Portal to D&D IC - MornShine

[Rizban]

Spoiler

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Interestingly enough, I had a draft from last time I applied, but it was four pages long and hadn't gotten to the point.
And I am so hyped to be given another chance to have a chance at this.

Truename: Jenna Dicipulae
Profession: Law School Student
Character Name: Tiberius Proeliorum
Character Overview: LG Human Paladin, with a Greatsword
Guild Affiliation: The Queen's Swords

Spoiler: The Queen's Swords

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A LG to TN guild devoted to the advancement of the country through adventuring, among other means (and sworn to, and titled by, the country). A fairly loose collection of knight-types, researcher-types, and spy-types, among others. This guild has both NPCs and PCs, and requires impressive deeds-- and a suitably high level-- to be admitted. Almost everyone in it has been knighted.
Quest-types tend towards avoiding insurgencies and political drama, but it's expected that most members take on traditional quests in their own time.
Tiberius was recently awarded royal governorship over a small but prosperous farming-town in the middle of nowhere.

Spoiler: In the before times....

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Jenna had been obsessed with D&D since a thirteen-session game in high school. She bought books, built builds, and became besotted, all without finding a good gaming group with which to game. So, naturally, she jumped on the chance to beta-test the D&D VMMORPG. And she got in.

Jenna logged in, built a sturdy and honorable Human Paladin, and hit play. From that day forward, the game became her only hobby. And when Jenna role-played, she really role-played. While her peers played sports or dated, Jenna made oaths and quested, righting wrongs, discovering lore, and delivering justice.

But as time wore on, and Jenna miraculously got into college, she acquired in-game and out-of-game responsibly in equal measure. Though Jenna juggled both as best she could, eventually, she was forced to admit that she couldn't keep both up.

And so Tiberius Proeliorum, the Knight of the Blue Fields, stomped into a little-known tavern in a back alley of the Capital to get very drunk.

Deep into his cups, Tiberius was approached by a strange figure, seemingly curious. After a few hours of conversation, including one amusing anecdote about the dangers of blindly trusting Detect Evil-- which the strange figure countered by describing a particularly ingenious, and hilarious, trap design-- the figure seemed to notice Tiberius's unhappiness. And, being inquisitive, the figure asked about it.

Tiberius squinted through the fog of alcohol. While he couldn't quite make out the figure's clothes, they certainly weren't the haphazard mishmash that was typical of PCs. But it was late, and he was drunk and despairing. So Jenna broke the First Rule, on which role-players and munchkins alike agreed: Never tell an NPC about life outside the game.

As Jenna spilled her woes about scheduling, the stranger seemed to perk up even more. Strange, but Jenna didn't notice. And as her gripes about incomplete quests and unfulfilled obligations came out, more followed after. Tiberius was tired of being a Paladin. He loved the flavor of the class, but the power curve and boring abilities were a drag. There were other options, but they were released well after Tiberius came to be, and Jenna was too committed to Tiberius to respec or reroll. And on the subject of commitments, it annoyed Tiberus how strict his oaths were. And for that matter...

After about an hour of this rant, Jenna noticed that this odd figure was still there. And watching intently, as it happened. Sensing a pause, the person-- was it a person? Tiberius couldn't tell, it wasn't quite shaped right-- extended a hand. Sitting in the palm, there was a small, bright token of shining gold.

"A deal", the figure spoke. "We were entrusted with this, to find a wildcard. And while you may not be the most virtuous, most powerful, or most, we will choose you."

Jenna noted that the figure had had, at last approximation, two full kegs of high-proof alcohol.

"A way to escape your cares, a way to start anew. All we ask for is your lives." Tiberius hesitated, moved to speak. The figure forestalled him. "Do not worry about your responsibilities. I will assume your place. This world, I would like to see more of it; living shall be an experience."

There was something wrong there, but Jenna couldn't figure it out. Still, this could be an opportunity for Tiberius to wrap up his story, for Jenna to relinquish the character without it disappearing from the world. For closure. "And what, exactly, are you... countergiving us?"

The figure grinned, silver teeth against copper skin. "A new life."

The Knight of the Blue Fields reached for the token.

The last thing that Tiberius felt was his oaths snapping.

Long enough?

You grab at the golden token and receive a prompt of some sort, though the Heavily Inebriated debuff makes it impossible to read. You find yourself unable to actually grasp the proffered object while the popup blocks you, so you just agree and grab the token with a perhaps undeserved sense of victory.

You watch in a detached sense of mild horror as the token dissolves in the palm of your hand, outlining your veins in a glowing gold as it spreads towards your heart. In the back of your mind, you remember that it's just a game, combined with the effects of a drunken debuff, you don't really feel bothered by any of this except to mildly wonder what effect it's going to have on your character build. Ultimately, that doesn't matter though, since you're planning to shelve the game anyway.

