[OOC] Expedition to Castle Ravenloft

[dangelo]

Link to the IC thread

Expedition to Castle Ravenloft
ooc thread

I'm glad to announce: Welcome to Barovia, dear adventurers!

First or all, thanks for the effort you all put in your characters for this campaign. I'm really looking forward to dismember challenge you guys with all the awesome features of Castle Ravenloft.

Before we get started, I'd like everyone to make a post describing what exactly was happening when the Mist showed up and snatched you from your homeland. Were you tricked by Vistani into joining their caravan? Did you hunt evil spirits and eventually tracked down their plane of origin? Did you witness terrible deeds of pure evil, which resonated with the Dark Powers and opened a portal to Barovia? Who did you leave behind? Make sure to make the Mists mischievous and evil in that story - even if you were hunting Strahd, suddenly he was the one hunting you.

I'll set up an IC thread where you'll be able to step into Barovia and get in character a little bit. It shouldn't take too long before we activate dungeon crawl mode, just a few rounds of posts so we don't just "teleport" to the front door.

Honest disclaimer: This dungeon is dangerous and challenging. Strahd always plays around the PC's mistakes, hitting where it hurts. You will die if you don't manage your resources and pace yourselves. Heck, you might die even if you do that. As explained in the recruitment thread, leaving the dungeon to take a long rest means your enemies will have 8 hours to reposition (and also rest if necessary) and prepare for your next expedition - Of course this depends on their Intelligence score: You can expect dumb zombies to maintain the same behavior at all times, while a more cunning foe will use your long rest against you by resetting traps, moving troops to different rooms, blocking certain passages, etc.

A little bit about my DMing style: I try to be flexible and to listen to my players, and admittedly I tend to get tunnel vision when the stakes are high. If you notice a mistake, whether it's an inconsistency in the narrative or an extra 5ft of movement in an enemy's round, please let me know. You can PM me if you don't wanna call me out. I also sometimes get carried away and go overboard with my writing, so expect a few textwalls between chapters and in key moments of the narrative.

If you wanna request a roll such as Perception, you can go ahead and roll it in advance. Chances are I'll probably find something to do with your result, and worst case scenario, the roll is not applicable and we move forward.

Going forward, as part of general PbP etiquette, I kindly ask you guys to maintain clear communication even if your character has nothing to say or you're waiting on someone else to post first. Just go ahead and make a post, even if it's just flavor narrative. If you can't, or really don't feel like roleplaying, just post OOC. It already makes a huge difference

I think this is actually it? Yall gave me plenty to work with with your backgrounds and the sheets are ready to go, so I think we could use this momentum and get right into it (:

Ps.: Are you guys regular discord users? How do you feel about a small server for ooc chatter?

Player	Character	Race	Class
J-H	Herbert Raycraft	Human	Cleric 10
TaiLiu	Yikkol Four-Eyes	Half-Orc	Rogue 10
The Commander	Lord Zinro Varanash	Drow	Wizard 10
Waistcoatwill	Bori	Halfling	Paladin 10
truemane	Rue	Dhampir	Barbarian 8 / Fighter 2
Dr. Samurai	Aelki	Astral Elf	Artificer 10

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Treasure

Mace of Terror

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This magic weapon has 3 charges. While holding it, you can use an action and expend 1 charge to release a wave of terror. Each creature of your choice in a 30-foot radius extending from you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you for 1 minute. While it is frightened in this way, a creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If it has nowhere it can move, the creature can use the Dodge action. At the end of each of its turns, a creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

The mace regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn.

Icon of Ravenloft

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While within 30 feet of the icon, a creature is under the effect of a Protection from Evil and Good spell against fiends and undead. Only a creature attuned to the icon can use its other properties.

Augury. You can use an action to cast an Augury spell from the icon, with no material components required. Once used, this property can't be used again until the next dawn.

Bane of the Undead. You can use the icon as a holy symbol while using the Turn Undead or Turn the Unholy feature. If you do so, increase the save DC by 2.

Cure Wounds. While holding the icon, you can take an action to heal one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. The target regains 3d8 + 3 hit points, unless it is an undead, a construct, or a fiend. Once used, this property can't be used again until the next dawn.

Plate Armor of Sergei von Zarovich

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+2 enhancement bonus.

Converted into a "light chain shirt". The heavy parts of the armor were respectfully left in Sergei's tomb

Sword of Sergei von Zarovich

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+2 enhancement bonus. Versatile, Finesse.

Applicable proficiencies: Longsword or Shortsword

Activation: Requires a Bonus Action. Effects still unknown.

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Experience

Sir Theodore and his party: 2300 each
Zombies + Swarms: 2000 each
Rahadin: 1200 each
Soldiers: 1900 each
Children of Strahd: 3500 each

[The Commander]

Lord Zinro Varanash
Drow Noble, Evocation Wizard

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2826768

"Lord Varanash will speak in Indigo."

Spoiler: Full Character Information

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Spoiler: Backstory

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Lord Zinro Varanash is the 3rd son of House Varanash of Menzoberranzan. Given the matriarchal society that Drow follow, being 3rd son entitles Zinro to almost nothing in terms of inheritance and prestige. That honour goes to his eldest, and only, sister, Elestra Varanash; who the family both respects and fears as the next matriarch of the House.

As a male noble, Zinro's options were somewhat limited in how to expand and bring prestige to his House: he could join the military as an officer, become head of the House Guard, or take up magic and become a respectable Mage. Seeing as both of his older brothers had already respectively become an Officer in Menzoberranzan's Army and head of the House Guard, the only real option left to Zinro was to take up magic and attempt to bring glory to both himself and his House that way.

And so began years of study and practise. Evocation magic came naturally to Zinro, and he eventually became somewhat of potent magician.

But even becoming a Mage of some note, this was still not enough for Zinro. Using his House's contacts, he heard rumours of a castle shrouded in perpetual darkness, ruled by a Vampire Lord, with great treasures, secrets, and power within. Taking such a castle would be a worthy place from which Zinro could rule his part of the House, or at the very least the treasures and power from such a place would help cement his place in the House and earn him some much needed prestige and approval. He arranged transport and made his way to the fabled lands of Barovia. Whilst he had nothing personally against Lord Strahd, the current occupant of the castle, Zinro appreciated that things would be much easier if Strahd were destroyed, or at least taken out of the picture; and thus resolved to do such a thing.

