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Rumors of My Death: An AIMhack Campaign

Ephesos

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Ephesos
Magnificent Ornk

Ephesos

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The island of Selos has been a busy place since the Concordance festival, to say the least. Two weeks have passed since the assassination of Lord Hakkel, and it has been just four days since Selaneus nearly went to war with Quera. But the people of Mote are no strangers to tragedy, and have already begun to rebuild. And for enterprising folk such as adventurers, there is always something to be gained...

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

They call her Rikkla the Cold, and she likes to leave the frozen corpses of her enemies on display outside of her stronghold. Her magic is potent, and she is known to have a penchant for collecting magical artifacts. In brief, she is not an elf to be trifled with. Of course, all of this is something of a moot point now, given that she is believed dead after her forces clashed with those of Trassak the Nimble.

Though she may be dead, her stronghold still stands. And the rumors of the treasure waiting inside are persistent. You are familiar with these rumors, and so is your current employer, a Selaneus dragonborn by the name of Gotay. He wishes you to retrieve a specific artifact, one that was allegedly the source of Rikkla's power.

Naturally, you accepted. What could be more tempting than a stroll through a warehouse full of artifacts? Even if you have to pry them from someone's cold dead fingers...


With the conclusion of Dust Bowl, I've decided that it's finally time for me to run another campaign. This one picks up right after the events of Selos and the Oracle, and shortly after Treachery at Selaneus. It is, of course, directly concerned with the fallout of those two campaigns.

This will be my first stab at a higher-level campaign, so all characters entering should be Level 5. Now, since we've come up with a bunch of leveling methods, let me explain what that means. I'm effectively using the City of Hope system (thanks Lilith!), with a few changes:
  • Start with 10 points, spread out across STR/DEX/INT.
  • You begin with 10+STR hit points. No more of that starting with 8 nonsense.
  • For each level, you gain one attribute point (STR/DEX/INT).
  • After you raise your attributes, gain your STR in hit points.
  • Point-buy for all of your skills, and you start with 60 skill points.
  • Make one perk for your character, subject to DM approval.

Important to note here, since this is kinda-sorta continuing where Selos left off, and thus in the same range as Blood Marsh, old characters are eligible for use, as long as they re-train. You won't be able to crank your skills up quite as high, but rest assured that 60 skill points was not a random number (it was in fact roughly what Lanrezac would've had to spend, since his were the most balanced skills in Selos). And trust me, you'll want to keep those skills balanced.

So with that all out of the way, I welcome anyone and everyone to submit characters to me via PM or email. I'm capping the party at 5, unless I get a ton of incredibly amazing characters. And if you want to participate in the campaign, you have to supply your email address (preferably one you check regularly), because that is how I will be handling scheduling reminders.

Go!
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Ephesos
Magnificent Ornk

Ephesos

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Fyi, this won't be a "first 5 or get out" thing. It's going to boil down to the best characters I get.

 

And that is not a judgment on the ones I've already received. Because... wow, that was fast. tongue

 

Originally Posted By: Zarusa, pyromancer
"I heard those Sarden fools killed each other. Good riddance."
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Mistb0rn
Kyshakk Koan

Mistb0rn

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I've never done one of these before, but I've read a ton of the logs and now that I have more free time I'd like to give it a try. I will be sending a character (hopefully correctly) as soon as I finish him.

 

Thanks so much for running these, Ephesos, they've been a ton of fun to read and spectate!

 

;-)

 

EDIT: Character sent!

Thanks again!

 

 

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Garrulous Glaahk

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Looks like I'm a bit late to this aimhack. I really want to join this one too, but I'm a bit unfamiliar with the setting and I'm afraid that once I have enough time to read sufficient background info to create a character all the spots will be gone.

 

I am new to this and I've wanted to get in on an aimhack for quite some time now. Haven't read much logs (the recent ones anyway. I believe I read most of the logs for the World but that was some time ago).

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Ephesos
Magnificent Ornk

Ephesos

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O.o

 

...wow. That's a lot of characters. Um. Gimme a day or so. Also, I need to start doing the flavor snippets again.

