4E game -- what the diddly yo?

Whats going on with the 4E game, anyone heard anything?

Iron Bang Update!

Event is scheduled for this Sunday, December 7th. Tom says either early in the day (around 11) or later in the day (around 7) works best. What say ye, merry makers? Evenings are fantasmic for me, but any time works.

Oh, right. Format. Basically we play Bang until all but one character is dead. I was imagining we could throw out the roles and just shoot each other. We can do a series of small games, or one big one, dividing the characters evenly if we can or deal them out as people die (last person standing or biggest body count). I'm open to suggestions though.

Also, The Bullet came with a blank character card. So which of these powers would you want for a character? (4 life for each)
- When made to Draw (jail, dynamite, etc.) you may discard a card from your hand to determine the result
- You may play green bordered cards immediately
- Whenever a card of yours is removed from play (Cat Balou, etc.) you draw a card

Also, The Bullet came with a blank regular card. I got no clue what to do with that one.

The Secret Phrase

In an effort to reward people for reading the campaign blog, I'm going to make the following offer:

Next session, any character who says the phrase "but what about Harrukh the Invincible?" will receive two bells. Once per session, and every subsequent session will have a differet phrase. Keep reading.

NO GAME THIS TUESDAY--CAMPAIGN WILL RESUME DEC 9

I know this comes as a disappointment to ya'll, but I'm canceling game night this week to study for my LSAT. It's very important that I do well on this test, so I gotta get my studying in. If you all would like to plan an alternate gathering at another location, go ahead and discuss it in comments.

Iron Bang

35 badass cowboys, cowgirls, and Pixie Pete enter. One leaves.

When you want to do this thing? I hear Sunday evenings are good.

New Rule

Starting next Tuesday, we're going to be using Plastic Cups instead of glasses. From here on out, do not use the glasses in my apartment without permission. It's not fair for Rebecca to continue doing the group's dishes, and I obviously am not going to do them myself.

EDIT: The post came off as kind of terse, so I just want everyone to know that no one person's actions prompted me to post. Everything's cool--I just want to cut down on the dishes I produce and this is the best way.

A primer to the rest of the campaign

I know this is going to come as a surprise to most of you, but I plan on wrapping up the campaign (which, by now I guess is better thought of as an adventure) before everyone heads their separate ways for winter break.

We'll be playing D&D tonight, we might not play D&D next week, depending on availability, and we'll play until the quest reaches its conclusion in the weeks to come after that.

What we after the Quest for the Kingmaker is finished is something of an open question. It depends largely on what the group wants to do. Here are a few possibilities:

1) We continue with a new adventure using a mix of old and new characters.
2) We could play Paranoia or another RPG we haven't tried (Og, GURPS, Vampire, Call of Cthulhu)
3) We could begin a new D&D adventure with no connection to the events of the previous one.

Discuss.

An early decision

Hey guys

I know this blog doesn't see as much traffic as it used to, but if you are on I was wondering if guys wouldn't mind tossing in your votes for D&D or board games early.

The reason I ask is, I could really catch up on homework but I don't want to miss as session if we do play. Espically since I'm about to get BLESSED WITH SWEET BOUNTIFUL WEED by a god and there's a chance of missing next week (I'll be here though). While I would love to play some games (I was going to bring Kill the Hippies) unfortunately homework would win.

Sorry to be a party pooper and all that.

WARNING: It's going to be COLD!

Just so everyone knows: It will be in the 30's before our game even starts.

Time to break out the long underwear and heavy jackets, people.

Also, if everyone chips in a dollar or two, we can probably bribe Rebecca into making us some cookies. This would have the twofold benefit of providing both cookies and heat from the oven.

Pregame Memo

Sorry for the lateness of the recap, but plan on meeting at my place around 7 p.m on Tuesday night. As usual, we might play boardgames instead.

I would appreciate it if we could all come to the meeting knowing whether or not we'll be in town next week, what with Thanksgiving and all.

Ciao!

Session 5 recap

The party began last session at Blimpleton, a small town in faerie. After gearing up, Leonore made acquaintance with Barrolan, a most unusual and Probably entirely legitimate clothier.

