# The Genesis Man [Solo]



## Kaodi (Sep 23, 2006)

(Hopefully, a new name will get a few more entries into the ranks of the hopeful. There are a few good submissions now, but I was hoping for more. There is still five days left until I close.)

My own thread asking why solo PbP games are uncommon has somehow almost convinced me to suggest I may run a game of my own. However, my only PbP experience so far is with conversation over in Living Eberron. Oh, and I've never DMed a campaign before... So, on to the next question!

After my DM heads back home later this year, I am going to try and DM for the two remaining players, if they are up to it. When I was thinking about where I would want to have a campaign, and what kind of story and plot it would have, I came to the conclusion that I should ask them what they wanted, and try to mould it around the character concepts they came up with. So, that is the same kind of strategy I would like to use here... hence the strange, non-committal sounding thread name...

I am looking for character concepts, with enough background and story to have a few good plot hooks. I can tell you right now I am shooting for a 3rd level start (for survivability), with 28 pt. buy, slow exp progression, Core + Eberron books only, +1 LA races (with no racial HD) allowed, and I would prefer to not run a psionics based campaign, though kalashtar and empty vessels may take all of their starting levels in psionics classes if they really want to. Also, I should state that I will be choosing what magic items you receive, after you spend your starting-gold on the non-magical equipment you want. Also, there will probably be the option of owning or renting a home, though for what price I'm not sure, probably based on the prices in Sharn. Also, I hold approval over prestige classes (still Core + Eberron), which is not to say I don't like prestige classes, but just to state that I would like them to be aquired in character, not just magically appear. So, Um, Yeah...

Assuming I haven't driven you off now with images of the most terrible, stifling campaign of your entire lives... Submissions will be open until I see something with a hook that gets the juices flowing, plus a few days, to allow for something even better coming along...

Err, forgot to mention, as pertains to the XPH, feats are allowed, and classes for first levels if Kalashtar or Empty Vessel, but no XPH races. Also, I am looking for people who can post multiple times per day, the more, the better, generally.


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## Azaar (Sep 24, 2006)

Well, this sounds interesting.  I hardly would call it stifling, but I am curious about a couple of things:  what kind of campaign are you looking to run, for starters?  Intrigue and politics?  Hack and slash?  Granted, if you're wanting to start based off a character hook that we could come up with... well, I could probably put something together.  In fact... here's a couple of ideas for you to look at.

1)  Dax (CG Changeling Rogue 3:  probably take the racial substitution level from _Races of Eberron_) -- While having the typical penchant for illicit behavior that most changelings possess, Dax always wanted something more for himself.  He didn't want to simply be a nameless face in the crowd, although that certainly played to his strengths with his changeling shapechanging abilities -- no, he wanted to be the quintessential changeling.  He wanted to be a legend among his own people... a paragon, an example to other changelings as to what they could do if they were only willing to go the distance.

Future Path:  If Chameleon from _Races of Destiny_ was allowable, that would be perfect for a valid future pursuit, but I would understand completely if Chameleon wasn't allowed.  Another good possibility would be the Cabinet Trickster, especially in conjunction with Chameleon (again, assuming it would be allowable).  If not, Cabinet Trickster would still be an excellent choice.  Past that point, I am uncertain what path to pursue.

2)  Tinker (name subject to change) (NG Warforged Artificer 3:  racial substitution levels from _Races of Eberron_) -- Tinker learned the arts of the artificer before being released from servitude at the conclusion of the Last War and the Treaty of Thronehold.  Since then, Tinker has travelled Khorvaire, his curiosity fueling him to learn as much as he can.  Hearing of the mysterious lands of Xen'Drik, and how there have been discoveries of warforged components that predate the relatively recent existence of the warforged (at least so far as human history is aware), Tinker is understandably eager to undertake a Xen'Drik expedition of his own.

Future Path:  Oddly enough, I'm not certain there is a prestige class that would bolster an artificer -- as such, I'd likely leave Tinker (assuming that name isn't changed, because it's a spur-of-the-moment name and I don't really like it much) as an artificer, and take all the racial substitution levels for a warforged artificer from _Races of Eberron_.  However, it would be interesting to pursue a future goal of having an airship built, to give Tinker a mobile base of operations -- that, obviously, is going to take a long time to come to fruition, given the funds required.  Still, though, an interesting idea.

There's a couple of ideas, anyway.  Let me know if either one strikes your fancy, and I can try fleshing either character out more fully.


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## Kaodi (Sep 24, 2006)

*Type*

At worst, it will probably be a lot of hack and slash, and at best, hopefully a mix of combat, intrigue, mystery and maybe even borrow a little from horror at appropriate times. Like I said, I am new, so I don't want to give anyone the impression that there will be rivetting storyline, though I hope I can accomplish that.

Also, I should note I would prefer the Five Nations (or Four Nations), though once I get a grip on the role of DM, I would likely be happy to go anywhere in Khorvaire, and to Xen'drik. Sarlona and Argonnessen too, though I wouldn't be able to guarantee survival of more than five minutes there, hehehe... If a concept is really good though, I could start in other places in Khorvaire.

While I personally kind of like the idea of a changeling chameleon, I am going to stick to the Core, XPH, Eberron for now. I'm not trying to dis the concept, but just try to enforce my own rules, which I think is important when DMing, to be consistent.


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## Azaar (Sep 24, 2006)

Not a problem.  I was figuring I'd hear a 'no', at least on the chameleon part, and consistency is a good thing.  That doesn't bother me, though.  Although now that I look at _Five Nations_, I see something that might be interesting for a changeling rogue:  the Dark Lantern PrC (p. 69).  Something interesting to work into via story, if you're interested -- a changeling rogue in Breland who opts to serve his nation.  That might be more fun from a story perspective than trying to be an uber-changeling chameleon, actually.