 

EDIT: I think I've replied to everyone who has submitted a character so far. I've got eight to choose from right now, so we will see. I am trying to give preference to new players, but we'll see what we get. If you sent me one, you might want to check your inbox for feedback.

 

Originally Posted By: Liomha, dragonborn weaponsmith
"There are two ways to make magic items. The first imbues the items with raw magical energy, and it requires patience, knowledge, and high-quality stuff. Those ones are the good ones: stable, dependable, and powerful. The other way usually depends on trapping an elemental spirit, or some other powerful entity within an item. Of course, it's dangerous, unstable, and normally comes at a great cost for the person who makes it. Guess which type is more common."
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Tirien
Ineffable Wingbolt

Tirien

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Originally Posted By: Ephesos
Originally Posted By: Liomha, dragonborn weaponsmith
"There are two ways to make magic items. The first imbues the items with raw magical energy, and it requires patience, knowledge, and high-quality stuff. Those ones are the good ones: stable, dependable, and powerful. The other way usually depends on trapping an elemental spirit, or some other powerful entity within an item. Of course, it's dangerous, unstable, and normally comes at a great cost for the person who makes it. Guess which type is more common."
FYT wink
Yes, im a typo nazi.
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Ephesos
Magnificent Ornk

Ephesos

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Alright, so we're done with the lame jokes here. Know why? Because everyone who submitted a character has been at least tentatively approved in concept. That means there's one step left in determining who plays and who is left to wait in the wings for the first character death.

 

What's that step? Well, the almighty CALENDAR. Go there, fill it out to the best of your ability, and I will compile the results.

 

Originally Posted By: Thiaspor, priestess of Sliros
"In the chaos that followed the great skirmish, we were able to break a record number of slaves from bondage. Sliros has heard our prayers, and delivered in his typical understated fashion. Our deity only helps those who helps themselves."
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Ephesos
Magnificent Ornk

Ephesos

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ATTENTION!

 

First off, thanks again to everyone who submitted characters and filled out the calendar. Rest assured that if you were not picked to start the campaign, you will be the first in line should any PC(s) meet an untimely death. Or a timely one, for that matter.

 

Second, I would like to apologize for the long lag between my initial post and this one. I fell somewhat ill at the start of the week, which was shortly followed by a long-overdue endoscopy that knocked me out for another day.

 

Third, the first session of the campaign will take place Wednesday, September 22nd, 6PM CDT in the AIM chatroom spidwebRP. All are welcome to attend.

 

Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, it's time to meet the five characters who will be starting the campaign. Some may leave, others may join, but these five will kick things off. Detailed character sheets will be posted soonish, I just wanted to get this post out tonight before I passed out.

  • Mal Travers, the lacewing hero - (played by Nioca)
  • Kurex, the traveling human mage - (played by Dantius)
  • Josun, the dragonborn priest - (played by RCCCL)
  • Aurora, the elven empath - (played by Lilith)
  • Adon Zek, the arrogant human assassin - (played by Mistb0rn)

Once more, thanks to everyone, and I promise to make this campaign epically awesome.

 

Originally Posted By: Ikthak, goblin archmage
"I have always found it puzzling that the most powerful of artifacts exude a magic so subtle that the finest detection can be required to even notice it. That subtlety is a virtue I wish some of my peers would adopt."
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Ephesos
Magnificent Ornk

Ephesos

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Originally Posted By: Nioca
And to the others that didn't get selected, don't worry; someone dying has been long overdue. tongue


This. This, many many many times.

Originally Posted By: Tabazinth, elven necromancer
"Out here, the best kind of artifact is a sundered artifact. Yes, ancient and powerful things are hidden in this marsh. But I wouldn't trust any of them for a heartbeat."
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Ephesos
Magnificent Ornk

Ephesos

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Um... whoops. I definitely forgot about that. But, rest assured, I have not forgotten that TOMORROW, September 22nd is our first session! Be there, whether you be a spectator, sub, or player!