After haveing been supplied, the party set forth into the wilderness and, after Leonore realized she was out of weed, came upon the grove or Renard, elven God of Mirth and Merriment, during their travels.

Renard took their arrival and appearance to be most droll. He turned Tiggerbottoms into a frog for insolence, and after being wowed by a powerful and exceedingly improbable spell cast by Leonore, has agreed to take the party wheresoever they wish, within the confines of his power*.

*This will most likely end up being the Renardian Temple closest to Junix.

Your thoughts?

Just lettin' ye all know I won't be able to make session on the 25th on account of Thanksgiving break an' all that. See you Tuesday!

Pregame Memo

Hey all,

Thanks to Danny and James, who came over for some Camelot on Saturday. We'll be playing at the usual time and place. Call before you come over.

Exactly what we'll be playing is not set in stone. Weigh in with your thoughts in comments.

Also: Tuesday is Rocky Horror, so James and I and anyone else who plans on coming will be leaving around 11.

See you then! hope everyone had a good weekend!

Game night on Saturday?

I've got next to nothing going on this Saturday and was wondering if a few of us could get together for some board games/Baron Munchausen.

I know it's a bit underhanded, but playing board games on Saturday will make it much more fun for me to DM next Tuesday!

EDIT: Hypothetically, this gathering might start at 4:00 p.m.-abouts, if anyone is interested.

Session 4 Recap

The session began with the party healing up and then leaving the castle. After hours and hours of walking, the came to a crossroad, used it to "peek" at the real world, and then talked about where they should go from there.

After deciding to walk to Blimpleton, a town in Faerie, they became inexplicably lost. It wasn't long before they encounter a man on horseback who appeared to be in a great hurry. Soon after, it became apparent that he was being chased by some Wild Elves mounted on Unicorns. After a charming diversion with these elves, the party proceeded onward and with the aid of a helpful sprite, found Blimpleton, where the party decided to go shopping.

How do your characters see it?

Also, don't forget to level up to level 3 in time for next week!

If you have any input on how the campaign has been shaping up, feel free to email me or post in documents. However, before commenting on the tenor of the game, keep in mind that one of the principle characters is a drug-addict and another is named after some Vulcan-sex-frenzy-thing. I use what I got, people.

Abscene on Tuesday

Hey guys,

Just a reminder (I had forgot to mention it on Saturday) that I will not be able to attend tomorrow. If you want, Leonore can just cast a spell on herself which causes her to disappear to some random place, or whatever. It doesn't matter to me. Have fun guys! And I'll see you next week.

Cash and Guns Expansion CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP

The expansion for Cash and Guns is currently available at One Eyed Jacques's ebay store for a pretty good price.

This isn't something I'd ordinarily buy, but since the game is so popular in our group I think we could have an arrangement where a couple of group members share the cost with me. By splitting the cost, we could get Yakuza really cheaply and everyone could enjoy it.

You can read more about the particulars of the expansion here.

Regarding Saturday

Right now I anticipate hosting the entire group sans Mike B. This event is officially BYOB, as I am broke like a joke. So, bring your favorite drink or whatever you can afford! I encourage sharing, of course.

We start around 3:30, break whenever people have to leave, and maybe order pizza somewhere in between. Bring cash if you support Proposition Pizza.

It would be nice if people brought over some new games to play.

On a final note, we will be playing at least one round of Baron Munchausen.

Session 3 Recap

In last night's session, the Orphanauts (sigh) explored the ruins of the small keep they discovered at the conclusion of the last session. After discovering a small shrine, they decided to split up.

One team, comprised of Panzoo, Leonore, Artland (who recently and mysteriously returned), and Leif. After contending with a difficult staircase, they entered a mysterious room lit with blue fire. They would find that the room was inhabited by Burning Eye, a Will-o-the-Wisp dedicated to Boccob. After a short but riveting exchange, Burning Eye made Leif into a cleric of Boccob and gifted them with a few bows.

The other team, comprised of Joseph and Pon Farr, elected to explore the castle beyond a heavy stone door. After Pon Farr negotiated the door, they found a long corridor that terminated in a small wooden door. The two bravely plunged forward, overcame a great number of traps, and for their efforts gained a small amount of gold.

Thoughts?

Undead, part 2

The creation of incorporeal undead (ghosts, wraiths, shadows, etc.) is poorly understood. As a group, they are commonly grouped together and referred to as Spirits, although there are several distinct varieties of monster within this group, each possessing different abilities.

Current theory holds that Spirits are the psychic remnants of strong-willed creatures who died before they were ready. As such, they can’t depart the world, but they also have limited ability to influence the world, and thus finish whatever business keeps them on Terra. In particular, those disposed toward Sorcery or Psionics tend to become Spirits more often than those who are not.

This, of course, only adds to the mystique of such individuals and has given rise to any number of ridiculous superstitions. One group of peasants was found to ritualistically kill all Sorcerers they could find by excoriation, for example, because they believed those killed in such a way couldn’t return to plague them in death. Any failure on the part of these rituals is usually blamed on the incompetence of the agents performing them and the anger of the Gods. This is ironic, due to the fact that individuals killed in this way are far more likely to become angry spirits in undeath than if they were dispatched in a more humane way or, pray forbid, allowed to go about their business and expire due to natural causes.
Spirits are very rare and widely feared, as it is very difficult to destroy an incorporeal spirit. Some can be dispatched with magic, but others practically indestructible. Clerics can banish spirits, but clerics of sufficient skill and power to do this are very rare.

Although the vast majority of spirits are evil and psychotically insane, some aren’t. These non-evil spirits are usually a being too concerned with a quest to rest, even in death, before its completion, a protector who elects to remain on Terra in the defense of a sacred or personally significant area, or one of the so-called “Ghost Sages”—a deathless and eternal advisor in service to a noble house or powerful church.

The longer a spirit remains on Terra, the more detached from the living it becomes. For this reason even some initially good spirits end up going crazy. Most good or neutral spirits sense this detachment before it becomes debilitating and leave before they become a liability to their charge. Evil spirits, on the other hand, are usually too obsessed with whatever is keeping them on Terra to notice their sanity slowly slipping away. In fact, the process of degradation seems to be accelerated in evil creatures, so that within a few years the spirit has forgotten all details of its former life, lost any remaining visage of its former appearance, and even the ability to speak more than a handful of words.

In game terms, the unusual status of undead on Terra means that clerics can’t turn non-incorporeal undead. Instead, they choose an ability from those listed in Dragon 353 pp 88-89, and retain the ability to turn Spirits, a subtype that happens to include all incorporeal undead. Clerics retain the ability to channel spells into cure or inflict spella.

Next Update: Something useful for creating replacement characters!

Dress warmly

Because my apartment has baseboard electric heating, which is slightly less effective at keeping one warm than no heating apparatus at all. The lights will do a little to improve this, as will the body heat of 6 guys, but I still advise sweaters.

Pregame Memorandum

We'll try to start as close to 7:30 as possible. I'd say 7:00, but I know that even if everyone turns up on time, they'll be at least a little dawdling.

Anyway, show up as close to 7:00 as you can, but don't stress if you're a little late. We'll resume our campaign this week, play until about 11:00, and then adjourn for a Board Game or three.

Finally, last week we spoke together of doing a board game night this Saturday, the 25. Post in comments if you're still interested in attending or need to cancel. We'll be discussing the particulars at the table on Tuesday. James and I are playing Scrabble with the Literati at the Monroe Park Festival until at least three, so I'm thinking we'll have a late afternoon/early evening start time.

Undead, part 1.

Hey Guys, in honor of Halloween, I'm going to publish some articles on how undead are used by the campaign setting. Let me know what you think.

Intro

On Terra (the name of the campaign setting, if you’ve forgotten), undead are creatures created by alchemy rather than by rituals carried out by priests of evil gods. This means that being undead in and of itself isn’t Evil, although the process of becoming undead often drives the subject psychotically insane or robs the subject of free will, which often leaves the creature open to becoming a pawn of whatever evil influence he or she should come under.

Creation

Most undead are created intentionally through a variety of alchemical techniques and treatments the trigger the transformation. Compared to other esoteric knowledge, the formulae needed to achieve transformation are relatively easy to acquire and implement. This leads to a depressingly large and regular occurrence of undead on Terra. For example, the Skull King of Barrenton once raised an army by poisoning a well with a water-based treatment he had created himself. Half the world away and several years later, the Demon Oni-Kiro released a vaporous treatment potent enough to turn every creature with 5 miles into a zombie within a matter of hours (including Oni-Kiro, in this case).
As already mentioned, subjects often become psychotic during the process of zombification. Some also mutate unexpectedly, leading to a variety of interesting results. For example, some zombies become supernaturally strong, while others grow fangs or extra arms. In general, 1% of all undead mutate during transformation. These mutations are in fact what gives rise to Vampirism, Ghoulism, and other specialized forms of undeath. Often these specialized forms have ways of perpetuating themselves without alchemical means, which is unfortunate because the science of alchemy has yet to produce a reliable way of creating these specialized creatures and the world would be relatively free of them, but for their ability to reproduce.

Quirks and Habits

Undead are susceptible to suggestion for the first few minutes after they transform. During this period, they imprint tend to imprint on a face, much in the same way a baby bird does, and thereafter follow its commands. However, as Derrik the Dread Terror of Knotwood Forest found out, such a bond can be broken if the zombies’ natural instincts are not sated often and well. This bond can also be subverted by way of a clever disguise or illusory magic. With the right tools, it is not hard to convince a zombie you are its master. Zombies given contradictory orders or who find themselves in the presence of two identical masters usually become uncontrollably insane. Undead who have no master usually pursue their instinct to feed and kill as best they can. However, there have been cases of individual zombies regaining some sense of self when strongly presented with evidence of their previous life. Most are totally unreachable, however.

Next Article: Incorporeal Undead!

Panzoo!!

Hey guys, I just finished typing up a .doc formalizing Panzoo's mechanics. I know this doesn't directly pertain to anybody but Robin, but I thought the group might get a kick out of it, and also that it would serve as an example of how far I'm willing to go with supplemental material when it fits an interesting (or amusing, in Leonore's case) concept.

Panzoo!!
Basic stats:
Initiative: +0
Senses: low-light vision; Listen and Spot +1
Languages: Capable of producing R2-D2 squeaks and other plant noises. Leonore is the only one who can understand Panzoo—and even then, it might be the drugs…
Armor Class: 13, touch 10, flat-footed 13 (+3 natural)
HP: 13 (1d8 + 5)
Immune: mind-affecting attacks, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning, crits, sneak attacks.
Saves (as fighter)
Fort: +4
Ref: +0
Will: +0
Speed: 30 feet.
Melee: slam +1 (1d4 + 1)
Space: 5ft. Reach: 5ft.
Base Att: +0, Grp: +0
Abilities
Strength 12
Dexterity 10
Constitution 14
Intelligence 2
Wisdom 10
Charisma 10
Feats: Toughness
Skills: Hide +1 (+5 in wilderness), Listen +1, Move Silent +1, Spot +1.

Abilities: Rather than level up in the traditional way, Panzoo has the ability to evolve new abilities and skills. To do this, Leonore selects an ability when she levels up, except those levels where Panzoo manifests an ability. After this choice is made, there is a delay before the ability manifests lasting one or more levels. The more powerful the ability, the longer it takes to manifest. After 6th level, Leonore may forgo a feat in order to give Panzoo another evolved ability. This functions the same as when Leonore is leveling up, except that instead of measuring the delay in levels, it is measured in bonus feats.
Alacrity: Panzoo may take an additional attack during a full attack at its highest attack bonus. 2 level delay.
Allergens: Panzoo may, as a standard action, emit a 10 foot-raidus cloud of red spores that cause a violent allergic reaction in most creatures and grants concealment to all those inside. Such creatures suffer a 20% chance of losing their action for the turn. The cloud disperses in 1d4 rounds and Panzoo must wait 5 turns before using this ability again. 2level delay.
Bioluminescent: Panzoo glows as a torch. You may lower or raise this ability as a standard action. 1 level delay.
Blindsight: Panzoo gains blindsight out to 30 feet. 2 level delay.
Blunting Mold: All slashing or piercing damage is reduced by half. 3 level delay.
Bonus Feat: Panzoo gains a bonus feat. 1 level delay.
Thorns: Panzoo deals +1 damage while making a slam attack and deals piercing damage. It also deals 1d3 damage to any creature striking it with a natural weapon or unarmed strike. It also may launch these spines as a standard action. These spines have a range increment of 30 feat and deal 1d3 plus half strength modifier. 2 level delay.
Darkvision: Panzoo gains darkvision out to 60 feet. 1 level delay.
Eldritch Fibers: Panzoo gains Spell Resistance equal to 10 + HD. Also, his attacks are considered magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Growth Spurt: Panzoo grows to Large size. As a result, his reach extends to 10 feet, he occupies 10 feet of space, his natural attacks increase a die size, he gains a +8 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, a -2 penalty to Dexterity, a +2 bonus to natural armor, and a -1 size penalty to AC and attacks. You must select Powerful twice before choosing this ability. 3 level delay.
Ironbark: Panzoo natural armor increases by +3. You must select Powerful once before choosing this ability. 2 level delay.
Mirrored Bark: The surface of Panzoo becomes highly reflective, giving him a +2 Armor Bonus against ranged attacks and +2 bonus on reflex saves.
Oakenbough: Panzoo’s STR and CON scores increase by 2. 2 level delay.
Poisonous: Attacks delivered by Panzoo are laced with a mild poison. This poison causes an effected creature to become confused (as spell) for 1 round if it fails a DC 15 Fort Save.
Powerful: Panzoo gains 1 HD (d8, good fort save, ¾ BAB, 2 skill points). 1 level delay.
Roots: Panzoo gains fast healing 1. 3 level delay.
Scent: Panzoo gains the scent ability, which allows him to identify creatures and objects by scent as most creatures do by sight. 1 level delay.
Sticky Sap: Panzoo oozes a strong adhesive that, properly processed, goes great on sausages, pancakes, and eggs. When an opponent hits Panzoo with a melee attack, they must make an opposed Strength check with Panzoo, who gets a +4 bonus on this check. If Panzoo wins the opponent (if striking unarmed or with a natural weapon)or his weapon (if striking with a melee weapon) is stuck to him. You may remove the weapon as a move action, but anyone else must make an opposed strength check to remove it. 5 level delay.
Swift: Panzoo’s speed increases by 10 feet. 2 level delay.
Tendrils: Panzoo’s reach doubles. 2 level delay.
Tremorsense: Panzoo gains tremorsense out to 60 feet. 1 level delay.

C'mon guys!

I know everyone is busy, but how about some more comments under the recap?

Session 2 Recap

After braving the Hidden Forest, the party rested in Shawna's hut for 10 days, recuperating from their wounds and basking in the small victory they had achieved. At the end of that time, they spoke with Tawna about where they were going, what they would do, etc.

Hearing that you all were going to pursue Junix the Kingmaker, she proposed a bargain: she could help speed the party on their way, but in return, the party would have to find another guardian to take over for the ailing Tawna. Everyone agreed and a bargain was struck. In exchange for the group's pledge, Tawna gave up an Elysium Stone. This stone, a flat, fist-sized, triangular stone had a spiral carved into one side of it. Tawna explained that the stone had the power to summon a portal into Faerie, the magical realm of the fey, where it would be possible to travel much more quickly than by walking the "real" world.

In addition to this, Tawna gave the group several tokens of Goodwill, an rusty old axe, a book detailing the life of Hurrukh the Invincible, a burlap bag full of Devilgrass, and something for Joseph Tiggerbottoms that I can't remember. And a Deck of Illusions.

At this point Joseph, annoyed with Tawna, berated her for not giving him a bow. She turned him into a frog.

Leonora, now hairless from her adventures in the Hidden Forest, tried to dispel the enchantment using magic. Everyone braced themselves.

While the spell didn't reverse the enchantment, it did cause JOseph to sprout wings, leaving him--at the moment--a winged bullfrog.

While the rest discussed the journey, Joseph slipped out to test his wings. He flew high, and spied a group of 3 men on horseback following the group's trail to Tawna's. He flew back and tried to warn them, but he was, alas, a frog, and could not speak.

When the others finally heard the approaching men, Leonora tried another spell. Luck prevailed again, and she summoned a Forcecage around the group.

Helpless in the cage, two of the men surrendered their gear while the leader of the group, a mountain of a man clad in full plate and armed with a warhammer, refused. Leif took this to mean he should throw rocks at him, which led to an unfortunate alignment shift and subsequent loss of cleric powers.

Equipped thus, the group proceeded south in search of a crossroad, where they could use their Elysium stone to enter Faerie. They made camp and rested after a few hours of travel, where they were beset by a gang of goblins. After fending them off, the group found a crossroad, used the stone, and entered Faerie.

Once in the twilight forest of Faerie, they walked until encountering a light blinking in the woods off the path. Leonora investigated and found the ruins of a castle, which the party began to explore. The session ended after discovering an abandoned chapel.

Okay, that's the official report. As last time, some details are omitted, because I'd like to get your characters' perspective on the session. Post in comments, please.

Some concerns:

1. Mike W, you are new to the group, so you may be unaware of my policy regarding evil PCs. Simply stated: nobody is allowed to be one. I'll give Pon Farr a short grace period wherein he will reform or leave the party. Also, do not lie about what your character is doing or why he is doing it. Although this happens without consequence, it is exceedingly annoying.

2. Mike B, you will have a chance to return to NG alignment next game.

3. Everyone: we may be switching game night to another day of the week. We'll discuss this at the beginning of next week's session. Right now I think the only contender is Wednesday.

That's it! Have a good week guys, I'll see you next Tuesday at 7.

Dustin's Out

Due to our disagreement, Dustin has decided to leave our group. I've removed his blog access and will be removing him from my email list. If you'd like to play with him in the future, hold onto his email.

I understand that I may have overreacted to his continued foolishness, but I do not regret a single word of what I wrote, his decision to leave, or the time he spent in our group.

I do not know if this his departure will lead to any others, which is why I'm posting this. I have no plans on reconciling with Dustin. If this means that you're out too (whomever you are), post in comments.

Pre-Game Happy Hour At Home Team?

Home Team Grill, that restaurant a block away from my apartment, has a half-off burger night on Tuesdays. Also, their Happy Hour starts runs 4-7.

Anybody interested in doing a pre-game dinner there? Their basic burger is seven bucks, so that and a draft beer would run you 5.50 + tip.

I know several of our members have classes until almost seven, so I guess this is directed at Danny, Robin, and Dustin.

James and I will be there on Tuesday, anyway.

Session 1 Recap

After finding yourselves liberated from the town's dungeon, the party walked south, so that they could wash and fish at a nearby river. In a field of wildflowers abutting the river, they hunted pig and fished for trout. They also came across some dead goblins pickling a mysterious pool of acid.

Fearing that a dragon might be nearby, the party decided to leaver, and so began walking east along the northern bank of the river. A road arced onto their path, and then arced off again. The party decided not to follow the road and stuck to the river. Then the terrain became marshy and bad for traveling, so they decided to head north and visit a friendly witch Leonor knew.

After several hours of walking, the party arrived at the Hidden Forest of Lady Tawna, the aforementioned witch. Tawna took them in, but in return they had to do her a favor: recover her favorite pipe, which had been stolen by a leprechaun a few days before.

The next day, they set off inside the forest. After an encounter with a monstrous viper and a panther, they defeated the leprechaun and returned to Tawna's hut.

That's the official report. I'd be curious to see how you guys (and your characters) remember last night's game.

Campaign Backstory

Three nights ago, the skies above the little village in which you live were thick with falling stars. It was a spectacle like nothing anyone had ever seen before. For hours, the smallfolk of the village gazed out on the heavens with a newfound sense of wonder. For a short time, everyone, those who work; those who pray; and even those who fight, were united in the reverence for Coming of the Comets.

Among the field of stars, one burned brighter and flew faster than all the rest. Unlike all the other stars, this one had a name: Junix, known in the common tongue as Kingmaker. Before he died, Norman the Prophet, the last seer of Nerath, foretold that whoever claimed that star where it fell would rule the world. And so it was not merely a star everyone looked at that night, but destiny.

