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SilverClawShift
2008-06-08, 11:27 PM
So my group's begun a campaign that's supposed to last us a while, and lead into high levels (and possibly epic), starting at level 1. The DM's said he's got plenty of good ideas and a central goal for the campaign (he always does), and the characters are interesting.

Since it's looking to be a campaign worth posting about, I'm starting a little campaign dairy here. The game's so far been a bit creepy/moody/otherworldly, and it promises to stay that way.

I don't really know how to START a campaign dairy, the halloween thread only turned into one midway through the midway battle because of questions being asked, but here goes.

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

The Players

Sylvia Thornshield (Me)
Human Dread Necromancer. Backstory is that when a family pet died when I was a child, grief caused my innate magical tendencies to manifest, bringing the cat back to life. (Dread Necros are spontaneous casters afterall). So I'm starting with a zombie cat as part of my 'gear'. I'm out in the world adventuring mainly because necromancers usually aren't welcome to settle down in small towns, and there's always new corpses just over the horizon.
My DM is going to let me have fun with the "big bruiser" kind of undead, instead of just completely filling up the battlemap with zombies and skeletons. I'll be raising more powerful creatures most of the time (though I'm reserving the right to send swarms of mook undead at problems when necessary). My DM's also said that he'll let me play with 'fancier' undead than just zombies and skeletons, so I might be able to get a loyal vampire spawn under my control, or something more.
Also, as an aside. If anyone has any good suggestions for spells to pick up via advanced learning? I don't usually draw blanks, but what usefull necromancy spells does the dread necromancer NOT allready get? I don't plan on using a weapon unless it becomes prudent to have something sharp and metal between me and an enemy.

Bethany Thornshield
Illumian Truenamer. The character is my younger sister (the player isn't actually family, or female for that matter). The innate magical talent running through our bloodline didn't manifest as shambling corpses for Bethany the Bookworm. Lil Beth was marked as a prophet early in her childhood, as the stuff she announced was extremly likely to become true. As time wore on, Bethany began to realize she wasn't predicting the future, she was warping it subtly. Something about the power of her words impacted reality around her.
In puberty, Bethany manifested the illumian sigils circling her head (and the Illumian racial flavor of the ritual of the word is being discarded, bethany is a natural born Illumian to a human family). Since neither of us is normal enough to blend into a small town, we've set out into the world together.
The character's taking the illumian sigil that grants +1 to INT based checks. At level 2, she'll have the second sigil, granting +2 to both INT and CHA based checks. Going for a party face thing, with priorities (in order): Boosting Truename checks, UMD, social skills, and speaking multiple languages (illumians get Speak Language as a class skill no matter what they take).
Bethany is going to be using a (gracefully designed, almost formal) spiked gauntlet with her right hand, and keeping her left hand free for possible UMDing needs.

Elijah (no last name used)
Human Binder. Elijah was from a wealthy family, and brought up to be an aristocrat. When he was a teenager, he discovered a collection of seals and related binding implements on his (vast) estate, and a journal explaining their application. His great grandfather had apparently used the power of Vestiges during his lifetime in order to establish his wealth, with his lineage none the wiser about the source of his abilities.
Elijah was consumed with curiosity and fascination for the powers he could call into him from beyond the veil of reality. Rather than following in his families expected (and dull) path, he's set out into the world to learn more about vestiges, and binding them. He knows that his family is most likely searching for him, but he's also intelligent enough to realize that the forces he's consorting with would be frowned upon (and possibly even lead to execution in the worst case scenario). Elijah would rather dissapear into the world and continue his hunt for the secrets of pact magic.

Roosevelt Perch
Changeling Factotum. Roosevelt is actually the lifelong butler/caretaker of Elijah. A gentleman's gentleman through and through. When Elijah left home, Roosevelt left as well to ensure his saftey and to aid him in whatever path he walked. Roosevelt's utmost concern is the saftey and well being of Elijah, for reasons unknown to anyone but the pair.
Roosevelt is also at least two dozen seperate people in various circumstances, and being a changeling factotum, a brand new personality is only a new outfit away. Roosevelt also switches back and forth between genders with a remarkable ease. Elijah knows what Roosevelt is, but doesn't know who Roosevelt originally was (gender, name, anything of the sort before his employment by Elijahs family).
Roosevelt is capable of doing just about anything of course, but the focus will be on infiltration and daggers (throwing them as well as close combat).