I'm taking it that you seem to prefer Dax to Tink -- not that this bothers me, since I'm preferring Dax myself.  Tink, however, might be more well-rounded and self-sufficient, since as a warforged artificer he'd be able to heal himself, do a few roguish type things (mostly the trapfinding), and ought to be able to sufficiently defend himself.  But I'm certainly not going to complain, especially as Dax seems to play more to what you want to try and run.


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## Jdvn1 (Sep 24, 2006)

Kaodi said:
			
		

> Also, I hold approval over prestige classes (still Core ...



You're referring to the DMG PrCs here? By "core" some people refer to the original three books and some people refer to all WotC books.


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## Azaar (Sep 25, 2006)

I'm assuming he means the three core books, myself, as he mentioned that he wasn't accepting Chameleon from _Races of Destiny_ as part of Dax's intended build.  Pity, since it means that it would also leave out the Mindspy PrC from _Complete Warrior_.  But after looking at what he intends, I have to think that perhaps re-tooling Dax to fit in more as a potential Dark Lantern, assuming he was noticed enough, would be more fun.  I still have to wonder if Tink the warforged artificer might not be the better choice in terms of self-sufficiency.  But the more I think about Dax, the more I like the idea.


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Sep 25, 2006)

I have myself an idea or two, lemme lay them out:

Flummerfelt Turngastle - A gnome illusionist of exceptional skill, he has become one of the youngest to join the ranks of the Manifest Spellshapers.  "It was rather funny how it all fell out, you know.  Da was a magewright... and Ma... and both brothers and all three sisters.  Practical people; Da and Ma were tinkers, tin makers, Tullfarim and Gelthiamia made metal jewelry, copper and brass mostly, and Vivianna, Querna, and Probokot were jewelers and gemcutters.

"Now me, I was the youngest, and that stuff drove me to distraction.  I liked _looking_ at it and using it, but taking the time to make it and getting all the little fiddly details right each and every time... boring!  I like the magic part of it all fine and dandy.  That was exciting, and each time it was new, even it if was the same spell!  But I didn't care to be shackled to a shop the rest of my life.  What can I say, I was born with a broader mind.  Da and Ma, bless their hearts, didn't insist that I stay.  They apprenticed me to Great-Uncle Bluebottle, and that was the start of a beautiful friendship!

"He was a good master as well as a good uncle.  Great sense of humor, that man, and that's saying a lot coming from me!  I'm a fun-loving guy, and Great-Uncle knew what I was looking for with my magic.  There's plenty of us gnomes that are fine and dandy illusionists, and I took to that like an airship to the sky.  The good kinds of airships I mean, not the kind that crash and burn.  I can't even tell you the mischief we got into; phantom food, pretend ghosts, illusionary horses and sheep, and bother knows all what else!

"But my great-uncle is a practical man too, in his own way.  He started showing me a rather different branch of illusions, the ones that people can't disbelive; shadow magic.  I tell you, it's kinda nice to know that you can back up your spells with a little force if it's warrented!  _I_ rather liked it, but Great-Uncle wasn't finished with me yet.  He had this old book he had hidden away in his wagon, a copy of one written by a wizard who learned the secrets of magic and the planes together.  The Arcane Congress doesn't like that too much... or at all.  The author is probably dead or in such deep cover you wouldn't be able to pry him out with a crowbar.  And those few others that know his work have to be a circumspect about it.