When the golden energy reaches the core of your chest, you feel a brief, sharp pain and then it all goes black.

Greetings, Player!
You have been offered the chance to remake yourself anew!
Do you accept this offer?
| Yes | No |

Spoiler: If Yes

Show

The popup closes, a second taking its place.

Warning!
This action will delete your current character, forcing you to restart at level 1.
Do you wish to continue?
| Yes | No |

Spoiler: If Yes

Show

The popup closes, as a third popup appears.

Final Warning!
Note that this action cannot be reversed.
Are you ready to leave your life behind and enter a new realm?
| Yes | No |

Spoiler: If you ever select "No"

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You blink heavily and find yourself sitting back in the bar staring at an ordinary copper coin in the palm of your hand. The Heavily Inebriated debuff has just ticked down to a normal Inebriated debuff, and your vision focuses. You note that the figure you've been talking to is just the normal, slightly generic town drunk NPC that seems to be a permanent fixture in every in game bar.

He grumbles at you, "Look, you gonna buy me that drink or what? They done cut me off for the night, so I need you to get it for me."

Accept Quest: "Buy the Man a Drink"?
| Yes | No |

You sigh and click "no" before you log out, resigned to live in real life for the foreseeable future.

Game Over

[MornShine]

"Yes?" Jenna posited, uncertain.
"Yes." Tiberius stated, joy rising.
"YEEES!!" they screamed, euphoric, burning joy running through.

[Rizban]

Spoiler: OOC

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Sorry for the delay. We got hit by Hurricane Delta and were without power until late last night.

Pain courses through your entire body, pain which should be blocked or at least reduced by the game's pain filters. You have them set to minimum, after all.

The taste of rainbows fills your ears as the sensation of being turned inside out and sucked through your toes overwhelms your senses, causing you to black out.

You awake an unknown period of time later and find yourself numb, completely unable to feel your body. Your ears hear nothing, and only a black emptiness meets you as you try to open your eyes.

Just as panic begins to set in, a popup appears. You feel relief at knowing that you're still in the game. You attempt to open a menu to determine your status, but nothing happens. The popup vibrates at you, as if somehow angered that you're ignoring it.

Welcome to your New Life+
Click below to begin character creation.
| Below |

You find yourself unable to do anything but interact with the popup mentally, just as you would with any popup in the game.

Spoiler: After clicking the button...

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After clicking the button, a series of numbers, symbols, and random words fly across your vision faster than you can read. You feel an almost intrusive sensation in your mind, as if someone or something is peering deep within.

Suddenly, a visual representation of dice scatter across your screen. The final result of each becoming large enough to fill your vision for a brief second.

(3d100)[2][22][27](51)

(2d20)[16][16](32)

[Rizban]

Congratulations!
You have received two [1] Minor Boon.
You have received one [1] Moderate Bane.

Please choose your race.

A representation of the major races appears standing nude in front of you. Or rather, you see yourself in front of you, slightly altered to appear as each of the major races. A hazy line of individuals stretching off into the distance, which you intuit to be subraces that would be available for selection after making your choices.

Your available choices are

Human

__

Dwarf

__

Elf

__

Halfling

__

Orc

__

Halfbreed

There is a pair of buttons hovering in front of each which reads

Select Race

Information

Almost obscured near what you would expect to be the floor, if such a thing existed, are two nearly invisible buttons which read

Apply Minor Boon to Race

Apply Moderate Bane to Race

There is no further information about the two buttons.

Before you click anything, you feel a foreboding sensation that any and all choices you make at this time will be permanent.

[Rizban]

Spoiler: DM

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nudging this. Are you still interested?

[MornShine]

Jenna rubs her head. "Dice, huh? And... this must be race selection. Strange, this wasn't here the first time... of course, it's been a while, and I haven't exactly been reading the update logs." Shaking her head, she snaps herself out of her reverie. "Regardless. Let's take a look at this."

Jenna glances through all six choices, then starts from the left. "Human, standard if reliable, a bit boring. Dwarf, more of the same, and Dwarven honor is not something I really need right now. I want a break from"

She turns, props her hand on her chin. "Elf. A bit cliché, but it would be a nice change of pace from bulky plate armor and Lawful viewpoints. And... Ooh, Halfling! Awesome! Like elf, but shorter and more adorable. Tempting..."

Jenna reaches out a finger, then pulls it back. "Ok, Jenna. This is an important decision. Take your time, no need to hurry. Especially when I haven't looked at all the options yet." She steps towards the next in line.

"Orc. Man that'd be fun. I'll definitely put that--"

"NO!"

