# [Full] Dry Spell (adventure)



## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 13, 2004)

Hi Folks,

I am recruiting for a very short, low-level, site-based adventure. My intention is to keep it short, keep it moving, and most of all keep it FUN!  

If you are new to D&D, you are welcome here! If you want a break from complex gaming, you are welcome here!

However, because a primary goal here is to keep it M-O-V-I-N-G, you must be able to commit to posting a minimum of 5 days a week. Ideally, I'd like to do a minimum of 1 round per day, 6 days a week. I will also need a valid email address (from each player accepted into the party) that you check frequently. That way, I can let you know as soon as I post.

So, if a simple, fast, FUN game interests you, please apply.

We will be using a short adventure released as a free "Adventure of the Month" (or something like that) on the WOTC Website. In order to keep it open to a wide group, the adventure will take place in a “generic” D&D setting. This specific adventure is called "Dry Spell," and it is by Darrin Drader. If you are familiar with this adventure, you should not apply as it would not be very fun for you, and might ruin the fun for others as well. Sorry. Also, it goes without saying that you should not look this adventure up if you are accepted into the party.

This adventure will be mostly action. Verisimilitude in interpersonal interactions, while important, will take a second place to keeping the pace up. There won't be any long interactions with loads of NPCs in town (which can take weeks in real time) or anything like that. Instead, role-playing will revolve around exploration and “combat-likely” encounters. The basic plot hook will be provided once the party is set, and there will be some short opportunities for gathering information, etc., mostly through skill checks with some role-playing. While the emphasis is on game action, correct and descriptive language use is still a prerequisite for joining the party (PbP is, after all, a written format).

During combat, tactical movement, etc., you will need to tell me your basic intent, what actions you want to take, what feats/abilities you are using, and the like. I will then resolve the action, post what happened, and ask what you want to do next. Please let me know under what contingencies your intent would change. If something obvious happens (like the opponent you wanted to target falls before your turn), I will try to guess what you would most likely do in that case given your intent. So the more info you give me about your intent up front, the better I will be able to resolve the action in accordance with your thinking. For really important moments, I will stop the resolution at your place in the initiative order and ask you for specific instructions (I certainly don't want anyone to feel railroaded).

I will make all rolls, and will post those that you would normally know about (such as attack and damage rolls, purposeful skill checks, and the like), but may not post all modifiers or the DCs (the DM has to have *some* secrets in order to keep the game fun for you, after all  ). I will NOT cheat you, but you must accept my decisions as final.

We need four 3rd level players. Reply to this post with a character idea (you don't need to go through the trouble of developing an elaborate background or anything, just race and class for now). I will take the four characters that I think fit together best. More details on character creation are given below.

In order to keep this open to as wide a group as possible, I will only accept *core* races and classes.

However, I *may* accept some spells, feats, domains, etc. from the following books:
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
Player’s Guide to Faerun
Silver Marches
Underdark
Draconomicon
Book of Eldritch Might (vol. I--the new PDF version incorporating 3.5)​Note: You will NOT need any of these books to play, you only need a Player’s Handbook or the SRD and a character.

We will be using 3.5 only. “Rule Zero” is in effect (this just means that the DM has the final say).

For this adventure, multiclassing is discouraged. (This will make it easier for me, and the easier it is for me, the fairer and more fun it will be for you.)  

Your character’s ability scores should be determined using standard point buy with 25 points. See DMG page 169. If you don’t know what this means, simply use the following scores arranged any way you want: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.

Each PC’s starting wealth will be 2700 gp. Each PC can spend up to 675 gp of his or her wealth on magic items, and your mundane items (armor, weapons, adventuring gear, etc.) must be purchased from the remainder.

Use the attached form for character creation. This is the form used for Living ENWorld. It is a little ugly in its current form, but will line up very nicely in a post. See this post  for an example of what a completed form will look like once posted. Remember to list your modifier for any skill that you purchase ranks in or that is affected for your character by a feat, racial or class ability, etc.

Please don’t go through all the trouble of making a complete character until your character idea has been accepted.

Please post any questions.

Let’s have some FUN!


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## Galethorn (Jul 13, 2004)

I'd like a break from _not gaming_! Well, that and more complex gaming, as suggested in your post. I've heard _of_ the adventure, but have no idea what it's about, so it _should_ work...

I'd like to play a human fighter. Bastard sword, heavy shield, light crossbow. I would probably be neutral good, and try to use superior tactics to win the day (real tactics like 'move in from the high ground to flank!' rather than 'hit him with a fireball, then toss out the Bag-of-Rats and have the fighter great-cleave if he gets too close!').

Oh, and if you allowed it, I would substitute Hong's Knight Class for the fighter.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 13, 2004)

Galethorn,

Thanks for the interest! Human fighters are always a nice addition to a party. I think this has real promise for a balanced party.

In order to keep this open to the widest range of people (and specifically newbies and those who want to get back to basics for a while), I am limiting class and race to those listed in the PHB. That means no Knight. Sorry. :\ 

Now, let's see if anyone else is interested. Anyone out there _like_ the idea of throwing fireballs and bags-o'-rats at the enemy?


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jul 13, 2004)

I think I'd be interested.

Would you allow psionics from the XPH?

If so I'd play a human psion with lots of telekinetics, otherwise I'd have to think about it.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 13, 2004)

Hey Nac,

Thanks for the interest. Unfortunately, psionics won't be permitted. It's just too small a group of people that get it. (And, to be honest, I'm not one of them.)

For all I know, psionics might be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I really want to keep this basic, basic, and basic...oh, and moving.


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## Brain (Jul 13, 2004)

I'm interested.  For a character concept, how about an elven rogue (or ranger if it's more of an outdoors thing).  A stealthy scout-type who employs ranged weapons primarily.  I would be willing to play some other type of character also.  I chose this because I don't play this type very often, and in a basic game I can ease back into it.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jul 13, 2004)

That's okay, psionics can be a bit trying.

I'd like to play a Githzerai Monk.  The Githzerai are in the 3.5 MM (but not in the SRD for some reason).

I'll put up stats sometime tonight probably.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 13, 2004)

Brain, I'm liking the idea of elven rogue. If you wanted to do ranger, that would be OK, but I think rogue fits better in this one.

Off topic: By the way, I'm hoping our Living ENworld characters get picked up for an adventure soon. I dig the background you did up for Scun.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jul 13, 2004)

Quick question: Do you allow Vow of Povery from BoED?


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 13, 2004)

Nac:

Duuuuuude, are ya tryin' to slip one past me? Githzerai have psionics. Nice try.  

On a serious note, no psionics, which also means no Githzerai. I want this game to be basic, basic, and basic--just plain vanilla D&D. Monk is totally cool, but pick a race from the PHB if you are still interested, and I'll take a look at it. 

As far as BoED, sorry again.  In the original post (see above), I listed the books that I might consider taking some options from. BoED isn't in the list for the good reason that I don't own the book.

If you're really dying to play a psionic character, I believe someone is currently recruiting for an Eberron campaign. Maybe they are looking for a psionic character.


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## Brain (Jul 13, 2004)

Ok, elven rogue it is.  I'll get working on it now.  Yes, I hope something comes up on Living EN World for us to do as well.  I dig your character as well.  That description of the horse was sweet. 

Nac Mac Feegle, I mean no disrespect, but I think a Githzerai monk with vow of poverty is hardly a *basic* character.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jul 13, 2004)

See next post by me


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 13, 2004)

Brain: Yeah, the horse guy is very descriptive and interesting, but that's not me!  That's Rae ArdGaoth playing Rasereit the dwarf. I'm playing Somac the human barbarian.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jul 13, 2004)

Forget my last post.  I should be thinking basic here.

