Cabin in the Wood [OOC Thread]

[Pope Scarface]

Feel free to start chatting, working out inter-party backstory/dynamics, etc., while waiting for the IC thread to start.

Please select a speech color and which pronouns you want used for your character with your first post, and I will add to the chart.

Player Characters

Player	Character	Race	Class	Pronouns	Speech Color
Black Socks	Sariel Amakiir	Eladrin	Ranger	She/Her	Navy
Antilles123	Vengar Flametooth	Dragonborn	Bard	He/Him	Green
miinstrel	Zeth the Soulseer	Tiefling	Warlock/Bard	He/Him	Purple
Fishybugs	Jenara Marielle Havebrooke	Variant Human	Life Cleric	She/Her	Red

Current Party Initiative: 11

Character	Exhaustion	Initiative	Lore
Sariel Amakiir	0	13	Religion: 14
Vengar Flametooth	1	13, adv	Bardic*: 10
Zeth the Soulseer	1	12	Arcana, History: 13 Bardic*: 11
Jenara Marielle Havebrooke	0	10	Religion, History: 14

*Untrained, but jack of all trades bonus.

IC thread.

House Rules:

1. You may choose to roll 2d10 instead of 1d20 for checks with skills and tools that you are proficient with.
2. Jack of All Trades and Expertise apply to passive perception/investigation where applicable.
3. If I do not specify otherwise, if I call for an ability check to read a spoiler, you may use your passive score.
4. Party Initiative is a DC for the monsters to roll against to determine if they go before or after the PCs. It is calculated as an average for the party members involved, +1 for each party member with advantage on initiative, -1 for each PC with disadvantage on initiative.

[daze413]

Hello, I'm daze thanks for picking me :) Let's have some fun at this, everyone.

My character is Brelard Tolmic, @fishybugs totally not related to that other Brelard from the RoT game that died.

I'll be placing my portent rolls here for easy reference and will update this post everytime I roll new ones.

Spoiler: portent

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(1d20)[3]
(1d20)[2]
Edit: I foresee... failed saves!

For color, I'd like to use this wonderdul shade of Orange. (That I cant seem to get to work with mobile...)

Here's the short backstory:

Spoiler: backstory

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Guardian and Scholar. Brelard's burrow is home to a mysterious ancient arcane artifact. Though its power has waned over millenia, the runes carved on the gargantuan stone still holds precious secrets studied and guarded by the Tolmic family. Years of secrecy and isolation scrutinizing the mysterious glyphs gave Brelard a tranquil sheltered state of mind.

Superstitious. Finding the Luckstone among the rubble of the arcane ruins was easy, too easy- almost handed to him by fate. But the slew of misfortunes and accidents that came down upon his home afterward shellshocked the otherwise peaceful gnomish burrow. Thoroughly superstitious, the Tolmic family ejected Brelard- and the Luckstone out of the burrow, for fear of bringing further misfortune down upon the small community. Brelard, who is also very superstitious, acquiesced.

Aimless Wanderer. Since being cast out, Brelard has approached life in a 'come-what-may' attitude, leaving everything to "destiny" and to chance. He hasn't yet lost the will to live, but he's sure that whatever is going to happen to him will turn up eventually. And maybe the offer to clear out a certain cabin can speed up the process.

Oh, and @pope. If it's ok with you, I really would like to tie the character more into the story using the hermit feature :) but if you don't feel like it, it's ok anyway.

Also, been taking a look at the sheets (and I'm sorry for nitpicking, I just want to make sure we're all prepared) and here's some stuff I found that you may want to change there:

Spoiler: Jenara

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passive perception should be 17.
Hp should be 45, I think. 8+2 with rogue and (5+2)x5 cleric.
Wisdom should just be 18. 16 at 1st-level then +2 asi.

Spoiler: Zeth

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passive perception should only be 15. Expertise only affects active checks (unless otherwise ruled by the dm)

Spoiler: Vengar

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[passive perception should be 9. Jack of all trades, like expertise only affects active checks

Spoiler: sariel

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spell attack should be +5 and save dc 13.

[Pope Scarface]

I've been running that jack of all trades and expertise apply to passive perception in my tabetop game so I'll add that to the houserules for this one as well.

[Black Socks]

Hello! Sariel will speak in Navy, and use female pronouns (she, her, Ms.)

Also, thank you for pointing out my mistake, daze. I will fix it.

[miinstrel]

Thanks for including me, Pope.
Zeth will "Speak in purple." He uses he/him pronouns.

