced in some way by one of your character's Complications.

I'm deviating from the standard rules by which I would activate your complication, explain how it inconveniences you, and give you the VP. I find it much more interesting (and less invasive somehow) to offer you the VP if you choose to indulge your Complication at the inconvenient time I offer the temptation. You're free to decline if you want; but in most cases, it's more fun and characterful to go with it and pocket the VP, the manifold uses for which are here (https://www.d20herosrd.com/home/victory-points/) if you'd like a reminder of how great they are. Unlisted there is the fact that you can use a VP to rapidly make a gadget or ritual in a matter of turns that would normally require many hours of research and craft.

Give in to your mortal weaknesses. Give iiiin~

WindStruck

2021-11-03, 07:57 AM

And here I am, wondering what to put those CP in. Was considering more skills. Maybe treatment, picked up from the medics would be nice. Or.. perhaps Isaera could bother trying to learn some new languages? Maybe, maybe...

MrAbdiel

2021-11-03, 08:26 AM

Maybe! But no pressure to devote those points now.

Also, Mages in Warcraft have access to the Tongues spell to speak all languages, so you might not need to learn those, if you play your cards right.

BananaPhone

2021-11-03, 08:31 AM

Meanwhile, I have access to Curse of Tongues, to make his speech even slower and more confusing.

MrAbdiel

2021-11-03, 08:34 AM

Meanwhile, I have access to Curse of Tongues, to make his speech even slower and more confusing.

That seems unproductive.

But bonus points for Marion identifying his mangled sentence structure pattern!

BananaPhone

2021-11-03, 08:41 AM

Heeey sweet, how many?

MrAbdiel

2021-11-03, 08:48 AM

10 MrAbdiel “Fun Bucks”, valid currency in all MrAbdiel games.

MrAbdiel

2021-11-03, 08:52 AM

Loving all these RP posts, folks. :)

Plaids

2021-11-03, 06:30 PM

The chiefs invitation to the alcohol tasting has been accepted.
I didn't expect everyone to come to the town hall but it was fun saying "Good news everyone" to the rest of the party.

Also I'll have a response to the dream sequence up soon.

MrAbdiel

2021-11-03, 08:07 PM

Excellent. Yield to all temptations. :)

Also, @BananaPhone - did Marion take the intellect potion Mor’Lag offered her earlier on? Just so I know if it’s on your person for no reason at all.

BananaPhone

2021-11-03, 09:53 PM

Nope, she has not imbibed anything yet.

MrAbdiel

2021-11-03, 10:01 PM

A clarifier: did she accept the potion as given, and possesses it on her person?

BananaPhone

2021-11-04, 12:33 AM

Possesses it.

WindStruck

2021-11-04, 07:36 PM

I think you mentioned that their inn/tavern was closest to this great hall, right?

MrAbdiel

2021-11-04, 08:52 PM

Yes; their ale house (also an inn) is adjacent to the village square, as is the village hall! And the other sites I mentioned are not that far. Either.

WindStruck

2021-11-05, 03:49 AM

Right. It's just. You know, the rain.

MrAbdiel

2021-11-05, 03:23 PM

Right. It's just. You know, the rain.

Ahaha. Needs an umbrella spell!

Sounds like the group is planning to migrate over to the tavern with a minimum time in the rain?

EDIT: In the future, you could probably grind down a single 7pp rank of variable to 1 or 2 pp with enough stacked casting drawbacks to make a "petty magic" power, useful only for doing things like Control Environment (Keep the rain off me), or Transmute (my torn muddle clothes into pristine new even more stylish clothes). Normally drawback stacking in games like this is wildly discouraged, but I'd allow it for a vain arcane user for a purpose so narrowly defined. Just a thought!

WindStruck

2021-11-05, 07:45 PM

Now that you mention it, Isaera does have some "cantrips" in her spell array. She might be able to create a little umbrella of weak force or something that repels the water!

MrAbdiel

2021-11-05, 08:12 PM

Now that you mention it, Isaera does have some "cantrips" in her spell array. She might be able to create a little umbrella of weak force or something that repels the water!

Oh, it seems you had it covered already and we just both forgot! Haha! Yes, I specifically endorse this kind of petty, showy magic for a mage. It's what separates you from the animals.

BananaPhone

2021-11-05, 09:39 PM

Given that in Blood Elven towns you'll see animated objects like brooms sweeping the floors on their own etc, the elf using magic to make her life easier with these types of conveniences makes perfect sense.

Plaids

2021-11-06, 01:32 AM

I don't know if Jakk'ari has been dismissed by the chief but if he has I would like to strike up a conversation with the other orc in the room.

MrAbdiel

2021-11-06, 01:46 AM

Dismissed? Oh, no; he’s the chief’s best friend now. They’re going upstairs to gamble and drink and jaw with other rural luminaries.

I’ll describe such soon, but I was giving a window for anyone to object or offer alternatives to the loose “let’s share a room and keep watch” plan. New post up in a couple hours.

