Character Creation

[Black Plauge]

So, what are people thinking of playing?

I'm not one to put restrictions on what people can play, but I will say this: your characters will be starting the game on a boat at sea, so you'll need a reason for being there but you can't be any of the ship's officers (though you can be crew if you like).

Characters will start the game at 1st level (i.e. you get 1 class level if your race has LA+HD of 3, none if it has LA+HD of 4), but I plan to level everyone to 2nd fairly quickly.

[Fulmen]

Ok, I'm thinking this would be a cool opportunity to play a swashbuckler. If not, I will be going either Rogue or Ranged Fighter. I'm a bit confused on the 1st level stuff. You say:

Characters will start the game at 1st level (i.e. you get 1 class level if your race has LA+HD of 3, none if it has LA+HD of 4), but I plan to level everyone to 2nd fairly quickly.

Does that mean we are ECL 4? Like if we choose a base race are we 4th Level or will we still only be level 1?

[Benicus]

If we are ECL 4 I think I will go with an Aasimar Orc Shugenja. Maybe :)

[Grognard]

All races are Ecl 4 in Dunya.Even humans(stat bonuses extra feats etc).Plan to play a meat-sheild myself.Plague,I would like to play a Troll,doing a work-up on your lines and will post in races for you to pick apart.

[Grognard]

Cancel races,subsitute revision discussion(cannot access races).

[Linklegacy77]

Awww, I wanted to play a crusader!

Hmmmm, maybe an incarnate? Or possibly a Soulknife.

[Black Plauge]

cannot access races
You mean in the House Rules or World Info subforum?

House Rules is mechanics only and you should be able to read it, but only I can post to it. That's because all mechanics must go through me.

World Info is supposed to be public, so you should be able to both read and post there. Editting privilages haven't been added yet, but I'l ask the admins about getting that enabled.

[Benicus]

OK now that I look at banned races/classes I guess I will go something else.

Probably orc ranger.

[Grognard]

So noted

[omni-roach]

If we are ECL 4 I think I will go with an Aasimar Orc Shugenja. Maybe :)

Hah! It helps to look over the houserule info before getting a character concept in mind as it doesn't shoot down anyone's ego. :dead:

Anyway, I'm not sure what I want to play at this exact moment. I'll try to find something that interests me in the near future.

[Fulmen]

Ok, I'm playing a Thri-kreen for sure. Not sure on the class yet, though I am leaning towards Fighter or Ninja at the moment.

[Linklegacy77]

Awww, I was going to be a thri-kreen crusader.

lol.

[Fulmen]

Well, you can still be a Thri-kreen. That would just mean there would be 2 of us :?

[Grognard]

So far I count 4! meatshields.Guess where this game is going.

[Benicus]

What can I say, hitting stuff is fun!

[Grognard]

Aargh,slaver,raven,um er.So BP whats chargen.

[Linklegacy77]

I'm willing to play something different, such as a psion, or perhaps erudite.

[Grognard]

Good idea.Think I'll play PW then as they can function as second-rate clerics from fourth.Um eighth argh,fourth class.

[Black Plauge]

So BP whats chargen.
If you're referring to ability score generation, you have a choice:

1) 4d6 drop low, six times, arrange as you please. To use this option you'll use the roll tags here on the forum and only get a reroll under the conditions outlined in the PHB (sum of modifiers is 0 or less or no single roll is over 13).

2) 28 point buy using the rules in the DMG

You cannot decide to roll and then switch to point buy if you don't like your rolls unless your rolls were poor enough to qualify you for a reroll.

[Fulmen]

I will be usings the rolling method. Here it goes!

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

[Fulmen]

Wow, that turned out quite nicely.

[Benicus]

*Drum roll*

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

[Benicus]

Ummm...suck much?

Re-roll!


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

[Grognard]

Rolling
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

[Grognard]

Hey i got an 18!Final rolls 18,9,10,15,10,13.

[Linklegacy77]

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

[Linklegacy77]

I can live with that. 42 point buy equivalent.

[Black Plauge]

You know, Grognard, you could have had the boards do the math related to taking the best 3 by writing 4d6b3 instead of just 4d6 and then having to go back and check it yourself.

Oh, and Benicus, were it not for the 16, I would say that is the worst set of rolls I have ever seen.

[Grognard]

Gimme a break,did that at 02h00 local.Happy enuf to remember dice roll under those conditions.