 

As for the character reveal, I will be doing things slightly differently for this campaign. But all that will really affect is backstories, because I'm not posting them yet. However, you still get the mechanics:

 

Click to reveal.. (Mal Travers, Lacewing Hero)
Name: Mal Hirosi Travers

Occupation: Aspiring Hero

Alignment: Optimistic Naive

Deity: Phol-Phoram

 

Strength: 6

Dexterity: 5

Intelligence: 3

Speed: 5

Health: 39/39

Stamina: 10/10

 

Martial (Swords): 7

History: 4

First Aid: 4

Perception: 4

Thievery: 3

Nature: 2

 

Perks:

-Heroic Valor - When reduced to 0 HP, Mal gets one more round to act before falling unconscious. He can take extra rounds past that one, but will bleed stamina at double the normal rate, and all damage taken becomes stamina loss.

 

Click to reveal.. (Combat Abilities)
Wings of Fury (1 STM) - Mal leaps and takes wing, either flinging himself upward and attacking a low-altitude foe or hurtling over obstacles (or creatures) and slashing at a chosen enemy. After the maneuver, Mal's defense is reduced for one round while he recovers his footing. Depending on the distance involved, the technique may require more than 1 stamina to perform.

(Basically, it's a technique that hits foes that'd normally be out of reach for a normal fighter, capable of clearing obstacles to hit a foe behind cover and launching straight up at a ceiling-clinging or airborne enemies.)

 

Blitz Barrage (1 STM) - Unleashes a devastating and lightning-quick barrage of blows onto a target, doing elevated damage and either penalizing or outright stunning the victim for 1 round.

(Basically, it's useful for locking up a spellcaster or simply throwing a wrench into a powerful melee fighter's assault. The stun part, however, isn't a guaranteed; it depends on the strength of the roll and how tough the target is.)

 

Impregnable Barrier (1 STM) - Once per encounter, can designate a foe as blocked. For the rest of that encounter, Mal will keep his shield positioned between himself and the designated foe, providing defensive bonuses and minor damage reduction against that particular enemy, at the cost of a minor defensive penalty and inability to use the shield against other enemies. This technique is nullified if Mal engages the designated enemy, and requires a shield to perform.

(A nifty and powerful defensive technique that's useful when attacked by multiple enemies or when getting sniped at by a distant foe. The caveat being that Mal can't take offensive action against the opponent targeted without losing the bonuses)

Click to reveal.. (Kurex, Traveling Mage)
Name: Kurex

Occupation: Travelling Mage

Alignment: Magnificent Bastard

Race: Human

Deity: Imaunte

 

Strength: 5

Dexterity: 2

Intelligence: 7

Speed: 5

Health: 35/35

Stamina: 10/10

 

Magic (Evocation): 8

Magic (Conjuration): 5

Martial (Sword): 3

Composure: 2

Stealth: 1

Perception: 1

 

Perks:

-Smug - When you hit an enemy, gain +1 to all intimidation rolls against them for 1 round.

 

Click to reveal.. (Spells)
-Burning Hands - Thin sheet of flame, close blast.

-Plasma Bolt - Little bit of damage, fire.

-Magic Missile - Little bit of damage, force.

-Force Spray - Cluster of magic missiles.

-Crackling Blast - Lightning bolt, optionally extend the bolt to an adjacent enemy. (1 STA)

-Stun - Stuns an enemy for 1 round.

-Shout - Sonic AoE around caster, stuns & damages (1 STA, 5 HP)

-Cyclone - Push & prone adjacent enemies, stun on good roll.

-Light - Illuminates an object.

-Shining Aura - 50-ft radius light around caster.

-Black Hole - 20-ft magical dark around caster.

-Icy Spray - AoE cold damage.

-Fireball - 10-ft radius fireball. (1 STA)

-Immolation - Engulfs target in crippling flames. (1/day, 2 STA)

-Heal - Heals CONJ hit points for an adjacent target. (1 STA)

-Cure - Cure a poison/disease.

-Summon Familiar - Choose element, summon a familiar of that element. Kurex can only cast spells of that type while the familiar is present. (1 STA)

Click to reveal.. (Josun, Dragonborn Priest)
Name: Josun

Race: Dragonborn

Occupation: Cleric

Alignment: Calm

Deity: Phol-Phoram

 

Strength: 4

Dexterity: 3

Intelligence: 7

Speed: 5 (4 w/armor)

Health: 29/29

Stamina: 10/10

 

Magic (Conjuration): 6

Magic (Abjuration): 5

Religion: 5

Martial (Mace): 3

History: 2

First Aid: 1

Composure: 1

 

Perks:

-Divine Healing - When healing, heal 1 extra HP. Also +1 to all healing rolls.