Jenna stumbles, shocked. "Tiberius? Wha-"

"I fully agree that a change is needed, but an orc!? Far be it from me to perpetuate discrimination, but orcs are, nearly without exception, brutish, nasty, savage, and unashamedly Evil! Perhaps not genetically. but culturally, there entire civilization, if one could call it that, is based upon murder! They kill, rape, and pillage not only human settlements but their own people, and not merely from necessity, but from willful intent to perpetrate destruction. I will tolerate many things, but an Orc! Never!" Tiberius fell silent, perhaps out of breath, if such a thing was even possible in this strange character-selection-- plane?

Jenna brushes aside her concern and confusion about hearing her, now former, that was odd to think about, character address her. "No! That's-- orcs aren't like that. They're lean survivors, tribal creatures trying to remain alive and prosperous in wastelands! Sure, they're disconnected from societal norms, and maybe raid some towns, but they're not fundamentally evil!"

Jenna could hear Tiberius pause. "Ah. So, this is a question of factual disagreement. That is... less concerning than you wishing to create a wantonly evil character. However, it does raise a few questions."

Jenna calms. "I suppose so. And, speaking of questions," she gestured around, "where... are you?"

There is a distinct impression that Tiberius is shrugging. "I am unsure. Inside your mind, I presume."

"How... well, I suppose that can wait. Kinda neat, though." Jenna moves her attention from the dialog inside her head back to the impressions standing in front of her. "Alright, so the last choice is Halfbreed."

"Yes, but a halfbreed of what?"

Jenna blinks. "I would presume Half-Orc or Half-Elf? But then, which one? I suppose I should open the Information."

Tiberius nods, "Furthermore, as demonstrated by the Orcish disagreement, we have no way of knowing whether our knowledge of the races is correct, in whichever world we are entering. Dwarves could very well be involved in the railroad rather than dwelling in mountains."

"That would be cool! But yeah, we need more information, especially about the orcs and the Halfbreed."

Jenna reaches out and pokes the "Information" tab on both of the aforementioned races, and then the rest for good measure.

Spoiler: OOC

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Sorry for lack of posting. I keep trying to write something perfect instead of something good, but hopefully that should resolve after character creation, and as I settle into playing the character rather than writing a novel as I do here.

I'm separating Jenna and Tiberius here mostly so I can have not one but two inner monologues, at least during character creation. And I can argue with myself without it being weird. I'm tempted to keep them around even after character creation, as sort of an shoulder-moron and shoulder-slaadi conscience pair.
The dialogue might be hard to parse, but I'd feel obnoxious snagging two (three?) dialogue colors for one character.

Both OOC and IC, would it be possible to get info boxes to automatically open? I am, and Jenna and Tiberius would be, generally of the opinion that more information probably won't hurt. Much. Unless it's information about Cthulhu.

Let me know if I overstepped on Tiberius's description of orcs. I'd prefer for it to be at least semi-accurate, but I don't know how orcs are in this setting. It's also reasonable that Tiberius would see them as such regardless.

[Rizban]

Spoiler: DM

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No worries. I was delayed posting for a bit due to the hurricane. I was mostly just checking in.

However you want to roleplay your inner monologue or whatever is totally fine. You're the star of the show here, so feel free to put in as much or as little effort and writing as you like. My responses will be typically short and terse, limited mostly to resolving mechanics, unless you're interacting with an NPC. After all, the System isn't usually a very loquacious character.

To clarify: Feel free to handle the roleplay of your characterization however you like. It's your character, and I'm not going to limit your creativity.

Use whatever colors you like. There's not going to be a huge number of players in a single thread, rarely more than 2 or 3, so that's not really a constraint you'll need to worry about.

NPCs typically use a dark gray for "unimportant" NPCs (shopkeepers, generic townies, etc.) and whatever color I feel like when an important one pops up. That's not to say that unimportant NPCs are completely unimportant. They're still full characters in and of themselves, the System just doesn't note them as significant to you. It's based almost solely on your character's perceptions based on a combination of past actions, stated intentions, and passive (hidden) skill checks.

Info boxes... you never know what's possible in the future. For now, you don't have access to any system menus to explore that. Also, the way you choose to do things in this process affects the actual outcome, so I'm not doing anything for you automatically at this point.

The nature of Orcs is something you'll need to roll a skill check for, once you're further into the game.

Orc
Orcs are thought to be brutish thugs, but that's because most orcs encountered by other races were driven from their homes for that very behavior. Orcs have less developed industry than most other races, as they tend to prefer to honor the old ways and live as one with the land.

Halfbreed
Halfbreeds are born from a union of two of the common races and often have the strengths of both parents. The parent races are assigned at random.

[MornShine]

Spoiler: Eep.