[Benicus]

Well at least I achieved the most memorable mediocrity of this game :)

What character sheet do you want us to use BP if any?

[omni-roach]

You often achieve some form of memorable mediocrity, Ben.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

[omni-roach]

Just one 9? I was almost afraid that it would be less than that. These dice rollers can be pretty heartless, after all.

[Black Plauge]

To start, make one up that looks like the one for the other characters from the old game. Each character gets a seperate thread and different parts of the character are in each post.

[Black Plauge]

Moderator privlages have been granted for the World Info sub-forum. You are all free to edit posts within it now as you see fit.

[Grognard]

hp [roll0]

[Grognard]

First draft up.Background later(not finished).Let me know on my query points please BP.

[Benicus]

I'll try getting my character up by Monday since I have a extended weekend but also a wrestling tournament :) .

EDIT: Wrestling Tourney canceled, quite bummed out, posting a char up probably tomorrow.

[Benicus]

Mechanical aspect of my character is done but my internet connection is giving out so I'll have to finish the background and the rest of his equipment tomorrow.

[Linklegacy77]

I'll have mine up shortly, I've just been busy.

[Linklegacy77]

I think I might go with the crusader anyway (backup healing, good fighting, etc.)

I wanted to play a tank to begin with, but oh well.

We need something else more, so I might play an ardent.

[Black Plauge]

Okay, I wasn't expecting such detail to character mechanics so quickly, so there's a few things I need to mention:

XP: Your characters have 0 XP and will need 1000 XP to go upto level 2. I.e. for the purposes of calculating XP, the three racial levels that you all have don't count.

Starting Equipment: Each of your characters starts with 500 gp worth of equipment. As with XP, your racial levels don't count when computing what your wealth should be. Also, since there are no magical items, I expect that characters will end up with far less wealth than the chart in the DMG states is appropriate for their level. That, or the wealth will end up in less portable forms (land, merchant rights, retainers, etc.). We'll see how this develops as the game goes on.

Also, remember that your characters are starting on a ship at sea. This may change the kinds of equipment that you want.

Language: Don't forget the house rules concerning languages (http://online-roleplaying.com/forums/showpost.php?p=160307&postcount=5). I expect all of your characters to share at least 1 language in common (though some characters may only be passable in that language). The language that you all share will determine the nationality of the ship you are on. I.e. if you all decide that dwarf is your common language, then you'll be on a dwarven ship.

[Tashalar]

Dwarven... ships?

You sure, BP?


...

What... submarines? :roll:

*hurries back out of the thread*

[Black Plauge]

*mutters something incomprehensible about invaders*

It was just an example.

[Linklegacy77]

Hrrm.... what about psionic items?

[Black Plauge]

Nope. None of those either. There are no magic items of any kind, regardless of what magic system they use.

[Benicus]

Ok I'll edit my character according then, and get a background up sometime today :)

[omni-roach]

Sorry about my shoddy posting. I will work on my character this weekend and have it up by wednesday at the latest.

What was everyone playing again? I was thinking about playing a Lizardfolk Barbarian, unless someone else has laid claims on a fighter-type class.

[Benicus]

Lol I think just about all of us are fighter types :)

[Grognard]

Background up.As fat as language goes BP char does speak some Human which I figure for the lingua franca,if not well I have a translator in retinue.Please tell me what I eat.

[Fulmen]

Hey, I'm still here. School got started up though so I don't have my character up yet. Expect it within the next few days though.

[Black Plauge]

if not well I have a translator in retinue
So long as you can afford him.

Please tell me what I eat.
Since you're the one playing the centaur, why don't you tell me? Players do get to decide such details of the world, after all.

[Grognard]

Thought it might already have been set.Ok then.omnivoure.Will retain the secondary stomach from a practical point of view.

[Linklegacy77]

Grognard, sorry to ask, but could you please try to put a space in between the period at the end of each sentence and the first letter of the next sentence? I'm not trying to be a jerk, it's just a little hard to read.

[omni-roach]

Sorry guys, but I think I may have to drop the game. Life seems to be a little confusing right now, and I think I'll just stick with the slower games I am already participating in. I will be stalking this game every now and then, and may ask to join up again when things calm down.

[Grognard]

Feel free to ask, Link. I know I am a noob at this(PbP). Any other conventions you can think of? (That "everybody knows").

[Linklegacy77]

Nah, thanks though, that's much better.

