# Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (Recruiting a Trapfinder)



## airwalkrr (Oct 4, 2011)

Recruiting is open again. Right now the party has a caliban barbarian/fighter, a sorcerer, a wizard, and a druid. I will take one more player if someone is willing to fill the trapfinding/skill role.

I've wanted to run this adventure for a long time. I really like the way it was updated to the 3.5 rules set and love the ambiance of Ravenloft. If you'd be interested in participating in this game, let me know what type of character you'd like to play and when you'd be able to get started. If there is enough interest, I may run it.

Starting character level would be 6th. I would accept up to four players and two alternates. I'd also expect every player character to have a backup character ready since... well, it's Ravenloft. I'd probably be using some rules from the Ravenloft Campaign Setting by Swords & Sorcery, but owning that book wouldn't be necessary as I'd provide the necessary rules to players. Player sources would be restricted to the Player's Handbook and Heroes of Horror, although alternate base classes like the scout or the knight would probably be allowed. There are also some special rules from the adventure that all players would have access to. I'd make a player handout with these rules available to players.

_Disclaimer: This isn't an adventure for the faint of heart or those who like "winning." If you know Ravenloft, then you know the setting is often about choosing between the lesser of two evils, that alignment is blurred, and that the characters are intended to feel a certain level of oppression constantly around them. However, it is this sense of oppression that makes every victory, even a small one, so much sweeter than it would be in a normal campaign. If you really dig the Call of Cthulu and similar games then this is probably a great adventure for you. If not, then please opt not to participate._

Character Creation Rules
*Level:* 6th
*Starting XP:* 15,000
*Ability Scores:* Standard method (_PH_ 7). Use the EN World Dice Roller. If you have issues with the dice roller for some reason, let me know and we will work out another rolling option. If your scores are too low, roll a new set in a new post. I do not appreciate it when players roll first using another method and ask later so don't do it. I *will* ask you to reroll.
*Class:* All classes from the _PH_ are allowed plus the Hexblade (_CW_), Swashbuckler (_CW_), Favored Soul (_CD_), Spirit Shaman (_CD_), Warlock (_CAr_), Warmage (_CAr_), Scout (_CAd_), Spellthief (_CAd_), Beguiler (_PH2_), Duskblade (_PH2_), Knight (_PH2_), Healer (_MH_), Marshal (_MH_), Archivist (_HoH_), Dread Necromancer (_HoH_), and Factotum (_Du_). Alternate Class Features found in the _EtCR_ 205 are available for PCs who wish to be members of The Lightbringers (_EtCR_ 204). In addition, some class abilities may work differently in Ravenloft (_RCS_ 36-44). If you don't own the _RCS_, I will inform you of any changes that apply to your character.
*Prestige Class:* Any from _DMG_, _EtCR_, and _HoH_ are allowed.
*Race:* All races from the _PH_ except the half-orc plus the caliban (_RCS_) and half-vistani (_RCS_) are allowed.
*Skills:* Some skills work slightly differently in Ravenloft (_RCS_ 44-46). I will provide you with any necessary information. In addition the Hypnosis skill is available (_RCS_ 46).
*Feats:* Any feats from the _PH_, _EtCR_, _HoH_ and _RCS_ are allowed.
*Equipment:* You have 13,000 gp to spend on items from the _PH_ (including masterwork items) the _EtCR_ 208-209, or the _RCS_ 55-59. Magic items are hard to come by in Ravenloft. Any money leftover you may use to create a wishlist of magic items, including enhancement bonuses to masterwork equipment you own. This list can be as long as you want, but must be prioritized, as I will start at the top and approve or reject items from the top-down until your budget is spent. Items can be prioritized multiple times, if you want, such as 6 potions of cure light wounds. I will decide how many you receive. If your character is capable of crafting magic items, you may craft any item from the _DMG_ for which you meet the prerequisites. Any XP spent will be deducted from your starting total but will not lower your level below 6th.
*Hit Points:* Standard (maximum at 1st-level and roll each level thereafter).
*Taint:* The taint rules from _HoH_ will be in play. If you don't own the _HoH_, I will inform you of the effects of taint should you receive it and the means by which you can remove it. Taint is generally earned in one of three ways, 1) being exposed to a tainted area, 2) using a tainted magic item, or 3) being the subject of a tainted effect or tainted magic. Just visiting Count Strahd's castle once has the potential to increase your character's taint score so be wary.
*Other Rules:* Other rules from the _RCS_ will be in play, but these will generally come into play on a case-by-case basis and having the book is not necessary to play this adventure. Be prepared for some surprises though. Things that are easy in other campaigns (like magically determining someone's alignment or crafting powerful magic items) are a bit different in Ravenloft as the Dark Powers will work against you in many ways. There is a link below to a Player Appendix which includes optional rules available for this campaign which you may use if you wish.

Rogue's Gallery
Player Appendix (optional rules for players)


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## wolfattack (Oct 4, 2011)

I was planning to run this adventure here on enworld but i was uncertain because i'm a rookie as DM. i was planning for the players to start at level 1 and make the way up to 6th. one of the things that made me give up was the fact that i don't own the Ravenloft setting book,only this adventure. but you can count me in on this one. i would like to play as a Wizard.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 5, 2011)

I've cross-posted this thread at Pen & Paper Games to see if anyone there is interested. The link is in the OP.


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## Strahd_Von_Zarovich (Oct 5, 2011)

I'm in for some horror …
I will think about something, I have the books back home.


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## rangerjohn (Oct 5, 2011)

How about a Van Helsingesque character?  A ranger with favored enemy undead.


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## Herobizkit (Oct 5, 2011)

Yes, yes, and yes.  I actually own the Hardcover but haven't read it in... well... since it came out.  I'd love to run through it and see how it goes.

I've also always wanted to try the Archivist class from HoH, so I'd like to weigh in with one of those guys.


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## kinem (Oct 5, 2011)

If there's still room, might as well  I think I'll go sorcerer this time, if it's not a problem that there's already a wizard.


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## wolfattack (Oct 5, 2011)

i don't own Heroes of Horror. i hope there is no problem with this...


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## airwalkrr (Oct 5, 2011)

Looks like there is some interest, enough for a game anyway. Let's see what kind of character concepts people come up with.

[MENTION=6670510]wolfattack[/MENTION]: Looking to build a wizard. Will need a backup character concept as well.

[MENTION=24609]Strahd_Von_Zarovich[/MENTION]: Glad to have you aboard. Let me know what ideas you are floating around.

[MENTION=2469]rangerjohn[/MENTION]: A van Helsing type would obviously fit very well into this campaign. I don't know that a ranger is necessarily the best way to do that. There is an alternate class feature in the Ravenloft guide which gives rogues the ability to add half their sneak attack damage to creatures immune to critical hits when they are flanking. That is something you might want to consider too. Let me know what you decide upon and come up with a backup concept as well.

[MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION]: Since you have the adventure, feel free to read all the player information from page 200-209 as that will be openly available for this campaign. For those who don't own the adventure, I will find a way to provide this information in another format. An archivist would be a very good fit in this campaign. Come up with a backup concept too.