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Also, the way you choose to do things in this process affects the actual outcome, so I'm not doing anything for you automatically at this point.

That's... scary.

I'm suddenly struck by a mysterious temptation to constantly second-guess myself.

Sidenote: I'm going to try using blue for Tiberius and blue for Jenna. I may or may not keep it, depending on whether or not I like it.[/COLOR]

"I stand corrected. Orcs are indeed as you said, and not as I asserted. Still, I would prefer for this character not to be an orc."

Jenna felt a small surge of triumph at her correctness, but quashed it. "Oh? Why would that be?"

"Many reasons. Mostly, I do not wish to be tied so tightly to the Orclands. Futhermore, were we not in agreement that in this incarnation, we were to not adopt a rigid code of conduct? The tribal nature of orcs seems to conflict with those goals."

"And?"

"And... Regardless of the actuality of their culture, Orcs are nearly universally reviled in civilized lands. That seems a rather miserable fate to wish on anyone. Even those who pride themselves on justice, such as myself, hold that Orcs are not worthy of even the least admiration or mercy. This, I think, would not be ideal."

Jenna slowly nods. Tiberius's prejudice probably was skewing his judgement, but his point stood. And she might as well humor him, no reason not to. "I hear you. We'd want to be exotic, not an outcast." She runs her eyes up and down the row of choices. "Human's bland, Dwarf's stodgy, Elf is too stereotypical, and Orc's out. That leaves, what, Halfling and Half-Breed? Both halves, eh?"

Jenna leans forward and taps the Information button on Halfling, and then on Dwarf for good measure. "The only real problem with Half-Breed is that the parents are random..."

Struck by a sudden inspiration, she gazes past the half-breed figure to where the blurry subraces stand.

Spoiler: OOC

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Sorry for lack of posting. It seems that no matter how much time I have, the work expands to fill the space. That said, I have a pretty good idea of the next post, barring any unexpected changes, so expect things to go a bit faster for the next one-- in addition to the

You mentioned that each of the options is both a physical portrayal of, presumably Jenna, as a member of that race. While the standard D&D races are easily imagined-- Dwarves are short and stocky, Elves are tall and thin, Halfling are small, etc.-- are there any details that differ from the norm? Furthermore, what does the half-breed race look like? Is it defined, if the parents aren't yet determined?

You also mentioned that behind each the race choices are subraces, if I've understood this correctly. If so, can Jenna glean anything from the view behind Half-Breed (or any other race?) It seems logical, from a meta game perspective, that each of the subraces represent a different mixing, but the description contradicts this, so (in-character only) I'm looking to see what the subraces might be.

[Rizban]

Spoiler: DM

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Well, if you participate in the discord channel, you'll find that the game has an unofficial subtitle... "Portal to a D&D World: I Regret Absolutely Everything."

Dwarf
Dwarves are industrious craftsmen who typically live deep underground. They have a warrior heritage that honors fallen heroes of old in a form of ancestor worship. Dwarves have a high resistance to magic of all types, which unfortunately makes it difficult for them to use most magic themselves.

Halfling
Haflings are a small and oft overlooked race. They are jovial and friendly travelers, but they are also skilled burglars.

You examine the blurry figures behind the halfbreed and find that they are not only more insubstantial than those behind the others but also seem to shift into completely different configurations of size and shape whenever you look away from them, though you never quite manage to catch even a hint of movement when they change.

Watching long enough, you do note some trends. The vast majority of combinations appear of medium build, with the occasional small-sized race, and once you even notice one standing a good head and shoulders above even the rather tall orc. You are never able to see enough to identify any one particular race combination, but you strongly suspect that there are more available races in this world than are available to you to choose from at this moment and that they all seem to have at least some chance of appearing in the halfbreed selection. Oh dear! Did that one just have antennae? You aren't sure, because you were distracted by another shadow figure that definitely had a pair of wings. One thing you do note is that there are no obviously monstrous figures behind the halfbreed, so you are positive that you would be at least half a "normal" race.

Spoiler: DM

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Don't worry about posting frequency. My availability has been extremely sporadic lately, jumping between 20+ posts a day and nothing for 3 to 4 days.

[MornShine]

"Ok, so halflings are... halflings. Good to know, I guess? I think that's the shortest description we've gotten by far. Except for Half-Breed." Even more parallels... "Dwarves are a bit nonstandard here. Neat culture."

"I agree. Furthermore, their innate resistance to magic is a powerful ability, and would be well-suited to the archetype their heritage suggests."

"Maybe, but magic is fun. I don't want to cut myself off from a whole genre of classes." Jenna really wants the option, at least, to play a mage. "And besides, didn't we agree not to make another honor-bound warrior type? Isn't that why you're so against the Orc, Tiberius?"