Trik'tak'tik'tax
Kobold Favored Soul. Confused worshiper (and chosen one) of the dragon deity Tamara, a goddess of healing, light, and mercy killing. We're calling him fourty (Four-T), and he joined Bethany and me after his failed attempt at 'purifying' a small warren full of zombified kobolds ended with him cornered and injured. Me and Bethany discovered the commotion, and I commanded part of the undead (through the Rebuke Undead class feature) and made them fight each other. So I saved Fourtys life.
Which leaves him conflicted to an extreme about me. Tamara hates the undead, but I'm also not some foaming at the mouth 'destroy the world' necromancer. So me and Fourty have a very uneasy truce while we're in a group together, though if I ever try to make a dragon undead, that truce will probably shatter.
Fourty uses a Scimitar (Tamaras favored weapon) and is going to focus primarily on healing, with a little clericy backup in terms of spell selection.

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

So that's the group. I don't have time to keep going, but my next post will be about the opening of the campaign, (the area we're in, and the adventure to date).

Until then :)

Lycan 01
2008-06-08, 11:35 PM
Yay. ^_^ I love your stories, and a journal of them will be very entertaining to read. Thanks for setting this up...

(I'm guessing this is 3.5e?)

MelkorsHalo
2008-06-09, 01:31 AM
sounds awesome. loved your last diary. one thing, though. what's your dm doing about the suckiness of the truenamer? they can't do much past.. level 5 or so. i've seen various fixes floating around, though. bkdubs123, over on the wizards forum, had one that i liked.

dyslexicfaser
2008-06-09, 02:38 AM
Your diaries are always entertaining, I'm looking forward to it.

Kol Korran
2008-06-09, 02:53 AM
sound like an interesting bunch of characters SilverClawShift.
as to a campaign journal- why not use PBwiki? my last group and i did that, and it was quite nice, and fun.

it's free, the site you allocate for you and your group can be customized quite easely. youcan set a portion for DM notes, characters and development, sessions, NPCs, Great Moments/ quotes section and whatever... have your fellow team members help if possible. it makes things more coherent, more orderly, and more fun to manage.

then, just let us people know, maybe add a link to it on your signature, and you're set to go (you can even set a page for comments by visitors, or just make this thread for comments).

as to catchy names, i'll have to wait till i see the first post. but the group needs a name as well (when it fully solidifies). in the past on different occasion, i had 2 groups of 5 people. one called themselves "Treya's winning hand" (Treya was a rogue who brought the group together. the "hand" was a reference to five cards at a poker/ similarily appropriate card game). the other group was called ".....'s Hydra" (forgot the first name. the Hydra came to symbolize how they could do many function and respond to many threats simulatenously, and that could easely be revived to full strength- they had two divine full casters)

just my suggestions...

MelkorsHalo
2008-06-09, 06:37 AM
korran, you are wonderful. i love your PBwiki idea. i'm making one for my group right away. i may even add a link in my sig if the embarassment won't kill me.

Arbitrarity
2008-06-09, 07:22 AM
/watches.
Yay, another story!

Hyozo
2008-06-09, 10:35 AM
It looks like it will be an interresting campaign, just like your other ones. Do you know if Elijah's player plans on using the homebrew vestiges from the horror campaign?

Chronicled
2008-06-09, 10:41 AM
Yay, I get to watch a Silverclawshift campaign unfold from the start this time!

Heck, I'm even in the first 10 posts! :tongue:

Azerian Kelimon
2008-06-09, 10:42 AM
NEEDS MOAR DUSTLAND SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR!

I can't wait to see what this campaign brings. If it is even close to how awesome the dustland campaign was, it's going to get a sticky and a "THIS is the way to play the game, suckers!" tag.

Nohwl
2008-06-09, 10:49 AM
how often do you plan on updating this?

Eldariel
2008-06-09, 11:07 AM
It's great to see a diary written in a cohesive manner; many of those on Wizards are all over the place and tough to follow. This looks to be very easy to read, not to mention interesting to follow. Will be looking forward to your first update!

