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City of Hope: An Optimistic AIMHack Campaign


Lilith

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Courtesy link to AIMHack core rules here (thanks, Ephesos!)

 

Quote:
As far as its land-dwelling inhabitants are concerned, Mote is a small world, growing smaller by the day. It's not uncommon for a small island in an area prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity to simply sink beneath the waves, never to be seen again. It's somewhat rarer, but not unheard of, for one to come back.

 

One such reappearance has just occurred off the northern coast of Laessos. Historians say that its location matches an ancient city-state known as the City of Hope. It is said that pilgrims from all of Mote's major religions once flocked to the city.

 

Travellers have begun to set out again for the island, now dubbed Elpis, as they did in times of old. Some go in search of material wealth, hoping to find lost treasures in the sunken city. Others, driven by legends of miracles, seek to follow in the footsteps of the ancient pilgrims and worship in the city's pantheon. A few simply wish to prove that the city exists and document what remains of its history.

 

You are a member of one of the many groups searching for the lost City of Hope. Your ship, bound from Dilegad, has just made landfall on the island of Elpis. Will you find the miracle you're looking for?

 

Okay, so that's the premise. Now I need player characters from you guys; send them to me by PM or AIM. Here's the ground rules:

 

* 10 stat points to distribute between STR, DEX and INT for everyone. Starting HP is equal to 10 + STR (that is, you get a free levelup's worth of HP to start with.) None of this "everyone starts at 8 HP for the extra stat point" nonsense.

 

* 20 skill points at character creation to distribute in the usual way (cost of raising skill by 1 is equal to new skill level).

 

* You gain extra skill points each levelup and distribute them the same way you did at character creation. I'll tell you how many you get when the time comes to gain a level; as a rule of thumb it'll be enough to raise everyone's best skill by at least 2 points. You can carry over extra skill points between levels if you want, although spending them instead will obviously give you a more immediate advantage.

 

* Each levelup, you can raise one stat (Str, Dex, Int) by 1 point in addition to all skill gains.

 

* In this campaign, your non-combat skills may be at least as important as your combat skills. Think Indiana Jones, not Conan the Barbarian.

 

* Please provide a short backstory that includes an explanation of why your character is searching for the City of Hope. I'll be doing the "free perk at level 1 for best backstory" thing like Sarachim did in Dustbowl, but keep in mind that a good backstory doesn't have to be a long one. A paragraph or two is fine, unless you have more to say.

 

* Keep in mind that anything posted in your backstory is thereby known to other players unless you explicitly tell me not to post it, so don't put anything in there that you wouldn't chat about with a group of strangers to pass the time on the voyage to Elpis. If your goal is world domination, by all means tell me that, but it might be a good idea to also tell me to keep that part private.

 

Unless I've forgotten something, that's all you need to know. Happy rolling!