 

Click to reveal.. (Spells)
-Greater Healing - Heals an adjacent target (1 STA)

-Purify - Cure a poison/disease, purify water/food.

-Succor - Summon food & water.

-Summon Celestial Serpent - Summons a winged serpent. (1 STA)

-Shield of Faith - Bolsters a target's defense for a few rounds.

-Iron Will - Shields one target from mental assaults, and can remove such effects.

-Blessing of Phol-Phoram - Allies get a bonus to all rolls and defenses, while the caster takes an equal penalty. (2 STA)

Click to reveal.. (Aurora, Elven Empath)
Name: Aurora

Race: Elf

Occupation: Empath

Alignment: Conceited

 

Strength: 3

Dexterity: 5

Intelligence: 6

Speed: 5

Health: 25/25

Stamina: 10/10

 

Magic (Enchantment): 5

Martial (Knives): 5

Composure: 5

Streetwise: 4

First Aid: 3

Perception: 3

Stealth: 1

History: 1

 

Perks:

-Cold Reading - When first meeting someone, you gain +2 to Composure against them.

 

Click to reveal.. (Spells)
-Empathy - Gain a temporary bonus to Composure & Streetwise (1 STA)

-Confidence - Grants a target a bonus to all rolls for 1 round.

-Despair - Curses a target with penalty to all rolls for 1 round, also makes future mental attacks easier.

-Fear - Sends target into blind panic, fleeing if possible.

-Command - Clouds target's judgment, and issues a simple order.

-Battle Rage - Gives a target a bonus to attack, mental defenses, and some temporary HP.

Click to reveal.. (Adon Zek, Human Assassin)
Name: Adon Zek

Occupation: Assassin

Race: Human

Alignment: Arrogant

 

Strength: 6

Dexterity: 5

Intelligence: 3

Speed: 5

Health: 36/36

Stamina: 10/10

 

Martial (Blades): 5

Stealth: 4

First Aid: 4

Crafting: 3

Thievery: 2

Composure: 4

Perception: 3

 

Perks:

-Indignant Fury - When insulted, you gain a bonus to damage against whoever did it, but take a small accuracy penalty.

 

Originally Posted By: Zarusa, pyromancer
"Don't touch that. Trust me."
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Dantius
Easygoing Eyebeast

Dantius

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Originally Posted By: Lilith
i'm kind of pleasantly surprised that everyone except me apparently resisted the urge to game the levelup system by starting out with the same strength they'd have at level 5 in order to maximise their HP


No, I did. However, this was more due to my innate fondness of HP's that are divisible by 5 than due to a conscious attempt at power gaming.
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Ephesos
Magnificent Ornk

Ephesos

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...oh. Hunh. Nice catch, Lilith. I sent Mistb0rn a PM, so hopefully we'll get it cleared up.

 

Yup, tomorrow. It's gonna be awesome.

 

Also, lest I forget, Josun gains a free spell: Break Enchantment (Attempt to dispel an enchantment or curse)

 

Somebody needs it, and he's the only one with Abjuration.

 

Originally Posted By: Kura, beastlord
"I have never seen an artifact that can stand up to a hypersloth's foot."
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Dantius
Easygoing Eyebeast

Dantius

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Originally Posted By: Lilith
it's really not that hard once you remember the total cost of each skill level (1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 21, 28)

then to add them up i just use the google search bar as a calculator


It's even easier to mentally compute things, though. The skill points to get n points in a skill is just (n^2+n)/2.

And you everybody should be able to add/subtract numbers that sum to less than 60.
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RCCCL
Rotghroth Rhapsody

RCCCL

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Originally Posted By: Ephesos
Also, lest I forget, Josun gains a free spell: Break Enchantment (Attempt to dispel an enchantment or curse)

Somebody needs it, and he's the only one with Abjuration


This actually reminds me, Ephesos, you left out the prideful part of my character, who it now appears will have another reason why he's so great and important.
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