"But what's life without a little danger?  And who better to keep a secret than a gnome illusionist?  Secrets are gnomes' stock-in-trade, Zilargo is built on them!  And illusionists are nothing _but_ secrets, let me tell you.  I swore myself some terrible oaths to my great-uncle to get to read that book, but it's worth the trouble already, I can tell.  Of course, now that I'm on my own (Great-Uncle said I needed to be), I need to find myself some gainful employment.  And performing magic for money without revealing what I know is going to be a delightful challenge!"

~~~

I also have another idea, one for a Cannith scion, an artificer that has a great suspicion about his superiors.  He worries that the creation forge in Sharn is not yet shut down, as it was supposed to be two years ago.  Unfortunetly, he has not the slightest idea of how to broach this, because in his heart he doesn't want it to be.  He adores the warforged and would consider it a great honor to be privvy to the secrets of their making.  So for now he bides his time, learning the secrets of crafting that he can, striving to improve himself, hoping to make himself so indispensible to the house that they'll _have_ to let him in on it.  I would also see him possibly taking the Leadership feat later in his career, and having a warforged cohort.


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## Kaodi (Sep 25, 2006)

*I'll Go Exhaustive...*

I'll make the complete list, to clear up any confusion:

Players Handbook, Dungeon Masters Guide, Monster Manual, Expanded Psionics Handbook, Eberron Campaign Setting, Races of Eberron, Sharn: City of Towers, Five Nations, Explorer's Handbook, Magic of Eberron, Player's Guide to Eberron, Secrets of Xen'drik and Faiths of Eberron. 
Dragonmarked, Secrets of Sarlona and subsequent books when I get them myself.

Also, I like the way you presented your first concept, Isida, making it more flavourful. I'll note however that gnomes in Eberron have different naming conventions to other settings. They have their first name, there family name, and their house name. To give you a couple examples from Races of Eberron, Hasal Syrralan Adredar or Elymar Kan Davandi.


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## Velmont (Sep 25, 2006)

It's been a time I wnat to try to play a solo game. I am running one and like it. I have a concept of character I've been trying to play since some times. It is a changelling Warlock. He knows how to defend himself, but he is heavily social character, a kind of character I like to play, as I see it more appropriate in PbP than pure figther, as combat have a tendency to be slow.

Here the background I had written for him. That happen some times ago. It is a letter the character have written and finally have never posted and kept for himself. Since that time, he is in exile in another region (might be Sharn), trying to hide and start a new life, but it is seldom hard to get ride of his past.

[SBLOCK=Letter]_Dear Eloïse,

I understand your reaction of yesterday. I couldn't expect less of you. If I write this letter to you, it is not to ask forgivenessmyself of what I have done. I betrayed your trust. There is no forgiveness possible. If I write you down this letter, it is because I think I owe you the truth.

I'm borned in the region of Darguun. At that moment, my father was already death. He was not a good man, and he happen to have large debt. His creditor decided to pay themselves by making my mother there slave. So when I was born, I was already the pawn of someone else.

My mother tried to hide her heritage the best she could, but the baby I was could not do the same, I was too young to understand the situation I was in. So the creditor discovered I wasn't a human, but a Changelling. When they saw through the decption, they forced my mother, by threatning my life, to reveal all about her nature. She was the child of an old lineage of sorcerer. Herself wasn't one, she wanted to broke this tradition who have brought doom on us. The creditor then decided to take my education into there hands.

One of them, Farnok, an half-orc, was a wizards. He decided to teach me the mastery of arcane art. Instead of doing it itself, he summoned a minor demon, a quasit, to do it. So since I was four yeas old, I had for mentor a Quasit. One aspect of these demon, it is they are not faithfull follower, even less when they are bond to do something by some magic. This Quasit decide to teach me some dark arcana that I could one day turn upon my master. It is how I became a Warlock instead of a wizard like Farnok. He also helped me to master the magic within all magical items. That way, I would be less scare to use it and I could bring more trouble to the demon's master who was also mine. The Quasit wanted his vengeance for his captivity.

Farnok found the trick the Quasit was playing on him, but it took him years. My training was too advanced to start it from scratch. Illiewyn was the other creditor, that name might sound familiar to your ears. He was a dark elf, a member of the house of Valenar who has turned upon his house. For that, he has been cast away. He decided to take his vengeance. He was the one who had my mother. He trade it for me when he saw the potential I was for his vengeance. He completed my training, teaching me the ways to infiltrate an organization, using my dark arts to my advantage, or should I say, to his advanatge.

Once my training was finish, he sent me to you. He heard you were searching for a new maid. So I had to use my powers and my skills to become that one. It wasn't hard to convince your father. Illewyn knew exactly what your father wanted, so he told me what to say, how to act. I started to work for you. I was expecting to continue my life of slaves under your rules. I didn't expect to be serving someone so kind and so generous. It took not long before I fall in love with you. I would have liked, from the start, to reveal the sword that was hanging over your head, but sadly I had my own. Illewyn threaten me that if I failed him, my mother would died. At that moment, I had only two things that was counting to me, my mother and you. I couldn't give up my mother, so I played Illewyn's game.

But things changed this week. Two events have changed all the rules of the games. First, following an experimentation of Farnok, my mother lost her life. Illewyn lost his only hold on me. Second, he was about to make his first big moves in his plan of vengeance, one that would wounded deeply your father, something that would torture him for all his life, and it was your death. I was suppose to be the one who would have put the poison in the drink you take each night before going to bed. The poison would have killed you during the night, and your father wouldn't had been able to saved you. As the sun would have gone up, your soul would have long been away from your body.

I choosed to turn upon my master. I came to you last night, and reveal my true self. But when you saw I wasn't the maid I pretend to be, when you shout and attract all the guards, I couldn't do much than leaves. I just hope you heard my warning, that your life was in danger, that Illewyn wanted his vengeance. I don't know if I'll have the courage to gives you that letter, who reveal to you my past and my heart. I would also need to be able to reach you and gives the letter to you. But if it ever reach your hand, I would like you to keep it for yourself alone, and reveal to your father only Illewyn's goals.