Adumbration
2008-06-09, 12:41 PM
I am looking forward to this. Really, Silver, it's half due to your writing - which goes easy on the eyes - half due your DM's ingenuosity and half due to your group's smart (role)playing.

Wait, was that 1.5? :smallconfused:

_Puppetmaster_
2008-06-09, 01:06 PM
Yay! Another campaign diary by SilverClawShift!


*subscribes*


I love the characters. I wonder how the kobold will feel about your walking corpses.

mostlyharmful
2008-06-09, 02:49 PM
HOoRaaAAYyyy!!!1! :smallsmile: :Runs around in small circle:

Woop-Woop-Woop...

ahem... anyway, thanks for this SilverClawShift, I look forward to reading this. And nice bunch of characters, just enough wonky to have fun interpersonal not so much they're unworkable.

Illiterate Scribe
2008-06-09, 04:07 PM
The Players

Sylvia Thornshield (Me)
Human Dread Necromancer. Backstory is that when a family pet died when I was a child, grief caused my innate magical tendencies to manifest, bringing the cat back to life. (Dread Necros are spontaneous casters afterall). So I'm starting with a zombie cat as part of my 'gear'. I'm out in the world adventuring mainly because necromancers usually aren't welcome to settle down in small towns, and there's always new corpses just over the horizon.
My DM is going to let me have fun with the "big bruiser" kind of undead, instead of just completely filling up the battlemap with zombies and skeletons. I'll be raising more powerful creatures most of the time (though I'm reserving the right to send swarms of mook undead at problems when necessary). My DM's also said that he'll let me play with 'fancier' undead than just zombies and skeletons, so I might be able to get a loyal vampire spawn under my control, or something more.
Also, as an aside. If anyone has any good suggestions for spells to pick up via advanced learning? I don't usually draw blanks, but what usefull necromancy spells does the dread necromancer NOT allready get? I don't plan on using a weapon unless it becomes prudent to have something sharp and metal between me and an enemy.


If you don't make a Zombie Whale, I may have to initiate the Plan. That is not something that you want to happen.

Make a zombie whale.

loopy
2008-06-09, 05:10 PM
All my dreams have coalesced into one thread. :D :D

Except I don't see cake anywhere. :smallconfused:

Nonetheless, I can't wait to see how this goes. :)

Ned the undead
2008-06-09, 06:34 PM
Death Dragon is in the Spc and one of the dragon books is 7th Cleric spell that KICKS ASS.


Wizard spells
Backbiter ,a first level spell, can bone most warriors. (So Mr. Orc/Kobold/Troglodyte your spear/greataxe/club has a wooden haft eh?)

Ray of Weakness is 2nd lvl and caouses -2 on attacks and -10 to movement.

Spawn Screen is also 2nd lvl. It prevents your friends from rising as spawn for 1 hour a lvl. Good for when your trying to command that wight/ghoul. (Should you command it name him Barry)

Curse of Impeding Blades, Mass is 3rd lvl and causes all enmies affected to take -2 on AC.

Undead lieutenant is 3rd lvl and lets transfer control to a chosen undead under your control. Your orders supercede it's.

Undead Torch is 3rd lvl and causes target undead to deal 2d6 fire damage on attacks to living creatures.

Ghoul gauntlet is 6th lvl and causes the subject to become a ghoul under your control.

Ray of entropy is 6th lvl and causes -4 to Str, Dex, and Con.

Spectral touch is 6th lvl and for 1 round a lvl you can bestow negative lvls with your touch.

Awaken undead is 7th lvl and gives a mindless undead 1d6+4 intelligence.

Sword of Darkness can be sent anywhere in a medium range and bestows negative lvls. It's attacks are touch attacks.

Skeletal Guard summons 1 skeleton a lvl with turn resistance equal to your caster lvl -1.

All these are in the SpC

The_Werebear
2008-06-09, 11:55 PM
I look forward to this. You and your party are an inspiration. And I can't wait to see the if the binder picks up some of the vestiges that you created after the first journal.