[MENTION=24234]kinem[/MENTION]: I will take you on as the first alternate in case one of the above decides to back out. Feel free to come up with some different concepts in case you need to plug a different role.

I will take on one more alternate for those who are still interested.

Regarding the backup characters, just work out a concept. Think about race, class, origin and style, but don't worry about developing the actual stats until you have the first character done.

I will post character creation rules in the OP.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 5, 2011)

Character Creation Rules are up. Please feel free to ask questions.


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## wolfattack (Oct 6, 2011)

Rolling my stats....


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## airwalkrr (Oct 7, 2011)

Looks like a perfect set of stats for a wizard. 18 Int and the rest is gravy


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## wolfattack (Oct 7, 2011)

Yeah,its good,but it always can be better 

Well,my total HP is 25 = max dice at level 1 + Vitality + all these rolls.

And here is my character sheet: Barty Vylinu 
still missing the equipment,but i'll do that later.


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## Herobizkit (Oct 7, 2011)

I am going away for the long weekend  and won't be online much, if at all, until at least Tuesday.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 8, 2011)

[MENTION=6670510]wolfattack[/MENTION] Where does the Vitality feat come from? I'm not familiar with it and it didn't come up on any D&D feat search I did. Aside from that your hp total should be 22.

[MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION] take your time. we're in no hurry.


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## wolfattack (Oct 8, 2011)

it comes from the player's handbook 3.5.my character gains +3 hp each time i choose this feat. please, notice that i translate the name of the feat.obviously my player handbook is in portuguese language.


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## Herobizkit (Oct 9, 2011)

He's talking about Toughness, I believe.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 10, 2011)

Okay, I understand now. Yes, the feat is called Toughness in English. I should have figured that out but for some reason my math skills were challenged at the time. Everything looks pretty good in that case.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 11, 2011)

Bump. Any progress from my players? Thoughts or questions about characters?


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## Strahd_Von_Zarovich (Oct 11, 2011)

I guess that I will take the brutal Caliban fighter spot.


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## Herobizkit (Oct 11, 2011)

So it looks like our first team will have a Fighter, Ranger, Wizard, and Archivist...

Hoo boy.  At least I can heal a bit, but traps are gonna kill us good.

To our beloved DM  @airwalkrr :

After reading the Archivists Handbook over at brilliantgameologists, it appears that my spellcasting ability will depend directly on what sources I have available from which to draw spells... essentially, I'm a divine caster that learns/casts spells like a wizard.

So, cut and pasted from that site, I have this question:

*Q: *What material will be allowed in this campaign?
An  archivist, more than almost any other class, has a power level that is  directly proportional to how many options are allowed in the campaign.  The more divine spells there are, the wider your spell list is. Here are  a list of thing that if allowed, will affect your power:

• Adepts – This NPC class gives access to some divine spells earlier than most PC classes.
•  Any sort of cheap trick to get any Sorcerer/Wizard spell as a divine  spell – I’m not talking about domains that grant wizard spells as divine  spells, but class features that allow virtually any Sorcerer/Wizard  spell as a divine spell. Some examples of this include Divine Magician  variant, Hexer PrC, and Favored Souls of Bahamut/Tiamat.
• Divine Bard – This variant found in Unearthed Arcana or the online SRD allows you to add any bard spell to the spell list.
•  Warlock or Pre-errata Artificers – Level 12 Warlocks or Pre-errata  Artificers can create any divine spell in the game. A PC like that in  your party can be a valuable asset to your Archivist.
• Any non-core divine casting class – Shugenja, Favoured Soul, Healer, and Spirit Shaman for example.
• Divine Prestige Classes that add more spells to the class’s spell list.
• Any Domains – According to Sage Advice, divine spells from domains are fine. (see below)

Also, for my back-up concept, I'm thinking Warlock with a heavy bent to Rogue-like abilities.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 11, 2011)

Spellcasters with spellbooks like the wizard or archivist will be somewhat limited on the spells they can learn and be limited in many ways to what scrolls they find. But part of the limited magic is what gives Ravenloft its feel so I want to preserve that to an extent.

• Adept, this is an NPC class, but any adept spells would be available for you to learn as an archivist.
• Divine Magician variant only applies to clerics in the first place, but it wouldn't be available to clerics in this campaign anyway.
• The Hexer prestige class is not allowed.
• I'm not familiar with the way a favored soul of Bahamut/Tiamat can get access sorcerer/wizard spells, but if it is a "cheap trick" as you say, I probably won't allow it. This is a horror game, not a character optimization game.
• The Divine Bard is not allowed.
• The warlock, favored soul, healer, and spirit shaman are all allowed. See the OP with a list of allowed classes and prestige classes.
• Divine spells from domains in the _PH_ and _HoH_ are fine.

Archivists and wizards will be allowed to research spells to learn spells they cannot find on scrolls or purchase.


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## Herobizkit (Oct 11, 2011)

I figured as much, but thought I'd best clear it with you first. 

Most of my money will be going to spell requests, then. Heh.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 11, 2011)

In addition to the spells you get automatically as an archivist, you can add additional spells to your prayerbook from the _PH_ and _HoH_ by spending the cost of a scroll of the spell plus the cost to inscribe the spell. I will approve of such expenditures in advance so long as they are no more than 3,000 gp. The same goes for wizards, [MENTION=6670510]wolfattack[/MENTION].


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## airwalkrr (Oct 11, 2011)

As for not having a character with trapfinding, there are always other ways to get around traps. Of course, there aren't always easy ways to find them. The ranger has Search as a class skill, so if the ranger picks up one level of a class with trapfinding, that skill could easily be kept at max so at least you know where the traps are, then you can figure out ways to get around them. Another method to handle this is for the archivist to learn Imbue With Spell Ability and Find Traps as soon as he reaches 7th level and imbue the ranger with the Find Traps spell every day. These are just some ideas to think about.


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## Herobizkit (Oct 12, 2011)

Here goes with the dice tumblin'...


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## Strahd_Von_Zarovich (Oct 12, 2011)

*Floch*

Chaotic Good Caliban Male Barbarian 1 / Fighter 5

Strength	16	(+3)
Dexterity	13	(+1)
Constitution	16	(+3)
Intelligence	7	(-2)
Wisdom	10	(+0)
Charisma	6	(-2)

HP: 59 (12+5d10[5,4,4,9,10]+15)
Speed: 30 feet [barbarian] 
Armor Class: 22 = 10 +1 [dexterity] +9  [Armor] +2 [Buckler]
Touch AC: 11
Flat-footed: 21

Initiative modifier:	+1	= +1 [dexterity] 
Fortitude save:	+12	= 6 [base] +3 [constitution] +2 [great fortitude] +1 [Cloak]
Reflex save:	+3	= 1 [base] +1 [dexterity] +1 [Cloak]
Will save:	+2	= 1 [base] +1 [Cloak]
Fear check:	+1	= +1 [will save] 
Horror check:	-1	= +1 [will save] -2 [innocent] 
Madness check:	+1	= +1 [will save] 
Attack (handheld):	+9/+4	= 6 [base] +3 [strength]
Attack (GreatSword): +10/+5 
Attack (missile):	+7/+2	= 6 [base] +1 [dexterity] 
Grapple check:	+9/+4	= 6 [base] +3 [strength] 

[sblock=Feats]
Mobility - +4 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity.
Great Fortitude	
Power Attack	
Cleave	
Great Cleave	
Weapon Focus (Great Sword)
[/sblock]
[sblock=Class and Race traits]
Caliban
•	+2 strength / -2 intelligence / -2 charisma (already included)
•	Darkvision (see 60 feet in pitch-dark)

Barbarian
•	Fast Movement (already included)
•	Illiteracy (2 skill points to learn to read)
•	Rage 1/day - +4 to Str. +4 Con, +2 on Will, –2 to AC
[/sblock]
[sblock=Skills]
_ Skill Name (Key Ability) Skill Modifier = Ability Modifier + Ranks + Misc. Modifier _
Climb Str*	6 = 	+3	+3
Hide	Dex*	1 = 	+1
Jump	Str*	9 = 	+3	+2	+4 [speed 40] 
Listen	Wis	1 = 	+0	+1
Move Silently	Dex*	1 = 	+1	
Search	Int	-2 = 	-2
Spot	Wis	0 = 	+0	
Survival	Wis	3 = 	+0	+3
Swim	Str	7 = 	+3	+4
[/sblock]
[sblock=Equipment]
Greatsword +1 (2350gp)
Full plate +1 (2650gp)
Buckler +1 (1315)
Cloak of resistance +1 (1000gp)
Potions: 
3 CLW
1 hide from undead
1 Remove fear. 
2 enlarge person 
2 bulls Str.  
3 CMW  
1 Heroism  
2 Shield of Faith 

Wealth: 35 gold coins
[/sblock]

Floch was raised as a barbarian mutant with a group of nomads. When they reached Barovia some few years back he was abandoned and a blacksmith took him under his custody as a servant.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 12, 2011)

Looks like things are coming along nicely. Here is where we are at on character development:

[MENTION=6670510]wolfattack[/MENTION]: playing Barty Vilynu, N male human wizard 6; character complete except for equipment
[MENTION=24609]Strahd_Von_Zarovich[/MENTION]: playing Floch, [AL] male caliban barbarian 1/fighter 5; ability scores rolled
[MENTION=2469]rangerjohn[/MENTION]: playing a Van Helsing-esque character; no details yet
[MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION]: playing an archivist; ability scores rolled
[MENTION=24234]kinem[/MENTION]: playing a sorcerer; no details yet


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## kinem (Oct 12, 2011)

To be honest, as an alternate I probably won't get to play in any reasonable time frame. That being the case, I see no point in building a character. If that means I'll lose the slot as an alternate then so be it.

AW, if you were to expand the party so I would actually play, it'd be a different story.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 13, 2011)

I will take a 5th, as I imagine at some point at least one player will have to drop for one reason or another. So you've got a spot, [MENTION=24234]kinem[/MENTION].


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## kinem (Oct 13, 2011)

Ok, thanks.


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## kinem (Oct 13, 2011)

Not sure why that didn't work right. I'll roll again, this time one 4d6 (discard 1) at a time.


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## kinem (Oct 13, 2011)

There goes my luck again 

Don Bonton, gnome sorcerer 6
hp 25 (6d4+6)

Str 6
Dex 11
Con 12
Int 11
Wis 10
Cha 14

gnome :+2 con, -2 str (included); level 4: +1 wis


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## airwalkrr (Oct 14, 2011)

Use the first set you rolled. The roller may not have displayed the discarding properly, but your set ought to be: 12, 8, 5, 13, 17, 13. First set seems marginally better than the second set anyway.


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## Herobizkit (Oct 14, 2011)

I'm starting to have second thoughts about the Archivist.  Our team is looking pretty magic heavy, and we might need some muscle.  I might consider adding a level or two of Martial class to add some "oomph".  Thoughts?


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## wolfattack (Oct 14, 2011)

Character sheet updated. equipments added. still 10.771 GP remaining.

Barty,Wizard


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## airwalkrr (Oct 14, 2011)

Well [MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION] you have a wizard and a sorcerer, so you have strong arcane talents, but no one is playing a divine class yet, which will be desperately needed. For a more martial divine caster you might consider a cleric with the War domain or a favored soul. Still, I think you guys will be fine with one martial character. Originally I was planning on only having four players, so really the extra arcane is just gravy. You still need a divine caster in the group. Unless [MENTION=2469]rangerjohn[/MENTION] wants to make his Helsing character a divine caster, I recommend you keep with something like that.


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## kinem (Oct 15, 2011)

Here's what I have. AW, let me know if the magic items are OK. Given his low strength the haversack is a priority.

Now modified:

[sblock=Don]Don Bonton, gnome sorcerer 6, xp 15,000
hp 31 (6d4+12), move 20', BAB +3, grapple -4

AC 12 (+1 size, +1 dex), touch 12, flatfooted 12

with mage armor (typical):
AC 16 (+1 size, +1 dex, +4 mage armor), touch 12, flatfooted 16

Str 4
Dex 13
Con 15
Int 12
Wis 8
Cha 17

carrying capacity: max light load 9.75 lbs, medium 19.5 lbs, heavy 30 lbs

gnome :+2 con, -2 str (included); level 4: +1 str

saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +4 (+6 vs illusions)

attack:
crossbow +6 ranged (1d6, crit 19-20/x2, 80' range increment, reload as move action)
or unarmed strike +1 melee (1d2-3 nonlethal, draws AOO from armed opponent)

gnome: low-light vision, can speak with animals (only burrowing mammal such as badger, fox, rabbit) as spell 1/day (1 min)
spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation. Caster level 1st; save DC 13

languages: Darkonese, Gnome, and Balinok

sorcerer:
The sorcerer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skills (ranks/total): Bluff 9/12, Concentration 9/11 (15 combat casting), Spellcraft 9/10, Spot 0/-1, Listen 0/1, Craft (alchemy) 0/3, Hide 0/5, appraise 0/1 (3 with scale)

Feats: eschew materials, combat casting, still spell

Sorcerers are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield.

spells known: DC 13 + spell level (#illusion = +1 DC)
7 0th, 4 1st, 2 2nd, 1 3rd lev

0th:	acid splash, detect magic, detect poison, ghost sound# (6 rnds, Will disbelief), light (60 min), message, read magic

1st:	magic missile (3 missiles, 1d4+1 each), mage armor (+4 AC, 6 hr), shield (+4 AC, 6 min), protection from evil (1 creature, 6 min, +2 AC and saves vs evil, blocks domination)

2nd:	minor image# (640' range, up to ten 10' cubes, conc + 2 rounds, Will disbelief), glitterdust (160' range, 6 rounds, Will neg)

3rd:	haste (6 rounds, 6 creatures)

spells/day:
6 0th, 7 1st, 6 2nd, 3 3rd lev

# Small: As a Small creature, a gnome gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.

# +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 & Craft (alchemy) checks.

equipment: 13k gp

magic item wishlist in order of priority:

handy haversack, (2k, 5 lb)
slippers of spider climbing (4.8 k, 10 min/day split up as chooses, 1/2 lb)
wand of web (4,500 gp; 50 charges)
cloak of resistance +2, (4k, 1 lb)
bag of tricks, gray (900 gp, 10 min 10/week, 0 lbs)
potions of CLW (x4, 200 gp, 0 lbs)
potion of remove curse (750 gp)
potion of remove disease (750 gp)
potion of remove blindness/deafness (750 gp)

other equipment (total value is 1,000 gp):

antitoxins (x2, 100 gp, 0 lb)
tanglefoot bags (x2, 100 gp, 8 lb but kept in haversack for 0 lb)
thunderstones (x2, 60 gp, 2 lb but kept in haversack for 0 lb)
smokesticks (x2, 40 gp, 1 lb kept in haversack for 0 lb)
small bedroll (1 sp, 1.25 lb, kept in haversack for 0 lb)
magnifying glass (100 gp, 0 lb)
small trail rations (10 days, 5 gp, 2.5 lb kept in haversack for 0 lb)
waterskin (1 gp, regular size, 4 lb kept in haversack for 0 lb)
merchant's scale (2 gp, +2 to appraise by weight, 1 lb kept in haversack for 0 lb)
9 sp, 14 gp (0.5 lb)
47 gp, 53 pp (1.2 lb, kept in haversack for 0 lb)

total 7 lbs carried (if above magic items included)


Description:
Born in the gnomish enclave of Wildwood in Darkon, Don Bonton was a sickly child to begin with, and he was struck with a near-fatal disease as a child, which left him very weak even for a gnome.  Luckily, he also displayed considerable magical talent, which gave him a source of enjoyment and status which he otherwise would not have had. He is very aware of his limitations but believes that through careful planning and use of magic he can overcome them.

The one friend who he could always count on to watch his back was Drindle Noorose. One day, the two of them were camping in the woods. Don went off to refill his waterskin, and when he returned, he found Drindle dead. There were cuts on Drindle's throat, forehead and arms - not ragged tears like could be caused by a wild animal, but precise as if made by a very sharp knife, and arranged in a strange pattern.

Don vowed revenge on the murderer but there was no sign of him. Years passed. Then a traveller - Samuel Burke - passed through Wildwood and related a very similar tale - but the murder was recent, and in Barovia.

Don never felt there was much for him in Wildwood anyway. He set out for Barovia, looking for clues and potential allies. He's had some adventures on the way but so far has not heard any more about the murders.

He is 3' 3" tall and weighs 43 lb, with black hair and green eyes.[/sblock]


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## Herobizkit (Oct 15, 2011)

airwalkrr said:


> Well  @Herobizkit  you have a wizard and a sorcerer, so you have strong arcane talents, but no one is playing a divine class yet, which will be desperately needed.



Yeah, you're right.  I guess I just don't quite understand the Archivist so I'm having reservations about playing one.  That, and having to buy all of my spells.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 15, 2011)

[MENTION=24234]kinem[/MENTION], you might want to expand your wishlist a little. Make it a little more than your total remaining cash after purchasing PH items, say at least 150% of your remaining wealth. And bear in mind, in general, the less costly the item, the more likely you are to get it. Things like potions and scrolls of lower-level spells and single-use items are more easy to come by in Ravenloft than permanent items because the Dark Powers consider them to be less of a threat. -- Gnomes in Ravenloft are very rare, and have a base outcast rating of 2. That will be your outcast rating (OR) to begin with. Gnomish communities rarely consist of more than a dozen, and there are practically no gnomes to speak of in Barovia where the adventure takes place. But your small size makes you less intimidating to people so the OR of 2 takes that into account. -- There is no common tongue in Ravenloft. Many of the domains are completely closed off to the outside, as Barovia is. How your character came to Barovia might be an interesting tale. The primary language of Barovia is Balinok, and that takes the place of Common for player characters who come from Barovia (as opposed to another domain or those who were imprisoned on Ravenloft from another dimension like Abeir-Toril). For those outside Barovia, they speak the common language of whatever land they come from. The largest population of gnomes in Ravenloft are in Darkon, where Darkonese in the prevailing tongue. Few gnomes exist outside of Darkon on purpose. -- A 4 Str, hmm? Strahd will have fun casting ray of enfeeblement on you... 

[MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION], there is no need for you to play the archivist unless you really want to. And I won't force the group to have a divine caster. But they do have their advantages, being able to learn spells from any domain from the lowest level possible, being able to learn divine spells from other spell lists (ranger, paladin, druid, blackguard, adept). Plus their skills and class features aren't too shabby. And if you don't feel comfortable with the archivist, you can always play a cleric. The Dark Powers hardly ever mess with them.


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## wolfattack (Oct 15, 2011)

I see you talking about Ray of Enfeeblement...one thing i don't understand very well in D&D is when you have to modify your stat by lowering or raising your number.this mean that if you cast ray of enfeeblement on my character and my strength is lowered,i'll have to lower all my strength based skills and attack bonus? the same goes for the constitution stat...if it is lowered or raised i'll have to modify my hit points too?


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## Herobizkit (Oct 15, 2011)

[MENTION=6670510]wolfattack[/MENTION] Yes.  And if your character is reduced to 0 Str, he immediate falls unconscious.


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## wolfattack (Oct 15, 2011)

Wow.that could slow down the game.on a tabletop RPG i mean


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## kinem (Oct 15, 2011)

AW, I edited my post above; added a few magic items to the list and a bit of background story.

wolf: It can slow a game - that's one reason that 4e does not have ability damage - but really, it's not a big problem. Just keep track of how much your strength bonus has changed by and make that adjustment whenever you make a melee attack or strength-based skill check.

And the smaller they are, the less hard they fall. RoE can't lower strength below 1, so if I have the haversack the main effect would be that I'd have to put half my crossbow bolts in the sack in order to move faster than staggering around.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 15, 2011)

Wolfattack, it's easiest just to determine your penalty and apply it when the situation arises rather than adjust every stat at the moment. For instance there's no need to recalculate your Climb skill if you aren't in an area where you need any climbing.

One minor correction on the application of 0 Str, you don't fall unconscious, you are paralyzed. You would be still be allowed to take purely mental actions and be aware of what is going on around you.

Kinem, assuming that I do approve the handy haversack (which isn't a guarantee), your carrying capacity would be 7.5 lbs which leaves you with 2.5 lbs of excess carrying capacity. If you are carrying anything more than that when your Str gets reduced to 1, you would fall over helpless, the sheer weight of what you are carrying pinning you to the ground. I'd probably let you roll an Escape Artist check to squirm out, but it isn't as simple as you seem to think. I'm just making you aware of the consequences of putting your lowest score into Str AND picking a race with a Str penalty.


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## Strahd_Von_Zarovich (Oct 15, 2011)

Floch

Character updated.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 16, 2011)

It looks like you rolled 5d12 for hp. I think you meant to roll 5d10.


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## kinem (Oct 16, 2011)

airwalkrr said:


> Kinem, assuming that I do approve the handy haversack (which isn't a guarantee), your carrying capacity would be 7.5 lbs which leaves you with 2.5 lbs of excess carrying capacity. If you are carrying anything more than that when your Str gets reduced to 1, you would fall over helpless, the sheer weight of what you are carrying pinning you to the ground. I'd probably let you roll an Escape Artist check to squirm out, but it isn't as simple as you seem to think. I'm just making you aware of the consequences of putting your lowest score into Str AND picking a race with a Str penalty.




Airwalkrr, you're the DM and it's up to you to make that ruling, but that's certainly not how I interpret the RAW. A character can stagger around with up to double his max heavy load. If falling prone were intended to be a risk of RoE I think it would have said so, though I can see it as a reasonable house rule from a flavor standpoint. As for being pinned though I just don't see it. If I weigh 43 lb and can walk around with an additional 7.5 lb, then a 2 lb crossbow is going to pin me down and I have to roll escape artist just to cast it aside?

In any case, I initially made a mistake on my light load capacity - it's 9.75 lb, not 12.75 lb. As a result I have ditched the crossbow and taken acid splash as a cantrip instead. With the items I requested that puts my weight carried at just 7 lb, which also happens to be under the max heavy load for a small Str 1 character.

There's very little that a sorcerer needs to carry. Going cross-country I'd do fine with just a pound each of food, water and cash. Once we establish a base of operations, for a day trip I won't even need those. I don't need a weapon, armor, or even a spellbook.

The haversack is for flavor mostly - it's something the character would certainly like to have. Without it I'd ditch the alchemical stuff. The other magic items could be useful in the right situations but only the cloak of resistance would boost my basic combat ability, and the slippers could be a big help in evading foes. If I don't get them I might try to rearrange my spells to include Spider Climb, though that would mean I'd have fewer options to aid the rest of the party while protecting myself.

The real danger of low Str isn't RoE, it's grappling. I have changed my final feat to Still Spell to help mitigate problems with that.

BTW, so when do we find out what items we'll get?


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## airwalkrr (Oct 16, 2011)

You are actually right about the Str. Since you can drag around up to twice your maximum load at half-speed, you'd just be hobbled. Still, that doesn't leave you a lot of leeway. If you ever find yourself carrying more than double your maximum load due to a sudden drop in Str, I'd probably still have your character collapse and fall prone until he lightens his load. That's how I've always done things and few players have ever really disagreed with it because it makes sense.

I will decide on items as soon as everyone has submitted their wish lists.


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## wolfattack (Oct 16, 2011)

Because i would need to translate the name of all the items,and that might cause some confusion, i'll not make a wish list.instead you can give me whatever item you think it is appropriate to my character.


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## Strahd_Von_Zarovich (Oct 16, 2011)

airwalkrr said:


> It looks like you rolled 5d12 for hp. I think you meant to roll 5d10.





Oops.


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## rangerjohn (Oct 17, 2011)

Ok, I have no problem playing a cleric with the war domain, but as I have neither the RCS or HOH, I have no idea the deities or whatever powers would give divine ablities exist in Ravenloft.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 17, 2011)

wolfattack said:


> Because i would need to translate the name of all the items,and that might cause some confusion, i'll not make a wish list.instead you can give me whatever item you think it is appropriate to my character.



If you'd still like to make a wish list, you can pick your items from the hypertext d20srd.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 17, 2011)

rangerjohn said:


> Ok, I have no problem playing a cleric with the war domain, but as I have neither the RCS or HOH, I have no idea the deities or whatever powers would give divine ablities exist in Ravenloft.



Well the beauty of it is you don't need either. If you like, you could have your character come from another plane but be imprisoned on Ravenloft. So you could, for example, worship Tempus and be from Abeir-Toril. Clerics from other realms who find themselves in Ravenloft still manage to receive divine abilities somehow, although they do go through a rather unpleasant feeling of being distanced from their deities.

If you want your character to be a Ravenloft native however, then the cult of the Morninglord is probably appropriate, as it is the only religion with any organization in Barovia. The Morninglord is a CG deity similar to Pelor or Lathandar with the Good, Luck, Protection, and Sun domains and the shortspear as his favored weapon. The only native religion in Ravenloft that grants the War domain is that of the Lawgiver, a LE deity with the Death, Evil, Law, and War domains and the whip as his favored weapon. Since the Lawgiver is the state religion of two domains that border Barovia, it is conceivable that a cleric of the Lawgiver might have come from one of those domains accidentally. Even though Strahd has kept the borders of Barovia closed for time immemorial, he has been known to make exceptions for reasons that are his and his alone.

You also have the option of being a cleric of ideals rather than a specific religion.


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## rangerjohn (Oct 18, 2011)

Sorry, going to have to bow out.  I can't get one item out my head, which though world appropiate, is not suitable for this game.  The Sun Blade, it was an original Ravenloft item, but through the editions has been inflated to a minimum of double our character's level.  Apparently, it was super unblanced when first released, and I can't figure a way to scale it down either.  Good luck to you all.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 18, 2011)

Um... [MENTION=2469]rangerjohn[/MENTION], I am not sure I understand your logic here. But it might interest you to know that the very weapon you speak of plays a pivotal role in the adventure. Bear in mind EtCR is based on the original AD&D adventure. I mean, obviously you won't be able to begin play with a sunblade, but... well let's just say that it exists (and by "it" I mean there is one and only one) and it plays an important role in the story.


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## rangerjohn (Oct 18, 2011)

Well in that case has enough been changed, that my having played the original adventure would spoil things?  To be clear on this, as a player, I know the story and the plot magic items obviously.  But I don't remember locations and creatures other than the broadest sense.  Ie Barovia, Castle Ravenloft as whole and Strahd as the major villian of the piece as it were.  So it would be no problem at all for me to seperate Character/player knowldege.  Of course it may be all that I remember could be explained as someone who grew up in Barovia and heard legends.


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## Strahd_Von_Zarovich (Oct 18, 2011)

*Magical items*

airwalkrr

Here is a list for Floch:
Greatsword +1 (2350gp)
Full plate +1 (2650gp)
Gauntlet of Ogre power (4000gp)
Cloak of resistance +1 (1000gp)
Potions:
3 cure light wounds, 1 cure moderate wounds, 1 hide from undead, 1 remove fear. (550gp)

Since he was raised as fighter with a human blacksmith so he worked with his master on them for several years. The cloak, it was a trophy he plundered when he was attacked by three bandits a few months ago.
You decide about the gauntlet since it is not something common.
The potions were a treasure he found when exploring a remote cave. Evil cleric dwelt there with a group of zombie minions and the potions were part of the cleric’s equipment.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 18, 2011)

[MENTION=2469]rangerjohn[/MENTION]Are you kidding? This adventure was WRITTEN for people who played the original, loved it, and wanted to re-experience the horror using the new system, but with a few surprises. After all, it isn't like someone can live or even visit Barovia and not know Strahd is the villain. But figuring out he is the villain isn't the hard part. It isn't like you can just walk up to Castle Ravenloft, waltz inside and stake a vampire. EtCR is a 3.5 version of the classic Ravenloft adventure with its own unique twists and turns. It borrows some of the original source material, but there are plenty of surprises. After all, they wouldn't be able to sell it to people who had already played the AD&D version if they _didn't_ include original material. You probably know a few things that players who never played the original won't know, but truth be told that will probably just add to your enjoyment of it because it is familiar enough to be awesome and new enough to challenge you.


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## rangerjohn (Oct 18, 2011)

Ok, then how about this a warrior-preist of the Morning Lord, who grew up on the old legends.  What do the legends whether knowledge, local or relegion say about the sunblade?  OOC: Mainly interested in which feat I would need to use it as a cleric.  Ie longsword as original or shortswod/bastard sword or something else entirely?  He would like to reclaim it as a relic of the church.  Or would it be more appropiate to take a level of fighter or paladin?


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## airwalkrr (Oct 29, 2011)

Bump.

Hasn't been much going on in this thread. Players still interested? If you have questions please post them. If you have some characters ready I'll put up the RG.


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## rangerjohn (Oct 30, 2011)

[MENTION=13340]Airwalker [/MENTION] question in post 60, although your question of 

interest, on anyone elses part 

remains valid.  Hopefully, 

their not having the problems 

posting I am, this will be my 

4th attempt with this post.  

Now in notepad.  Having to 

completely reload ENWorld is 

really getting bothersome.


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## wolfattack (Oct 30, 2011)

airwalkrr said:


> Bump.
> 
> Hasn't been much going on in this thread. Players still interested? If you have questions please post them. If you have some characters ready I'll put up the RG.




Well, what else needs to go on here? i think we were just waiting for you to start the IC thread.


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## Strahd_Von_Zarovich (Oct 30, 2011)

[MENTION=12460]airwalkrr[/MENTION]

I'm still waiting for you to approve the list of magical items I picked. see the previous page.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 30, 2011)

Strahd_Von_Zarovich said:


> Greatsword +1 (2350gp)
> Full plate +1 (2650gp)
> Gauntlet of Ogre power (4000gp)
> Cloak of resistance +1 (1000gp)
> ...



Approved items in Green. Unapproved items in red. Bear in mind the Dark Powers dislike permanent magical items. Consumable items are more likely to get the thumbs up. You can keep the leftover money as cash (although you won't likely have much of a chance to spend it) or you can submit a wishlist with other stuff. I recommend putting more on your wishlist than you have to spend. I'd rather pick the things that I feel are appropriate for the campaign from a larger list than go through several rounds of approvals.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 30, 2011)

rangerjohn said:


> Ok, then how about this a warrior-preist of the Morning Lord, who grew up on the old legends.  What do the legends whether knowledge, local or relegion say about the sunblade?  OOC: Mainly interested in which feat I would need to use it as a cleric.  Ie longsword as original or shortswod/bastard sword or something else entirely?  He would like to reclaim it as a relic of the church.  Or would it be more appropiate to take a level of fighter or paladin?



The sole requirement to use it is that the wielder must be of good alignment. But you may be over-thinking this. Part of the fun of this item is exploring its abilities in-game through research and practice. I'll be allowing retraining as per the PH2 for when you do come into possession of the sword so that you can take full advantage of it once you learn more about it after taking some downtime to research and practice (i.e. retrain the necessary feats and/or skills). I don't want to give so much away that your character is conveniently optimized to use the weapon the moment he finds it. That's too much metagaming and really misses the point of a horror adventure.

A cleric of the Morninglord sounds like an ideal concept though that fits into the setting perfectly. A large number of the folk of Barovia cling to the worship of the Morninglord as their only solace in a dark and dangerous land.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 30, 2011)

kinem said:


> handy haversack, (2k, 5 lb)
> slippers of spider climbing (4.8 k, 10 min/day split up as chooses, 1/2 lb)
> wand of web (4,500 gp; 50 charges)
> cloak of resistance +2, (4k, 1 lb)
> ...



Approved items in green. Unapproved items in red.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 30, 2011)

Okay, I was waiting on rangerjohn and Herobizkit to submit their characters and wishlists before approving anything, but I've gone ahead and dealt with the wishlists from Strahd and kinem. Here is what I am waiting on:
1) rangerjohn character and wishlist
2) Herobizkit character and wishlist
3) wolfattack wishlist (or did you just want me to pick your items)
4) Strahd and kinem need to decide what to do with their leftover money. You can submit a new wishlist if you want or keep the cash. If you do make a new wishlist please make it a little longer so I have more to work with. Both of your wishlists included nothing more than what you could afford so you were both left with a lot of cash. Maybe I wasn't clear on what I wanted with the wishlist, so apologies if that was the case. Hopefully it is clear now. If you like, you can let me pick items I feel are appropriate for your remaining money. Just let me know how much you'd like to keep as cash.


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## rangerjohn (Oct 30, 2011)

Attribute Rolls









*OOC:*


Wheh!  Didn't think I was going to make it.  Server crapped out midway through the rolls.


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## rangerjohn (Oct 30, 2011)

Well, the best I can make of that.....

Str 15

Dex 8

Con 10 +1 4th lvl

Int 14

Wis 15

Cha 15



Feats: (H)martial weapon: longsword, 1st: Toughness, 3rd: Extra-Turning,
5th:


Skills: Concentration 9, Diplomacy 9(11) Heal 5(7), Knowledge, History 5(7), Knowledge, Local 4(6), Knowledge, Relegion 9(11)


Class Abilities:  Domains: Luck and Sun  : 1 reroll/day

Alternate Class Abilities: Destroy Undead  1d6 * Cleric Turn/Undead Level (6d6) to all undead w/in 30' dc 15 will save for 1/2 damage. 9/day.  Replaces Turn/Undead.  True Daylight: Use Divine Energy to infuse Daylight spell as True Daylight 10' radius for 1d4 rounds.  Uses Turn/Destroy Undead Use 1 per spell.  Replaces Sun Domain Power.

Spells:
5/4+1/4+1/2+1
Wish list:

Full Plate +1

Longsword +1

Wand of cure light wounds

Wand of bull's strength

Cloak of Resistance +1

Would need to know how much was approved before saying how much cash is needed.  For instance if he needs to purchase mundane full plate or not.


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## wolfattack (Oct 30, 2011)

airwalkrr said:


> Okay, I was waiting on rangerjohn and Herobizkit to submit their characters and wishlists before approving anything, but I've gone ahead and dealt with the wishlists from Strahd and kinem. Here is what I am waiting on:
> 3) wolfattack wishlist (or did you just want me to pick your items)




Yes,please could you do this for me?

and just one last thing. i don't know if everyone has taken a look at my PC sheet,but my character alignment is Neutral. this means he does what suits him best.so my character its not a ''Hero'' as per say,but he only wants to survive and get rich,among other things. he learned his magical powers from his uncle,who has died after a werewolf attack on his Mansion.after this,Barty worked as kind of ''Van Helsing'',but only if the payment was high enough.he didn't care much about ''the innocent lives that could be lost if he don't help that poor village against the vampires''.he could care if there was something valuable for him there,as for example,a girl he loves and/or wants or a item he must get.this is just a example of the behavior Barty could show in the game. i hope there is no problem with that,but i think Ravenloft its the perfect setting for this type of character.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 30, 2011)

wolfattack said:


> Yes,please could you do this for me?
> 
> and just one last thing. i don't know if everyone has taken a look at my PC sheet,but my character alignment is Neutral. this means he does what suits him best.so my character its not a ''Hero'' as per say,but he only wants to survive and get rich,among other things. he learned his magical powers from his uncle,who has died after a werewolf attack on his Mansion.after this,Barty worked as kind of ''Van Helsing'',but only if the payment was high enough.he didn't care much about ''the innocent lives that could be lost if he don't help that poor village against the vampires''.he could care if there was something valuable for him there,as for example,a girl he loves and/or wants or a item he must get.this is just a example of the behavior Barty could show in the game. i hope there is no problem with that,but i think Ravenloft its the perfect setting for this type of character.



Sounds a little more like Neutral Evil to me. But we'll see how things play out.


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## rangerjohn (Oct 30, 2011)

Sounds like, someone on the fast slope to npc.  You do know this is Ravenloft, right?  The powers that be are going to love that character.  Can't remember their names at the moment.


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## wolfattack (Oct 30, 2011)

I don't know what you mean john.

and airwalkrr,what a Neutral character would look like to you?


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## rangerjohn (Oct 30, 2011)

The powers, no one is sure exactly what they are, that control the domains of Ravenloft, love to corrupt people.


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## wolfattack (Oct 31, 2011)

Yes,that's why i said this type of character would be perfect for Ravenloft. this setting its not just about Good vs Evil like some other settings,like FR.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 31, 2011)

Well the character you described sounds rather selfish and mercenary, as if he doesn't care who gets hurt as long as he gets paid. That's definitely leaning on the side of evil. As I said, we'll see how things play out. There are different ways to play neutral characters, but it might be a problem if you play a character who just doesn't care about other people in this campaign unless you force yourself to find ways to participate in the adventure. It isn't as if there are a lot of rewards out there for being a hero in Ravenloft; in fact, it's usually the opposite. But that's part of playing in a horror campaign like this one. The "easy way" is often the evil way. It will lead to evil acts, depravity, vice, avarice, taint, and ultimately an evil alignment and an NPC status. So there ought to be something heroic about your character. At the very least he ought to be willing to defend his homeland from a wicked creature like a vampire darklord because the alternative is not at all pleasant.

edit: And yes, this campaign is absolutely about good vs evil. It's just that evil in a horror game can come in so many more guises and isn't easy to ferret out. The difference between FR and Ravenloft is that in FR there is a Cormyr for every Zhentil Keep, a force of good for every force of evil. In Ravenloft there is merely a greater force of evil for every lesser force of evil. It's being the heroes who are willing to stand up against such staggering odds which makes a horror campaign worthwhile. So you don't have to be a good-aligned character, but you do have to be able to face the corrupting influences of the dark milieu.


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## wolfattack (Oct 31, 2011)

This is not what i was thinking about for my character. i guess i'll have to think in another kind of behavior for him. and about Ravenloft being ''absolutely about good vs evil'', this is just another point of view.it's useless discuss this.


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## kinem (Oct 31, 2011)

Airwalkrr, that leaves 2150 gp left for Don. You can go ahead and pick items for that amount, keeping in mind that he wouldn't have anything heavy that he couldn't store in the haversack. BTW he is CG.


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## rangerjohn (Oct 31, 2011)

[MENTION=13340]Airwalker [/MENTION] you mention Lightbringers and alternate class abilities in the character creation posts.  What would these be?


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## wolfattack (Oct 31, 2011)

I guess these are the player options available in the Expedition to Castle Ravenloft book.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 31, 2011)

As for the tone of this campaign, your goal is nothing less than to destroy Strahd. That much will become evident fairly early on. Such an undertaking requires a hero willing to battle a powerful evil force without necessarily much promise of tangible reward. Playing an evil character is not forbidden; evil characters can be heroes too. But it is incumbent upon the player of such a character to find his or her own motivations for the character to be willing to pursue this goal. Evil characters are still people, they just don't see virtue as its own reward. So long as your character has a stake in the matter, you can play any alignment you want.

Let me take a look and see if I can get some info on the lightbringers. If anything, I'll scan the necessary information. I think that should qualify under fair use. It isn't a long section, just a few pages.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 31, 2011)

I've uploaded a word document with the pertinent player information. I'll be using all of the variants described within so you may take advantage of them if you wish. If you wish your character to begin play as a member of the Lightbringers, you need only fulfill the prerequisites (including paying the 100 gp annual dues). Let me know if you have any questions.


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## rangerjohn (Oct 31, 2011)

I notice one thing, that is not mentioned, that could become important.  What weapons can a Knight of the Raven use?
On another note What domains does the Morning Lord grant?


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## kinem (Nov 1, 2011)

Don will join the Lightbringers, paying the 100 gp. He has ranks in Concentration.

He will also take 2 each of Alchemical Sun Flash (50 gp each) and Alchemical Vampire Repellent (125 gp each).

BTW, are there any special restrictions on or penalties for necromancy that we should know about? For example, how about a spell like Command Undead?


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## rangerjohn (Nov 1, 2011)

I don't know about in general, however it is anethema to a Lightbringer.


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## Strahd_Von_Zarovich (Nov 1, 2011)

Wish list: (approve 4000gp)
Rinf of feather falling (2200gp)
ring of Sustenance (2500gp)
Ring of Climbing (2500gp)
Ring of Jumping (2500gp)
Amulet of Health (4000)
Buckler +1 (1315)

Potions: 
2 enlarge person (600gp) 
3 bulls Str. (900gp) 
3 CMW (900gp) 
2 Heroism (1500gp)
2 Shielf of Faith (100gp)


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## airwalkrr (Nov 1, 2011)

rangerjohn said:


> I notice one thing, that is not mentioned, that could become important.  What weapons can a Knight of the Raven use?
> On another note What domains does the Morning Lord grant?



A knight of the raven gains no weapon proficiencies.

The Morninglord has Chaos, Good, Luck, Protection, and Sun domains.







kinem said:


> Don will join the Lightbringers, paying the 100 gp. He has ranks in Concentration.
> 
> He will also take 2 each of Alchemical Sun Flash (50 gp each) and Alchemical Vampire Repellent (125 gp each).
> 
> BTW, are there any special restrictions on or penalties for necromancy that we should know about? For example, how about a spell like Command Undead?



The Lightbringers wouldn't condone the use of command undead to build up an undead army, and in general they discourage the use of such spells. However they wouldn't object to its use as a defensive spell to turn undead against each other for the duration of a battle. After the battle is over, a true Lightbringer would destroy any undead that remain under his command. Doing otherwise would go against the interests and vows of guild members and your character would risk being expelled from the guild.