Okay, let's see, how about a dwarven cleric of Moradin


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## Brain (Jul 13, 2004)

Whoops, I'm sorry.  I should have checked the thread over there.  I haven't interacted with Somac yet, but I'm trying to change that (see my last post over there)


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## Galethorn (Jul 14, 2004)

Human fighter it is! I've used the Living ENWorld form before, so this should be easy...


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 14, 2004)

Nac: OK, dwarven cleric of Moradin sounds really good! Go ahead and get working on it if you want to. The details of character creation are listed in the first post above.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 14, 2004)

OK, people, here's a recap. So far it looks like the following people are writing up potential characters:

Brain -- elven rogue
Galethorn -- human fighter
Nac -- dwarven cleric

As you get them done, post them here or send them to me by email (kfargo at indiana.edu). I will then check them over for math, etc. I'm not asking for final confirmations from any of you yet, but I'm going to go ahead and pencil you in.

That still leaves one spot definitely open. Send me a race/class proposal!


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jul 14, 2004)

Do you know where in the SRD it tells you what domains each god gets?  I can't remember Moradin's off hand.  I think that Community and Artifice are in them, so I'm working off those for now, but if you know where the lists are, that'd help.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 14, 2004)

Nac: I don't think that the deities' domains are listed in the SRD. Moradin's are listed in the PHB page 107. They are Earth, Good, Law, and Protection. A description of each of these domains and their respective benefits are listed the the SRD file SpellListI. Hope that helps.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jul 14, 2004)

Do you know where in the SRD it tells you what domains each god gets?  I can't remember Moradin's off hand.  I think that Community and Artifice are in them, so I'm working off those for now, but if you know where the lists are, that'd help.


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## Krug (Jul 14, 2004)

Any space for a Gnome Wizard?


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## Ferrix (Jul 14, 2004)

Krug said:
			
		

> Any space for a Gnome Wizard?




bah beat me to it, enjoy the gnomish goodness


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 14, 2004)

Nac: I answered your question in post #20 .


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jul 14, 2004)

*Cometh the Dwarf*


```
[B]Name:[/B] Hardin Stonefist
[B]Class:[/B] Cleric
[B]Race:[/B] Dwarf
[B]Size:[/B] Medium
[B]Gender:[/B] Male
[B]Alignment:[/B] Lawful Neutral
[B]Deity:[/B] Moradin

[B]Str:[/B] 14 +2 (06p.)    [B]Level:[/B] 3        [B]XP:[/B] 3000
[B]Dex:[/B] 09 -1 (01p.)    [B]BAB:[/B] +2         [B]HP:[/B] 26 (3d8+9)
[B]Con:[/B] 16 +3 (06p.)    [B]Grapple:[/B] +4     [B]Dmg Red:[/B] 
[B]Int:[/B] 08 -1 (00p.)    [B]Speed:[/B] 20'      [B]Spell Res:[/B] 
[B]Wis:[/B] 15 +2 (08p.)    [B]Init:[/B] -1        [B]Spell Save:[/B] +2
[B]Cha:[/B] 10 +0 (04p.)    [B]ACP:[/B] -5         [B]Spell Fail:[/B] -%

                   [B]Base  Armor Shld   Dex  Size   Nat  Misc  Total[/B]
[B]Armor:[/B]              10    +8    +0    -1    +0    +0    +0    17
[B]Touch:[/B] 09              [B]Flatfooted:[/B] 17

                         [B]Base   Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
[B]Fort:[/B]                     3      +3          +6
[B]Ref:[/B]                      1      -1          +0
[B]Will:[/B]                     3      +2          +5

[B]Weapon                  Attack   Damage     Critical[/B]
Masterwork Warhammer      +5      1d8+3          x3

[B]Languages:[/B] Common, Dwarven

[B]Abilities:[/B] Darkvision 60', Stonecunning, Intuit Depth, Weapon 
Familiarity, Stability, +1 attack vs. Goblinoids, +4 Dodge vs. Giants, +2
save vs. poison, +2 save vs. spells/spell like abilities, +2 craft and 
appraise with stone/metal, Turn Undead, Protective Ward 1/day (give one
touched person +1/level resistance bonus for 1 hour), Cast Law spells at
+1 caster level

[B]Feats:[/B] Combat Casting, Martial Weapons Proficiency

[B]Skill Points:[/B] 6       [B]Max Ranks:[/B] 3/6
[B]Skills                   Ranks  Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
Concentration              3    +3          +6
Craft(Weaponsmithing)      3    -1    +2    +4

[B]Equipment:               Cost  Weight[/B]
Potion Enlarge Person    250gp   1lb
Potion Aid               300gp   1lb
MW Warhammer             312gp   5lb
MW Full Plate Mail       1650gp  50lb
Bedroll                  1sp     5lb
Week Trail Rations       7sp     7lb
Hemp Rope (50')          1gp     10lb
Waterskin                1gp     4lb
Flask Holy Water         25gp    1lb
Artisan's Tools          5gp     5lb
Holy Symbol, Silver      25gp    1lb
Everburning Torch        110gp   1lb

[B]Total Weight:[/B]86lb      [B]Money:[/B] 20gp 2sp 0cp

                           [B]Lgt   Med   Hvy  Lift  Push[/B]
[B]Max Weight:[/B]                 58   116   175   350   875

[B]Age:[/B] 72
[B]Height:[/B] 4'03"
[B]Weight:[/B] 196lb
[B]Eyes:[/B] Brown
[B]Hair:[/B] Black
[B]Skin:[/B] Tanned
```

*Spells Per Day* 4/3+1/2+1 Domains: Law, Protection
*Spells Prepared* Mending, Read Magic, Resistance, Virtue, Shield of Faith, Magic Weapon, Divine Favor, *Protection from Chaos, Bull's Strength, Hold Person, *Shield Other
*Appearance/Personality:* Hardin is of average height for a dwarf, and thickset even by his people's standards.  He is an honorable person, and loyal to his word.  He is skillful in battle, and has a tendency to wade into combat rather than consider the odds against him.  Hardin wears well crafted full plate mail cunningly painted to look like stone.

*Background:* Hardin started out his life as a miner in the great mines of his homeland.  When he was still young, he was caught in a cave in.  For a time he found himself cut off from all light, and in that time he heard the voice of the stones speaking to him, and in a single clear moment understood the power of the land beneath him.  When he was rescued a few hours later, he immediately left the mines and joined the priesthood of Moradin.  Since then, he has become a priest of the order, and has gone out into the world to seek new enlightenment.


Note: Warhammer weilded two handed


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 14, 2004)

Krug: Now that would round out a heck of a company wouldn't it?  I couldn't have planned it better if I tried.

Go ahead and flesh out a character.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 14, 2004)

Nac: So far, so good on the character. Please go ahead and make the columns line up by adding or subtracting spaces (you can check it using the "Preview Post" button). That will make it look a lot better. It will also make it easier for me to check.   Also, in the spells prepared section, list Hardin's chosen domains, and mark each prepared domain spell with an asterisk. You can just edit the post instead of making a whole new post. After you've made those changes, I'll check it more closely and get back to you in the next couple of days regarding its acceptability.


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## Galethorn (Jul 14, 2004)

*Eolan, Human Fighter*

This is what I've got so far. I'd do more checking for errors, but I've got to head on out for dinner.


```
[B]Name:[/B] Eolan
[B]Class:[/B] Fighter
[B]Race:[/B] Human
[B]Size:[/B] Medium
[B]Gender:[/B] Male
[B]Alignment:[/B] Neutral Good
[B]Deity:[/B] Heironeous

[B]Str:[/B] 14 +2 (6p.)      [B]Level:[/B] 3        [B]XP:[/B] 3,000
[B]Dex:[/B] 13 +1 (5p.)      [B]BAB:[/B] +3         [B]HP:[/B] 27 (average) (10+2d10+6)
[B]Con:[/B] 14 +2 (6p.)     [B]Grapple:[/B] +5      [B]Dmg Red:[/B] Meh/-
[B]Int:[/B] 10 +0 (2p.)     [B]Speed:[/B] 30'       [B]Spell Res:[/B] Meh
[B]Wis:[/B] 10 +0 (2p.)     [B]Init:[/B] +5         [B]Spell Save:[/B] Meh
[B]Cha:[/B] 12 +1 (4p.)     [B]ACP:[/B] -2          [B]Spell Fail:[/B] 40%

                   [B]Base  Armor Shld   Dex  Size   Nat  Misc  Total[/B]
[B]Armor:[/B]              10    +4    +2    +1    +0    +0    +0    17 (w/shield)/ 15 (w/out shield)
[B]Touch:[/B] 11              [B]Flatfooted:[/B] 16/14 (with/without shield)

                         [B]Base   Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
[B]Fort:[/B]                      3    +2          +5
[B]Ref:[/B]                       1    +1          +2
[B]Will:[/B]                      1    +0          +1

[B]Weapon                  Attack   Damage     Critical[/B]
Bastard sword (1h)        +6     1d10+2     19-20x2
Bastard sword (2h)        +6     1d10+3     19-20x2
Heavy Crossbow            +5     1d10       19-20x2

[B]Languages:[/B] Common

[B]Abilities:[/B] N/A

[B]Feats:[/B] Exotic Weapon Prof (bastard sword), Improved Initiative, 

[B]Skill Points:[/B] 18       [B]Max Ranks:[/B] 6/3
[B]Skills                   Ranks  Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
Climb                      6    +2    -2*   +6 *(+8 without armor/shield)
Intimidate                 6    +1          +7
Jump                       6    +2    -2*   +6 *(+8 without armor/shield)

[B]Equipment:                Cost  Weight[/B]
Mw Bastard Sword          335gp    6lbs
MW Heavy Wooden Shield    157gp   10lbs
MW Chain Shirt            250gp   25lbs
MW Heavy Crossbow         350gp    8lbs
Crossbow Bolts (50)         5gp    5lbs
Sack                        1sp  0.5lbs
--Flint and Steel           1gp    -lb
--Red Garnet (x9)         900gp    -lb
--Money       (see 'Money')      1.5lbs

Backpack (separate)         2gp    2lbs (total, with contents, of 25lbs)
--Potion (CLW)x12         600gp   12lbs
--Bedroll                   1sp    5lbs
--Trail Rations (1)         1gp    1lb
--Waterskin (1)             1gp    4lbs
--Torch                     1cp    1lb
[B]Total Weight:[/B]56lbs (81 with backpack)      

[b]Mule[/b]
--Saddlebags                4gp    8lbs
----Trail Rations (4)       4gp    4lbs
----Water Skins (4)         4gp   16lbs
----Rope, Silk, 50'        10gp    5lbs
----Crossbow bolts (50)     5gp    5lbs
[B]Total Weight:[/B]33lb            [B]Money:[/B] 6pp 5gp 50sp  0cp

                           [B]Lgt   Med   Hvy  Lift  Push[/B]
[B]Max Weight:[/B]               58    116   175   175   875

[B]Age:[/B] 23
[B]Height:[/B] 6'5"
[B]Weight:[/B] 215lb
[B]Eyes:[/B] Blue
[B]Hair:[/B] Red, short
[B]Skin:[/B] Fair
```
*Appearance:* Eolan is a tall, imposing man, with a head of short, fiery-red hair, and a matching beard. He usually wears a blue tabard and cloak with his armor.

*Background:* Since the age of seventeen, Eolan has been traveling from village to village, searching for monsters to kill. It's really a family tradition, if anything. You see, his father was a fighter before him.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jul 14, 2004)

Fixed everything (I think).


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## Darrin Drader (Jul 14, 2004)

If it isn't too much to ask, could you email me after you've run the adventure and let me know how things went? I'd like to see how different groups handle a couple of the encounters. You can email me at D_Drader at comcast dot net.

Thanks!


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## Brain (Jul 14, 2004)

Galethorn: One thing I noticed about your character sheet is that when you wield your bastard sword two-handed, you should be doing one more damage (1d10+3) because of the 2h = 1.5xstr to dmg thing