Spoiler: Short Backstory

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Zeth started out as a fortune teller in a traveling carnival. Perusing a curios shop in a town they were performing at he found this weird little lantern with constantly swirling lights. Shopkeep told him it didn't really do anything. Well after installing it to add to the ambiance of his tent his readings became significantly more accurate.

A couple months later it reached out to him one night and invited him to view history in a whole new way. To see the future, the past, etc. He took the offer, his mind flooded with visions, and then blacked out. When he woke up he was in the woods with a headache and the moon was out, which is odd because he distinctly recalled commenting on how it was going to be a dark night.

Now he has flashes of the future. I'll be fluffing his bardic inspiration dice as minor premonitions he sends to those around him.

[Antilles123]

Thanks for picking old Flametooth!

He'll speak in green please...also I'll fix up the passive perception, thanks.

Spoiler

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Backstory:
Vengar was originally a musician who travelled with infantry units to rouse and inspire them before battle.
He started out as a simple music maker, but along the way he started training with the soldiers and soon grew in strength and prowess.

Sure he's a little overconfident and he thinks he's always right, but he's loyal to his friends and is an entertaining travel companion.

He was originally known for his singing - he sure had enough practice when he used to travel on long marches. Vengar values independence and when he discovered he could stand on his own two feet in addition to entertaining, he decided that an adventuring life could be far more enjoyable than being stuck in a military unit somewhere. However, he still carries one of his company banners in his pack, and uses it as a pillow when he sleeps.

People like to tell bards things, so it's no surprise that Vengar got wind of some cabin that needed to be cleared out. A cabin, for goodness sake. Really? What could possibly be there that's going to cause more trouble than a few rats? He's between jobs so he figures he might as well tag along to help out.

[Fishybugs]

Hi. Thanks for selecting me, Pope. This sounds like an interesting setting.

Jenara will speak in the red of the blood she heals. She's a she/her.

Thanks for grabbing those things, Daze. I always forget to add proficiency to passive perception. I don't know why it said 20 in the WIS...guess I can't add or something.

[Pope Scarface]

Looks like the gang is all here. I'm doing a lot of work IRL on finishing a suit of armor for a larp next weekend, but should have the initial IC post up tonight.

[daze413]

Bought a few scrolls and scribed them on the spellbook. See below the sheet.

Brelard has 2 load outs, one for out of combat and one for combat. I'm showing the oc one for now until I know things are gonna get choppy. ;)

[miinstrel]

Initial thoughts on Zeth's relationships with the other party members and maybe something to inspire the rest of you too:

Brelard - They will definitely connect over their shared belief in destiny, though I would imagine they butt heads a bit over the validity of each others' premonitions. FYI, I see Zeth as a bit on the crazy side. Perhaps a side effect of the visions or maybe he just cracked, not sure. But he may kind of think he's from the future, processing these visions as having something he lived through and pseudo-remembers. Not sure how to reconcile how he traveled "back in time", but that's not necessarily important in the scope of a one off adventure. Anyway, something we might be able to play with.

Sariel - Feywild is fairly exotic. Zeth may be intrigued with her otherworldly nature. And also probably has asked questions if she knows anything about creepy eyed entities sending visions to mortals.

Vengar - They obviously have the performer thing in common. Though Zeth's performance is more nuanced and intimate than that of a singer (which is why I didn't go proficiency in Performance). You traveled with the military, I traveled with a carnival, so we've both probably seen the world a bit and may swap stories.

Jenara - He can appreciate her desire for adventure and the passion displayed when she ran away with Ethan. Probably doesn't understand her dedication to a higher power, but the devotion to something so much bigger than herself is cool.

[Pope Scarface]

IC Thread is Up. Sorry about the slow start.

@daze413: did you get my PM about your Hermit Discovery?

[daze413]

Yes! Zeth and Brelard, I can see it now: keep talking about destiny and making everyone sick haha.

I did. I'm struggling on how I could have known this. Hm. A premonition? Maybe part of my daily portents, something recurring...

Oh, cool IC is up

[Fishybugs]

Jenara - He can appreciate her desire for adventure and the passion displayed when she ran away with Ethan. Probably doesn't understand her dedication to a higher power, but the devotion to something so much bigger than herself is cool.

She doesn't talk much about her past, focusing on making the right decision in the present. In fact, in character, she goes by the name "Jena". She doesn't want to be associated with her old self, and hardly ever uses her family name at all.