For me, Illewyn will want my hide, and Farnok his not his only ally. He has many goons that would be please to kill me to have the favor of Illewyn. So I'll use the same skill he teach me and I'll go far from this land and I'll start my life anew._[/SBLOCK]


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Sep 26, 2006)

Kaodi - Glad you liked it.  And in the case of the naming conventions, I shall have my gnome be Flummerfelt Turngastle Obershine.  Because gnome names _rock!_

For further fun, here's my artificer in individual form:

"My name is Roth d'Cannith, and I think I'm afraid.  All right, I know, you're saying 'How can you _think_ you're afraid?  You're either afraid or your aren't.'  Well, that's true enough.  But what if you don't know if you should be afraid or not?  That's the situation I find myself in.  

"Sharn is, without a doubt, the finest city in all the world.  I haven't even _been_ to any other cities and I know this is true.  How can you improve upon something as vast, interesting, and magical as the City of Towers?  War never came here directly, though there was always the threat of sabotage.  The Glass Tower came down well before I was born, and I never was sent to the front lines because the House felt we were safe here.  

I grew up privilaged, working in the Cannith enclave in Sharn since I could toddle.  I was sorting parts, holding things, and doing simple repairs on anything I could understand since forever.  I fell into the artificer's role fairly easily, not that I was unhappy about it!  I knew, mostly in the abstract, from what the House said and from the _Inquisitive_ and the _Chronicle_ wrote that the war was a horrible thing.  But I also knew it kept the House moving forward.  The first warforged were put out a few years before I was born, and I often scold my mother for letting me miss such a momentous event.  Well... _she_ thinks it's funny at least.

"They don't let young kids down into the creation forge, as much as I wanted to, so I spent a lot of time enchanting weapons and armor, and once, as a special birthday present, I was able to aid my older brother Davo do some permanent magical alternations to one of our warforged commanders.  Fantastic beings, the warforged!  I was up and eager to help make them from the minute I helped empower Shield (that was "his" name).

"I was a very lucky man, or so my father tells me.  I was supposed to go to the creation forges in Cyre not two days before the Day of Mourning.  I had been ecstatic, but nearly fainted when I realized I could have just be vaporized with the rest our House there.  I tell you, the whole House wore black for a month, and I had never seen Baron Merrix so dejected.  But in an odd way, it was also good for me.  I know it sounds ghoulish, but with the Cyre branch of the family gone, they actually _needed_ me in the creation forge.

"I spent what were probably the two happiest years of my life in the Forge.  I never learned so much as I did then, though I perhaps learned the most important thing of all; I don't know nearly as much as I think I do.  The sheer amount of _genius_ it took to get the creation forges up and running, the creativity it took to tweak the individual warforged to what the customer specified, was amazing.  I never got to run the forge, obviously, but I was able to help with maintenance and aid with their learning.  The awesome responsibility of imprinting a new warforged with their morals and ethics still makes me shake a bit when I think about it.

"And you know, I thought I would be horrible disappointed when the Treaty of Thronehold happened and they told us to dismantle the forges.  And I was, don't get me wrong, but I was happy to see the warforged free.  They never did officially say whether or not the 'forged have souls, but I always thought they did.  We could have two of them, built for the same purpose, given the same training by the same teachers, and they would still be shaped differently by their experiences.  Those can't just be explained away by quirks in the creation process.  I think we weren't just creating bodies, somehow we were creating souls, or causing them to be attracted to our warforged.  That makes me shake when I think about it too hard.

"But why am I afraid?  It's not because of the question of souls.  It's not because I lost my position at the creation forge; all of us did.  I just went back to the foundary and construct floors.  I spend my days repairing constructs, weapons, and armor, while working on making my own.  But I wanted more.

"I wanted to know what Baron Merrix knew about the creation forges.  I wanted to make my own constructs.  And I wanted the secret of warforged creation.  The second I might get, the first and third might see me dead before enlightened.  But then again, I wasn't the only one of us that thought that way!  I'm afraid because a couple times I have tried to return to the creation forge.  It's blocked up, the way it was when we sealed it.  But there's something there.... I think it's working again. 

"I do some work in the Cogs, and more than once I would spy warforged walking around with the blank curiosity of those engaged in their 'learning mode.'  Now, there hasn't been a warforged in that mode since the creation forges were ordered destroyed.  No warforged can activate that on their own; it disables itself once a pattern of behavior is established.  Indeed, it's _only_ used by new warforged and no other time!  That's not all, more than once our wand adepts in the old forge area, and once I spotted the Baron around there.  I fear and pray they've reactivated the forge.  

"I think if they discover I know, one of two things might happen.  I might be killed.  That's the scary part, that's why I'm afraid.  The other thing is, I might be brought in to help.  And that's what I want.  I don't know too much about my field yet, and I'm too weak in magic; that I know for sure.  I'm hoping and praying if I can learn enough, I will be too valuable to kill and they'll _have_ to bring me in.  Die or thrive.  _That's_ why I think I'm afraid."


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## Kaodi (Sep 26, 2006)

*Good Stuff*

Next time I find a PbP I am really interested in recruiting, I think I am going to have to try the same kind of tactic you use, Isida, hehehe... You certainly illustrate well why it is important to go the distance when applying for a game, something I didn't really appreciate when I first applied to the Shadow Council game.


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Sep 27, 2006)

Heck that helps _me_ get my character down better if I write like I was them.  In PbP in general and PbP solo in particular characterization and backgrounds are so very important.  With combat being much slower and more cumbersome, it's better if you have plenty of other stuff to fall back on.  So there ya go.  

I'm getting the nuts and bolts together for Roth, but I'll hold off on posting him until you decide who you want for your game.