Spoiler: Magic Items

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Pearl of Power (UC Major)
Rope of Climbing, Bag of Holding (UC Minor)
Cloak of Many Fashions, Enduring Spellbook, Tankard of Sobriety (C Minor)

Spoiler: Family

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House Varanash of Menzoberranzan
Zutho Varanash - Father (Deceased)
Myralaney Varanash - Mother, current House Matriarch
Elestra Varanash - Eldest Sister, current House Priestess of Lolth
Darnassicus Varanash - 1st Brother, current Officer in Menzoberranzan's Army
Nurellion Varanash - 2nd Brother, current Head of the House Guard
(Zinro is the Youngest Son)

Spoiler: Fears/Traumas/Flaws

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Fear of heights + Witnessed a friend fall to their death - Whilst a young boy in Menzoberranzan, Zinro befriended the son of a neighbouring House named Byliant. During their adolescent years, Zinro and Byliant would often go drinking in some of the classy gastro-bars which made their home in the Underdark's stalactites. One such evening, after too much drinking, Byliant tried to show off to a bunch of female adolescent Drow by performing daring leaps of acrobatics between small stalactites. Needless to say, his confidence outstretched his abilities. Failing a final, daring leap, Byliant plummeted over a thousand feet to the Underdark floor. It was an experience that stayed with Zinro forever - leading him to fear heights, and to swear off drinking using his Tankard of Sobriety.

Fear of older sister's wrath - As the next Matriarch of House Varanash, Elestra has a lot of power both within the House and outside of it. Added to which, her position as a Priestess of Lolth, there is very little Zinro can do to mitigate any wrath that Elestra decides to visit upon him. As the youngest son, and especially as Zinro isn't particularly strong or charismatic, he makes an easy target when Elestra chooses to prey upon him. He does his best to stay out of her way and not to anything to upset her, but fears her whenever she seeks a victim to vent her frustrations to (whether those frustrations are valid or not is irrelevant).

Fear of Lolth's wrath - As a Drow, Zinro is keenly aware of Lolth's place in his society. Especially as a male, Zinro appreciates that, should Lolth choose to punish him for some kind of transgression against Her, he would likely not survive or enjoy the outcome.

Snobbish and aloof - Years of pampering (despite his low position in the House) has left Zinro believing he is better than the common man, and that he is destined to rule over his own slice of the world.

Spoiler: Familiar

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Zinro has Find Familiar, and took a Familiar as soon as he was able to. His Familiar, in keeping with the traditions of Drow, is a spider (I'll refrain from posting pictures in case anyone is arachnophobic).
Dot - the female Amazon Sapphire Pink Toe (Tarantula).
Has blue legs with an orange abdomen and pink toes. Has a reddish mark in the shape of a dot on her abdomen (hence the nickname).
Is technically an Infernal Tarantula (as per the spell).

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Lord Varanash had begrudgingly accepted joining the Vistani caravan headed to Barovia. Strangely, no-one else at the last inn had seemed eager to take, or even direct, Lord Varanash to Barovia; even when he had offered them coin. Something about these colourful foreigners made his skin crawl, but he had little other choice and had preferred to make the journey during the night to avoid the harsh rays of the sun.

That had been several hours ago; at least, that's what it felt like. Lord Varanash had awoken, dazed, on a cobbled road. 'Great' - he had thought - 'these peasants have robbed me and left me for dead'. However, upon checking his person, he found that all of his money and items were still accounted for. He then took in his surroundings.

It was still dark, which was surprising, and he was in the middle of a cobbled road, flanked by dense forest. A gentle breeze almost seemed to push Lord Varanash onwards, and the sound of snapping twigs and the betrayal of shadowy movement within the dense forest dissuaded him from leaving the cobbled road. Looking back the way he had come, Lord Varanash could see nothing: his vision, superior in the dark than most creatures, was blocked by the thickest mist he had ever witnessed. Something primordial in Lord Varanash's brain flickered and he was at once curious and terrified by this mist and the way it just... hung there... waiting. Tentatively, he reached out towards it.

He had half expected the mist to consume his hand; but instead he was able to wisp his hand through the vaporous cloud. And then, in an instant, the mist was all about him, closing in on him, choking him, threatening to crush him into the cobbled road. Lord Varanash gasped and grasped at the cobbles, trying to drag himself out of the maelstrom that had enveloped him. He could swear he could hear laughing and feel fingers clawing at his clothes. With a desperate heave he pushed himself to his feet and began running, trying to keep the feeling of the cobbled road beneath his boots.

He didn't know how long he ran for, or when exactly the mist had finally released him, but when he finally looked up he could see what looked like a small, dilapidated village ahead of him. Several crows on a nearby tree heralded his arrival as he passed the neglected gates at the edge of the village.

Suddenly a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, briefly illuminating the world. In that moment Lord Varanash saw the castle, far and above the tiny village, almost as if it were looming over the inhabitants. Then came the thunder - a booming challenge for anyone who dared approach.

Turning to look back, Lord Varanash saw the same mist as before, but this time it appeared as if it were waiting just beyond the village gates and progressing no further. Seeing no other option, Lord Varanash mustered his courage and headed for what looked like the village inn.

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I use Discord, yes. I don't mind either way if you want to use it or not. I'll join if you make a server.

[J-H]

[img][/img]

Herbert Raycraft Human Life Cleric AC: 20 HP: 73/73 PPer: 18 PInv: 10 PIst: 18 Conditions: -- Concentrating: Faerie Fire

Here's the link to Herbert Raycraft, party cleric. With some good fortune, he'll help keep everyone alive this time.

Do you want the "before the mists" bit here, or in IC?

I favor having a Discord for OOC. It's also a great way to ask for clarifications on maps, positioning, "if I do X will it do Y?" questions, and the like.

Funny you should use music from Simon's Quest in your intro post... I did Super Castlevania IV as Castle Dracula a few years ago (Dm's Guild) for levels 3-12, and right now I'm working on Dracula's Curse based around Castlevania II... a small hexmap and point-to-point quest. I will probably be putting up a recruitment thread in 1-3 months, depending on how long it takes me to get the first couple of dungeons done. I'm pretty familiar with the Castlevania side of the inspirations of Strahd, at least until you get past 16-bit consoles :)

Question edited in: Do we assume we have infinite mundane spell components? Hallow, Revivify, Raise dead are all expensive.

What my character can do for the party:
Some tanking (AC 20, +6 on Con saves, I get healed when I cast healing spells)
Magic light source (1)
Radiant damage at will both with Sacred Flame, and Word of Radiance if there are a bunch of enemies next to me
Healing: Life cleric.