"...You're right. Sorry."

Jenna accepted the apology with as good graces as she could muster. It was suprising for anyone, especially a Paladin, to admit they were wrong.

What race to choose... Half-Breed seemed like the most interesting option. The races being random could maybe screw her over-- Jenna frowned. The existence of subraces implied at least some player choice in the matter. And the silhouettes indicated that only one parent was non-humanoid... so maybe only the humanoid side was randomly determined? "I'm thinking Half-Breed."

"Child of both worlds, bound to none? I'm okay with that."

But what about those mysterious boons? They'd probably upgrade the races on offer, but upgrade how? Sure, being the last heir of an ancient civilization was fun, but it tended to leave someone isolated and uneducated, and there was nothing Jenna despised more than the "stupid character makes a fool of themselves integrating" trope. Still, Race was one of the two most important aspects of a character, so the presumed boost in power could be important--

Ah, screw it. "Live fast, die young, eh?"

Jenna can hear the amusement in Tiberius's voice. "And leave a good-looking corpse."

Jenna grins wide, and punches the "Select" button.

Spoiler: OOC

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Just to be one hundred percent clear, Jenna is punching the Half-Breed button.

And there we go, first major decision! Only took three-ish posts. Don't worry, I hadn't forgotten about the boons. The first draft of the scene basically explained my reasoning, but it felt forced and was weird on the characters. I like this version much better, despite writing it at midnight basically from scratch.

Like the colors, think I'll keep them. It certainly makes reading this easier. Even if I did have to "edit" my previous post to make sure I got the same ones.

Don't worry about posting frequency, I realize you've got a lot going on lately. Just stay safe as best you can.

[Rizban]

As soon as you touch the button for halfbreed, all of the other race representations disappear.

Your parent races are randomly assigned...

First parent race is Skarn.

Second parent race is Asherati.

Your chosen race is Skarati.

You find yourself able to customize the appearance of the Skarati to you liking, including changing the sex. Unfortunately, you are always bald, and you can't seem to remove the large, reptilian-looking spines from your forearms.

When you're finished, your point of view shifts instantly, and you find yourself in the character you just shaped. You once again have feeling, the numbness gone. However, you still feel weightless in the black nothingness around you.

An extremely sparse character sheet appears in your vision. (Link sent to you via discord)

You find yourself able to fill in a few minor blanks. You also have 2 points to spend on your ability scores, increasing any chosen score by 1. However, you can't assign more than 1 to the same ability.

[MornShine]

"..."

Jenna doesn't move, staring at the chosen race, mouth agape.

"..."

Eyes still open, her head tilts leftwards, slowly, further and further until it nearly rests upon her shoulder.

"...uh?"

Slowly, her mouth curls into a slight grin. A small chuckle bursts from her lips, shuddering through her body. Another rises, and another, faster and faster, giggles, chuckles, building in intensity, until they become full-blown guffaws and her hands are on her knees in a full-blown howling fit.

"heh...ha...Ha...hahahaHa....hahaHaHaHAHAHAHAHAheH ahahahHahAhaAHaHAhaHA!"

Gasping for breath, she straightens up, wheezing. She wipes the water from the corner of her eyes, beaming. Finally, with no small amount of mirth, she speaks. "Well. I certainly wasn't expecting that."

"Are you alright?"

She waves a hand. "I'm fine. It's just..."

"Quite."




----------------------------------




Stepping back, Jenna eyes her handiwork critically. She'd been a bit disappointed that she couldn't add hair or completely remove the spikes, but looking at the result, she rather likes it.

The Skarati in front of her is a feminine figure of moderate and somewhat muscular build, sporting light bronze skin broken only by the dark-blue spikes on the back of her forearms and upper calves-- Jenna did manage to remove those on the upper back, for hope of every wearing a shirt. Her bald head is smooth and unlined over dark eyes. Very punk.

Done with the fluff, now for the mechanics. Two points to assign, but where to assign them...

"Huh. This is hard without a class, I don't know which stats will be most important. Actually, I'm not sure what racial bonuses she might have, either..."

"I am also unsure. However, your inability to remove the spikes implies that those might be part of the Skarn racial traits. In addition, it seems reasonable to assume that class selection will be from a limited list, just as race selection was, so it would be prudent to avoid assigning those points to niche stats."

"Makes sense. Skarn have a bonus to strength, right? And Asherati have a bonus to... nothing? Except Sandswim, but that doesn't work in heavy armor. And Skarn are an Incarnum race, so there will probably be at least one incarnum class for selection. Hmm. How about boosting Con and Dex?"

"I concur. Regardless of which class you eventually select, she is almost certain to benefit from both of those attributes. Though, you might consider boosting Intelligence rather than Dexterity."