 

~~~ CHARACTER LIST ~~~

 

Rowen:

 

Click to reveal..
Jarrox Phiser

Race: Dwarf

Occupation: Noble

Alignment: Drunk

 

Level: 2

HP: 13/16

Stamina: 10/10

 

Str: 3

Dex: 5

Int: 3

 

Martial (Shields): 3

Artifice: 3

History: 2

Martial (Dwarven Waraxe): 3

Nature: 2

Perception: 3

Religion: 3

 

Perk: Drunken Rage -- When you are drunk, you receive a bonus to attack rolls and a penalty to all other rolls.

 

Worn:

Dwarven waraxe

Shield with family crest

Padded clothes (pants and shirt)

Breastplate

Vambraces

Greaves and cuisses

Gauntlets

Pike helmet

 

Backpack:

Belt pouch (20 gold)

Bedroll

Fish hook and line (15')

Flint and steel

Hand axe

Healing potion x2

Hempen Rope (50')

Magic cooking pot

Stamina Potion x2

Shovel

Sunrod x2

Trail Rations (10 days)

Aleskin x3

Whetstone

 

Nikki:

 

Click to reveal..
Meredith Prosset

Race: Human

Occupation: Librarian/scholar

Alignment: Distracted/reproachful

 

Level: 2

HP: 16/16

Stamina: 10/10

 

Str: 3

Dex: 3

Int: 5

 

History: 4

Religion: 4

Martial (Guns): 2

Martial (Rapiers): 1

Perception: 1

Stealth: 1

Artifice: 3

 

Equipped:

Wheel-lock handgun

Leather brigandine

Gold ring, engraved with the letter "S"

Rapier (sheathed)

 

Backpack:

Pen/inkwell

Charcoal x5

Paper

Ammunition x5

Coin pouch (50 gold)

Bedroll

Waterskin/rations

 

Nalyd:

 

Click to reveal..
Dyen Dawes

Race: Elf

Occupation: Holy Man

Alignment: Enlightenment

 

Level: 2

HP: 16/16

Stamina: 10/10

 

Str: 3

Dex: 4

Int: 4

 

Martial (Unarmed): 3

Magic (Divination): 3

Perception: 4

Composure: 2

Stealth: 3

Streetwise: 1

Spare Skill Pts: 1

 

Perk: Make Your Own Luck -- Whenever you critically fail a roll, your next roll receives a +4 bonus.

 

Spells:

 

* Fated Strike: Dyen looks into his fate and sees how he will live and his opponents fall. He receives a large bonus to accuracy on his next attack. (Move-equivalent action.)

* Glimpse of Oblivion: Dyen shows a single opponent the emptiness of the universe, stunning that enemy or making them cower in fear.

* Feeling the Way: Dyen lays his hands on something: a wall, an object, or person, and is shown what fate intends for him to do with it. Where to go, what to say, how to use it. Results may vary.

* Fate Never Lies: Dyen takes a statement and briefly meditates upon it, looking into Fate and trying to discern what aspects of it belong there, and are true, or do not, and are false.

 

Sarachim:

 

Click to reveal..
Lephista

Race: Dragonborn

Occupation: Bumbling Healer

Alignment: Conflicted

 

Level: 2

HP: 17/20

Stamina: 8/10

 

Str: 5

Dex: 2

Int: 4

 

Martial (Battleaxe): 4

Magic (Conjuration): 4

First Aid: 4

Perception: 1

Composure: 2

Religion: Mariona (1)

Spare Skill Pts: 1

 

Spells:

 

* Brafdyk's Mystic Succor: Heals a single target.

* Mystic Avian: Summons a bird, of a species of Lephista's choice, which can follow simple commands.

* Smoke Shroud: Conjures concealing smokescreens.

* Resconjure Minor: Creates a small, mundane object. Additional restrictions apply.

 

Inventory:

 

Bronze labrys (two-handed)

Symbol of Mariona (worn around neck)

 

Horse (named Balbus) with saddle and bridle

Healing potion x3

Curing potion x1

Antivenom x1

First aid kit

Tent and sleeping bag, 3 days' rations, waterskin.

 

Nioca:

 

Click to reveal..
Jack Heraln

Race: Lacewing

Occupation: Scholar

Alignment: Sensible Sarcastic

 

Level: 2

HP: 14/14

Stamina: 10/10

 

Str: 2

Dex: 2

Int: 7

 

First Aid: 4

Magic (Divination): 3

Artifice: 2

Religion: 3

Perception: 2

History: 2

Nature: 1

Thievery: 1

 

Spells:

 

* Decipher - Allows the caster to read languages and script he is unfamiliar with.

* Read Magic - Reads the purpose of a magical object, effect, or aura.

* Detect Magic - Detects the presence of nearby magic.

* Reveal - Searches for hidden objects and reveals invisible enemies

* Mnnima's Darklight - Grants the caster a visual image of the surrounding area as if brightened by torchlight. This does not see through walls, but can penetrate magical darkness. The effect lasts for roughly an hour.

* Ekhart's Anatomical Familiarity (1 STM) - Grants the recipient an innate understanding of Motian anatomy. The next heal roll (be it First Aid or Magical Healing) that the recipient performs will be more likely to succeed and will heal considerably more damage.