[Benicus]

Hmm, BP what do you think of tribal status in the orc slave world? I was thinking of how the orcs would be affected by their enslavement by the ogres since they are still in their homeland and would be very tied to that land still, and probably wouldn't have degenerated their clans yet.

Just a random thought.

[Black Plauge]

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking about. Could you try clarifying your thoughts.

[Benicus]

I was thinking about how clans would work with the orcs being enslaved. Like, would different clans get special treatment/jobs from the ogres, etc.

[Black Plauge]

No one's really tried to detail that part of ogre/orc society so it's really open for you to make it how you want it. I do know that imperial countries like England would regularly do such things in their colonies in order to maintain control over them. In general, minority populations would be given positions of relative power and privilige to endebt them to the forgien rulers and help guarnuntee their loyalty (since they'd lose such positions should the majority come to power). If that's the kind of thing that you want to incorporate into the culture, feel free.

[Benicus]

Cool, I was thinking of detailing it something like the apartheid in South Africa. All the orcs are enslaved, some of them know this (quarry workers, laborers, etc.) some are blinded (people given special treatment; magistrates, warriors, etc.), and none of them have any real power.

[Black Plauge]

That would certainly be interesting. Feel free to write up your ideas and put them in the World Info forum so that others can take it into account when necessary.

If you need to, feel free to reorganize, create new, edit, or otherwise modify the World Info forum to make it fit. That is, after all, why I gave all of you moderator powers.

[Black Plauge]

Link: how about posting your character?

Fulmen: Equipment? Background? Etc. You basically need to flesh out the skeleton that those stats provide and make them into a full character. Also, you'll need to reallocate your skill point expenditures a bit so that you speak the lingua franca of the party (looks to be human at this point, but you can fight over that with your party members).

Grognard: In you're abilities, "App"? What's that? Do you mean Cha?
Based on what has been written thus far, centaurs and human are native to the same continent and thus a journey to the human lands for a centaur would be an overland one, not a ship voyage. Also, can you explain the math behind your hierling expenditures to me? The math I'm doing isn't quite adding up.

Benicus: You've got one too many feats. At 4 HD you should only have 2. You'll get your 3rd at 5 HD. You also haven't spent your +1 ability score boost for having 4 HD.

All of you should also decide just how much contact you've had with each other during the voyage as we'll be starting the campaign roughly two haftas into the trip.

[Linklegacy77]

Sorry, I'll get to work on it as soon as I can.

[Benicus]

Got it BP, thanks for point that out.

[Grognard]

Ja. meant Cha. As far as travel goes, sea travel is faster and easier on the hooves. (And you did specify it). The hirelings are vanilla, daily of (eg 1sp) times 30 days = monthly wage (3gp). I will recalc pay by the ay (48) I think, might as well use the local timekeeping.

[Grognard]

Coms in the trip:- Teliq is trying to improve his Human, so will be talking to anyone interested.

[Benicus]

Gel will be friendly and open to new people, since he hasn't seen anyone but orcs and ogres his whole life, but mostly he will be fishing off the side of the ship during the day and drinking at night.

[Black Plauge]

As far as travel goes, sea travel is faster and easier on the hooves.
Okay.

I think where my issue lies then, is that there is some conflict between back stories here.

Gel is an orc, recently escaped from captivity. Given the current map of racial homelands (which is not set in stone, by the way) that means he comes from Mór-thir originally. If he fled starways (up on the maps posted) then his likely port of departure is Kikötõ in the kobold lands, as that is the main port in that direction. If he fled sunways, then he'll have departed from some troglodyte port. Either way, he's looking at a major trans-oceanic voyage.

Teliq, on the other hand, comes from Kýta and is headed for a port on Kýta. Thus, he's most likely on a coastal vessel which makes trips between the various ports of Kýta.

You see my dilemma? I need you (Grognard) and Benicus to harmonize your back stories so that you're on the same ship. I'm not real particular on how you do it (move racial homelands around, change the reason for one or both character's voyage, whatever), I'm just looking for something that works well together.

[Benicus]

Maybe the centaur was in the kobold lands for some reason?

[Grognard]

Works for me. Teliq took a contract in the Kobold lands in order to consult the surgeons there and is now headed centre-ward.

[Linklegacy77]

I will be editing the dwarves in the world, if that's okay.

[Black Plauge]

I don't think we have a dwarves write-up yet, but of course it's okay. That is why you have moderator privlages to the World Info forum.

[Black Plauge]

Still waiting on characters to be finished up (Link and Fulmen).