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## Krug (Jul 14, 2004)

```
[B]Name:[/B]  Belisha Beaverhead
[B]Class:[/B] Conjurer
[B]Race:[/B]  Gnome
[B]Size:[/B]  Small
[B]Gender:[/B] Female
[B]Alignment:[/B] Neutral Good
[B]Deity:[/B] Baervan Wildwanderer

[B]Str:[/B] 10 +0 (4p.)      [B]Level:[/B] 3        [B]XP:[/B] 3,000
[B]Dex:[/B] 14 +2 (6p.)      [B]BAB:[/B] +1         [B]HP:[/B] 12 (average) (4+2d4+3)
[B]Con:[/B] 12 +1 (2p.)      [B]Grapple:[/B] +0     [B]Dmg Red:[/B] -/-
[B]Int:[/B] 16 +3 (10p.)     [B]Speed:[/B] 20'      [B]Spell Res:[/B] -
[B]Wis:[/B] 10 +0 (2p.)      [B]Init:[/B] +2        [B]Spell Save:[/B] -
[B]Cha:[/B] 9 -1  (1p.)      [B]ACP:[/B] 0          [B]Spell Fail:[/B] 0%

                   [B]Base  Armor Shld   Dex  Size   Nat  Misc  Total[/B]
[B]Armor:[/B]                 10    +0    +2    +1    +0    +0    +0    13
[B]Touch:[/B] 13              [B]Flatfooted:[/B] 11

                         [B]Base   Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
[B]Fort:[/B]                      1    +1          +2
[B]Ref:[/B]                       1    +2          +3
[B]Will:[/B]                      3    +0          +3

[B]Weapon                  Attack   Damage     Critical   Range[/B]
MW Dagger (melee)           +1      1d3     19-20/x2
MW Light Crossbow (ranged)  +4      1d6     19-20/x2       80'

[B]Languages:[/B] Common, Gnomish, Draconic, Elven, Orc

[B]Abilities:[/B] Summon Familiar, Low-Light Vision: A gnome can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions, +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids, +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the giant type, +2 racial bonus on Listen checks, +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks, Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—speak with animals (burrowing mammal only, duration 1 minute). 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation. Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + gnome’s Cha modifier + spell level, +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions, Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by gnomes, +3 

Spot check in Shadows (From Familiar)

[B]Feats:[/B] Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Conjuration), Augment Summoning, Alertness (From Familiar)

[b]Prohibited Schools[/b]: Necromancy, Abjuration
[B]Spells:[/B]
[i]0 level[/i] - Acid Splash(*), Daze, Mage Hand, Message, Detect Magic
[i]1 level[/i] - Summon Monster I(*), Magic Missile, Sleep
[i]2 level[/i] - Summon Monster II(*), Web

[b]Spellbook:[/b] [i]0 level[/i] - all
[i]1st level[/i] - Magic Missile, Obscuring Mist, Sleep, Summon Monster I, Unseen Servant, Color Spray, Disguise Self, Ventriquolism
[i]2nd level[/i] - Web, Hypnotic Pattern, Summon Monster II, Summon Swarm, Invisibility, Mark of Air (BoeM)

[B]Skill Points:[/B] -  36     [B]Max Ranks:[/B] 6/3
[B]Skills                   Ranks  Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
Spellcraft                    6   +3           9
Concentration                 6   +2           8
Knowledge (arcana)            6   +3           9
Knowledge (nature)            2   +3           5
Decipher Script               4   +3           7
Craft (alchemy)               4   +3    +2    10
Appraise (cc)                 2   +3           5
Hide (cc)                     2   +2           3
Search (cc)                   2   +3           5
Listen (cc)                   2   +0    +4     6
Spot (cc)                     0   +0    +2     2

[B]Equipment:                Cost  Weight[/B]
MW Dagger                 302gp    1lb
MW Light Crossbow         335gp    4lb
Crossbow bolts (10)         1gp    1lb              
Alchemist's Fire           20gp    1lb
Spell Component Pouch       5gp    2lb
Spellbook                  15gp    3lb
Paper (10)                  4sp    0lb
Parchment (10)              2gp    0lb 
Ink and inkpen              8gp    0lb
Chalk                       1cp    0lb
Traveler's Outfit           1gp    0lb
Scroll                             0lb
-- Summon Monster I (x2)   50gp     
-- Charm Person (x2)       50gp
-- Expeditious Retreat     25gp
-- Hypnotism               25gp
-- Magic Missile (x2)      50gp
-- Shield                  25gp
-- Enlarge Person          25gp
-- Color Spray             25gp
-- Summon Monster II      150gp
-- Sleep (x2)              50gp
Potion (CLW) x4           200gp
Backpack (separate)         2gp    0.5lbs (total, with contents, of 25lbs)
--Bedroll                   1sp    1.25lbs
--Trail Rations (1)         1gp    1lb
--Waterskin (1)             1gp    1lbs
--Torch                     1cp    1lb
Guard Dog, Rufus           25gp

[B]Total Weight:[/B]              16.75lbs

[b]Familiar:[/b]
Narkus, Owl
Tiny Animal, HD: 1d8, HP: 8, Initiative: +3, Speed: 10 ft. fly 40 ft., Armor Class: 19 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +4 natural), touch 17, flat-footed 16, Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–11, Attack: Talons +5 melee (1d4–3), Full Attack: Talons +5 melee (1d4–3), SA: —, Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2, Abilities: Str 4, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 4, Skills: Listen +14, Move Silently +17, Spot +6*, Feats: Weapon Finesse
Skills: Owls have a +8 racial bonus on Listen checks and a +14 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. *They have a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks in areas of shadowy illumination.

[B]Total Weight:[/B]29lb            [B]Money:[/B] 128pp 26gp 4sp 8cp

                           [B]Lgt   Med   Hvy  Lift  Push[/B]
[B]Max Weight:[/B]              25    50    75   150   300

[B]Age:[/B] 74 years
[B]Height:[/B] 3'2"
[B]Weight:[/B] 41lb
[B]Eyes:[/B] Green
[B]Hair:[/B] Black with white streaks
[B]Skin:[/B] Fair, splotchy
```

Appearance: Belisha is a short female who wears a beaver cap on her head. (If you ask her about it she says it is Mook, a former pet who once saved her life and died of old age about a decade ago) She believes it aids her magic, though there is certainly no truth in that. She has rather large chipmunkish teeth, and a warm smile. Her pet owl, Narkus, is always close by next to the Guard dog, Rufus.

Background: Belisha grew up in a family of wizards, and went out into the world to seek adventure and riches. Occasionally prudish, she's not above having a little fun once in a while, particularly if it involves pipeweed and alcohol, preferably both at the same time.


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## Brain (Jul 14, 2004)

```
[B]Name:[/B] Slyfen Treeshade
[B]Class:[/B] Rogue
[B]Race:[/B] Elf
[B]Size:[/B] Medium
[B]Gender:[/B] Male
[B]Alignment:[/B] NG
[B]Deity:[/B] None

[B]Str:[/B] 11 +0 ( 3p.)     [B]Level:[/B] 3        [B]XP:[/B] 3000
[B]Dex:[/B] 16 +3 ( 6p.)     [B]BAB:[/B] +2         [B]HP:[/B] 16 average(6+2d6+3)
[B]Con:[/B] 12 +1 ( 6p.)     [B]Grapple:[/B] +2     [B]Dmg Red:[/B] 
[B]Int:[/B] 14 +2 ( 6p.)     [B]Speed:[/B] 30'      [B]Spell Res:[/B] 
[B]Wis:[/B] 10 +0 ( 2p.)     [B]Init:[/B] +7        [B]Spell Save:[/B] 
[B]Cha:[/B] 10 +0 ( 2p.)     [B]ACP:[/B] -0         [B]Spell Fail:[/B] 

                   [B]Base  Armor Shld   Dex  Size   Nat  Misc  Total[/B]
[B]Armor:[/B]              10    +3    +0    +3    +0    +0    +0    16
[B]Touch:[/B] 13              [B]Flatfooted:[/B] 13

                         [B]Base   Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
[B]Fort:[/B]                      1    +1          +2
[B]Ref:[/B]                       3    +3          +6
[B]Will:[/B]                      1    +0          +1

[B]Weapon                  Attack   Damage     Critical[/B]
MW Composite Longbow      +6     1d8        x3
MW Rapier                 +6     1d6        18-20 x2

[B]Languages:[/B] Common, Elven, Orc, Sylvan

[B]Abilities:[/B] 
Elf:
Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
Low-Light Vision
Weapon Proficiency: Elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including
composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.
+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is
entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.

Rogue:
Trapfinding, Trap Sense +1, Sneak Attack +2d6, Evasion

[B]Feats:[/B] L1: Improved Initiative, L3: Weapon Finesse

[B]Skill Points:[/B] 70       [B]Max Ranks:[/B] 7/3.5
[B]Skills                   Ranks  Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
Balance                    0    +3    +2    +5
Disable Device             7    +2          +9
Escape Artist              7    +3          +10
Hide                       7    +3          +10
Listen                     7    +0    +2    +9
Move Silently              7    +3          +10
Open Lock                  7    +3          +10
Search                     7    +2    +2    +11
Sleight of Hand            7    +3          +10
Spot                       7    +0    +2    +9
Tumble                     7    +3          +10

[B]Equipment:               Cost  Weight[/B]
MW Studded Leather       175gp   20lb
MW Rapier                320gp    2lb
MW Composite Long Bow    400gp    3lb
Arrows x20		   1gp    3lb
Signet Ring                5gp   
Explorer’s outfit         10gp    
Backpack                   2gp    2lb
MW Thieves' Tools        100gp    2lb
Spyglass                1000gp    1lb
Chalk x10                  1sp    
Tindertwig x10            10gp    
Waterskin                  1gp    4lb
Signal Whistle             8sp    
Potion of Invisibility   300gp    
 Pass Without Trace x2   100gp    
 Cure Light Wounds x2    100gp    
Oil of Magic Weapon x3   150gp    



[B]Total Weight:[/B]37lb      [B]Money:[/B] 2pp 5gp 1sp

                           [B]Lgt   Med   Hvy  Lift  Push[/B]
[B]Max Weight:[/B]                38    76   115   230   575

[B]Age:[/B] 124
[B]Height:[/B] 5'3"
[B]Weight:[/B] 110lb
[B]Eyes:[/B] Brown
[B]Hair:[/B] Brown
[B]Skin:[/B] Fair
```
*Background:* Slyfen spent a lot of his youth in the elven forest communities, but eventually he became restless and set out to see the human cities that he had heard much about.  He learned quickly how to fend for himself and make money on the mean streets.  He is pretty much a loner, with not many friends, and none that he would consider close to his heart.