Temp.
2008-06-10, 12:27 AM
Subscription is "go."

Your horror campaign thread was inspiring. Since you posted it, that sort of DMing has been my main ambition at the game table.

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to this.

MandibleBones
2008-06-10, 08:47 AM
And... subscribed. I'm glad I get to watch!

...

That sounded so much less creepy in my head.

Kol Korran
2008-06-10, 10:45 AM
side question: can anyeone (SilverclawShift or any other) direct me to SilverClawShift's previous journals? i keep hearing them mentioned, and so far i like the few posts of her that i've seen. i would like to read more.

thanks in advance,
Kol.

MandibleBones
2008-06-10, 11:06 AM
Illiterate Scribe posted a decent collection of links to SCS's Horror Story here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4426310&postcount=12).

SilverClawShift
2008-06-10, 12:51 PM
(I'm guessing this is 3.5e?)

Very. Our group has looked at 4e, and while we don't think there's anything wrong with it per se, we know and enjoy 3.5 too much to make a changeover. We'll continue using homebrew for 3.5 to keep fresh content bleeding in.


what's your dm doing about the suckiness of the truenamer?

We're not too worried about it. The Truenamer's going to have a secondary emphasis on UMD, and since it's a class skill she'll be able to actually USE it.
Aside from that though, the DM always takes care of us. He is a wrathful but loving DM, I'm sure things'll be just fine. We can probably expect to see custom Truenaming items decking out Bethany before this is over.


why not use PBwiki? my last group and i did that, and it was quite nice, and fun.

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

but the group needs a name as well

-Cause I like these forums.
-I don't think we've ever named our actual group before. We're a band of misfits.


Do you know if Elijah's player plans on using the homebrew vestiges from the horror campaign?

They are in our list of useable vestiges, so if it comes up I'm sure he will :smallsmile:


how often do you plan on updating this?

Whenever I have the time and inclination to really. Real life has to take priority over stuff like this, but I'll try to stay on it at a reasonable pace.


I wonder how the kobold will feel about your walking corpses.

He's very disapproving, but in a professional kind of way. he's also a kobold, so it's a lot of chittering that gets tuned out anyway :smalltongue:


Make a zombie whale.

I don't even know if we're going to wind up over water :smalltongue:
And I think I'd rather be riding a vampire dolphin.


All these are in the SpC

Why didn't I think to check the SpC? I'll get that from my DM the next time we play. Thank you!


That sounded so much less creepy in my head.

Hey.... some of us like to watch ;)



Thanks for the kind words everyone. Hopefully I'll have time to put the first stuff up relatively soon.

Grey Watcher
2008-07-01, 10:34 PM
Reading your campaigns is always a pleasure. I just have to remember how to subscribe to threads again (I haven't done that ever since I figured out how to turn off the auto-subscribe feature).

Also, that Changeling Factotum got "In My Own Little Corner" stuck in my head:


In my own little corner,
In my own little chair,
I can be whatever I want to be....

Arbitrarity
2008-07-01, 10:45 PM
I was about to declare necropost, but 20 days isn't quite a month yet.

So, how's this going? Did the thread die, and everyone forget? And how does one subscribe to threads, anyways? I guess I'll work on figuring it out...

Chronicled
2008-07-01, 10:47 PM
Darnit, I've been eagerly waiting for this to start updating, and you got my hopes up! Bah.

Deth Muncher
2008-07-01, 11:00 PM
I even just re-mentioned this thread to SilverClaw...



Curses!


PS- Even talking about declaring Thread Necromancy to a Mod probbably isn't all that smart. Juuuust saying.

Arbitrarity
2008-07-01, 11:02 PM
Well yeah, I thought it would be ironic. Although probably unwise :smallwink:

Mushroom Ninja
2008-07-02, 08:39 AM
We're all waiting on the edges of our seats for this epic tale to unfold. I can't wait!

engwalid
2008-07-02, 07:32 PM
great.....

vicente408
2008-07-10, 01:10 AM
Now wouldn't it be anticlimactic if her first adventure ended in a TPK? ;)

Draz74
2008-07-10, 02:23 AM
So far, it seems more likely to be a TPK of the players rather than the characters. :smalleek: