Sarachim

Originally Posted By: Ephesos (Until people start taking the World Baseball Classic seriously, and by "people" I mean American teams unwilling to let their stars compete for glory, then I'm more than happy to get riled up for the Cup.) Is it the teams that refuse? I thought the issue was that players could decide whether or not to participate, and many didn't for health reasons. Also, woo, USA!

Session 2 has just ended. Quotes and a log coming soon. The party levels up, so don't forget to post your changes by next session.

Originally Posted By: Triumph Originally Posted By: Dantius So like as shopkeepers or sages or questgivers? Like, Boregloaf could dispense quests and Kurex could train in spells or Amadan could sell herbs? That's... interesting. Oh come on, you know Kurex wouldn't train anyone. He'd be too busy berating them as weaklings or threatening to set them on fire. If Kurex ever starts preceding his efforts to set people on fire with threats, at least then we'll be able to see them coming.

I'd enjoy revisiting the Selos story, but I'm a bit tired of Vitze. I'd probably prefer bringing in a new PC, hopefully in a way that has interesting effects on the party dynamic (like that second human Triumph mentioned).

Originally Posted By: Triumph Personally, I LIKE it when the party gets to experience to the adventure and explore the dangers of Mote, rather than creating dangers for themselves by lying ineptly, stealing ineptly, talking ineptly, setting things on fire ineptly, and breathing ineptly. I hope I'm not the only one who gets tired of one's party shooting itself in the foot head multiple times. Competence really is more fun! And in DB, the party and DM still managed to be witty despite not hating each other, so you get the best of all worlds. There's certainly a lot to be said for all-around competence, but I think I've gotten the most fun out of the times the party created a problem for itself and then solved it in awesome fashion. The best example of this might be way back in the first Labyrinth session, when the party stupidly picked a fight with (and then proceeded to defeat) the giant octopus. What's no fun at all is when the party creates a problem it can't solve, and then just limps along until the GM finds a way to bail us out. Of course, at the time of the original failure it's impossible to know how you'll fix it (or fail to), so trying to succeed on your first try is probably the safest bet.

Originally Posted By: Nioca That may seem like a lot, but split three-ways, that really isn't enough spell slots. Once Conjuration and Abjuration get stronger, I'm really going to start feeling pressure to fit a wide variety of spells in there that covers all three circles. Having played a caster last time around, I sympathize. Still, a painless restriction isn't a restriction at all. Quote: On the casting front, she also took out a tentacle with Ball Lightning. She attempted Repulsive Aura... but I suppose you can't really count a Fumble as casting, now can you? Oh, of course. I don't know how I forgot this, since I was pretty proud of "Eva repulses herself." Quote: But yeah, Telekinesis really came in handy. And I look forward to casting more of my spells on dry land. I finally got around to reading the log of Brigandage's seventh session. I sort of vaguely knew it involved a ship, but hadn't realized that there was also a kraken and a wreck, so DB must have seemed pretty derivative. I hope the next few sessions will be original enough to make up for it.

Originally Posted By: Triumph Overall, I think this looks like a really interesting party. Having now read the first log, I think campaign looks exciting as well. I'm also impressed that this seems to be the LEAST dysfunctional party in the history of AIMHack. They didn't start any riots or brawls or burn down jungles or otherwise cause trouble for themselves the entire first session! Congratulations to you all! I noticed this, too, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, I'm glad everyone's sufficiently interested in the game to be this effective, but on the other, I miss all the bitter, sarcastic infighting that usually produces the best lines. Plus, this unheard-of competence raises the alarming possibility that I'll have to rise to the party's level, or that I'm just not giving them enough chances to fail. But hey, if you guys enjoy doing well for some reason, I guess I can work around that. It takes all kinds.

This will work better once the website's up, but in the meantime, why wait? Click to reveal.. (Eva's spell list) Ball Lightning (Evocation) - Fires ball lightning at an opponent (basic attack spell). Flameburst (Evocation) - Creates a small burst of flame on the target, damaging it and anything within a very short AoE. Flashbang (Evocation) - Fires a small energy blast that, on impact, creates a blinding flash of light and a deafening bang, stunning anyone within a certain AoE. Energize (Evocation) - Charges a target or aura with energy. Useful for recharging objects or strengthening buffs or other magical effects. Heal (Conjuration) - Heals damage on a target. Felis (Conjuration) - Summons a cat, ranging from a housecat up to a bobcat. As Eva's skill improves, she'll be able to summon larger cats. Repulsive Aura (Abjuration) - Creates a field around the recipient that renders the target's presence discomforting. Enemies are less likely to target the recipient, and everything in general will do it's best to stay away. Telekinesis (Evocation) - Allows the caster to mentally push, pull, and/or lift a targeted object or creature. Larger and/or more complex tasks may require stamina. Eva's brain the size of a planet enables her to prepare all of the spells in this list at once, but in session 1 she only cast Felis and Telekinesis. Click to reveal.. (Xiriatl's spell list) * Detect Magic - Sense the general magical properties of an item, creature or area. * Vision - Gives a vision of a location, allowing the caster to see and hear things as if they were present. The closer the area is and the more familiar to the caster, the longer and clearer the vision will be. * True Sight - Allows the caster to see through invisibility, illusions and similar forms of concealment. * Locate - Gives information on the location of a person or object. The more familiar the caster already is with the target, the more specific information can be gained. * Detect History - By touching an object or person, or being present at a location, the caster can gain glimpses of insight into the object, person or location's past. * Portent - Offer advice regarding a person's immediate future. * Instinct - Gives the caster subtle insight into their own immediate future, allowing them to quickly modify the manner and timing of their actions to avoid adverse outcomes. This gives a small bonus to the caster's Strength and Dexterity for their next few rolls. Xiriatl can only prepare five of these spells at a time. In session 1, he prepared Detect Magic, Vision, True Sight, Locate, and Detect History, but only got to cast Detect Magic once. I think it's in the thread somewhere already, but there's no harm in taking another look at Wybren's bard spells. Click to reveal.. (Abandon, abandon, abandon, abandon the sinking ship!) * Captivating Performance: You sing or play a song, and capture the attention of your audience. Targeted listeners who fail their saves take a minor penalty to their Perception checks as long as you continue performing. This spell can be used for benevolent or malevolent purposes; kind-hearted songsmiths use the spell to distract their listeners from dreary surroundings, while malicious songsmiths use it to distract their marks from the actions of other party members. This spell has no effect in combat. * Battlesong: Your music inspires your comrades to feats of bravery and strength. As long as you continue performing, they receive small bonuses to their attack rolls and saves. * Inspiring Tale: As a companion tries to complete a single task, you relate a story either from history or your own experience when another hero faced a similar problem and succeeded. If you roll high enough, your comrade receives a bonus to his or her roll. This spell has no effect in combat. * Discordant Chant: After watching one of your opponents, you break out into a distracting chant, specifically tailored to your enemy's actions and movements, so that he or she is disoriented and finds it difficult to concentrate. If the target fails his or her save, he or she takes a penalty to attack rolls, saves, and skill checks. A new roll must be made each round, allowing the target to regain composure. Wybren can prepare all of these at once, but only attempted a single Battlesong in session 1. Looking back, I think I inadvertently put the party in a lot of situations that discouraged spellcasting. Eva probably held back on using her attack spells during the kraken fight for fear of friendly fire, which was probably smart. Xiriatl didn't get many chances to use his spells, although the one time he did cast one he showed why Divination is excellent. Wybren's songs all have to be heard to have an effect, so they didn't work well in a storm. I didn't plan it out like that, but the fact that all three of these characters were still able to make themselves useful to the party shows how important it is to be well-rounded. Originally Posted By: Mayor Krila of Riole Why yes, I have been wearing the same hat for twenty years, and there's a perfectly good reason why. See, all new fashion starts at Eolith and spreads outward, and if times are calm it usually gets here in five years or so. Anyway, for a long time there was some brilliant haberdasher who was the spring and the autumn of hats - I think her name was Joan or something - right up until it turned out the whole thing was a cover for her vast criminal empire. Big scandal, naturally, we heard about it all the way out here. Anyway, hats have fallen out of fashion since then, but I really like how this one fits.

Levels occur half as often, so skill points/time is the same.

Yes. It's just like getting two Original Flavor levels at once. (You also get STRx2 HP.)

The log for session 1 is here! Also, since nobody's told me that their schedule's changed, session 2 is officially Friday, June 11, at 6:00PM EDT. I've thought it over, and here's how I've decided to handle levels. Basically, they'll occur half as often, but give twice as much. So, with each level, you can increase your stats by two (two points to one stat, or one point to two different ones), increase a stat by one and your skills by two, or increase your skills by four. The first point of a new skill still costs two points (so you could go from zero to three with one level). Sadly, this means that the party hasn't leveled up yet. But when you do, you'll appreciate it more! EDIT: Oh, I forgot something. Dinti, your changes to Wybren are approved. Originally Posted By: Wall of Bounties, Aimus Post Office Wanted: Leitha Mondra, elf, for theft and assault. Suspect is proficient with knives and has been known to carry a concealed weapon.

I made Vitze an elf because that race seemed best suited to the character I had in mind, both narratively and mechanically. I don't have any particular preference for elves, though. I could think of at least one character I'd enjoy for all the races, but I could only have one PC. I'm turning some of these unused character ideas into NPCs for Dust Bowl.

Originally Posted By: Lilith Originally Posted By: Five Days Beyond the Web The two slightly different issues in athletics or other competitions are whether the prosthetics represent an unfair advantage, and one day they undoubtedly will, and if so, how to prevent athletes from having to replace their limbs. There's a third issue: once the replacement limbs get good enough, will anyone actually be interested in watching athletes who don't have them? I mean, you could ban everyone over 6 feet tall from playing basketball, too, but... Well, most sports fans dislike steroids. Women's tennis is at least as popular as men's. Computers are better than people at chess, but games between humans are the most popular. For a competition to be interesting, it's more important that the competitors be well-matched than that they be the best possible. Also, most fans are as interested in the narrative they attach to the competition as in the competition itself, and hard work/determiniation/etc. make for better stories than self-mutilation.

Three and two, actually, after you include the racial bonus. Don't know how I missed that.

In case anybody isn't reading the Selos/BM postmortem thread, please note this: Originally Posted By: Sarachim My ruling for Dust Bowl is that both Diplomacy and Bluff will become Composure. Nobody has both skills, so it works out neatly. As the original skills are becoming more powerful (characters with Bluff are effectively gaining free Diplomacy, and vice-versa) I think this is fair all around, but anyone who disagrees is welcome to PM me about it.

My ruling for Dust Bowl is that both Diplomacy and Bluff will become Composure. Nobody has both skills, so it works out neatly. As the original skills are becoming more powerful (characters with Bluff are effectively gaining free Diplomacy, and vice-versa) I think this is fair all around, but anyone who disagrees is welcome to PM me about it.

Session 1 of Dust Bowl is complete, and exceeded even my most unreasonable hopes! Log will be up soon, but for now, have some quotes: Click to reveal.. (Lightning falls, everyone dies) Gramzon: "I am quite sure it will be very interesting to see so much water." Eric: "It is, but it gets old fast." Wybren: "I don't mean to sound gauche, but there's also the matter of our reimbursement." Xiriatl: "Of course. There is nothing wrong with fair compensation for fair work. It allows more fair work to be done, after all." Pulig: "I can only warn you that whoever did this is no novice. Be very, very careful, or he'll blow your head off." Leitha: "Whatever happened to being a gentleman, Xir?" Eva: ""I've got an idea... Next time, let's walk." Great session, everybody! I'm looking forward to the next one. If any of you are no longer available for the same time next week, please let me know.

Reminder: Session one of Dust Bowl is tomorrow at 6:00PM EDT! That's just under 24 hours from now. Originally Posted By: Sorgun, Dwarven Shipwright My colleague Yuthan would tell you that speed is the best protection for a ship, but you can't survive a storm by outsailing the wind. A sturdy design is safer by far.

Originally Posted By: Lilith Originally Posted By: Dantius I'm guessing that epic brews are classified at the discretion of the DM, or do you have a list of those, too? probbo the former at this stage, we don't want the list to be entirely closed-ended if a PC wanted to research a potion for a specific purpose they should probably talk to their DM and make arrangements to fit in a subquest or possibly a small solo quest Yes, something like this. Even if I made a list, it would be more for illustrative purposes than anything else. Xiriatl's the only alchemist right now and Thuryl is doing fine making up potions on her own, so such a list is probably unnecessary.

Since Thuryl's character is an alchemist, Thuryl made up some alchemy stuff that the rest of you might find interesting: Click to reveal.. Alchemy: Alchemical reagents are divided into four classes based on the elements. Within each class, some reagents may be more powerful than others. Earth reagents embody principles of stability and protection. A great mountain range filled with mineral wealth may bring prosperity to an entire civilisation, while even the humblest rock may serve as shelter for worms and insects. Earth reagents include crystalline minerals and animal bones. Fire reagents embody principles of destruction and change. Fire by its nature is short-lived, but for the time it exists its effects can be immense. Its power is not purely destructive: carefully controlled fire can purge impurities, or convert a substance from one form to another. Fire reagents include caustic chemicals and animals' natural weapons, such as claws, teeth and venom glands. Air reagents embody principles of motion and creativity. Gusts of wind come and go capriciously, and may either fill a ship's sails or blow down a house, but the air which gives birth to them is a constant life-giving presence. Air reagents include meteorites and animals' sensory organs. Water reagents embody principles of restoration and persistence. A river may dry up, but when the rains come it will resume flowing along its old course, and its steady work will gradually erode any obstacles in its path. Water reagents include fossils and animals' vital organs. Primary potions (one reagent, requires 1 point in Crafting (Alchemy)): Stamina Potion. Requires Earth reagents only. This drink relieves minor aches and pains and banishes exhaustion, restoring some of the drinker's Stamina. Alchemical Fire. Requires Fire reagents only. This sticky liquid bursts into flame on contact with air, causing fire damage to anything it splashes on. Stimulant. Requires Air reagents only. A tonic that temporarily increases the drinker's physical and mental agility, giving increased Speed and a bonus on the next few rolls, although at the cost of reduced Stamina once its effects wear off. Healing Salve. Requires Water reagents only. A balm that can be used to treat wounds, recovering lost hit points. Secondary potions (two reagents, requires 3 points in Crafting (Alchemy)): Contact Poison. Requires Earth and Fire reagents. A toxic liquid that can be absorbed through an open wound or less efficiently through unbroken skin, causing gradual loss of Hit Points and Stamina and a penalty to all statistics. Featherfall Brew. Requires Earth and Air reagents. A mysterious fluid that lightens the drinker's body, allowing them to glide down gently from great heights without injury. Protective Oil. Requires Earth and Water reagents. A soothing oil that protects the user's skin from extreme conditions such as heat, cold and acids. Toxic Gas. Requires Fire and Air reagents. This unstable mixture rapidly becomes a noxious gas on exposure to air, causing eye irritation and violent coughing. While it does not usually cause serious damage, its effects can be highly incapacitating in the short term. Purgative. Requires Fire and Water reagents. A potent brew that purges the body of poisons and diseases, although it may have unpleasant side effects, causing a loss of Stamina points. Sleeping Draught. Requires Air and Water reagents. A potion that quickly brings restful sleep to anyone who drinks it. While the drinker experiences the restorative effects of a full night's sleep in only a few hours, nothing short of violent shaking is likely to awaken them before that time. Tertiary potions (three reagents, requires 5 points in Crafting (Alchemy)): Explosive. Requires Earth, Fire and Air reagents. A thick greasy paste that explodes when struck violently, producing little heat but immense concussive force. Freezing Salts. Requires Earth, Fire and Water reagents. A fine crystalline dust that rapidly cools on contact with liquid. A dose can freeze the surface of a body of water or inflict cold damage if scattered over a living target. Potion of Clarity. Requires Earth, Air and Water reagents. A drink that enhances mental faculties, giving a temporary bonus to Intelligence and reducing the drinker's susceptibility to illusions and enchantments. Acid. Requires Fire, Air and Water reagents. A dangerous liquid that can corrode flesh, metal and stone. Collecting reagents and brewing potions both require rolls. Also, other potion recipes are possible, including epic potions that require more skill and maybe special ingredients. Like with epic spells, learning an epic recipe requires that you find a book or teacher to learn it from.