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## Kaodi (Sep 27, 2006)

*Anyway...*

I think I will give the recruitment until October 7th to run its course, and then I'll make a decision on who to go with. 

Anyway, the letter is interesting Velmont, but the warlock is outside my definition of Core, sorry. If there is some other way you could adapt that character idea, I'll take another look at it.


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## Azaar (Sep 27, 2006)

Isida, you have certainly set the bar.  I'm envious.  But I'm willing to compete for this, so I'll bring forth my own character.

[sblock=Dax, CG Female Changeling Rogue 3]“I always felt like I was the type to take from the rich and give to the poor.  Sure, I would take a small cut for myself, but for the most part, I believed that the old adage ‘share the wealth’ should be taken a little more literally.  How was I to know that I’d eventually steal from the wrong person… or, as the case turned out, the right person.

“I was in Starilaskur at the time, having skipped out of Sharn after a couple of close calls when I saw someone who looked like an easy mark.  Noble bearing and all that.  He certainly didn’t seem to be paying much attention to anyone, and the setup was just too good to pass up.  Time to redistribute some of Breland’s noble-born wealth, I thought.  I made my move, ever so lightly brushing against him as I got his purse, and nonchalantly made my way in the opposite direction.

“That night, after buying a round for everyone on me -- as I said, I share the wealth -- six guards came to get me as I was eating supper.  I supposed I hadn’t been quite as careful as I thought, and there was nowhere to run.  No sense in making things even worse on myself -- it wouldn’t have been the first time I’d been in prison.  But nothing prepared me for the visitor I received in the middle of the night:  the noble himself, the one I’d stolen from.

“He identified himself as Captain Meryl d’Ravalas, and the first thought I had was that I’d be hanging from a noose by the end of the next day.  Nobles are bad enough, but noble-born with military rank was even worse.  It certainly didn’t help when he proceeded to tell me how several others had been watching me the entire time.  How I missed them, I couldn’t understand… up until the good captain made his pitch.

“My talents were wasted on my activities, he said.  My potential could be so much more, and yet I squandered it on such trivial pursuits.  But there was a better way.  And thus, I was given my choice:  imprisonment and potential death within a Breland prison, or be shown how much more my life could truly be.

“Admittedly, I thought Captain d’Ravalas was trying to befriend me for less than honorable reasons -- not that I would have resisted; he was quite handsome, after all.  But I was surprised after agreeing when it was revealed that I had become, for all intents and purposes, a patriot for the crown.  Captain Meryl d’Ravalas, as it turned out, was the commander of the Starilaskur division of the King’s Citadel; more specifically, the commander of Starilaskur’s Dark Lanterns.

“Of course I wasn’t trusted; I was little better than a criminal in the eyes of most, despite the seeming honor of my intentions on economic redistribution.  But I felt a drive to succeed and surpass the expectations set upon me by Captain d’Ravalas and the King’s Citadel.  I wanted to show them all that I could be good at doing what was needed of me.

“Recently, I’ve begun hearing whispers and rumors from a couple of changelings I know -- contacts I’ve made over my time in Starilaskur.  From the sound of it, the Cabinet of Faces is trying to carve a niche for themselves here in Starilaskur, and they’ve been watching all of us for potential initiates.  So far, I’ve kept my affiliation with Captain d’Ravalas a secret -- a lady has to be careful with whom she associates, after all.  And it makes me wonder if perhaps I might get close enough to get into the Cabinet of Faces and report on their dealings to the Dark Lanterns.

“It would be a challenge unlike any I’ve ever before faced.  It might get me killed, for that matter, if the Cabinet of Faces discovers that I’ve planted myself in their midst at the behest of the Dark Lanterns.  But it might give the Citadel and the Dark Lanterns insight into the true motives of the Cabinet of Faces.

“If nothing else, I think it’s time I took this to Captain d’Ravalas and let him decide if I should take the risk.  I’m certainly willing enough to do it.

“After all… it’s my job.  A true Dark Lantern or no, it’s a risk I feel is worth taking.”[/sblock]


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## Velmont (Sep 27, 2006)

Kaodi said:
			
		

> Anyway, the letter is interesting Velmont, but the warlock is outside my definition of Core, sorry. If there is some other way you could adapt that character idea, I'll take another look at it.




Well, the concept is a social spellcaster, but with a dark side to it, so I was figuring at first the Warlock was a perfect choice, as his source of power is dark, it has a high Charisma and have access to many social skills.

But he could have been train in both arcane art by Farnok and train in stealth and beguiling by Illewyn, making him a nice wizard/rogue. His wizard aspect would be more illusionist and enchantment, but with some offensive seplls when things turn bad. His rogue skills would be maily social, with a few intrusion skills, so most likely I would go for the Rogue substitution level in the Race of Eberron book. Also he could devellop into a Cabinet Trikster and most likely would go for a few changelling feats.


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Sep 28, 2006)

Azaar - Looking good mate.  And if you're up for a little writing ladder, I'm game.  If nothing else we'll have two good character backgrounds when we're done!


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## Azaar (Sep 28, 2006)

Hehe.  I've been so used to just giving a brief blurb (since it seems most DMs don't want to read a novel) for backgrounds that having to step up the detail for a character like this was unexpected.  But the more I thought about it, the more I understood it was a good thing, especially in a situation like this where the DM is taking cues from us for the story.

I know that I'm gonna like Dax, though.  Even if she isn't approved in the end, I'm liking the kind of background I've got for her -- might even be worth writing a novel on her, to submit to WoTC as an Eberron novel.   Though I doubted I would ever truly go the full 20 levels, I was hoping to finish up the stat build as Rogue 6 / Cabinet Trickster 5 / Dark Lantern 9.


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## Velmont (Sep 28, 2006)

Azaar said:
			
		

> Hehe.  I've been so used to just giving a brief blurb (since it seems most DMs don't want to read a novel) for backgrounds that having to step up the detail for a character like this was unexpected.  But the more I thought about it, the more I understood it was a good thing, especially in a situation like this where the DM is taking cues from us for the story.