* Tanner's Hostile Divination - Scans a creature or being, determining any notable strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. The stronger the roll, the stronger the caster, and the weaker the enemy, the more accurate the information.

 

Inventory:

16 Gold 8 Silver 1 Copper (16.81 Gold)

First Aid Kit

Translation Booklet

Spellbook

Fancy clothes

Tinker's Tools

Dowsing Rod

 

Triumph:

 

Click to reveal..
Phulax Pulonos

Race: Dragonborn

Occupation: Healer/portal fixer

Alignment: Cheery

 

Level: 2

HP: 12/18

Stamina: 8/10

 

Str: 4

Dex: 2

Int: 5

 

Magic (Transmutation): 4

First Aid: 3

Composure: 3

Streetwise: 3

Nature: 3

Martial (Improv Melee): 1

Perception: 1

 

Spells:

 

* Teleport: instantly relocate something from one place to another place.

* Le Couran’s Open Window: create small portal of brief duration linking two nearby points.

* Meredith’s Gatesense: discern the presence of portals or teleportation use, along with a sense of where a portal might go and any other pertinent details.

* Kleio: manipulate or close an existing portal. Costs 1 stamina.

 

Equipment:

 

Padded clothes (pants and shirt)

Steel Cuirass

Mail Hauberk

Steel Helm

Steel Vambraces

Leather Gloves

Leather Greaves and Cuisses

Leather Boots

Hooded Cloak

Cheap Metal Brooch (Magical, glows)

 

Inventory:

 

First Aid Supplies x20

Healing Potion x4

Stamina Potion x4

Concealed Pouch (100 Gold)

Compass

Rations (7 days’ worth)

Waterskins x2

Small tent and sleeping bag

Small lantern

Flint and steel

Binoculars

 

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Our first character is in already! Nikki's character is a gunslinging librarian:

 

Click to reveal..
Meredith Prosset, Librarian

Human, aged 31

 

Str: 3

Dex: 2

Int: 5

 

HP: 13/13

 

History: 4

Religion: 3

Martial (Guns): 2

Martial (Rapiers): 1

Perception: 1

Stealth: 1

 

Backstory:

 

The Library of Serrenick, on the Isle of Preothis, is a haven for the more learned citizens of Mote: it shines as a beacon of knowledge - knowledge to be shared with everybody and anybody.

 

Naturally, when the island of Elpis resurfaced the Library sent a representative to document the remaining history, especially that of the City of Hope. Enter Meredith Prossat, librarian and scholar. Her task is to discover the secrets of Elpis, and to share them with the rest of the world.

 

Rowen's also submitted a character draft and his full bio will be coming shortly.

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Another character, this one from Nalyd. Dyen is a monk with a dark past:

 

Click to reveal..
Name: Dyen Dawes

Gender: Male

Race: Elf

Alignment: Enlightenment

Occupation: Holy Man

Deity: Imaunte

 

Strength:3

Dexterity:4

Intelligence:3

 

Hit Points: 13

 

Martial(Unarmed): 3

Composure: 2

Perception: 3

Magic(Divination): 3

Stealth: 1

Streetwise: 1

 

Spells:

Fated Strike: Dyen looks into his fate and sees how he will live and his opponents fall. He receives a large bonus to accuracy on his next attack. (Move-equivalent action.)

 

Glimpse of Oblivion: Dyen shows a single opponent the emptiness of the universe, stunning that enemy or making them cower in fear.

 

Feeling the Way: Dyen lays his hands on something: a wall, an object, or person, and is shown what fate intends for him to do with it. Where to go, what to say, how to use it. Results may vary.

 

Backstory:

 

Dyen Dawes was born to two deeply religious adherents of Mariona on a faraway island, who interpreted her domain of peace as being peace of the mind and the spirit, complete calm within and without, and saw a way to this peace in the pursuit of martial arts. They raised him until the age of 14 to also be a vessel for peace, until he was selected as one apprentice of many by a wealthy and powerful Mage-Prince. He chose to be trained in Divination, seeing it as another path to enlightenment and thus the inner peace of the spirit.

 

That island was conquered by a neighbor when Dyen was 19, his parents, the Mage-Prince, and his fellow apprentices killed in the sacking of the city. Dyen, afraid, submitted to the invaders while defending the city and was captured to be used as a slave on the island of the invaders.

 