Buffs: Bless, Beacon of Hope (C, 30' radius, Adv on Wis saves, death saves, and max healing), Aura of Purity (also C, 30' radius, adv on saves vs. a lot of bad conditions), Death Ward, Freedom of Movement, Holy Weapon (C, gives someone a glowing weapon that does +2d8 radiant damage on hit, and I can dismiss as a BA to do some AOE damage and blind)

CC: Silence, Bestow Curse, Banishment

Damage: Mostly single target. Guiding Bolt, Spiritual Weapon, Guardian of Faith. I took Spirit Guardians but I think there will usually be something better to use Concentration on.

Misc: It takes 24 hours to cast Hallow. I have a feeling Count Strahd would not be happy if I tried to Hallow anything in his Castle. If we need to force an engagement at some point, this is one way to do it, although I would not be able to participate much.

[Dr.Samurai]

Aelki Ruasha, Void Knight of the Star Ocean, Former Elite Bionoid of the Elven Imperial Fleet

I don't know who Strahd is, but I know a bad guy when I see one, and people that need saving. If that's his castle, then the mission is clear.

Spoiler: Appearance

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Spoiler: Brief Build/Concept

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Rua is a former bionoid of the Elven Imperial Army, a massive Sphere-spanning fleet that patrols Wildspace, and fought in both the first and second Unhuman Wars. After the second war, the elves rejected the bionoids, and they were banished from elven society. Rua is an Astral Elf Artificer (Armorer), and the idea is that his armor is his Bionoid enhancement. He can doff/don the armor as an Action (as per Armorer ability). With DM permission, I would like the armor to sort of recede into his flesh, and then spring from his flesh. I don't intend to abuse this in any way, and I suspect the armor will be donned probably the entire time we're in the castle. But it would really gel with the guyver/bionoid theme of the character if allowed. Otherwise, I'll just stick the armor in the bag of holding.

Spoiler: Brief Backstory

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Rua's parents were staunch supporters of the idea of ridding Wildspace of goblinoids, and strongly supported the notion of launching what would be known as the Unhuman Wars to eradicate goblin-kind. Both parents were expert alchemists and artificers, and helped spearhead the Bionoid project. When their own son was old enough, they submitted him to the program. Rua would have his body torn apart and augmented to become a Bionoid, a living weapon with the goal of defending elvenkind and annihilating its enemies. Seeking the satisfaction of his parents, Rua became the best soldier he could be, training to become a completely independent and self-sufficient unit. He carried out critical high risk missions against the orcs and goblins, and won countless victories against them. But always there was more work to be done, more spheres and planets in danger, more enemies to vanquish. Rua rarely ever saw or spoke to his parents, but they would send message that they knew he could be trusted to carry out his duties.

A decorated soldier, Rua struggled to understand the talk after the elves won the second Unhuman War. Many questioned the strategy and tactics of the Imperial Fleet. Did they go too far? Were they the antagonists? Many missions that the Bionoids engaged in were under scrutiny. Even the Bionoids themselves; were they still elves? could this organism they shared their body with control them?

Before long, bionoids were no longer welcome among elven society, and all but exiled from their homeworlds.

Rua has been wandering Wildspace since his glorious battles against the Scro, earning his keep as a highly efficient mercenary. His last job took him into an area rumored to be Deadspace, a sector of wildspace tainted by darkness. When the galleon landed and became enveloped in mist, he tried to find the source. After losing sight of the ship in the fog, Rua couldn't return to it, and eventually found himself somewhere else. Grounded on a backwater planet, with no spaceport in sight. The people here have no concept of wildspace, and are oppressed by a tyrant ruler.

Trapped, with no way to return to his ship, Rua sets his iron will on this evil despot. Having spent centuries wondering if he had fought the good fight, done the right thing to protect his people, a worthy adversary has appeared. If he can't free himself from this world, he could at least free these people from the man known as Strahd von Zarovich.

Spoiler: Description and Personality

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Rua is a tall and lean astral elf, with long platinum hair and dark blue eyes. He has the bearing of a military man, and a steel gaze. Alongside friends and comrades, he is easy-going. But Rua hasn't had family in a long time. As strong as the Bionoids were, once exiled and without support of the Imperial Fleet, many met grim fates in the Void. Rua carries a sadness with him, but a look in his eye betrays that he still has hope.

As part of his training, Rua was required to be self-sufficient. He can pilot space vehicles, and can navigate by the stars. Ground-side, he is a skilled cartographer, mapping the terrain of alien worlds ahead of Imperial strike teams, and can disarm and bypass locks and traps with relative ease. He is able to cast some spells, and craft his own arms and armor, including magical gear. This, combined with his victories against the Scro and their Witchlight Marauders, has given Rua immense confidence, and a sometimes one-directional attitude.

Spoiler: Fears, Traumas, Flaws

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Fears
1. Rua is unsure what he means to his parents. The process to become a Bionoid was painful and dangerous. Rua thought he had to do it because of the war. But after the war, the elves turned against the Bionoids. This turn of events, plus the silent absence of his parents throughout the war, and especially after, have called into question their feelings toward him, and his own worthiness of the affection of others. Luckily, the day to day of surviving in the Void keeps these thoughts from gaining much traction on most days.
2. Bionoids are a host to an organism that is their chitinous armor and other combat abilities. Rua is supposed to be in control at all times. But he has doubts. Rua does not dwell on it often, as to do so is to contemplate the missions that elves protested after the second Unhuman War. Missions where Rua was commanded to strike at goblinoid civilians. When he resisted, an urge rose from within, compelling him to follow orders, to shed blood. Was that his training, the bionoid, or something deeper, in himself? Rua carried out his missions, because he knew he had to for the sake of his people. But he still wonders how far the Bionoid can push him.
3. Rua fears failure. As an elite Bionoid, he carried out critical missions. The Scro had planet-eater monsters called Witchlight Marauders, ready to destroy elven homeworlds throughout the Spheres. Rua and his team were in charge of destroying these marauders before they ever made it near their spheres. The weight of this burden was never felt at the time, but the dissent of the elven people, their disgust with the bionoids, and the calling into question of the Imperial Fleet, has thrown everything into turmoil in his mind. All the questions aside, what if he had failed? Don't they understand? What if the Scro unleashed their marauders on Krynn? Or Toril? Or Oerth? How many elves would have been lost to the world-eaters? But now everything they did is in question, and Rua doesn't know if he could do it again.

Traumas
1. Rua was made to carry out strikes against civilians on goblinoid planets. Critical locations required dispatching any enemy targets, even if they weren't military. Rua struggled with these orders, but ultimately did as he was told. He remains haunted by the lives he took.
2. The process to become a Bionoid was extremely invasive and painful, and Rua was young when it happened. He is haunted by the dispassionate faces looking down at him as the process unfolded.
3. The betrayal of the elven people after the war, sending the Bionoids into exile, has stayed with Rua in all the centuries he has been wandering Wildspace, a sorry reward for the duties he carried out to defend elven-kind.
4. Deadspace - Rua's last mission brought them into Deadspace, where his ship was overtaken by malevolent spirits. One by one the crew were hunted through the ship and killed, only to rise again and join the hunt of the remaining few. After days, Rua was able to land the ship, just as a mist was enveloping the asteroid he landed on. Rushing out to escape whatever had overtaken their ship, he made his way into the mist, and wound up in Barovia.

Flaws
1. Rua can sometimes become resentful of non-warrior people, as he feels he sacrificed much to protect others, and was rewarded with exile.
2. Rua is an elite warrior that has accomplished significant military victories. He can be too confident at times.

Spoiler: Questions for the DM

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1. Will the Orb of Time and the Orb of Direction work in Barovia? I will still keep them as my items, but would like to know if this is something that might signal to Rua he is somewhere strange.
2. As mentioned in the concept spoiler, when Rua doffs and dons his armor, is it possible to describe it as the Guyver transformation? The Bionoids were inspired by Guyver so that would be cool.
3. I took the Wildspace background, which grants Toughness. But I'm happy to ignore that part of the Background if it makes sense.

[Waistcoatwill]

Bori 'The Apprentice' of the Greenback Clawfoot Tribe.

Spoiler: Full character details

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Spoiler: Appearance

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Dark haired halfling with a long braid. In his early thirties but has crows feet around his usually mirthful eyes. Wears simple, functional leathers. An ornate red half mask hangs around his neck. A delicate curved blade hangs at his side, and a wicker shield coated in saurian hide hangs across his back.

Spoiler: Concept/background xopied from earlier post

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Core concept:
A naturally jovial and friendly but weary soldier who has survived a great war and is demobbing. He wants to work in a nice friendly bar for a few years, bring himself and others joy again. When he has enough money saved he'll organise an expedition into the magical wasteland where his tribe were killed and put them to rest....but he is forced to travel through the wrong magical zone at the wrong time of year and gets transported to Revenloft instead.

Very superstitious by the standards of his world, which probably makes him totally normal for Ravenloft.

The weirdness:
This guy was from Eberron! He is from a nomadic dinosaur-riding tribe of halflings. He was training to be a shaman (mask weaver), who venerate/protect/appease/keep in line the spirits they believe inhabit everything. Think "every rock and try and creature...has a life, has a spirit, has a name".

Unfortunately for him he then developed a strong magical birthmark and he was pressured into joining the magical megacorp of hospitality. There he defended baracks/field hospital wards/etc provided by the megacorp during the war. He saw some terrible things and had to fight off no small number of attacks from enemies intent on murdering his guests.

The war came to an end with a magic apocalypse that destroyed an entire country, including killing his nomadic tribe that were in.the wrong place at the wrong time.

He gets about by riding the soul of his dead animal companion raptor that dwells within his scary mask.

Spoiler: Rolling for HP

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Rolling for HP
[roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3][roll4][roll5][roll6][roll7][roll8]

Edit: Uprgradung the 5 ,3, and 3 to average rolls of 6.

Spoiler: OCF question

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Question about OCF from Tasha's
Ancients have one channel divinitynwhich is a worse version of a subclass spell of theirs, and the other only affects fey and fiends.

Can I use the "Harness Divine Power" OCF that lets me turn channel Divinity uses into low level spell slots instead?

Spoiler: Magic items

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Uncommon - Sentinel shield - fluffed as spirits warning him of threats, especially his deceased clawfoot companion.
Common - Moontouched rapier
Common - Dread helm (mask)

Spoiler: Fears

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Fears
1) Being alone, he has always been in a close-knit tribe or wrapped up in operations run by House Ghallanda during the war, being on his own makes him nervous.
2) Losing his mask - His spirit weaver mask holds the soul of his fastieth companion, which will save them both from fading in the afterlife. It is also vital for tracking down the resting places of his dead tribe. To lose it would be to lose everything.

Spoiler: Traumas

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Traumas
1) Bori developed the Mark of Hospitality in his late teens, several years into his apprenticeship to be a mask weaver. He was forced to leave his nomadic tribe and jou his city-delling distant cousins in House Ghallanda, leaving everything he knew behind.
2) He was assigned to the Dragom's Tail, defending camps and wards established by House Ghallanda during the war. There he saw many wounded with horrifying injuries. He was also forced to defend the sites from numerous illegal attacks from multiple different nations, most notably undead monstrosities from Karrnath and arcane soldiers from Aundair.
3) The war ended when Cyre was destroyed in The Mourning. Between then and his demobbing he has been unable to contact anyone from his tribe and he feels in his heart that they were all killed, their resting places somewhere within those haunted mists.
4) With roads in chaos as the war finishes, the small Ghallanda caravan he was travelling with took a "short cut" that took them through a Mabaran manifest zone, despite his advice to the contrary.city foll never pit.muxh stock in Talentan knowledge and insights. The next morning he woke in this strange new land, once again cut off from all he had known.
5) He is used to feeling and communing with thr spirits in everything around him, but the ones in Ravenloft are horrified, soaked in despair or hunger or rage. There is something terribly wrong here.

Spoiler: Flaws

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Flaws
1) Slow to trust outsiders, although he does his best to out up a cheery jovial front as he was trained to by House Ghallanda.
2) Deflection - he would much rather help others and focus on their problems than face his own difficulties and struggles.

Bori will speak in green!

Before the mist

Spoiler

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Bori had a terrible feeling about this for hours. His small caravan had pulled off the main road several hours back. Their Orian guide had been confident they'd cover more ground if they just avoided the snarl of refugees, merchants, troops trying to return home that were clogging up the heavily damaged road to Karrlakton.

These westlands are even more confusing now than they are during the fighting. The people are so used to sitting in their cities and town that they don't know how to travel now they finally have the chance again


He'd have almost been happier making his way back to the Talenta plains by himself. But at least this group of House Ghallanda staff were jovi company and mostly halfljngs, even if they had forgotten the ways of the plains. He didn't have to think about the fate of his tribe if he was swapping jokes and stories with tbe others.

Maybe that's why he hadn't objected when they left the oath. Those humans in the last village Had they called themselves Seekers?. Had said that the land was too dangerous during the Long Night, when the plane of death was coterminous. He'd have kept his wits about him, felt the warnings of the spirits, noticed the thin whisps of fog building up around their ankles as they passed into the Mabaran manifest zone.

Even in the dim light of the shadow moon they could see swirls in the hundred metre high mists on the opposite bank of the Cyre River. Swirls taking on the shapes like.the faces of loved ones and marking the edge of what was being called "The Mournland". They'd all done their best to ignore it during this trip. It hadn't moved since that fateful.day six months ago, but noone could take their eyes off it as an unnatural cold creeper up each traveller's spine. They kept expecting it to lunge forward at them across.the water, devouring them like they had the nation of Cyre...and likely my entire tribe with Cyrans...

It was then that the frantic thrum of warning from Nethis in his mask got through to him. He looked down with horror at the rising mist, looked left, no cocky Orien guide. He swung to his left, no sign of his fellow halflings. He strode into the mists, calling their names, desperate not to separated. The mist rose higher and higher, and with a terrible sinking feeling he stopped. He couldn't even see the river and that horrifying cloud of the Mournland anymore.

Donning his mask he felt a surge of reassurance as he summoned the spirit of Nethis from her rest there once more. Ectoplasm becoming solid flesh throughh an act of shared will. Leaping into the fastieth's saddle, he twisted around, scanning the mist or any sign of life...or unlife. He'd known something terrible would happen!

Very excited for this!

Full disclosure, I have a newborn so lots of sitting up in the middle of the night with time to post, not so much sleep though so I might be even less coherent than usual (see above) and some posts might be quite brief.

Happy to use discord for OOC chatting

@J-H Bori is likely to be front-lining with a healthy dose of bless, healing, or damage buffs for the party. Stay close if you want to be immune to fear better saves, and have resistance to damage from spells. Hopefully the Cleric and paladin can keep each other and everyone else alive for a while. He can do some limited crowd control and THP, plus cast tiny hut for resting in relative safety whilst the enemy plots more inventive ways to kill us.

Great point about material.components, the numerous of diamonds we can both start with is probably.important.

Also, was the Fastieth profile okay for a mount?

[TaiLiu]

Hey, Dr. Samurai. Hey, everyone. Nice to meet you all.

Here's the recruitment thread.

Here's Yikkol's character sheet. As mentioned, you can rely on her for trapfinding, lockpicking, and backup healing. She's carrying five healer's kits on her, but if you want to pick some up to increase her capacity, go for it.

I'm thinking she'll speak in black. It's the most legible color and you can tell when she's speaking anyway: "Like this," Yikkol said.

I'm glad to announce: Welcome to Barovia, dear adventurers!

First or all, thanks for the effort you all put in your characters for this campaign. I'm really looking forward to dismember challenge you guys with all the awesome features of Castle Ravenloft.

Before we get started, I'd like everyone to make a post describing what exactly was happening when the Mist showed up and snatched you from your homeland. Were you tricked by Vistani into joining their caravan? Did you hunt evil spirits and eventually tracked down their plane of origin? Did you witness terrible deeds of pure evil, which resonated with the Dark Powers and opened a portal to Barovia? Who did you leave behind? Make sure to make the Mists mischievous and evil in that story - even if you were hunting Strahd, suddenly he was the one hunting you.

Thanks for having us.

Spoiler: When the Mists Came

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At the end of the world sits an abandoned outpost. Once upon a time, when its reach was greater, this grey laboratory belonged to the Alchemists' Guild. Now it is dusty and undisturbed—until a few days ago, when Yikkol Four-Eyes broke in and ended its decades-long calm.

An alchemist's lab is odd place to search for a pocket dimension. But that's what the bone-man's journal said: the portal was hidden in the laboratory basement. She searched for days in increasing despair.

Was this even the right place? Maybe the translator was a quack. Maybe she should have him killed. Maybe... Maybe this wasn't right. How long was it since she'd been back home? Her children must be grown by now. Her lover's heart must now belong to someone else. Her friends, her home, and her workshop were so far away. Was this really worth it? To find the bones of a long-dead woman and a murderer she never knew?

She found herself letting out an ugly cry. Her face was wet. Years and years of her life—wasted! She would not waste more. She would go home and see her children and tell her lover she was sorry, sorry, sorrier than she had ever been and could she ever be forgiven for being so foolish? Yikkol lifted herself off the dirty stone floor, swung her crossbow over her back, and turned toward the door.

As she turned, the large limb on the right side of her crossbow knocked a rotting potion into another into another. They all tumbled onto the floor and began to mix. White smoke filled the room. It began to smell like motor oil and putrid flesh and, oddly, petrichor. Yikkol threw on her googles and covered her face with a wet cloth. She felt her way to the door. It wasn't there.

She tried to stay calm, but she felt her heart pound. Her head began to hurt. She was hearing things: a sinister laughter, a fortune-teller's croon, organ music. There should be a wall here, but there wasn't. A table here was now missing. It was impossible to see through the smoke. She inched forward. And again. And again.

And then she found herself in front of a small inn. The noise stopped. She laughed and cursed herself for being so quick to give up just moments (or hours?) ago.

For in the dark grey sky she saw the castle where her mom's bones rested. She was in Barovia.

I'll set up an IC thread where you'll be able to step into Barovia and get in character a little bit. It shouldn't take too long before we activate dungeon crawl mode, just a few rounds of posts so we don't just "teleport" to the front door.

Honest disclaimer: This dungeon is dangerous and challenging. Strahd always plays around the PC's mistakes, hitting where it hurts. You will die if you don't manage your resources and pace yourselves. Heck, you might die even if you do that. As explained in the recruitment thread, leaving the dungeon to take a long rest means your enemies will have 8 hours to reposition (and also rest if necessary) and prepare for your next expedition - Of course this depends on their Intelligence score: You can expect dumb zombies to maintain the same behavior at all times, while a more cunning foe will use your long rest against you by resetting traps, moving troops to different rooms, blocking certain passages, etc.