----------



## Galethorn (Jul 14, 2004)

Fixed the two-handed damage.

Just out of curiosity, could I have a shoulder strap on my crossbow that lets me 'drop' it, but not have to pick it up afterwards? I'm thinking that it would be too awkward to Quick-draw after doing that, so it would be the usual standard action to 'draw' it after doing that.


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## rowport (Jul 14, 2004)

Vigwyn-

Well, if you have a Elven Rogue, Human Fighter, and Dwarven Cleric, what could be more appropriate than a Gnomish Illusionist (Wizard)?    

I am not a fan of gnomes played for laughs, though; I am envisioning a moody, taciturn-type who "must repel the forces of darkness".  What do you think?

Edit: Shucks!  I missed reading page 2, where Krug has the same character idea!  Oh, well.  Maybe I can be a back-up player, if you add more slots?


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 15, 2004)

*Update*

Everybody: It looks like we now have four characters up--excellent! People have been editing them throughout the day today, it looks like. Tell you what, when you have it to your liking, and are ready for me to check it over, either place a post here to that effect or email me (kfargo at indiana.edu). I started "play-readying" Todd Gamble's adventure map last night. I think we should be ready to start after the weekend.

Here's where the party stands right now.
Brain -- elven rogue
Galethorn -- human fighter
Nac -- dwarven cleric
Krug -- gnome wizard

Galethorn: I like your thinking on the crossbow strap. However, it seems to me that the strap would have to be pretty loose in order for you to be able to actually use the crossbow with it still strapped on your body. In that case, it would do a lot of bouncing around and getting in your way whenever you did anything else active (running, combat, etc.). I won't disallow it altogether, but we would have to think about how this would affect your dexterity, so it might be better to just go without it.

Rowport: Thanks for your interest. Apparently, great minds think alike. I will definitely keep your name, and if we need an alternate I will let you know ASAP.

Whisperfoot: Wow, the author himself! I will definitely drop you a line when we are done. Thanks for the excellent adventure. I'm looking forward to checking out your work in Serpent Kingdoms.

To recap: Remember to let me know when you are ready for me to check your character, and I'll get on it right away.


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## Brain (Jul 15, 2004)

Vigwyn: I'm ready to have Slyfen (posted above) checked out.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jul 15, 2004)

Hardin is ready for checking (and raring to go).


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 15, 2004)

*Characters*

I have started a rogues gallery thread for this game here. The way this works is that once you tell me your character is ready for review, I will post it in the rogues gallery. (Nac and Brain, I have already done this for your characters.) This means that only I can make changes to them, thus preventing confusing situations wherein the DM and player are both trying to make changes. So, if you want/need to make changes once your character is in the rogues gallery, you will have to inform me what changes you want to make, and I will make them.

Brain: Your point costs on your ability scores were wrong. I changed Dex to 10 points and Con to 4 points. Unfortunately, this puts you at 27 points. The max is 25, so you'll need to tell me how you want to shed those two points. You only have 60 skill points available, and 6/3 C/cc ranks available. Please let me know what changes you'd like to make to the distribution. Where does the +2 Misc modifier to Balance come from? Also, I made a few minor clarification and formatting changes.

Nac: Your point costs on your ability scores were wrong. I changed Con to 10 points and Cha to 2 points. Unfortunately, this puts you at 27 points. The max is 25, so you'll need to tell me how you want to shed those two points. I made some other clarifying and formatting changes. I'm assuming the +2 Misc modifier on the Craft skill relates to the Dwarf racial ability with stone and metal. Let me know if I missed any of your prepared spells that should be cast at CL 4 because of your Law domain. You are carrying 91 (not 86) pounds. One week's trail rations cost 35 sp, and I calculate that you have spent 2682.6 gp, leaving you with 17 gp, 4 sp.

Krug and Galethorn, make whatever changes you want in the character posts you have made, then let me know when you're ready for me to check them out.

We're getting close, folks!


----------



## Brain (Jul 15, 2004)

Vigwyn:  The reason that our stats look off is that we have racial stat modifiers.  As an elf, I have +2 dex, -2 con.  That would account for the point discrepancy.  I believe Nac is in the same boat with his dwarf.

As far as my skill points, yes, I made a mistake and gave myself skills like I was level 4 for some reason.  Go ahead and lower all my 7s to 6s and that should fix it.  The +2 misc to balance is a synergy bonus from having 5 ranks in tumble.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jul 15, 2004)

Yes.  Dwarves get +2 con -2 cha, so I actually put a 14 in con and a 12 in cha, but it changed race wise.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 15, 2004)

Oh, OK guys. My fault, I totally spaced that on adding the racial adjustments to ability scores. I was counting them *before* spending the 25 points instead of after--didn't even think about that.

Brain: Thanks for reminding me of the skill synergies. I found some more that apply to your character, and added them to the sheet as well.

So, you two, the sheets look completely OK to me the way they are now, and I'll accept them as is into the game. Please let me know if there is anything you want to change at this point.


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## Galethorn (Jul 15, 2004)

My character is ready for review.


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## Krug (Jul 16, 2004)

Belisha ready for review.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 16, 2004)

Galethorn: I have checked over your character. Here are some notes on minor things that I changed, and some larger things that I need your input on. The mule will use the stats from MM 276, and will be assumed to be already trained for Heavy Labor, knowing the tricks Come and Work (see the Handle Animal skill in the PHB). Handle animal checks will be required whenever I wouldn't automatically assume success. Your lift weight is 350 (that is, 2x max). When wearing your backpack, you will be at medium load, and a speed and check penalty will apply (see PHB 161-162). You should have 5 feats (1 standard 1st lvl, 1 human bonus 1st lvl, 1 standard 3rd lvl, and1 fighter bonus each for 1st and 2nd lvls), so you'll need to pick 3 more. BTW, I really like your idea of storing some of your wealth as lightweight gems--it's practical plus it adds a bit of flair and realism. I'm not going to count the potions as a pound each, instead making it a pound total for them. One day's trail rations is only 5 sp. The mule costs 8 gp. I calculate that the mule is carrying 38 lb. I calculate that you have spent 2634.71 gp , leaving you with 365.29 gp. How do you want that split up? Please check your character over in the rogues gallery and let me know if you disagree with what I have come up with.

Krug: You're next!


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 16, 2004)

Krug: I have checked out your character through the language section. I will get to the rest of it after I hear back from you on what I've done so far. You can view the updated sheet in the rogues gallery. Here are my notes/concerns so far. You have no deity--that's fine, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't just an oversight. I calculate your HP as 12 (4+2d4+3). What is the extra 3 from? According to my calculations, you have only spent 23 points on your ability scores (I'm putting in racial modifiers *after* points are spent); please tell me where you want the other 2. As far as I can tell, you are not proficient with darts, and so must take a -4 penalty on attack rolls with them. I didn't understand your attack and damage stats for the quarterstaff, so I reworked them. Tell me what you think of the changes I made.


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## Krug (Jul 16, 2004)

Hmm... let me take a look..
Ok deity: Baervan Wildwanderer
1 more point to Strength to bring it to 10 and 1 more to Cha to bring it to 9
HP: I mixed up and thought I had a Con of 14... oops. Bought it down to 12.
Pick up light X-bow instead, dropping the qtrstaff (though she'll have a light walking stick), and just realised eqpt weights are 1/4 what they are for some items and have adjusted accordingly. 