Jenna thinks for a second. "Nah, I think Dex better suits her, especially if we go for a combat-focused class."

"Now, she just needs a name. Something... short. Aggressive. Ally? No. Hilde? Too norse. Bella? Maybe... Sam? Nah, too modern. Carla? Nearly..."

"Charlie. Charlie Dahl."

Spoiler: OOC

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This reaction is nearly autobiographical.

In general, would you prefer to update the sheet, or should I?

Looking into it, Skarn and Asherati are opposites in many ways: Skarn are Lawful, Asherati are chaotic; Skarn are heavily-built and muscular, while Asherati are slim (though both are tall); et cetera.

I've split the difference, making Charlie about average, though a tad taller than human average. Personality-wise, I'm picturing her as a rebellious Skarn with a dash of Asherati.

And the obligatory "Sorry for not posting for an entire week".

[Rizban]

Spoiler: DM

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Please mark changes on the sheet yourself. You should have access to edit it.

[MornShine]

Spoiler: OOC

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Filled the character sheet out. If some racial trait modifies speed, I'll change it, but since nothing has been mentioned otherwise I'm assuming that Skarati are Medium and therefore default to 30ft speed.

The given height and weight put Charlie well over the average human but quite a bit shorter than the average Skarn, which dovetails nicely with the personality I've thought of.

[Rizban]

You tweak the appearance of your character and enter a name. When you finalize your choices, the editor dissolves away.

As you finalize your point distribution, you receive a notification that you will receive 2 points to spend on any ability score at each future level.

Your vision blurs again as you are given a choice of classes, basic gear sets appearing before you, representing each class option.

Eidolon

__

Rogue

__

Scout

__

Sohei

__

Soulknife

The same buttons appear floating in front of each class option.

Select Class

Information

Apply Minor Boon to Class

Apply Moderate Bane to Class

[MornShine]

"...Eidolon?"

"Isn't that from Ghostwalk? Charlie doesn't start as a ghost. How does this apply? Free Ghost feats probably wouldn't interact with non-ghosts, right? If Charlie was--"

"Were."

"--fine, were to have this class, would these feats have no effect? Apply anyways? This is really confusing."

Tiberius fights to keep the smugness out of his grin, and succeeds. "Confusing it may be, but consider this: Your speculation is based on an unproven premise."

Jenna thinks for a second. "...Oh. Yeah. Huh. That's a possibility."

"The question being, would that be a benefit or a detriment?"

Jenna waves a hand. "Food for thought, at least. Let's see... Rogue, that seems about right for Charlie's personality."

"We also have the option of Scout. Either would likely suit them."

"True, we should definitely keep these two in mind. What's left?" Scanning the options, Jenna makes a face. "No Incarnum, surprisingly enough... Sohei? What's Sohei? Is that some Oriental Adventures thing?"

"I belive so. Some counterpart to Paladin? Or perhaps Monk? I only remember that it has a Code of Conduct."

Jenna bites her lip, hesitating. "Intriguing, but... Charlie feels like a transitional character. She's probably going to end up doing some character development, at some points. It's probably a bad idea to lock her into a Code." Though, it could be interesting to tie that to her Skarn upbringing...

"Yet another class to which to return, it would appear. What's the final option?"

"Soulknife. Ooh, shiny! Nice blade color, too. I could see that."

"No!"

Taken aback by the intensity of the response, Jenna starles. "What? Why?"

"While I don't disagree that the Soulknife fits Charlie's concept, what it has in flavor it more than makes up for in lack of raw-- or, should I say, RAW-- power. It's considered Tier Five! Five, Jenna! While I'm all for sacrificing crunch for fluff, as a Paladin, I can speak with experience when I say, there comes a limit."

Jenna considers. "I get it. And we did agree not to handicap Charlie with an especially weak class. Still, there are myriad fixes and options for Soulknife out there; and we've already seen with things like Half-Breed that this world isn't exactly first-party-only."

"I..." Tiberius takes a breath, and slowly releases it. "No, you make an excellent point. More information is certainly needed. So. In summary, Rogue and Scout are likely, Sohei is an unknown, Eidolon is very mysterious, and Soulknife may be either great or terrible?"

"Yes, we really have no idea where we're going from here. But, this entire discussion is moot." Jenna reaches to Apply Moderate--

"Does that say 'Bane'?"

"So it does."

I'm not sure what 'Bane' means here. It could be as in the opposite of 'Boon', or as in tailored against a certain enemy... but best not to risk it. Jenna moves here hand and taps the Apply Minor Boon button.

Spoiler: OOC

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Another post in which very little is actually accomplished. At least it's fun to write.

I can't find any racial traits on the character sheet; I assume that's by design rather than me being oblivious.