A little bit about my DMing style: I try to be flexible and to listen to my players, and admittedly I tend to get tunnel vision when the stakes are high. If you notice a mistake, whether it's an inconsistency in the narrative or an extra 5ft of movement in an enemy's round, please let me know. You can PM me if you don't wanna call me out. I also sometimes get carried away and go overboard with my writing, so expect a few textwalls between chapters and in key moments of the narrative.

If you wanna request a roll such as Perception, you can go ahead and roll it in advance. Chances are I'll probably find something to do with your result, and worst case scenario, the roll is not applicable and we move forward.

I think this is actually it? Yall gave me plenty to work with with your backgrounds and the sheets are ready to go, so I think we could use this momentum and get right into it (:

Going forward, as part of general PbP etiquette, I kindly ask you guys to clear communication even if your character has nothing to say or you're waiting on someone else to post first. Just go ahead and make post, even if it's just flavor narrative. If you can't, or really don't feel like roleplaying, just post OOC. It already makes a huge difference

Sounds good. The "always post" request is a smart idea. As players, we sometimes have nothing left to do or say, which is fine in a real-time game but can be a PBP killer.

Ps.: Are you guys regular discord users? How do you feel about a small server for ooc chatter?

I am, and I agree with J-H that it's a good idea.

[The Commander]

As a quick heads-up, I'm travelling for the next 2 days. I *may* have internet on my phone, so I'll try to keep up-to-date and post using that. But just in case I can't, I'm still here!

[truemane]

Hey everyone! I will your friendly neighbourhood half-vampire savage barbarian!

Rue, Dhampir, Child of Darkness, Wanderer and Sojourner, Barbarian (Path of the Beast)/Fighter

Spoiler: The Basics

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• Personality: Quiet and intense. She years for connection and friendship, she also fears rejection and abandonment.
• Ideal: I will rise above the foul conditions of my birth and heritage.
• Bond: My heart beats with poisoned blood, filling me with darkness. I have to keep iron control over myself lest I become what I hate most.
• Flaws: I am afraid of myself and of what I might do in an unguarded moment. I am deeply wounded by my childhood abandonment and those wounds will never fully heal.

Spoiler: Backstory

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Rue was born to a tavern wench in the town of Barovia. Her mother claimed she did not know who the father was, but when Rue's true nature became clear, the townspeople claimed that she (her mother) lay with a devil (or perhaps THE Devil) willingly, and when she was still a child, drove her from the village and out into the wilderness.

She was taken in by a band of Vistani who fed her and housed her, but who treated her coldly and resentfully. They would not tell her why they took her in, and would not tell her what was to come of her. She travelled with them for some time, learning what she could as they passed through the mists into various worlds beyond. She overheard them whisper, speculate, that she was the child of Lord Strahd himself. That it was perhaps him, the Devil, who forced them to take her in.

One day she woke up and they were gone. And she was alone.

Who can speak of the story of Rue's Long Walk? She did not know the names of the places she passed through. She could not keep the count of days. She passed through mist and shadow, forest and mountain, alternately gravitating toward and avoiding, yearning for and fearing, the light of civilization. And everywhere she went a shadow went with her. Wolves hounded her trail. People she met came to bad ends. If she stopped too long, the weather turned bad and the air turned foul. Mists appeared randomly all around her.

One day she came to a town in a deep, dark forest nestled into the depths of a thickly forested valley. And she saw the sign at the town gates that said BAROVIA.

Rue was home. After uncounted years she was home.

She decided that it was time for her to have it out with the Devil that had dogged her once and for all.

Spoiler: Trauma, Fears, and Horror

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• Fear of abandonment, of being forgotten, of being alone. Rue has been abandoned or scorned by everyone she's ever cared about or tried to bond with. It has left her deeply scarred.
• Fear of herself. There is darkness in Rue. A dark, fathomless, bestial rage that is barely kept to heel. She must become a beast to survive, but she fears that every time she loses herself to it, it might be her last. A beast I am lest a beast I become.
• Fear of fire. Fire has always been one of the primary tools of scared, hostile townfolk. In her long, strange life, Rue's true nature has been discovered a number of times and most of those times ended with attempts to burn her. She can just barely manage around wall torches but anything more aggressive is terrifying to her.
• Years for safety and security. Her mother feared (and maybe even hated) her. Her childhood protectors were cold and hostile to her. Every friend she's ever made has scorned her or abandoned her. She years for connection, for community, for family, for safety. Sometimes to her detriment.
• Hounded by darkness. Everywhere Rue goes, shadows and fear and horror follow. Wolves dog her steps. Mists creep up near her. Shadows loom and lurk around her. If she stops anywhere for long, crops fail, the weather turns foul, food spoils and livestock grow sick and die. People she gets close to tend to disappear.

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Feats

• Tavern Brawler
• Skill Expert

Common Magic Items

• Illuminator's Tattoo
• Spellwrought Tattoo
• Masquerade Tattoo

Uncommon Magic Items

• Eldritch Claw Tattoo (Major)
• Cloak of Fashions (Minor)

What Rue can do for the party:

• Smash things! That's basically her only talent. I specialized in grappling (grapple as a bonus action, Expertise in Athletics) so I'll mostly be picking someone, locking them down, and beating them foolish.
• That's mostly it. She's a simple creature, is our girl Rue.

When the Mists Came:
Rue had completely lost count of the years she'd been wandering. She didn't seem to age like normal humanoids so even her physical development was no help. Was it ten years? Twenty? A thousand? She didn't know. There was only the endless metronome of night and day, hunger and food, sleep and wake, warm and cold to mark the passage of time.

But all through it there was a fierce determination and an ember of anger in her undead heart that drove her forward always forward. But toward what she did not know.

She wasn't always alone. Sometimes she came across a village. Or a town. Sometimes she carefully, warily ventured in, always cloaked and disguised, and tried to make small careful connections. Invariably, before long, her true nature was discovered and she was driven out. And, even without that, tragedy dogged her footsteps and those close to her came to bad ends.

And, also invariably, wherever she went, wherever she found herself, eventually the Mists came for her and she found herself in a new alien land where she knew nothing and had no one, and had to start again.

About a month ago she had come to a large port town at the edge of a vast forest. Venturing in, she met and befriended an old blind man Tiresias after defending him from cutthroats. He invited her to stay at his home and they two talked long about their lives. Rue even confided to him about her birth and nature. He accepted her anyway and made her his heir so that, when he was gone, she would always have a home and a place to live. Her wandering days were done.

Then came the Mists. She awoke in a forest. She cried out her rage and frustration. Then she found the village. Barovia.