[Antilles123]

Vengar - They obviously have the performer thing in common. Though Zeth's performance is more nuanced and intimate than that of a singer (which is why I didn't go proficiency in Performance). You traveled with the military, I traveled with a carnival, so we've both probably seen the world a bit and may swap stories.

Indeed, story swapping for sure. Although, Vengar will try to convince Zeth that nothing beats the oldest instrument in the world...the voice!

[Black Socks]

Sariel - Feywild is fairly exotic. Zeth may be intrigued with her otherworldly nature. And also probably has asked questions if she knows anything about creepy eyed entities sending visions to mortals.

Sariel, in turn, might want to ask Zeth what he knows about otherworldly abberations destroying entire villages.

[miinstrel]

Indeed, story swapping for sure. Although, Vengar will try to convince Zeth that nothing beats the oldest instrument in the world...the voice!

As a singer RL I can appreciate that opinion :). Zeth will play back up with his harmonica.

Sariel, in turn, might want to ask Zeth what he knows about otherworldly abberations destroying entire villages.

Not too much I'd imagine, Old Ones, etc. He'll share everything from his back story if asked though.

[miinstrel]

Dibs on a middle marching order position... I'm squishy :P.

Also, I won't be on again until this evening, PST.

[Pope Scarface]

I'm considering using Side Initiative. I feel like it would be useful specifically with Play by Post to keep the flow going. Thoughts?

I am going to use a modified version of Side Initiative (for the first fight), using a flat average party initiative as a DC for monsters to roll against to see if I post their actions first, or if you guys react to their presence first.

Edit- Sariel has advantage on initiative from something. I'll have to figure out how much would effect the average roll.
Edit - So does Flametooth. I guess I'll just give the bad guys disadvantage, since almost half the part has advantage on initiative. Party Average "Passive Initiative" is 15. I expect you will go first more often than not.

[Black Socks]

I made a mistake. Sariel does not, I repeat not, have advantage on initiative.

[Pope Scarface]

Is the +6 initiative also incorrect?

[Pope Scarface]

Some dice rolls for reasons:

Spoiler

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(1d20)[1]
(1d20)[2]
(1d20)[13]
(1d20)[18]
(1d20)[17]
(1d20)[17]

Ok then...

[daze413]

I'm considering using Side Initiative. I feel like it would be useful specifically with Play by Post to keep the flow going. Thoughts?

I've been using Speed Factor Initiative in a game I'm running. It's been somewhat successful though a bit confusing at first and a little more work on the DM side because it requires the DM to summarize everything that happens in the round according to initiative order.

Um. Why do we get advantage on initiative? Oh oh, I also realized Initiative is an Ability check so Luckstone gives it +1! aw yeah!

Oh, @Pope how do you rule if there are like, 4 goblins vs us. And then I use one of my portents to "foresee" their initiative, and force the roll into a 2, do all of them get the 2 or does only one of them?

[Black Socks]

Is the +6 initiative also incorrect?

Nope, that's correct. Dexterity 16 (+3) and proficiency in Dexterity saving throws (+3)= +6.

[Pope Scarface]

Initiative is not a dexterity saving throw, it is an ability check.

Oh, @Pope how do you rule if there are like, 4 goblins vs us. And then I use one of my portents to "foresee" their initiative, and force the roll into a 2, do all of them get the 2 or does only one of them?

I'd use it for the group.

[daze413]

Initiative is not a dexterity saving throw, it is an ability check.

Yep, and since most of us are Bards, don't forget to add +1 to that because of Jack of All Trades ;)

Also, how clumped up would you say the Panthers are, @pope?

[Pope Scarface]

They are adjacent to each other.

[Black Socks]

If initiative is not a saving throw, does that mean I only have +3 to initiative?
Edit: Yes, it does.

[Antilles123]

Sorry @pope, do you need us to roll initiative? Or are we just going before panthers?
I just jumped in and did some stuff - let me know if you need me to roll.

EDIT: I just added initiative to the IC thread...I worked out how to roll dice...new at PBP sorry

[Pope Scarface]

I am using Side Initiative, with some tweaks, so you do not roll initiative. The party just goes first, in whatever order you post (for this fight, because the enemy rolled a 2 for initiative).

Edit - To make things easier to read during combat, which makes it quicker for me to update the next round, if you forget a roll or something, post the roll here in the OOC thread, and then edit in the roll result to your original post.

[miinstrel]

I agree with side initiative, think it works well for PbP and does certainly keep the game moving forward (and keeps the DM from having to check in so frequently in between PC turns).