It's true that when you run a game with 6 to 8 character, if vereyone have 2 pages of background, and you wanted to run a premade module (like Shackled City), such long background is mostly useless. But in a solo game, it is time to make an adventure that turns around the concept of a character, and not have simply something pre-made, and I think it is a good oppotunity to write down a long background, to gives idea to the master.

The longuest background I wrote down was for a game of Mutants and Masterminds, and the game never start out. Since that time, I hope to fall on a solo game and try him. If you wnat to take a look on how long I can make a background, look at that thread.


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## Kaodi (Sep 30, 2006)

*Errr...*

Bumpety, bumpety?

One week to go... hopefully there will be a few more applications in the next few days. Maybe it would help if I came up with a better name for the thread... hehe...


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## Azaar (Sep 30, 2006)

Heh.  At this point, I'm just sitting back to wait and see what happens.  I have a feeling I know who might be chosen, but I'm not psychic -- so I'll wait patiently to see who takes the prize, as it were.


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## Velmont (Oct 1, 2006)

I have not much time, so like Azaar, I will wait to see who is chosen. If I am chosen, I am wiling to take some time to devellop more mt background to fit it more in the game.


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## Kaodi (Oct 2, 2006)

*Come On...*

No more takers? Perhaps I will have to edit the name then.


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## Kaodi (Oct 7, 2006)

*Extension*

Anyway, I am actuly going away for this Thanksgiving weekend, so I guess the deadline is extended to Monday. If anyone wants to revise or expand their conept, they have until then. I will be making a decision the day I get back, however. Anyway, talk to you later.


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## Kaodi (Oct 9, 2006)

*The Big Decision*

I'm a little worried that I have waited too long, especially since all of the submissions were in over a week ago, but hopefully this is still being read.

I've looked over the backgrounds, and my first choice for a campaign is Roth d'Cannith. To me, it seems to suggest a chance at a good balance of the elements I want in a campaign, and an artificer is also quite versatile. Congratulations, Isida Kep'Tukari.

Now we can move into the next phase, and I just have a few extra details to add for your equipment. Since you are an artificer, you may use your craft reserve and gold to make any items you could of at levels 1 and 2, taking into account the feats you had at those levels. However, you may not yet use your level 3 craft reserve, not until game play begins. So, if you want to load up on scrolls and potions of your choice, then go ahead. Otherwise, my previous rules apply for any gold you don't use.

I would appreciate if you would flesh out your background, with relatives and friends, though they will be subject to change by me. I would appreciate if you didn't attribute any abilities to them that a 3rd level character could not achieve, though from your first description I will make Roth's older brother old enough to enchant weapons and armour. This is not to say that any others may be even much higher level, just that it is for me to decide. 

Also, I will say now, you will not be having a warm, loving relationship with your cousin Merrix right off the bat. For now, you have obviously met, but have never communicated much.


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## Azaar (Oct 9, 2006)

Congrats, Isida.  I had the feeling you were going to be the chosen one.  At least I actually got a chance to try out for a solo game.


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Oct 10, 2006)

Excellent!  Thanks Kaodi.  I hope the rest of y'all find homes for your characters eventually.

I shall be attempting to flesh out my background and put up my character sheet as requested, but I work the next two days (and I work 12-hour days).  So look for those on Thursday at the earliest.


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Oct 13, 2006)

Kaodi – lemme know if you need any more or if I need to change anything on my character sheet.

*Roth d’Cannith
Male Human Artificer 3*
_Medium Humanoid_
*Alignment:* Lawful Neutral
*Deity:* Onatar
*Region:* Sharn
*Height:* 5' 11''
*Weight:* 224lbs
*Skin:* Tan
*Eyes:* Brown
*Hair:* Black
*Age:* 23

*Action Points:*  6

*Str:* 8 (-1) [0 points]
*Dex:* 14 (+2) [6 points]
*Con:* 10 (+0) [2 points]
*Int:* 16 (+3) [10 points]
*Wis:* 12 (+1) [4 points] 
*Cha:* 14 (+2) [6 points]

*Class and Racial Abilities:*   Extra feat at first level, 4 extra skill points at 1st level and one additional skill point at each subsequent level.  Proficient with all simple weapons, with light and medium armor, and shields (but not tower shields).  Infusions, artificer knowledge (+6, DC 15 determines if item has magical aura), artisan bonus (+2 on UMD checks if he has the appropriate item creation feat), disable trap, item creation, craft reserve (60), Scribe Scroll, Brew Potion, Craft Wondrous Item.

*Hit Dice:* 3d6
*HP:* 18
*AC:* 18 (+5 armor, +1 shield, +2 Dex) Touch – 12, Flat-footed – 16
*ACP:* -3
*Init:* +2 (+2 Dex)
*Speed:* 30 ft.  (20 ft. in armor)

*Saves:*
Fortitude +1 [+1 base, +0 Con] 
Reflex +3 [+1 base, +2 Dex]
Will +4 [+3 base, +1 Wis] 

*BAB:* +2
*Melee Atk:* +2 (1d8-1/x2/B, MW heavy mace)  

*Skills:*
Appraise +9 [6 ranks, +3 Int]
Craft (armorsmithing) +9 [4 ranks, +3 Int, +2 Least Mark of Making]
Craft (weaponsmithing) +9 [4 ranks, +3 Int, +2 Least Mark of Making]
Craft (sculpting) +9 [4 ranks, +3 Int, +2 Least Mark of Making]
Knowledge (arcana) +9 [6 ranks, +3 Int]
Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +9 [6 ranks, +3 Int]
Search +9 [6 ranks, +3 Int]
Spellcraft +11 [6 ranks, +3 Int, +2 synergy]
Use Magic Device +8 [6 ranks, +2 Cha]

*Feats:*
Scribe Scroll (artificer bonus 1st level)
Extraordinarily Artisan (human bonus 1st level) [ECS]
Least Mark of Making (_make whole_ 1/day, +2 on Craft checks) (1st level) [ECS]
Brew Potion (artificer bonus 2nd level)
Craft Wondrous Item (artificer bonus 3rd level)
Exceptional Artisan (3rd level) [ECS]

*Languages:*  Common, Draconic, Gnomish, Goblin

*Infusions per day*
DC +3
1st – 4
2nd – 2

*Craft Reserve:* 60

*Equipment*
MW heavy mace – 312 gp
2 daggers – 4gp
MW breastplate – 350gp
MW light steel shield – 159gp
Belt pouch – 1gp 
Arcane signet ring – 150gp
Identification papers with portrait – 5gp 
Traveler’s clothes (free, doesn’t count toward encumbrance)
Warforged repair kit – 50 gp ( 1 lb)
2 scholar’s outfits – 10gp
5 artisan’s outfits – 5gp
2 courtier’s outfits with jewelry – 150gp
1 noble glammerweave outfit – 275gp
~Scrolls – Each 9.375gp and 1 XP taken from Craft Reserve (with an extra 200 for the 2 _identify_ scrolls).  Total of 387gp and 5sp
Armor Enhancement, Lesser x2
Identify x2 
Magic Vestment x2
Magic Weapon x2 
Repair Light Damage x2 
Resistance Item x2 
Shield of Faith x2 
Skill Enhancement x4 
Weapon Augmentation, Personal x2
~Potions – Each 37.5gp and 2 XP taken from Craft Reserve, cast at 1st level. Total of 750gp
Ablative Armor x4
Repair Light Damage x4
Shield of Faith x8
Magic Vestment x4

*Money*
91gp, 5sp
~~~~~