Minor boon, let's see what happens before we open infinite Information windows! Which we will!

Oh, and for my reference (because I keep having to check), Jenna speaks Upper Turquoise or #008080 and Tiberius speaks Second Blue or #0000CD.

[Rizban]

You feel a small sense of loss as your Minor Boon is consumed, forever gone.

Your class choices go blurry for a moment before reappearing slightly changed.

Eidoloncer

__

Rogue+

__

Scout+

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Sohei+

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Soulknife+

The Boon and Bane buttons are no longer visible.

[MornShine]

"We lost something when we spent the boon. Hopefully, what we purchased will be worth this unknown cost.

"However, this prompts a question: If we lost when we we used the Boon, would we gain something should we apply the Bane?"

"Interesting, but we can't and probably shouldn't test it now. Food for thought, at the very least. Anything about these upgraded classes stand out?"

"The sole addition of a 'plus' is odd, and frustratingly unenlightening as to any actual change. Though, Eidoloncer is a casting class, and the only full-caster apparently available."

"Well, let's work from the outside in." Jenna selects the 'Information' buttons under both 'Eidoloncer' and 'Soulknife+'.

Spoiler: OOC

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This time, I said to myself, "I'll respond tomorrow!". But then I didn't.
I'll likely be checking the other buttons, and almost certainly looking at Sohei+. I might well check them all, unless one of them is particularly appealing.

[Rizban]

As you prod each button, a popup appears with basic information.

Eidolon
The eidolon is, for lack of a better term, dead. You have yet to move on though and still seek to accomplish something before you ultimately pass. The Eidoloncer is the same, with spellcasting.

Soulknife
Able to manifest psionic prowess in the form of a semisolid blade, a soulknife is never without a weapon. This variant of the class advances its weapon faster than normal.

[MornShine]

Spoiler: OOC

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It's been nearly three full weeks since I last touched this, and oh were those hectic weeks.

Hopefully, I should have time to post far more often (finals, hell-week, product-shipping-due, and such are for the most part over). Now, where was I? Oh yes, making an important decision.

"Ha! Soulknife fix!"

"So it would seem, yes. Perhaps the advanced weapon progression would make this actually viable. Nonetheless, I am inclined against."

"Fair enough. Eidoloncer, though... now that's interesting." Jenna's eyes seem to glow, and she talks animatedly. "Refusing to stay dead, using the magical power they had in life to relentlessly pursue some goal left unfinished. A powerful motivation."

"Perhaps too powerful."

Jenna stilled, thought. "Perhaps. Too, inflexible. And what would Charlie pursue with such zeal, to defy the grave itself?"

Tiberius inclined his head. "Any number of things. Vengeance. Remorse. Acceptance. Regardless, are we decided, on either Soul-knife-plus or Eidoloncer?"

Jenna hesitated. Acceptance fits so well, but... Tiberius might be right. And Soulknife looks viable here.

"No? Then, I believe we have one more option which warrants inspection."

Jenna glanced up, nodded, and presses 'Information' under 'Sohei+'.

Spoiler: OOC the Second

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Or not, as the case may be.

I've got a decent idea of where I'm going at this point, so I should be able to rapid-fire (at least more than once a week) respond for a bit.

[Rizban]

Sohei
Usually a lay member of a monastery, sohei serve as the support staff for monks, have limited use of their ki, and possess minor spellcasting. This sohei variant gains earlier and faster access to spellcasting.

[MornShine]

"I like this class."

Jenna frowns. "Really? Why? It's kinda weak, isn't it? Also, support staff for a monastery seems... meh."

"Weak, perhaps, but a martial character has excellent survivability during lower levels, certainly moreso than a rogue. In addition, Sohei appear to have several abilities that may come in useful at higher levels, including the ability of cast some spells. You did mention wanting to be able to cast spells."

"True, that." Jenna folds her arms in her accustomed manner and begins to sit, focusing, before realizing that a mostly-featureless void, unsurprisingly, lacks chairs.
"Hold on, though. This really sounds like a lawful class, especially with the Ki manipulation. And we weren't gonna do another lawful character, we've had enough of that."

"A Sohei is described as a lay member, Jenna. That would indicate no oaths taken; a person who has no real ties. And while we did agree to that," Tiberius manages to convey a sense of sheepishness, "old habits are hard to fully release. Sorry."

"Fair. But are we willing to risk it?"

"Are we? Besides, doesn't it fit with Charlie's presumed backstory?"

"... shame on you for pushing my buttons. But yes, it does.

"Let's take a glance at what Rogue+ adds, and if it's not amazing, we're in."

Before Tiberius responds, Jenna opens the information for Rogue.