While sailing back, Dyen used the magic he had hidden from the invaders to escape from his chains and swam for a day and a night to return to his home. He discovered only death there, as the invaders had butchered or enslaved everyone, and looted everything. The butchered bodies of his parents, peers, and benefactor showed him that peace is a lie, and Mariona is nothing but a cruel succubus, seducing her followers with that lie. His burned city and the island emptied of innocent souls showed him that there was no order to the universe, that only fate's whims meant anything. He turned from Mariona and to Imaunte, seeking no longer for inner peace but for oneness with fate, to be of it and know it, that he might change it.

 

He made the shattered palace his home, watching as the wilderness slowly overgrew the ruins, meditating upon fate and using his magic to try and pierce it's shrouds. Travelers eventually came to the ruins, to scavenge or try to resettle, and Dyen became known as an Oracle of Imaunte.

 

These travelers brought him news, and he gave them glimpses of fate.

 

When that news they brought told him of the City of Hope, he looked into his own fate and saw that very place in his future. He heard the call of Imaunte, and as a holy man he wished to see the holy city. He knows not what he seeks, but knows that something awaits him in the ancient, risen metropolis.

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Originally Posted By: Lilith
Another character, this one from Nalyd. Dyen is a monk with a dark past:

Click to reveal..
Name: Dyen Dawes
Gender: Male
Race: Elf
Alignment: Enlightenment
Occupation: Holy Man
Deity: Imaunte

Strength:3
Dexterity:4
Intelligence:3

Hit Points: 13

Martial(Unarmed): 3
Composure: 2
Perception: 3
Magic(Divination): 3
Stealth: 1
Streetwise: 1

Spells:
Fated Strike: Dyen looks into his fate and sees how he will live and his opponents fall. He receives a large bonus to accuracy on his next attack. (Move-equivalent action.)

Glimpse of Oblivion: Dyen shows a single opponent the emptiness of the universe, stunning that enemy or making them cower in fear.

Feeling the Way: Dyen lays his hands on something: a wall, an object, or person, and is shown what fate intends for him to do with it. Where to go, what to say, how to use it. Results may vary.

Backstory:

Dyen Dawes was born to two deeply religious adherents of Mariona on a faraway island, who interpreted her domain of peace as being peace of the mind and the spirit, complete calm within and without, and saw a way to this peace in the pursuit of martial arts. They raised him until the age of 14 to also be a vessel for peace, until he was selected as one apprentice of many by a wealthy and powerful Mage-Prince. He chose to be trained in Divination, seeing it as another path to enlightenment and thus the inner peace of the spirit.

That island was conquered by a neighbor when Dyen was 19, his parents, the Mage-Prince, and his fellow apprentices killed in the sacking of the city. Dyen, afraid, submitted to the invaders while defending the city and was captured to be used as a slave on the island of the invaders.

While sailing back, Dyen used the magic he had hidden from the invaders to escape from his chains and swam for a day and a night to return to his home. He discovered only death there, as the invaders had butchered or enslaved everyone, and looted everything. The butchered bodies of his parents, peers, and benefactor showed him that peace is a lie, and Mariona is nothing but a cruel succubus, seducing her followers with that lie. His burned city and the island emptied of innocent souls showed him that there was no order to the universe, that only fate's whims meant anything. He turned from Mariona and to Imaunte, seeking no longer for inner peace but for oneness with fate, to be of it and know it, that he might change it.

He made the shattered palace his home, watching as the wilderness slowly overgrew the ruins, meditating upon fate and using his magic to try and pierce it's shrouds. Travelers eventually came to the ruins, to scavenge or try to resettle, and Dyen became known as an Oracle of Imaunte.

These travelers brought him news, and he gave them glimpses of fate.

When that news they brought told him of the City of Hope, he looked into his own fate and saw that very place in his future. He heard the call of Imaunte, and as a holy man he wished to see the holy city. He knows not what he seeks, but knows that something awaits him in the ancient, risen metropolis.


Agh! I was going to run a monk! Curse you!
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Have a double helping of characters! Rowen's character is a dwarven warrior-noble:

 