*Appearance:*  Roth is a tall and pudgy young man with shoulder-length black hair that had a tendency to flop in his eyes.  His skin is somewhat tanned from having to travel about in Sharn, but far paler than most, due to his penchant for staying indoors.  However, his face is sometimes flushed from working over the forge, and he has several small burn scars on his hands, along with other scars from slips with sharp tools.  Roth tends to dress is comfortable and soft clothes of a fine weave and make, usually sporting a tool pouch and leather apron for working in the forges.

*Personality:*  Roth is a generally agreeable young man, polite and respectful.  While he can talk intelligently on many topics related to crafting, he’s a bit ignorant of life outside the forges.  Basically he’s a nerd.  He wouldn’t be sure what to do around a girl he liked, couldn’t tell you the first thing about current fashion trends, and doesn’t know a whole lot about the outside world that doesn’t appear in the pages of the _Sharn Inquisitive_ or the _Korrenburg Chronicle._

*Background:*  "My name is Roth d'Cannith, and I think I'm afraid. All right, I know, you're saying 'How can you _think_ you're afraid? You're either afraid or your aren't.' Well, that's true enough. But what if you don't know if you should be afraid or not? That's the situation I find myself in. 

"Sharn is, without a doubt, the finest city in all the world. I haven't even been to any other cities and I know this is true. How can you improve upon something as vast, interesting, and magical as the City of Towers? War never came here directly, though there was always the threat of sabotage. The Glass Tower came down well before I was born, and I never was sent to the front lines because the House felt we were safe here. 

I grew up privileged, working in the Cannith enclave in Sharn since I could toddle. I was sorting parts, holding things, and doing simple repairs on anything I could understand since forever. I fell into the artificer's role fairly easily, not that I was unhappy about it! I knew, mostly in the abstract, from what the House said and from the _Inquisitive_ and the _Chronicle_ wrote that the war was a horrible thing. But I also knew it kept the House moving forward. The first warforged were put out a few years before I was born, and I often scold my mother for letting me miss such a momentous event. Well... _she_ thinks it's funny at least.

"They don't let young kids down into the creation forge, as much as I wanted to, so I spent a lot of time enchanting weapons and armor, and once, as a special birthday present, I was able to aid my older brother Davo do some permanent magical alternations to one of our warforged commanders. Fantastic beings, the warforged! I was up and eager to help make them from the minute I helped empower Shield (that was "his" name).

"I was a very lucky man, or so my father tells me. I was supposed to go to the creation forges in Cyre not two days before the Day of Mourning. I had been ecstatic, but nearly fainted when I realized I could have just be vaporized with the rest our House there. I tell you, the whole House wore black for a month, and I had never seen Baron Merrix so dejected. But in an odd way, it was also good for me. I know it sounds ghoulish, but with the Cyre branch of the family gone, they actually _needed_ me in the creation forge.

"I spent what were probably the two happiest years of my life in the Forge. I never learned so much as I did then, though I perhaps learned the most important thing of all; I don't know nearly as much as I think I do. The sheer amount of _genius_ it took to get the creation forges up and running, the creativity it took to tweak the individual warforged to what the customer specified was amazing. I never got to run the forge, obviously, but I was able to help with maintenance and aid with their learning. The awesome responsibility of imprinting a new warforged with their morals and ethics still makes me shake a bit when I think about it.

"And you know, I thought I would be horrible disappointed when the Treaty of Thronehold happened and they told us to dismantle the forges. And I was, don't get me wrong, but I was happy to see the warforged free. They never did officially say whether or not the 'forged have souls, but I always thought they did. We could have two of them, built for the same purpose, given the same training by the same teachers, and they would still be shaped differently by their experiences. Those can't just be explained away by quirks in the creation process. I think we weren't just creating bodies; somehow we were creating souls, or causing them to be attracted to our warforged. That makes me shiver when I think about it too hard.

"But why am I afraid? It's not because of the question of souls. It's not because I lost my position at the creation forge; all of us did. I just went back to the foundry and construct floors. I spend my days repairing constructs, weapons, and armor, while working on making my own. But I wanted more.

"I wanted to know what Baron Merrix knew about the creation forges. I wanted to make my own constructs. And I wanted the secret of warforged creation. The second I might get, the first and third might see me dead before enlightened. But then again, I wasn't the only one of us that thought that way! I'm afraid because a couple times I have tried to return to the creation forge. It's blocked up, the way it was when we sealed it. But there's something there.... I think it's working again. 

"I do some work in the Cogs, and more than once I would spy warforged walking around with the blank curiosity of those engaged in their 'learning mode.' Now, there hasn't been a warforged in that mode since the creation forges were ordered destroyed. No warforged can activate that on their own; it disables itself once a pattern of behavior is established. Indeed, it's _only_ used by new warforged and no other time! That's not all, more than once our wand adepts in the old forge area, and once I spotted the Baron around there. I fear and pray they've reactivated the forge. 