[Rizban]

Rogue
Thief, trickster, assassin. All of these stem from the rogue class. Their deft use of skill complements their stealth abilities nicely.
This rogue variant is able to select Special Abilities at a lower level and can Mimic the appearance of others.

[MornShine]

"Looks like a fairly typical rogue. A few more tricks, stronger. So it's Sohei, Soulknife, Rogue, or I guess Eidoloncer. Scout is right out, probably nothing interesting there." Jenna's considering becomes more and more hasty, bordering on frantic.

"The power level is important, but the seeming-homebrew of the system might semi-balance it... but to what degree... Eidoloncer is so squishy and uncertain, or maybe not squishy given undeath... Rogue is kind of bland, so is soulknife, maybe...
"Jenna?"

Jenna waves a hand, distracted. "Hold on, I'm thinking." She lapses into mumbling, her hands moving sporadically, weighing and gesturing to compare options.

"Jenna? We did think this through. It is a hard choice, but there is simply not enough information to make a perfectly logical choice, even if we could decide on weighting various aspects."

Jenna fails to so much as acknowledge Tiberius's comment. Her eyes still flick between the various options and infoboxes, thinking, paralyzed by choice.

Tiberius sighs. "Well, I doubt I can convince you, with you in one of these trances. There are no actions I can take save to wait, I suppose.

"Hm."

The voice in Jenna's head reaches out, flexes, and chooses Sohei.

[Rizban]

You select Sohei and immediately find yourself wearing the class gear. It's extremely comfortable with obviously magical effects, though you can't tell exactly what those effects are.

Your character sheet appears again, and begins to fill itself out.

You have the option to select two [2] feats for your first Hit Die. Your choices are any feat you qualify for from the Player's Handbook, Magic of Incarnum, or Sandstorm.

Apply Moderate Bane to Feats

[MornShine]

"Hey! What-" Jenna-- confused-- reorienting-- "Why'd you do that?! I was--

"-- more importantly, how'd you do that? I mean, you aren't here. You're up there."

"Ah! That seemed to have worked."

"Yes, but I'm still annoyed."

"Oh, yes, that. Well, answering your questions in the order asked: Firstly, Jenna, you were going into an analyzing trance, which can take forever. And, as I said earlier said (though I doubt you heard me), an analysis simply is not appropriate in this situation."

Jenna's embarrassment is palpable. "Still. That wasn't nice."

"No, it was not. I apologize."

"And how'd you know that I have that, uh, habit? Oh, right, you're also me. Doy."

Tiberius pauses, uncertain. "Yes. Or, at least... I was."

"Hmm?"

"I am... unsure. This might be connected to your latter question, in fact. We were always very similar, but perhaps..."

"Fascinating. At any rate..." Jenna shifts her attention to what's in front of her, the popup vibrating, irritated. "Feats. Right. Wanna apply that bane?"

"I-- so hastily? But we hardly know what effect it could have! You do not want to analyze it?"

"This from the person who just--"

"Good point. Well, do you want to?"

"And I thought I was the bad influence."

"Yes, yes, I get it. Well, why not? We can make do without feats, right?"

"... maybe?"

"Maybe?"

"Good enough for me. Shall I?"

The notion of a sigh. "It promises to be amusing, one way or another. But first, let me--"

Tiberius-- moves, there is a tearing, and suddenly Jenna the strange not-space seems more full. Now, two minds mind, another presence, is here.

"Well. Together, then?"

Apply Moderate Bane to Feats.

Spoiler: OOC

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I totally glossed over the initial fluff, somehow. I was picturing this as something closer to the infinite void of the Matrix.

I'm not going to rewrite what I've already written, but this fits better, so I shall keep cognizant of it.

Man, you think everything's done, something always sneaks up on you.

[Rizban]

System Error!
Bane system not implemented.
Attempting to compensate.

System Error!
Compensating. . .

System Error!
Error: Multiple entities detected.
Compensating. . .

System Error!
Error: Foreign influence detected.
Compensating. . .

System Error!
Compensating. . .

System Error!
Compensating. . .

System Error!
Error: Compensation not possible.
Error logs elevated to Support for manual review.

System Error!
Error: Support tier unavailable.
Error elevated to Moderator for manual review.

System Error!
Error: Moderator tier unavailable.
Error elevated to Administrator for manual review.

[Rizban]

The multitude of flashing error messages filling your vision winks out with a flash of light like a bulb burning out. When the spots in your vision start to fade, a new message pops up.

System Message
Your error case is pending manual review. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Please accept this compensation while you wait for your case to be reviewed and resolved.
You have received two [2] Greater Perks.

You have the option to select two [2] feats for your first Hit Die. Your choices are any feat you qualify for from the Player's Handbook, Magic of Incarnum, or Sandstorm.