WindStruck

2021-11-06, 04:05 AM

I'm not so sure about sharing rooms and keeping watch... if it was a typical fantasy inn, or a place like in Theramore, I'd assume there's locks on the door or something.

Here? I'm not so sure...

MrAbdiel

2021-11-06, 04:44 AM

Seems like the kind of detail that will benefit from some examination! :P

MrAbdiel

2021-11-06, 07:31 AM

Ahah! There you go, big post. :)

MrAbdiel

2021-11-06, 10:23 PM

New post, now with top shelf puns!

WindStruck

2021-11-06, 11:41 PM

Now I'm suddenly reminded of these guys playing chess without the board. :smallbiggrin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LqfrY87U-0

MrAbdiel

2021-11-07, 02:08 AM

Hahaha, yes, I'm just like that!

*Sweats, and closes multiple how-to-chess tabs.*

MrAbdiel

2021-11-07, 08:54 AM

Ahaha, Marion’s sarcasm explosion was hilarious.

Poor Balandar! He only said “hired hands” because that’s how Isaera referred to herself at the others collectively. But like I said before, this is an excellent time for party friction and misunderstanding and prejudgement to be smoothed and resolved later. So I’m here for it.

BananaPhone

2021-11-07, 09:24 AM

She might develop a couple of new curses now: "Curse of Withered Genitals" and "Curse of Barrenness". Increased Duration (Permanent).

WindStruck

2021-11-07, 09:35 AM

I do think the exchange was quite funny.

But honestly, I don't think I had meant anything disrespectful to anyone's characters. As far as I am concerned, everyone here is a 'helping hand'.

Don't like being referred that way? Maybe you shouldn't have taken the job. LOL

BananaPhone

2021-11-07, 09:39 AM

I don't mind OOC :smallwink:. I thought it was kinda funny that Mar's was going to go in there and be susceptible to her 'Flirt' quirk, only to get offended at being thought of as hired help and so indirectly insulting everyone present and then leaving lol. It was like a 180 mood swing and intentions within 5 seconds.

Plaids

2021-11-08, 01:42 AM

I quite like the sudden subverted expectations with Marion that just happened.
I also like the game symbolism going on underscoring the social encounters.

MrAbdiel

2021-11-08, 03:47 AM

I thought it was funny. But I grew up in chatroom RP; and in retrospect, that was a hotbed of neuroses and thin-skinned escapists. So I have a reflex whenever I see anything happen IC that could be possibly taken badly OOC to leap up and 'manage' it; and I'll ask y'all to forgive me when I do that. Because I'm also committed to the idea that RPing is most fun when the interactions have a fantasy flavor and a realistic texture; which means people being rude to each other, having prejudices, and all kinds of less than pleasant parts of the real world. So I like when Mor'Lag jumps down Isaera's throat prematurely when she brushes against Mor'Lag's anxiety about other ogres, and when Isaera reflexively accuses Jakk'ari and Zachary of foolishly leading attackers to the wagon train, or when Marion has a Frank-Grimes sarcasm ragequit when she infers that someone is thinking of her as a commoner. But my reinforced conditioning is to make sure that everything's still cool, because I grew up playing with other self-important 15 year olds on the internet rather than people I can reasonably expect to be mature adults like you guys!

In lore I know Magatha Grim Totem is a minor villain and poisons Khairne so the villainous Garrosh can rule the horde. But Warcraft has some nuance in that villainous characters are sometime in good factions and tribes.
So I don't know what to expect with Jevan...

...Also I'm starting to feel like a politician if that was the goal then good job.

I don't mind people knowing the established lore for these things! Most of the NPCs, when I can, are pulled directly from the game and you can look them up on Wowpedia. Most of those, like Helaina and Tamberlyn, are just standin' around NPCs without much to say or contribute to the game, but I figure why not use the resources I'm given, right? Some are minor NPC questgivers, like Balandar and Swamp-Eye Jarl, whom I have taken the liberty of fleshing out for your reading pleasure. But once you start getting towards the medium to high level load bearing characters, like Jevan, Ukorz, and Jaina Proudmoore, I'm going on record saying that there are no guarantees that a given NPC will be consistent with the official lore. A villain might be a misunderstood anti-hero. A celebrated hero might be concealing a wicked calculus that in the official version they are not. So y'know... Don't let your guard down. I aim to misbehave.

Also, I'm glad you feel like a politician! The best indication I have about the kind of thing you want for your characters is your complications and backstory. If you say Sandfury Diplomat, I'm gonna give you some opportunity to be a Sandfury diplomat dagnabbit. I have a little short list of "things that X character is about" on my side monitor here and I try to hit those marks when I can. Feel free to message me if you feel I'm misunderstanding something, or if you'd like some particular opportunity for your character to develop, and I'll try to accommodate it.

Work's a bit heckers, but I should have a new post up tomorrow. Also, I live in Australia, so whenever I say "Tomorrow" I mean "24 hours from when I say this", roughly.

Vote MrAbdiel for best GM 2021