So now she's carrying a lightweight and won't slow the others down.


----------



## Galethorn (Jul 16, 2004)

Let's see...how about _these small changes_ which take that extra gold into account...

Drop climb to 3 ranks, switch intimidate for Handle Animal, and put 3 ranks in Ride...

Get rid of one Garnet...

Switch one 'carried' GP back to 'credit'...

And buy a heavy warhorse, military saddle, bit and bridle, and saddlebags with the remaining unspent gold; that leaves 2sp, 9cp, which I would put with my other money.

Sure, all of this makes my character even more like a knight, but oh well.
************************
As for feats...I'm not so sure we'd have a 3rd level feat, being 2nd level and all...however, I did write down two too few; I'd like to add Power Attack and Cleave.


----------



## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 17, 2004)

Everybody please remember that your official characters are now posted in the rogues gallery. The ones posted here are obsolete. If you want to change something, please don't change it here, because it won't count. Instead, let me know, and I will change it on the "official" character sheet in the rogues gallery.

Now for the individual notes!

Krug: I'm not familiar with Baervan Wildwanderer. Please choose a deity from the PHB, or ask about one from one of the books listed in the first post. BTW, I'll allow the spell mark of air from BoEM, but you should *ask* about anything not in the core books.  Your Cha is too low for you to get dancing lights, ghost sound, or prestidigitation as racial abilities (see PHB 17). I'll allow the extra spells in your spellbook on the assumption they were copied from scrolls you found in previous adventures or something like that. You can prepare one more 1st lvl spell and one more 2nd lvl spell. I calculate that you have only 30 skill points to spend, rather than 36, so please tell me where you want to lose the 6 points. Paper is 4 sp per sheet, for a total of 4 gp for your ten sheets. Where are you keeping all of your scrolls? A day's trail rations are only 5 sp. For Rufus, I'll use the stats from the MM for a dog (not riding dog), and assume that he has been trained for the purpose of Guarding, and therefore knows the tricks attack, defend, down, and guard (see Handle Animal skill description in the PHB). I calculate that you are carrying 17.5 lb. I calculate that you have spent 1126.72 gp, leaving you with 1573.28 gp. I also made a few other minor changes (like your carrying weights went up).

Galethorn: I screwed up before and calculated your total available wealth from 3000 gp when it should have been 2700, so I'll fix that when I make the changes you indicated (sometime on Saturday, maybe late).


----------



## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 17, 2004)

Galethorn: I was able to get to your character tonight (Friday), so I went ahead and took care of it.

As far as the knight thing goes, I certainly don't mind you playing your character as a knight (small "k"). In fact, in my mind, the knight is the archetypal fighter, and it's what I immediately think of when I think of fighters. I just didn't want to bring the Knight (big "K") class into this game. So, playing a knight is totally cool, so long as you do it with the fighter class.  

Friend, you are indeed third level, so I need one more feat for you.

I fixed the amount of money thing.   Sorry again about the mistake. You now have 4 red garnets (400 gp), 3 pp, 9 gp, 50 sp, and 0 cp. Let me know if you disagree with my math or if you want the money in different denominations.


----------



## Krug (Jul 17, 2004)

Urgh 
OK Can I increase my Cha and reduce my strength then? Sorry about the messup.
Str 9
Cha 10

So I should do -1 damage with the dagger...

Extra 1st level spell: Color Spray
Extra 2nd level spell: Mark of Air

Skills:

```
[B]Skills                   Ranks  Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
Spellcraft                    6   +3           9
Concentration                 6   +2           8
Knowledge (arcana)            4   +3           7
Knowledge (nature)            2   +3           5
Decipher Script               4   +3           7
Craft (alchemy)               4   +3    +2    10
Hide (cc)                     0   +2           2
Search (cc)                   2   +3           5
Listen (cc)                   2   +0    +4     6
Spot (cc)                     0   +0    +2     2
```

How many scrolls can a scroll case take? Can I buy 5 scroll case (5 gp, 2.5 lb) for 14 scrolls? 
Can I add 3 more trail rations? 

Deity just Garl Glittergold, unless there's another gnomish nature deity. 

I'd like to keep some of my treasure in gems like the rest. Garnets as well? Seems to the gem of choice. 

Is that about it? Thanks!


----------



## Galethorn (Jul 17, 2004)

That all sounds good. And, of course, 'knight with a small k' is what I meant.

As for a last feat...Improved Sunder.


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## Brain (Jul 17, 2004)

Vigwyn:  I suggest you change the title of this thread from [recruiting] to [full] or something like that.


----------



## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 17, 2004)

Thanks for the timeliness, everybody. You are shaping up to be a great group!

OK, here are some individual notes.

Krug: I switched the Str and Cha. Your attack bonus with the dagger also falls to +1. I added the prepared spells. (BTW, the mark of air spell is very cool--nice choice!) The cross-class skills cost 2 points per rank, so you are still 4 points over your limit. Let me know where to lose those. I'll allow you to keep up to 20 scrolls in a scroll case, and I added one to your character. I added the trail rations. I went searching for another deity for you because it looked to me like you were a little disappointed with Garl Glittergold. I turned to the gnomish pantheon in the FR Campaign Setting, and who did I see but good old Baervan Wildwanderer!? Sorry I didn't recognize the source before.  I will put Baervan Wildwanderer as your deity. I put 1000 gp into red garnets for you. So, the only thing left is the skill points issue.

Galethorn: I added Improved Sunder. I really like what you've done with this character, and am ready to accept it as is into the game. Nice work!  

Brain: I'm going to change the title once all of the character issues are worked out and we are ready to begin playing. At that point, I'll start a thread in the "Playing the Game" subforum, with a post here announcing and linking to it. Right now, I expect that that will happen Monday or Tuesday (maybe Tuesday night).


----------



## Krug (Jul 18, 2004)

Ok almost there. Just change Search and Listen to 1 rank each and that's it. 

PS: Spellcraft appears to be listed twice on my char sheet in the Rogue's gallery.


----------



## Galethorn (Jul 18, 2004)

Thanks! My usual goal with building a character is to make them as powerful as possible without sacrificing anything from their concept--hence the bastard sword (instead of a longsword or greatsword, or worse yet, a spiked chain), being human (rather than half-dwarf/half-red dragon), the 12 charisma (instead of 8), and so on, along with fitting but useful feats.

I guess you could call me a compassionate min-maxer.

But, enough about me.

Let's get going soon; my sword-hand is getting itchy...oh, right, that's because of the mousing-rash...


----------



## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 18, 2004)

*Looks like we are ready!*

All right! Everybody's character is now legit. I have started an IC thread in the "Playing the Game" subforum. I will need from each of you an email address that you check frequently. This way I can email you when I post an update. Please send it to me at kfargo@indiana.edu.

I anticipate putting up the first official adventure post Monday or Tuesday night. After that, I plan on updating at least 5 times a week, and will be counting on you guys to help me keep up a nice pace by continuing to be timely in your posting. You have all been terrific so far, and I'm really looking forward to playing this game with you.


----------



## Vigwyn the Unruly (Jul 19, 2004)

*Day 1*

*First official game post is up!*


----------



## Vigwyn the Unruly (Aug 2, 2004)

I may not get a chance to update tonight. I'm DMing for my sons; we're getting pretty close to the end of an adventure, and we may just play until we finish tonight.  

Also, we need to hear from Hardin whether or not he wants to spend a heal spell or two on the warhorse, and whether he agrees with the rest of the group that you should "follow" the tracks instead of the trail.