"I think if they discover I know, one of two things might happen. I might be killed. That's the scary part, that's why I'm afraid. The other thing is, I might be brought in to help. And that's what I want. I don't know too much about my field yet, and I'm too weak in magic; that I know for sure. I'm hoping and praying if I can learn enough, I will be too valuable to kill and they'll _have_ to bring me in. Die or thrive. _That's_ why I think I'm afraid."

~~~

Roth’s father, Curlot, is a respected blacksmith in the Cannith family, doing ornamental ironwork for balconies, gates, and windows.  While not politically powerful, his work is quite good, and he often teaches the younger smiths certain techniques during their time at the forges.  His mother, Gersi, does sculpture in plaster and clay.  She ends up doing a lot of finishing touches on any homes or other showplaces House Cannith makes, her and several others in her field.  Both are products of families determined to shield their children at any cost.  Both sets of Roth’s grandparents worked more directly in the war effort, being in the field as artificers supporting the Breland army.  When they had children, they wanted to spare them the horrors of war, and sheltered them in Sharn.  Both Curlot and Gersi learned more peaceable trades in the ornamental arts, instead of learning how to craft weapons and armor.  Even in wartime the nobles of Sharn wanted nice things for their homes.

Both of Gersi’s parents died when Roth was very young, and he has no memory of them, and Grandy Isti, Curlot’s mother, took ill and died when Roth was only seven.  He only remembers her as a nice, white-haired lady who smiled indulgently when he took apart and re-assembled her jewelry (his mother had yelled at him when he did that).  Grampy Kaine is still alive, a war veteran that regaled the young Roth with exciting stories of adventure when he was young.  Now that Roth is old enough to understand, Grampy tells him of what it was like to serve with the warforged, about how battle spells were used, and about how he even had to fight to stay alive on a few hair-raising occasions.  Grampy taught Roth much of what he knows and continues to do so, understanding the boy’s passion to learn all too well.

Roth is not much of an athlete or fighter, but the House insists all its artificers learn the basics of self-defense.  Roth knows he looks rather ridiculous in armor, but has heard too many stories from Grampy to complain too hard.  The peace is too terribly fragile to allow people to go soft, and if he’s to gain the favor of the House, he needs to show he’s willing to do whatever the House needs.

Roth has one older brother Davo, his elder by five years.  Davo never actually saw combat… officially.  He did escort squads of warforged out to the front line a time or two and had to augment them and fight with them when the lines were hit.  His hair-raising tales, things he _hasn’t_ told their parents, help Roth keep up with his training no matter how much he hates it.

Roth has a couple buddies he works with, Pol and Norn.  Both are from similar backgrounds; born and raised in Sharn in the Cannith enclave.  Pol is quite aptly named, so his friends say, being as skinny as a bean pole and as tall as Roth.  He’s a gemcutter, a man with exacting patience for his craft and art, often working with Roth to decorate his creations.  He has a dry sense of humor, never misses a joke at his own expense, and loves going to the Ten Torches Theater whenever he can get away with it.  Norn is your everyday average guy, neither tall nor short, thin nor fat, but he’s endlessly inventive.  He managed to do an internship with a gnome elemental binder, and while he didn’t learn a any trade secrets, he still learned quite a great deal.  He wants to go to Zilargo to work with the binders again, but they’re worried Norn might carry away secrets.  Understandably, the man’s a terrible gossip.


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## Kaodi (Oct 13, 2006)

*Off The Top Of My Head...*

Looking at your character sheet, the first thing that caught my eye was your melee attack and damage. If your strength penalty is -1, why do you appear to have a -2 to attack and damage? Where does the extra -1 come from?

Also, when I add up your equipment, I get 2608.5, not 2562.5, nothing to get excited over, just I'd like if you could either take another look at that. 

Lastly, I guess it goes without saying that your excess outfits stay at home... I may of missed it in the description, but where exactly do you see Roth living? In the Forgehold, Cannith Tower or with his parents in one of the residential districts?

In any case, I'll start working on the adventure. 

Oh yeah... I saw your PbP games thread... the number of games you have going at once is just crazy, . Also, I suppose as another detail, do you have a method you prefer for rolling dice? I lean towards either rolling actual dice myself (though that may be impractical because of space and noise), or using something like Invisible Castle, but doing all of the rolling myself. If you prefer though, if there is another method, or if you would prefer to use Invisible Castle and still do your own rolls, just let me know.

Lastly, I'll probably change the name of this thread again when I think of something appropriate for the campaign, but since this is the only game I am going to be running, it shouldn't be hard to find.


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Oct 13, 2006)

Kaodi, I fixed the mistakes on my sheet.  I must have just miscounted there.

I also see Roth living in the Cannith Enclave in Dragon Towers as the most likely.

And I'm actually not running that many anymore.  I totally need to update that.  I had to drop all of them during a particularly difficult transitional period in my life.  I'm only running 3 now (one Eberron, one Dawnforge, and one homebrew).

As for dice, you roll them however you like.  I like to roll real dice as a DM, but you do whatever's easiest.


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## Kaodi (Oct 13, 2006)

*Your Melee Attack...*

Is still one too low (I think)!   No worries though. You have +2 BAB, -1 Str, +1 Masterwork, right? So, should be +2, not +1.


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Oct 13, 2006)

Right, done.


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## Kaodi (Oct 13, 2006)

*Gah...*

I keep forgetting to mention you get max HPs at every level.


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Oct 14, 2006)

And done again.


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## Kaodi (Oct 15, 2006)

*For Better Or For Worse*

I guess it is time to get things going, and pray to the gods of gaming for the best. This is probably going to be a fly by the seat of pants sort of affair, but I'll do my best to make things work out. How does the name, The Genesis Man, sound to you?


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Oct 16, 2006)

The name works fine Kaodi.  Roth's just trying to make himself invaluable to the House.  

And don't worry about flying by the seat of your pants.  That's what I do most of the time, aside from a few broad-ranging goals.  It was a particularly useful talent in college.


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## Kaodi (Oct 17, 2006)

*Rolling*

I think I am going to do all of the rolling myself, with dice. 

Awww... damn it. Not sure exactly how this can work with action points though. Now I have a conundrum... 

Do you consider yourself an honourable person?


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Oct 17, 2006)

For certain.


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## Kaodi (Oct 18, 2006)

*Alright*

Then I will trust you to do your own dice rolling. I may want to roll perception checks myself though.


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