She had finally come home.

@The Commander

Spoiler: Picture of Webster, my Amazon Sapphire Pinktoe

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[dangelo]

Here's the link to Herbert Raycraft, party cleric. With some good fortune, he'll help keep everyone alive this time.

It says I don't have permission to see the character sheet - am I doing something wrong?

Do you want the "before the mists" bit here, or in IC?

Either will work (:

Funny you should use music from Simon's Quest in your intro post... I did Super Castlevania IV as Castle Dracula a few years ago (Dm's Guild) for levels 3-12, and right now I'm working on Dracula's Curse based around Castlevania II... a small hexmap and point-to-point quest. I will probably be putting up a recruitment thread in 1-3 months, depending on how long it takes me to get the first couple of dungeons done. I'm pretty familiar with the Castlevania side of the inspirations of Strahd, at least until you get past 16-bit consoles :)

You can definitely expect me to show interest in a game like that. I'm a huge fan of the series -- Though as a 90s kid it was Symphony of the Night that did it for me, I really love all classicvanias, mainly 1, 3 and Dracula X.

Just gonna leave this beautiful version of Bloody Tears here, featured in the Season 2 finale of the animated series:

Question edited in: Do we assume we have infinite mundane spell components? Hallow, Revivify, Raise dead are all expensive.

How about each PC gets the starting gold for their classes times 10? That would be in actual gold pieces, jewels or materials for your spells (you don't have to specify) aside from your actual equipment (so you don't have to deduct the cost of your armor for example). Does that sound fair?

[SPOILER=OCF question]Question about OCF from Tasha's
Ancients have one channel divinitynwhich is a worse version of a subclass spell of theirs, and the other only affects fey and fiends.

Can I use the "Harness Divine Power" OCF that lets me turn channel Divinity uses into low level spell slots instead?

Yep that would be alright

Full disclosure, I have a newborn so lots of sitting up in the middle of the night with time to post, not so much sleep though so I might be even less coherent than usual (see above) and some posts might be quite brief.

Very understandable :)

Also, was the Fastieth profile okay for a mount?

If this is the sheet of the Fastieth, it seems alright except for the insane Dexterity on top of the bonus action Dodge, I'd say. Just cause I couldn't find any other mount for small characters that had more than 16 dex, like Deer, Wolf, Giant Weasel, Mastiff, etc. Would you mind making it 16 instead of 18? Or maybe I'm missing something about the creature's design?

Spoiler: Picture of Webster, my Amazon Sapphire Pinktoe

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Aren't spiders cute little thingies.

[Waistcoatwill]

It's just the smallest/lowest CR dinosaur that the Talenta halflings ride in Eberron, more of a fluff thing than anything I'm weddrd to mechanically. I'm8 happy to drop the dex down to 14 or make it a suspiciously scaly Giant Weasel or pony if you'd prefer.

On the spell components front, with starting gold×10 we'd probably have enough for 2 revivify castings if we pooled it all together. Seems fair to me.

[dangelo]

I'm actually okay with Dex 16 (:

Let me know if there's more I can do for you all. IC thread should be up sometime tomorrow

[J-H]

Sheet is now set to public. Obviously nobody else tried to view it.
Starting wealth for a cleric is 5d4 x 10. At max, 200, so 200x 10 = 2000gp. That gives me 4 raise deads, or 6 revivifies, or 2 hallows. GP -> components or do we need to track specific material components.

Spoiler: before the mists

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It's been three months since the Grey Night. Undead overrunning all the cities of the realm en masse, slaughtering countless tens of thousands before being repulsed by desperate combat and the coming of dawn, praise Pelor. For Herbert, it was a nightmare of constant blood and battle as he staggered from place to place, healing and shining Pelor's Light among friend and foe alike. His armor almost didn't fit, and he knew that the warriors guarding him had to slow their pace to match his. By mid-morning, he'd collapsed with exhaustion and slept the day away, his body unable to keep up with the demands of exertion on the battlefield instead of the dinner table.

The only reason food wasn't scarce afterwards is that the dead don't eat. Despite this, Herbert found his appetite wanting, and his patience for the nobility - those who survived the wights teleporting into their mansions anyway - ended. There was always more, more, and still too much to do. Bury the dead, comfort the living, cure diseases, try to find the source, support the younger adventurers going out to try to find the culprits, and on and on.

Still, Herbert held things together until they stabilized, and then set out on his own, trusting Pelor to keep him safe... plus the countryside had been scoured of all threats during the search. His armor fits much better now, and he's lost weight and regained some of his old muscle. After three days of wandering, contemplating, and praying, Herbert ran across an exhausted teenage boy on a pony. His village - far from the city - had barely held out against the Gray Night, and now a band of trolls was extorting food from them even as some kind of pox was spreading through the town. After curing the boy's sickness, Herbert sent him on to the city, and headed out. With the way things are, he'd be able to arrive at least half a week before anyone else, and that's a lot of time for life and death.

He pushed on into the night, walking until his legs burned, and then until they went numb. There would always be healing spells in the morning. So focused was he that it took far too long to notice how very, very foggy it had become...

[dangelo]

How about no limit for pieces of equipment, but for the actual gold/jewels, roll or take average (similarly to ho we did hit points)

[TaiLiu]

IC thread should be up sometime tomorrow

Looking forward to it. :>

@The Commander

Spoiler: Picture of Webster, my Amazon Sapphire Pinktoe

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Oh, that's rad.

Sheet is now set to public. Obviously nobody else tried to view it.

I actually did try to view it, twice, and twice forgot to tell you it wouldn't show. My bad. I've been busy and it slipped my mind.

How about no limit for pieces of equipment, but for the actual gold/jewels, roll or take average (similarly to ho we did hit points)

On the spell components front, with starting gold×10 we'd probably have enough for 2 revivify castings if we pooled it all together. Seems fair to me.

Starting wealth for a cleric is 5d4 x 10. At max, 200, so 200x 10 = 2000gp. That gives me 4 raise deads, or 6 revivifies, or 2 hallows. GP -> components or do we need to track specific material components.

(4d4)[1][4][4][4](13) × 10... 130 gold from me. I've no use for it, so it goes into the party coffers.

[Waistcoatwill]

Awesome, changed the Fastieth stats!

(5d4)[16] x10 for wealth = 160

X10 again is 1,600gp. Is that what you meant for generating cash for components etc?

[truemane]

MONEY

(2d4)[2]

Haha! Minimum money.