Finally, I'll be on vacation August 16th to the 20th. So my last realistic chance to post will be August 14th (packing on the 15th), any I won't be able to post again until August 21st.


----------



## Brain (Aug 5, 2004)

I'm confused by how you seem to be handling surprise in the game thread.  How I understood it was that whoever acted in the surprise round got one action (standard or move equivalent) and then after that, initiative started over at the top in the first full round. So it would be S. slyfen, ogre 1.slyfen, ogre, belisha, eolan, rufus, hardin.


----------



## Krug (Aug 6, 2004)

Just a note - Great game so far. However, perhaps it'd be better for you not to post the opponent's HP?  Too much of a giveaway as to the status of the 'beastie'. 
Dice rolls are fine of course.


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Aug 6, 2004)

I'd just like to say that I'm loving this game and would like to put a word in in advance for the idea of starting a new pre-made with these guys after this is done.  I'm really enjoying this adventure.


----------



## Vigwyn the Unruly (Aug 6, 2004)

Thanks for the huge compliment Nac and Krug!   

I think that this group has been fantastic so far. A good mix of personalities and styles.

As for the monster hp, that's an issue I have struggled with. Let me give you my reasoning on it. I have two reasons to tell you the remaining hp. First, as you know, lowering hp has no effect at all until you get down to zero, even when there would be broken bones, loads of blood loss, etc. So, you don't really make any headway against the monster until you have drained it of *all* of its hp. In other words, you don't slow it down, decrease its strength or morale, or anything. I'm not 100% satisfied with that. It seems to me that you _at least_ ought to have a feel for the relative _amount_ of damage you are doing to the creature. This kind of info goes a long way toward helping you decide if it's worth it to, say, provoke an AoO because you might be able to kill the monster with a single blow this round. Second, the DM knows how many hp the PCs have left, so it seems only fair that the PCs should know how many hp the monsters have. However, I'm willing to change this if a majority of the group wants me to.

Finally, I may not be able to update tonight. A good friend of mine is getting her PhD in a couple of weeks then moving to California (we're in the Midwest right now). So a bunch of her friends are getting together tonight and taking her out.

Keep up the good work!


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## Brain (Aug 11, 2004)

Great game indeed.  I especially like the regular DM updates, it goes a long way and I appreciate it.

A side note for Nac (Hardin):
Enlarge person doesn't increase your chance to hit at all, because the +2 str bonus gives +1 to hit, but you gain a -1 to hit from going up in size, so they cancel out.


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Aug 11, 2004)

Oops, thanks brain, I forgot that.


----------



## Vigwyn the Unruly (Aug 11, 2004)

Thanks for the compliment, this has been very rewarding for me, too! Sometimes it can be tough to update at this frequency, but you guys always make it worth it by coming up with cool and surprising actions. I always can't wait to see what you'll post next! Plus, there hasn't yet been one problem in the group, a real accomplishment for a collection of strangers interacting via text.   

As for the game--Wow! I see you are bringing out some big guns and thoughtful strategy for this one. It will be a little complex to adjudicate, and Saturday night will probably be my last update until I return from vacation, so we'll probably be taking a break in the middle of an encounter.

That being said, I have some questions/concerns before we get started.

First, Brain, you wrote that you would take out a potion of _bless weapon_, but I think you mean _magic weapon_. Please let me know if I am wrong.

Second, Nac, I think your attack bonus calculations may be off a little. I have your attack bonus at +8 instead of +11. Let me give you my math and reasoning. Your current attack bonus is +5. _Bull's strength_ cranks your strength up to 18, changing your mod to +4 and your attack bonus to +7. _Magic weapon_ gives an enhancement bonus to attack rolls, but this does not stack with the masterwork bonus your warhammer already has, so your attack bonus stays at +7. Finally, _divine favor_ gives a luck bonus of +1, increasing your attack bonus to +8 (also, this last spell only lasts for 1 minute). I agree with the rest of your numbers, and I'll assume that you'll want to time your buffing such that the last spell is cast right as Slyfen's 1 minute head start is up. By the way, do you want to take the _enlarge person_ potion before entering the cave or wait until you engage some opponent? If waiting, are you going to enter the cave holding the vial in your off hand, or leave it stowed until you need it?


----------



## Brain (Aug 11, 2004)

Yes, I mean oil of magic weapon.


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Aug 11, 2004)

Let me see, I think I made two mistakes, the magic weapon and I forgot and was using my charging attack bonus (because that was what I had seen last).  Okay, +8 it is.  I'll hold off on casting Divine Favor until right before we head in.  I'm drinking the potion as we enter the cave.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Aug 23, 2004)

*Eolan?*

Eolan...are you still with us? I see that you have been on the boards as recently as today (Sunday), but we haven't seen a post from you in Dry Spell for almost two weeks now. I know things have been busy with GenCon, and that the boards were down for several days before that, so it's not a huge deal, but I think we're  all antsy to get back up and running.

I'm hoping you're still wanting to play. If so, please post soon so we can continue.

If not, that's OK too, but please let me know so I can find someone else to play your character. (kfargo@indiana.edu)

Hope to hear from you soon. If you don't post by around 9 tomorrow night (Monday), in order to keep the game moving I'll NPC your character until I hear from you. Not a threat or anything, I just need to keep things moving for the other PCs.


----------



## Vigwyn the Unruly (Aug 25, 2004)

*Galethorn*

Galethorn,

Please post or contact me (kfargo@indiana.edu) by Friday evening. If I don't hear from you by then, I will be looking for another player to take over Eolan. No hard feelings or anything, but I think that players have more fun in a party made up of more PCs than NPCs.   

Vigwyn


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Aug 28, 2004)

*Looking for a player*

We are currently looking for another player. We need someone who can take over a 3rd level fighter name Eolan. You can find the character sheet in the rogues gallery, where he is the third entry. If you read the posts in this thread and the adventure thread, I think you will see that this is a very enjoyable adventure, and we keep up a good pace. Please read these threads to get a feel for the game and how we play before requesting to take over the character.

This character will be *yours* and you should feel free to play him with your own personality and quirks. The only thing we ask is that you be a team player, and commit to posting at least 5 times a week.

Please post any questions you might have here or email them to me at kfargo@indiana.edu.

Thanks


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Aug 28, 2004)

Players,

Please give a big welcome to Mike. He will be playing Eolan for the rest of the adventure. He has read the IC and OOC threads, and is up to speed, so he will begin posting right away.

Welcome aboard Mike!


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## Galieo (Aug 28, 2004)

*Greetings all*

Thanks, happy to join in the fun.    

Galieo (Mike)


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## Brain (Aug 28, 2004)

Hi Mike, welcome to the game.


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## Krug (Aug 29, 2004)

Welcome Galleo.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Sep 1, 2004)

Great roleplaying, guys--keep it up!


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## Galieo (Sep 4, 2004)

Vigwyn,

Your mapping program, would you tell me the name of it?  Or are you merely scanning a map?

Thanks.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Sep 4, 2004)

I am using a PDF adventure module. The map in it is by Todd Gamble. I have no idea what program he used to create it.

I simply copied and pasted it from Adobe Reader into Adobe Photoshop. In Photoshop, I used the art tools (mostly rubber stamp) to hide some things (like the adventure title and room numbers). I then crop and erase in Photoshop to leave as much of the area as your characters would be aware of.

Then I import the remaining portion of the map into Adobe Illustrator. That's where I add things like the table (just a filled circle) in the current room and the letters/numbers representing characters and monsters. I then use the "save for web" feature of Illustrator to put the map into GIF format, and try to keep the file size under 150 kb.