Click to reveal..
Name: Jarrox Phiser the Wize

Race: Dwarf male

 

HP: 13/13

Stm: 10/10

 

Str: 3

Dex: 4

Int: 3

 

Artifice: 2

History: 2

Martial (Dwarven Waraxe): 2

Nature: 2

Perception: 2

Religion: 2

Martial (Shields): 3

 

Backstory:

 

The dwarven family Phiser considered to be of lower nobility in the city of Eolith. Jarrox was born into this family and as such was instructed in what parents thought to be important for a noble to know. His childhood passed to adulthood before he finished the training that his parents had placed upon him.

 

He was instructed in History and Religion of all types. The uses of the waraxe and shield were beaten on to him. The need to be constantly vigil and able to survive was instilled into him. The ability to understand the workings of objects around him was passed on by craftmasters. Jarrox knew everything; but yet he knew nothing beyond the doors of his home where he was instructed.

 

Once finished with his training he left home with his mother's blessing and with a suit of armor that his father had made just for him. He left to learn from the world, the one thing that his teachers could not do.

 

He traveled all over the known world seeking those who would travel to new strange lands. He met a Lord Captain Drazzel Foringer who was such a man searching for a lost island named Theressa. The Captain laughed and mocked Jarrox when he volunteered to join him on his voyage and sent the young dwarf on his way. Jarrox had to fight to hold back the tears from the shame of being turned down.

 

Dishartend Jarrox drowned himself in ale for weeks on end. The only time he wasn't drinking he was being thrown out of a tavern. This of course led to Jarrox visiting every tavern that served some sort of ale. Just when he thought he would never get the chance to do anything worth his talents other than drinking he heard about the lost City of Hope. Before he knew it he was traveling to the island with a group of ragged travelers; all ultimately looking for the same thing.

 

Worn:

Dwarven Waraxe (left hand)

Dwarven Shield that bears family crest (left hand)

Dwarven padded clothes (pants and shirt)

Dwarven breastplate (chest)

Dwarven vambraces (arms)

Dwarven greaves and cuisses (legs)

Dwarven gauntlets (hands)

Dwarven pike helmet (head)

 

Backpack:

Belt pouch (20 gold)

Bedroll

Fish hook and line (15')

Flint and steel

Hand axe

Healing potion (2)

Hempen Rope (50')

Magic cooking pot (Cooks anything inside the pot without the need of fire.)

Stamina Potion (2)

Shovel

Sunrods (2, Are torches that light up by striking the top to light them.)

Trail Rations (10 days)

Waterskins (3, All full of extremely strong ale.)

Whetstone

 

And Sarachim's is an axe-user of a very different kind:

 

Click to reveal..
Lephista, female Dragonborn, age 22

Occupation: Bumbling Healer

Alignment: Conflicted

Home: Dilagad

 

Str: 5

Dex: 2

Int: 3

 

HP: 15/15

 

Martial (Battleaxe): 4

Magic (Conjuration): 3

First Aid: 3

Perception: 1

Composure: 1

 

Spells:

 

Brafdyk's Mystic Succor: Heals a single target.

Mystic Avian: Summons a bird, of a species of Lephista's choice, which can follow simple commands.

Smoke Shroud: Conjures concealing smokescreens.

 

Backstory:

 

Growing up, Lephista was known for two things: a bad temper, and the strength to back it up. That changed suddenly sometime around her 18th birthday. Local gossips disagreed about just what happened, and Lephista would not discuss it, but it was about then that she announced to a shocked neighborhood that she was leaving Dilagad to study the healer's art.

 

Unfortunately, the gods seem to have other ideas. Lephista has been traveling up and down Laessos for two years now, offering her services to any who need them, and she's starting to fear that she's not very good at this. Recently, her only patrons have been people too poor to pay for anyone else. Desperate for guidance, she is traveling to Elpis in search of a revelation.

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Ooh! Intriguing premise!!!

 

Huh. It looks like you have five players already.

 

Please place me on your waiting list, should you have a further opening I would be interested.

 

Dantius, you need to play a goblin. They are underrepresented in Mote demographically. And I think it would be fun to see you play a goblin.