So that's 200 gp. Rue doesn't need any cash, so that can go in the coffers.

[TaiLiu]

Awesome, changed the Fastieth stats!

[roll0] x10 for wealth = 160

X10 again is 1,600gp. Is that what you meant for generating cash for components etc?

Oh, whoops. Forgot the additional ×10. It's 1300 gp, then.

Haha! Minimum money.

So that's 200 gp. Rue doesn't need any cash, so that can go in the coffers.

Only 2d4? This is clearly anti-Barbarian discrimination.

[The Commander]

@The Commander

Spoiler: Picture of Webster, my Amazon Sapphire Pinktoe

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Ain't that a beauty!

Wealth: (4d4)[7] x100 = 700gp (clearly Lord Varanash has spent a lot of his House's fortunes getting here!)

@DM - Lord Varanash is carrying a Pearl of Power. To be able to cast Identify, I need a Pearl worth 100gp (which the spell doesn't consume). Can my Pearl of Power be used as the material component for Identify?

@Everyone - Aside from Potions of Healing (if we're considering them), and the question above, I don't have anything I need to spend gold on material-wise.

[TaiLiu]

@Everyone - Aside from Potions of Healing (if we're considering them), and the question above, I don't have anything I need to spend gold on material-wise.

If we're concerned about cheap healing, Yikkol has the Healer feat. Picking up some potions isn't a bad idea, but some of their use cases are covered by healer's kits:

You are an able physician, allowing you to mend wounds quickly and get your allies back in the fight. You gain the following benefits:

• When you use a healer's kit to stabilize a dying creature, that creature also regains 1 hit point.
• As an action, you can spend one use of a healer's kit to tend to a creature and restore 1d6 + 4 hit points to it, plus additional hit points equal to the creature's maximum number of Hit Dice. The creature can't regain hit points from this feat again until it finishes a short or long rest.

[The Commander]

If we're concerned about cheap healing, Yikkol has the Healer feat. Picking up some potions isn't a bad idea, but some of their use cases are covered by healer's kits:

I'm mostly thinking about potions for Combat Healing - if the Cleric, or you, is busy (or you go down yourselves), if you've got potions on you, or we have potions, we can save your life.

[TaiLiu]

I'm mostly thinking about potions for Combat Healing - if the Cleric, or you, is busy (or you go down yourselves), if you've got potions on you, or we have potions, we can save your life.

For sure. Those are some of the use cases I was talking about. Yikkol has three on her, so she probably doesn't need any more. But other characters might benefit from picking some up.

[Waistcoatwill]

Paladin for combat healing as well. He's likely to give everyone a goodberry or two with breakfast each morning, which could work for the rifle pockets instead of/as well as potions.

[dangelo]

On potions: I believe any 10th level adventurer would carry at least one for emergencies. So how about 6 health potions to begin with?

X10 again is 1,600gp. Is that what you meant for generating cash for components etc?

You are right!

@DM - Lord Varanash is carrying a Pearl of Power. To be able to cast Identify, I need a Pearl worth 100gp (which the spell doesn't consume). Can my Pearl of Power be used as the material component for Identify?

That sounds reasonable yeah

Only 2d4? This is clearly anti-Barbarian discrimination.

D&D Barbarians: Starts with 2d4 x 10 gp
Historical "Barbarians"': Sacks Rome

[The Commander]

On potions: I believe any 10th level adventurer would carry at least one for emergencies. So how about 6 health potions to begin with?

I'm 99% sure you mean 6 potions for the group, and not 6 potions each; but I may as well ask just in case

We could each take 1 each, which would be fair; or we could prioritise certain characters if we feel that it's better for some characters to have potions handy.

That sounds reasonable yeah

Thanks!

[J-H]

gold roll
(5d4)[14] x 100

[Dr.Samurai]

I'm away and with family this weekend, but did want to say that I need to finish out my mundane gear. I will work on the "Mist" introduction as well when I am able to.

[TaiLiu]

D&D Barbarians: Starts with 2d4 x 10 gp
Historical "Barbarians"': Sacks Rome

They had to sack Rome cuz they were so poor.

I thought that Monks would be even worse off than Barbarians, but they're one of the classes that have the highest amount of starting gold. It's:

1. Barbarians and Druids with 2d4 × 10 gp;
2. Sorcerers with 3d4 × 10 gp;
3. Rogues, Warlocks, and Wizards with 4d4 × 10 gp;
4. and everyone else has 5d4 × 10 gp.

Paladin for combat healing as well. He's likely to give everyone a goodberry or two with breakfast each morning, which could work for the rifle pockets instead of/as well as potions.

That's a good idea, though it'll depend on if we can feed people goodberries while they're unconscious.

I'm 99% sure you mean 6 potions for the group, and not 6 potions each; but I may as well ask just in case

We could each take 1 each, which would be fair; or we could prioritise certain characters if we feel that it's better for some characters to have potions handy.

I like the one each idea. I'll guessing we'll be sharing in-game anyway.

[Waistcoatwill]

1600 is enough for Bori to get 5 diamonds for revivify and 100gp left over in case we ever need to do magic circle!

[TaiLiu]

1600 is enough for Bori to get 5 diamonds for revivify and 100gp left over in case we ever need to do magic circle!

Nice! I love being alive.

[dangelo]

Here's a link to the IC threat. Excited to get started

I'm pretty sure I'm missing some questions...

1. Will the Orb of Time and the Orb of Direction work in Barovia? I will still keep them as my items, but would like to know if this is something that might signal to Rua he is somewhere strange.
2. As mentioned in the concept spoiler, when Rua doffs and dons his armor, is it possible to describe it as the Guyver transformation? The Bionoids were inspired by Guyver so that would be cool.
3. I took the Wildspace background, which grants Toughness. But I'm happy to ignore that part of the Background if it makes sense.

1. These items will seemingly work normally for most of the time, but might randomly go nuts and become unreliable. There's no way to prevent or to see that coming, though you will be able to tell when the item is working and when its just being crazy.

2. It seems alright - though can you "lose" your armor, thus losing access to your transformation? Not that I see any feasible to catch your character without his armor on, but supposing it was melted in acid or lava, for example?

3. I'm tempted to allow it, but I wonder if it's a Spelljamer thing to give feats through backgrounds? Is this background meant to be balanced with the vanilla ones or are all Spelljamer PCs supposed to pick those extra powerful ones? I think I would feel pressured to compensate the other players somehow.