Hope you like it.


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## Galethorn (Sep 4, 2004)

Vigwyn the Unruly said:
			
		

> Galethorn,
> 
> Please post or contact me (kfargo@indiana.edu) by Friday evening. If I don't hear from you by then, I will be looking for another player to take over Eolan. No hard feelings or anything, but I think that players have more fun in a party made up of more PCs than NPCs.
> 
> Vigwyn




Oh geez! I wish I had seen that when you posted it originally! I wasn't gone or anything; I must have just missed the thread when you got it going after the server outage...

Just so this doesn't happen to me again, in a different game, could somebody please explain why the thread-subscription thingy doesn't seem to do anything for me?


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Sep 5, 2004)

Galethorn,

Sorry about that. I tried to give you plenty of time to respond. :\ 

I'm not an expert on subscribing, but I do know it has some limited functionality. As far as I know, the email notification thing does *not* work. However, when you subscribe to a thread it is added to the "My Account" link, which is up-at-the-top-and-sort-of-in-the-middle of each page when you are logged in.

When you log in, click on the "My Account" link. If any of your subscribed threads have had a post in them recently, they will show up there. This is the first thing I do every time I log in.

Again, sorry about the confusion.


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## Galethorn (Sep 5, 2004)

Well, I hope I can get that working for the next game I get into...in the mean time, good luck with those bugbears!


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Sep 6, 2004)

Welcome back Nac!

It was fun playing Hardin for a while, but it will be even more fun seeing what *you* do with him.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Sep 6, 2004)

It's good to be back.  I think that right now this game is definitely my favorite.  It combines good roleplaying with a fast pace that's fairly unique among the PbP games I'm in.  Also, with a pre-made adventure, I don't have to worry about the DM having finals or something and not being able to finish his/her adventure.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Sep 8, 2004)

Nac,

I need to clarify a few things about your most recent post, so I'll know how you want to proceed.

1. You can't lose protective ward for a CLW for two reasons. First, you've already cast it. Second, it's a granted power for one of your domains, not a spell. You can only drop (non-domain) spells for spontaneous casting.

2. One of the orcs is already stabilized, so that might save you a spell.

3. Which particular 0 level spell(s) do you want to drop?

Everybody, although I sometimes miss something, I try to do a good job of keeping your character sheets up to date, including things like spells used, ammunition left, current hp, etc. You can always find them in the rogues gallery.


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## Brain (Sep 8, 2004)

I just took a look at my character sheet and it seems you haven't marked off the potion of invisibility that I used, and maybe not the oil of magic weapon either (not sure how many I started with)


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Sep 8, 2004)

Brain said:
			
		

> I just took a look at my character sheet and it seems you haven't marked off the potion of invisibility that I used, and maybe not the oil of magic weapon either (not sure how many I started with)




Oops  

OK, taken care of. You had one potion of _invisibility_ and 3 oils of _magic weapon_. You have used the potion and one of the oils. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Sep 19, 2004)

Just voicing my opinion.  I agreed with your decision to tell the PCs the HP of their enemies on the basis that we could see how bad their wounds were, but I think that it's a little bit more information than we should reasonably have to know what our enemy's class and level is, at least before combat.  I think it's more reasonable to have to figure it out on the basis of, say, watching him rage.

That said, you're the DM, and so your say is final.

Loving the adventure, and since we seem to be nearing the end, I'll say it again: I really hope you'll do another one of these, because I think this is my favorite PbP game on the boards.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Sep 19, 2004)

First, I'm glad you're enjoying the game--that's really the best compliment I can get as a DM!  

As far as the class and level thing goes, I knew that this encounter was going to be a challenge for the group, and I didn't want anyone feeling sand-bagged when they found out that Relgore was "stronger" than your average bugbear. I hope it doesn't detract from your enjoyment.

I'm going to edit the post to black out the text, so perhaps Galieo and Brain won't see it (Nac and Krug have already posted). I'll try to do this with any potential spoilers from here on in. I'll do it with HP, too.


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## Galieo (Sep 19, 2004)

That is cool with me (re: blacking out parts of the text).


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Sep 22, 2004)

Krug,

_Mea culpa_. I was looking through the combat rules, and it turns out that I was totally wrong about not letting you spread _summon monster_ out over two rounds because it was a full-round action. While there are some kinds of full-round actions that can't be spread out over two rounds, casting that spell isn't one of them. Sorry about that,

Vigwyn


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## Krug (Sep 22, 2004)

Vigwin, 
No worries. 

Am off for a short break. Please put Belisha on auto-pilot. Since she has hardly anything left, she'll either a) cast _acid splash_ on Relgore or b) use CLW potions on her comrades who need it.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Sep 23, 2004)

Krug:
When do you plan on returning?

Brain:
You can take a shot at Relgore, but I don't see how it could be a sneak attack. He is already reacting normally in battle, and he isn't denied his Dex bonus to AC right now. Let me know if you think I'm reading the rules wrong on that one--it certainly won't be the first or last time.


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## Brain (Sep 23, 2004)

I thought I had cover so I could hide, then once hidden (unless spotted) I could make a sneak attack within 30 feet with a ranged weapon.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Sep 23, 2004)

Brain said:
			
		

> I thought I had cover so I could hide, then once hidden (unless spotted) I could make a sneak attack within 30 feet with a ranged weapon.




As far as I know, that only works if you catch the opponent flat-footed by hiding until they get close enough for you to attack. But since Relgore is already reacting to combat normally, he wouldn't be flat-footed when you attack.


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## Brain (Sep 23, 2004)

If I had total concealment from him and made an attack, he would be denied his dex and I would get +2.  I just realized however that he probably has uncanny dodge anyways, being a barbarian.  In that case, he keeps his dex bonus.  So just have Slyfen shoot and not sneak attack.


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## Krug (Sep 26, 2004)

Vigwin: Posted while I was away at Phuket. Thankfully they have fast internet broadband. 

BTW, great game! You're the most well-organised DM I've ever had the fortune to play with online. Probably the best example of how a PBP game should be done... evar.


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## Brain (Sep 26, 2004)

I'll second that, this game has been very enjoyable and well run.  Are you interested in running further adventures for our group of would-be heroes?  I'd definitely be interested.

As far as the treasure split up goes, Slyfen would prefer to sell everything, and perhaps have the party buy a wand of cure light wounds (more efficient than a bunch of potions) along with a few potions incase Hardin was unconscious.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Sep 26, 2004)

Thanks Krug and Brain! Those are huge compliments. I think the party worked out very well, and you guys have all been doing a terrific job of roleplaying. Sometimes it's been a lot of work, but I'm always motivated to keep going just to see what you guys will do next. I think sticking to "generic" D&D has been helpful too.

This adventure is close to being over, but I've been giving very serious consideration to starting another one up soon. If I do, though, I'll probably only update about half as frequently as I have been on this one.


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## Krug (Sep 26, 2004)

Vigwin,
That's fine. Half the rate is good.  Looking forward to a new adventure when this one is done.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Sep 27, 2004)

Same hear.  Looking forward to more from you, even at half rate.


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## Galieo (Sep 27, 2004)

I second all those motions!  Great work and looking forward to the next one.


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## Vigwyn the Unruly (Oct 4, 2004)

I'm baaa-aack!  

I have returned with an all-new adventure. The name of the adventure is _Frozen Whispers_. It's by James Jacobs with cartography by Todd Gamble.

Here is the IC thread.
Here is the OOC thread.
Here is the rogues gallery.

I hope all of you can participate again. Hope to see some posts from you soon!


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