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Originally Posted By: Triumph
Dantius, you need to play a goblin. They are underrepresented in Mote demographically. And I think it would be fun to see you play a goblin.

Goblin fighter, done, goblin theif, cliche, goblin healer, done, monk, done. I seem to be out of ideas. Let me get back to you in the morning on that one,
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Originally Posted By: Lilith
Being a goblin farmer isn't as easy as just planting goblins in the ground and watering them every so often, you know.


Yes, you need to fertilize them. And goblins need a lot of nitrogen fertilizers to grow to maturity, so some ammonia would be a good bet for nitrogen, although you'd still be potassium and phosphorous deficient. I'd bet just force-feeding them ammonia would make the grow real fast!

EDIT: Goblins are green, aren't they?
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Seven characters would be kind of a lot.

 

But let's make things interesting. I tell you what, Nioca: since neither you nor Dantius seem to have actually decided what character to make yet, whoever gets a fully-made character with a complete backstory to me first is in.

 

*blows whistle, drops flag*

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Originally Posted By: Dintiradan
EDIT: I want to see more of the Goblin Goblins one day.

I can't give you more, but I can give you this, which was one of my most inspired moments here if I do say so myself:
Click to reveal.. (The Life and Death of Gobubary)
Gobubary was born as a cripple, and it was for that defect that he was given his name. Goblin names don't mean anything, but the sound of 'Gobubary' was said to resemble the sight of the infant goblin trying to move about. For Gobubary had been born with only one leg.

It wasn't simply that he had a missing leg; rather, where other goblins would have two legs, he simply had one big leg. In most days he would have been killed, but under Glogroth's enlightened rule, his life had been spared. Despite his defect, or perhaps because of it, Gobubary was driven to learn more than the other goblins, and to be better than them, even with a sword. And due to his unusual perseverence, he had succeeded.

Of course, he still couldn't walk. He had a pair of crutches, and his leg only grew less useful with age and disuse, until eventually he began to drag it behind him when he walked, propelling himself forward with the crutches and then -- schllloompf, up swings the leg. Propel, schllloompf.

So he was a horror on the field of war. He couldn't move fast enough to keep up with troops, he couldn't ride a worg, and while he could fence as well as any living statue, that still made him a less than effective fieldmarshall. Nonetheless, he was smart, and tactically astute, and he had a vitality and stubbornness to him that endeared him to most anyone he worked with. So Glogroth reluctantly agreed to put him in charge of one of their armies: though not any in the first wave.

His leadership was a comical sight, one that both he and his men took many laughs from, and it kept them in good cheer. For in order to keep up with the army, Gobubary had to be carried in a litter.

One fateful day, when Gobubary's army was about halfway down the isthmus, his scouts reported seeing a ship anchored near the coast. At that news, Gobubary has hissed gleefully; for humans were practically the only creatures who ever used ships. But the scouts had not seen anyone by the ship. So Gobubary ordered his men to spread out, to try and form a great semicircle around the ship; that way, if they found the passengers on the isthmus, they would have them surrounded. With the several hundred goblins in the army, this was relatively easily done; but their forces would be spread thin, and if the humans were discovered, the rest of the army would have to close in quickly, to prevent the humans from gaining any advantage.

The goblins ran off to follow Gobubary's orders. His litter took him to the center of their lines. And sure enough, about an hour later, cries rang out to his right; the goblins had encountered someone. Quickly, Gobubary shouted out orders for all goblins to close in on the fighting.

"All of us?" asked Pako, one of his lieutenants and his chief litter-bearer.

"No, none of you!" snapped Gobubary, sarcastically. Go kill the humans this second!"