Oh, and Grognard, if you could note your changed back story in the appropriate places in your character thread. It'll help me remember.

Benicus, you still have a magical item amongst your equipment. Get rid of it.

[Benicus]

Oh the everburning torch? Sorry. (And if it takes a while to edit out, just note that I am currently having internet connection issues)

[Black Plauge]

Thank you Benicus and Grognard for finishing your characters.

Link and Fulmen, consider this a friendly kick in the pants to get your's done.

Even if the characters aren't finished up, expect the first IC thread to be posted on Monday. Barring any unforseen circumstances there won't be any combat in it, so the lack of a complete set of stats for Fulmen's character won't create an immediate train wreck.

[Linklegacy77]

Story will up by tomorrow at the latest.

My apologies for the delays.

[Black Plauge]

Link, could you please [url=http://online-roleplaying.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8810]color code[/color] your last statement so that I know what language it is in. If it's in a language for which a color has not yet been selected, than pick one and add it too the list.

Also, while using phonetic spellings to indicate how an accent should sound is just fine (and in fact appreciated) I'd also like you to change the font of the dialog to the font corresponding to that accent. Given the visual nature of the PBP medium, it just helps everyone really see the differences at a glance. Again, if a font hasn't been chosen for your accent, pick one and add it to the list.

[Linklegacy77]

Fixed

[Grognard]

I would like to say at this point that I have no clue how to colour-code speech. Is this vital?

[Black Plauge]

It helps everyone keep track of what language is spoken. In most cases it doesn't make that big of a difference, because everyone is speaking the same language, but there may be encounters where characters switch languages in order to keep information restricted to certain other characters. Changing colors highlights this for everyone in a way that a simple reference to the language being used in the narrative doesn't do as well.

Plus, you can have responses like Link's where you only have the text of what is said without any narration but it's still clear what language your character was using.

To color code text simply place {color=colorname} before the text and {/color} after the text, except use "[" and "]" instead of "{" and "}". Color names are listed in the languages thread in world info.

Font coding (for accents) is done similarly with a {font="font name"} and {/font} before and after the text respectively (again with "[" and "]" instead of "{" and "}").

[Grognard]

Isn't this better suited to showing mood, (charm/peruasion) Come now, We have an army whilst you have a few ragged bandits!
(intimidation) Lower pikes! or
(seduction) "whats a girl as pretty as you doing waylaying armies?"

[Black Plauge]

Color could be used to express mood, but I've found that mood is much better conveyed in either the narrative or the actual text of what is said than choice of language is. Explicit declarations of which language is being used can feel forced in a narrative in a way that explicit declarations of mood almost never do.

This is probably due to the fact that we are used to reading about mood in the narrative, but not language choice. Most novels rarely discuss what language the characters are speaking unless the author is using a language barrier as a specific plot device. On the other hand, mood is discussed frequently in literature. The way a character says something can go miles to expressing mood, as can punctuation. Take your "Lower pikes!" example. If written as "Lower pikes." (with a period instead of an exclamation point) it dramatically changes the range of emotions that might be associated with it. If I then furthermore state:
Lee sighs, "Lower pikes."
vs.
Lee yells, "Lower pikes."
I've again dramatically changed the mood just by a single word choice in the narrative. Changing languages in a narrative isn't nearly so easy or natural to read. Color thus provides a way to streamline the language change in a way that makes it obvious that the language is changing, but isn't overly intrusive.

[Grognard]

So be it.

[Black Plauge]

Since none of you have posted anything that requires me to update today, Friday's update will be to move the story along to later events. If you have something else that you wish to do or say at the dinner, or within the few gün after it, post it by Friday.

[Linklegacy77]

Nothing much to say for Vilmos.

He's angry, but he always is.

[Benicus]

Gel's just hungry. Aint much of a talker.

[Black Plauge]

I'm interested in more than just talk, but any habits you want to establish on board that would be out of the ordinary. Stuff like wearing armor (especially metal), drilling with weapons on deck, sunbathing nude, standing in the prow and yelling "I'm king of the world," on a daily basis, etc. You know, stuff like that which goes beyond the normal routine of a passenger on an ocean going sailing vessel.

[Linklegacy77]

Does avoiding everyone else count?

[Black Plauge]

Depends on how much effort you're going to put into it. If you're just going to be anti-social, no. If you're going to be down right rude, or deliberately make a point of ignoring people, then yes.