Originally Posted By: Triumph Originally Posted By: Dantius I don't think there's ever even been a fatality in AIMhack... Exactly! That's a why a first-session TPK would be so cool! Cool for you, a connoisseur of human failure who isn't actually in this campaign, sure. But I've got all manner of awesome stuff planned for later, and a zombie party wouldn't be able to appreciate most of it.

Friday, June 4. Thanks, Triumph. EDIT: In other news, we have our last backstory: Leitha, the shankstress, whose life story is as sad as her job description implies. Click to reveal.. Leitha carefully wiped the blood from her blade and sheathed it. After hastily packing the few valuable possessions she could see, she crept to the door and looked out. The night was cold and clear. Nobody was about. She opened the door wider and cast a final look back at the prone figure which lay on the floor before silently slipping outside. 24 years ago, as the sun rose from the sky, the early morning birdsong was broken by the first cry of a newborn. The mother held the child, her first, to her breast and stared down at her transfixed. The father beamed, tears silently streaming down his face. The baby mewled and cried until she fell asleep in her mother’s arms. Neither mother nor child moved until the sun slipped under the horizon that night. Morning came. Leitha sat on the straw bedding she slept on, sorting through her pack to find the spoils of last night: an ornamental knife, a picture frame, several silver coins and a looking glass. They would keep her in food for a while, certainly long enough until she got to her next destination – her time in this town was done. 16 years ago the child was 8 years old. Her father had given her a piece of wood he’d fashioned into a simple wooden sword, like the kind the heroes used in the stories he’d tell her before bed. The child held it carefully at arm’s length, inspecting it, appraising it. Finally, she grinned, and swung it around a little. “I’m going to get you Daddy!” she shrieked, and made to strike him. Her father grinned and caught her in his arms, tickling her ‘til she laughed. “You’d never kill your poor old Daddy, would you?” he asked. She shook her head and smiled, before running off to show her friends her newest toy. Leitha collected the money for the items – in a town like this there were always people on the lookout for bargains, people who asked no questions. She began the journey to the main gates. How many times had she walked down these streets, passed squalid inns and wandered down cramped and dirty alleys? It wasn’t her home, never had been, but her home had vanished 10 years ago. The house was still there, her friends and school too, probably. It was the life that had lain before her and her parents, however, that had died. 10 years ago, the child was 14. She no longer had the wooden sword her father gave her 6 years ago. Out of breath, because she had run all the way home, she stood by her front door, waiting for her mother to come and tell her she can enter. One of the Lawbringers had told her that there had been an accident involving her father, and she had sprinted as fast as she could to get there. Suddenly, the door opened, and her mother walked out of the house. Her eyes looked empty and full of loss to the young girl, who ran to her mother and held her tightly. Her father was still alive, but wounded enough to be unable to work, unable to walk properly, unable to support his family. The next week, the family had moved out of their home, moved away from Riole, and into the slums of a town on the far side of the island. 6 years ago, the child, now a young woman, stole out from her family home in the dead of night. Tears stained her face, and she looked around. The night was cold, quiet. She dropped the bloodied knife into the street and ran. Her father lay dead on the floor inside, his throat slit, his hands frozen as if he were still trying to choke her. The house stank of the cheap ale he drowned himself in night-and-day. Her mother would find him like this in the morning when she returned from the whorehouse she had taken to working in when they moved out here. By then, the young woman, Leitha, would be long gone. The gates were now a couple of miles behind Leitha. She had spent the last 4 years moving from town to town, surviving by stealing in order to get by. It wasn’t an honourable life, but it was better than what she had after leaving Riole, and she had an uncanny knack for avoiding getting caught. She was always on the lookout for an easy mark, somebody flashing their cash or wearing expensive jewellery, and she always got what she set out to get.

Dust Bowl's first session will be Friday, June 4, at 6:00PM EDT (GMT-4) Also, the following Friday is equally good, so the second session will probably happen then, assuming the first doesn't end in a TPK. Originally Posted By: Wall of Bounties, Aimus Post Office Wanted: Sirvi-Da. This elf is a dangerous illusionist and may not resemble the attached picture. Approach with extreme caution. Wanted dead only. Please be sure the body is really his.

Everyone but Dinti has filled in the calendar, and we have several excellent times that work for everybody. Fingers crossed!

I forgot to mention that Nalyd and anyone who's interested in subbing are welcome to fill in the calendar, too.