The starry-eyed wonder came to a crashing halt, however, as fate sent a falling star into the village. The falling star struck and burned Moradin All-Father’s House for Wayward Youth to the ground. The place had long been a haven for the village’s most unsavory youth. While many perished in the fire, a handful escaped with their lives and a few possessions. Among these were a drug addict, a half-orc, a novice scout, a pair of orphans, and an acolyte of Moradin.

The town didn’t exactly care for these outcasts to begin with, and some whispered that the falling star was no less than divine judgment on the sinners who dwelled within, but most helped put out the fire, grieved with the survivors, and planned to rebuild.

That was when they found the Wayward House’s Secret Room.
Amid the ashes of the building’s foundation, the villagers found a dungeon, a bloodstained alter, and tiny skeletons. Their passions enflamed by this discovery, they locked up the survivors in their lord’s dungeon, and asked their lord to pass judgment on them.

For a day and a night the lord contemplated the fate of those who survived the Wayward House. It had long stood as a force for good in the community, taking in those who could find no shelter elsewhere. However, when a lynch mob formed at the castle’s gates and would not disperse the lord had no choice but to bring those accused to trial. But when the lord called his jailer to bring the accused to trial, they were no longer there. It was as though they had vanished into thin air.

When the common folk heard this, they raged, now utterly convinced of the survivors’ guilt. Some even decided to leave the village and look for them, claiming it was a holy quest to bring demon-worshipers to justice and that they would not rest until the bones of the Wayward House were avenged.
Deep in the shadows of the dungeon, a stranger came for you. He offered to get you out of the village and you reluctantly agreed. Though you did not know the man, he took you through the secret passages of the castle until you emerged, unscathed, at the village’s edge.

Your benefactor left you then. Without anything else to do or anywhere to go, you’ve all decided to strike out and claim Junix for yourself.

Character backgrounds

Here's a place to post your character's background story and other stuff. How old they are, what they look like, how they became orphaned, the reason for their vocation, why the like delivering meat so much...

Campaing Blog now available as an RSS feed

I've opened the blog so that anyone can read it now. This means that you can also click on the little RSS icon (an orange square with curved white lines inside) and subscribe to the blog as RSS feed.

Stat Gen Rules

As I mentioned to Dustin in an email earlier today, Players will use 32-point standard point buy rules to make their characters.

Here's the twist: I'll let you barter points for special abilities. As a rule, nothing that increases your ability scores (you are paying build points, after all). But other than that nothing is off the table. Nothing. Here's how these exchanges will go.

Player: I want my character to be really lucky. How many points will it take for my character to have 3 rerolls a day?

Tom: X points.

Player: How about Y?

Tom: okay...but only 2 rerolls, not 3.

Player: Deal!

First Campaign Map

You know what's AWESOME about this map? There's two versions, but you only get to see one. HAHA.

Download Map .jpg

Keep two things in mind:

1) You want to go East (right) across the map.
2) There is no right or wrong way. There are, however, easier and harder ways.

Setting the Mood

A couple of fairy tales to read, one for strength and one for wisdom.

Just putting it out there...

Would anyone be interested in rolling d6 to determine starting level? I mean individually.

I'm inspired by old squaresoft RPGs that would often feature more experienced characters fighting alongside lower level ones.

Of course, those same video games were made on the assumption of one player controlling all characters and were more easily balanced than today's D&D.

I think that if we did it, higher level characters would have responsibilities to the lower level ones, but I'm not quite certain of what those responsibilities would be.

Thoughts?

Character plans

A post for sharing character plans if anyone wants. Drop 'em in the comments.

I'll be making mine tonight, will comment when settled.

Feat Folio and Houserules now available for download

I've uploaded two versions of the feat folio (identical, but the .rtf has some fancies like a watermark) to Rapidshare. I've also uploaded this campaign's house rules, including the Bells of Fortune rules. Here are the links:

.rtf Feat Folio
.doc Feat Folio
.doc House Rules

So are we doing E6? 'cause Tall Mike mentioned that but may have just been crazy.

Also, have swashbuckler, scout, and favored soul already been approved, or just been mentioned as potentially approvable?