"All right," said Pako. And at once all the litter-bearers dropped the litter and began to race towards the shrieks and cries.

"You gobbing gobtards!" shrieked Gobubary. Pako turned around, and what she saw replayed itself again and again in her mind, in slow motion. The litter had struck the ground at an angle, and Gobubary's useless leg bounced off of it, and propelled him several feet in the air. He landed head-first on a rock outcropping. There was blood everywhere. His head was smashed. Gobubary was dead.

Pako steeled herself and turned to follow her fellow litter-bearers, who hadn't even turned around and were already on their way to the skirmish.

She hoped there weren't very many humans, or that they were poorly armed. She really wasn't in a mood to fight. She had been terribly shaken by the image of Gobubary's giant leg, which, cushioned by his head and torso, had survived the impact quite nicely.
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Looks like Nioca wins by a hair. Better luck next time, Dantius!

 

Nioca has taken my advice in the first post to heart and boldly made a character with no combat skills whatsoever:

 

Click to reveal..
Name: Jack Heraln

Race: Lacewing

Occupation: Scholar

Alignment: Sensible Sarcastic

 

STATISTICS

STR - 2

DEX - 2

INT - 6

HP - 12

STM - 10

SPD - 5

 

SKILLS

First Aid - 3

Magic (Divination) - 2

Artifice - 2

Religion - 2

Perception - 2

History - 2 (Racial Bonus)

Nature - 1

Thievery - 1 (Racial Bonus)

 

SPELLS

Decipher - Allows the caster to read languages and script he is unfamiliar with.

Read Magic - Reads the purpose of a magical object, effect, or aura.

Detect Magic - Detects the presence of nearby magic.

Reveal - Searches for hidden objects and reveals invisible enemies

Mnnima's Darklight - Grants the caster a visual image of the surrounding area as if brightened by torchlight. This does not see through walls, but can penetrate magical darkness. The effect lasts for roughly an hour.

Ekhart's Anatomical Familiarity (1 STM) - Grants the recipient an innate understanding of Motian anatomy. The next heal roll (be it First Aid or Magical Healing) that the recipient performs will be more likely to succeed and will heal considerably more damage.

 

INVENTORY

16 Gold 8 Silver 1 Copper (16.81 Gold), First Aid Kit, Translation Booklet, Spellbook, Fancy clothes, Tinker's Tools, Dowsing Rod (magical, actually works, doubles as a short staff)

 

Backstory:

The chance of a lifetime. That's what Elpis's resurfacing meant to Jack. A scholar in the arts of engineering and religion, it was practically his duty to go. The likely-numerous engineering marvels and practices of aeons past would likely make whoever could gather that information first very wealthy. Which is why the Ylesk Academy of Arts agreed, and sent him off with a bodyguard.

 

Unfortunately, on his way to Dilegad, he was attacked by the pesky menace of brigands, and was forced to fly from his protector. Whereas he was supposed to have a private trip there, he was instead forced to join up with another group en-route to Elpis, where he hoped he could be the first to make the discoveries that would forever make Jack Heraln a household name.

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So I want to know about this character with Martial (Guns). How is that going to work? I didn't Mote HAD guns... Seems exceptional enough to deserve some explanation or backstory or something. What kind of guns? How many exist? Is this widely known technology?

 

Now I'm really wishing I'd made a character with Crafting (Zeppelins) like Eph once mentioned...

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As I understand it, the gun in question is very rare (possibly unique), doesn't offer any mechanical advantage over a bow, and will be hard to get ammo for.

 

How would one person craft a zeppelin alone? Or fly it? Or get enough hydrogen to fill it? Or narrate dramatically as a level 1 wizard shoots it down with a single fireball?

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Originally Posted By: Sarachim
How would one person craft a zeppelin alone? Or fly it? Or get enough hydrogen to fill it? Or narrate dramatically as a level 1 wizard shoots it down with a single fireball?


Oh the humanity! It's burning! It's burning! Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry, but I can't... I just can't...
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Originally Posted By: Sarachim
How would one person craft a zeppelin alone? Or fly it? Or get enough hydrogen to fill it? Or narrate dramatically as a level 1 wizard shoots it down with a single fireball?


Question 1: that's what my trusty astromech droid is for (I'd have to take Crafting (Astromech Droid) also).

Question 2: that's why you use HELIUM, silly.

Question 3: All drama is sapped when I laugh sardonically at wizard who can't set helium on fire.

Of course, then when the evil weather-manipulating mage conjures up a hurricane and literally blows me away...
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See, if I were your GM, helium is where I'd draw the line. The stuff wasn't even discovered until the 19th century, and that was in the sun. You'd need pretty high Conjuration or Transmutation to get any. Between that and the two crafting skills, you're looking at a character who's built around zeppelins, which will make you dead weight whenever the party goes indoors.

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Originally Posted By: Sarachim
See, if I were your GM, helium is where I'd draw the line. The stuff wasn't even discovered until the 19th century, and that was in the sun. You'd need pretty high Conjuration or Transmutation to get any. Between that and the two crafting skills, you're looking at a character who's built around zeppelins, which will make you dead weight whenever the party goes indoors.


He'd take Crafting(Bombs) as well, to make indoors the outdoors.
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The character in question is from a major library with access to immense historical knowledge. I figure if anyone could plausibly have access to guns, it'd be her. And other characters have neat stuff if they asked for it too.

 

But yes, for the record, the gun will basically be a reskinned bow that makes a lot of noise, is hard to find ammo for, and does bad things on critical failures.

 

At the moment we're just waiting to hear back from Ephesos about a small issue before posting Triumph's character. Since the player list is now finalised, I have my very own WhenIsGood link set up. If you're playing, please fill it in at your earliest convenience.

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Originally Posted By: Triumph
So I want to know about this character with Martial (Guns). How is that going to work? I didn't Mote HAD guns... Seems exceptional enough to deserve some explanation or backstory or something. What kind of guns? How many exist? Is this widely known technology?


From the outset I wanted Meredith to have access to a gun. A lot of this was flavour. It didn't make much sense for a scholar to wield a sword or axe, or even a bow. Also, the library Meredith works for/is part of has vast resources, both monetary and in terms of knowledge. It makes sense that they use this (or rather, Meredith abuses this) to get a totally sweet weapon. This kind of ties in with what Meredith is looking for on the island, too.

(I'm also not above admitting that when the OP mentioned Indy, I thought of the scene where the baddie waves a sword around impressively, and Indy just shoots him and walks on. Totally awesome.)

Anyway, after I'd come up with a basic idea of what I wanted Meredith to be and got into writing the backstory - this huge freaking library which tries to document everything ever - I figured I'd better fabricate some colleagues for Meredith, just in case her party ever ask about it. So I figured each one had to have some kind of unique area of expertise, something that sets them apart from the others, because how else would they get so high up in this huge powerful library? Meredith's is her knowledge of rare and ancient weapons. Somebody like that should have a weapon that reflects her expertise.

(And yes, I know I plonked a point into a regular combat-skill (rapiers). If she has to go toe-to-toe, she'll do it with a civilised weapon, thankyouverymuch.)
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So far, the evening of August 21st (for you guys; the morning of August 22nd for me) is shaping up as the only good session time in the next two weeks. If it turns out anyone can't make it then, I'm fine with extending the calendar another week or two. Obviously I want everyone to be able to attend the first session.

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