Strahd_Von_Zarovich said:


> Wish list: (approve 4000gp)
> Ring of feather falling (2200gp)
> ring of Sustenance (2500gp)
> Ring of Climbing (2500gp)
> ...



That leaves you with 35 gp.


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## wolfattack (Nov 1, 2011)

airwalkrr said:


> As for the tone of this campaign, your goal is nothing less than to destroy Strahd. That much will become evident fairly early on. Such an undertaking requires a hero willing to battle a powerful evil force without necessarily much promise of tangible reward. Playing an evil character is not forbidden; evil characters can be heroes too. But it is incumbent upon the player of such a character to find his or her own motivations for the character to be willing to pursue this goal. Evil characters are still people, they just don't see virtue as its own reward. So long as your character has a stake in the matter, you can play any alignment you want.




After reading the Neutral alignament description again in the Player's Handbook i saw that a Neutral character likes more the good than the evil,but the difference is that they just don't feel the necessity to take a side.The description of my character that i provided later suits more a Neutral Chaotic character.i'll work my character behavior along the game,but i'll remain with the Neutral alignament.i always wanted to roleplay a character wich such a behavior.


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## rangerjohn (Nov 1, 2011)

Play what you like, as always.  But I somehow doubt you will get the results you think.  BTW, I don't know how your opinion got reversed.   But in general there wouldn't be much reaction to your character in a fantasy campaign, in a horror campaign, all your actions have consequences.  Good or bad, either way your drawing the attention of the powers that be.  Their reactions will change of course, based on your actions, one they will try to eliminate the other tempt.  Unfortunately, both can take you out of play.


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## Strahd_Von_Zarovich (Nov 2, 2011)

*FLoch*

I updated Floch with equipment and I changed Endurance feat with Mobility feat.


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## rangerjohn (Nov 3, 2011)

[MENTION=13340]Airwalker[/MENTION] Did you miss this?  It was buried in my character sheet.  Just in case, here it is again.

Wish list:

Full Plate +1

Longsword +1

Wand of cure light wounds

Wand of bull's strength

Cloak of Resistance +1

Would need to know how much was approved before saying how much cash is needed.  For instance if he needs to purchase mundane full plate or not.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 3, 2011)

rangerjohn said:


> [MENTION=13340]Airwalker[/MENTION] Did you miss this?  It was buried in my character sheet.  Just in case, here it is again.
> 
> Wish list:
> 
> ...



Yeah, actually I did miss that. It's all approved in green.


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## rangerjohn (Nov 3, 2011)

Thanks.  Never mind, forgot how much the dice roller hates me.  4 out of 5 HD rolls 3 or lower, total of 13 hps.  With first level and toughness 24 hps for a 6th level front line warrior?  I can see this going far.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 13, 2011)

Okay so let's see where we are at.

1) rangerjohn character done (although I recommend you swap one of your ability scores to boost Con)
2) @Morrus;


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## rangerjohn (Nov 13, 2011)

No, I am dropping out.  I would completely have to redo the character.  He's either good at normal combat or fighting undead.  He can't do both.  Turn/ destroy undead is based on cha, skills to join the guild on int etc.  In 3rd edition everything is a die roll, as has been shown, I can't expect even average results there.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 13, 2011)

A player has already been scared away and we have not even begun! 

I have opened recruiting again. We do not exactly have a balanced party at the moment with two arcane casters and a fighter, but I shall see what kind of response we get to more recruiting.

I am also assuming that Herobizkit has dropped out.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 13, 2011)

Two things jumped out at me after examining Floch's write-up.
1) The Mobility feat has Dodge as a prerequisite. Floch does not have Dodge.
2) A character's bonus to Jump checks is not based on base speed, but actual speed. Hence a character with a base speed of 40' in heavy armor has an adjusted speed of 30' and does not receive a +4 bonus to Jump checks. Perhaps include two Jump bonuses, one while in armor (accounting for the 30' move and ACP) and one while unarmored (including the +4 Jump bonus).


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## Strahd_Von_Zarovich (Nov 14, 2011)

airwalkrr said:


> Two things jumped out at me after examining Floch's write-up.
> 1) The Mobility feat has Dodge as a prerequisite. Floch does not have Dodge.
> 2) A character's bonus to Jump checks is not based on base speed, but actual speed. Hence a character with a base speed of 40' in heavy armor has an adjusted speed of 30' and does not receive a +4 bonus to Jump checks. Perhaps include two Jump bonuses, one while in armor (accounting for the 30' move and ACP) and one while unarmored (including the +4 Jump bonus).




Hmm... I will look into it.


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## cool hand luke (Nov 17, 2011)

are you still looking for players?  I'd be interested in either a scout skill based type or possibly a cleric/druid type.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 18, 2011)

cool hand luke said:


> are you still looking for players?  I'd be interested in either a scout skill based type or possibly a cleric/druid type.



Yep, recruiting is open again, if you are ready for some serious horror.  Either possibility will probably work out well and help to fill a needed role in the group. Which one are you favoring right now and we can start to flesh out the idea.


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## cool hand luke (Nov 18, 2011)

if there's not either a skill or divine type how about some combo of the two?  like a scout/druid?  I don't see us surviving in ravenloft long without some decent healing.


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## wolfattack (Nov 18, 2011)

That's true. a Cleric would fill the ranks for the adventure.


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## cool hand luke (Nov 18, 2011)

I have no experience with Ravenloft, just heard about it over the years.  Would a druid stick out like a sore thumb?  I saw someone has a wand of CLW, I'm guessing a paladin.  If that's the case we will have a little healing abilities elsewhere and I personally like druids better than clerics for versatility.  If a druid is viable I'll go that route.  Also less atribute dependent since dice rollers hate me.


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## cool hand luke (Nov 18, 2011)

wow, not near as much dice roller hate as I usually get!  we can do something with those.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 18, 2011)

You could pair scout and druid, but I would not recommend having more than one level of scout as druid caster levels are far more important. Essentially, you would just be taking it for trapfinding and getting skills like Disable Device and Open Lock as class skills. However, I would like to see if we can get another player in to fill the open role. That way you would not have to split your focus.


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## cool hand luke (Nov 18, 2011)

cool, I'll go straight druid.  Do you have a rogues gallery thread for this game?  any specific character sheet you want used?


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## airwalkrr (Nov 19, 2011)

Yes, there is a Rogue's Gallery. Link is also on page 1 should you ever need to refer to it. Please submit a wishlist of items for your character before posting your character to the RG though.


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## cool hand luke (Nov 19, 2011)

Wish list

Wand of cmw
Amulet of mighty fists
Cloak of resistance
Wild enhancement to armor


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## airwalkrr (Nov 20, 2011)

cool hand luke said:


> Wish list
> 
> Wand of cmw
> Amulet of mighty fists
> ...



Please submit a larger list so that I have more to choose from. The total value of your wishlist ought to exceed 13,000 gp in value by 50-100% as some things will be approved and others will not. And remember consumables are more likely to get approved than static or "always on" magic items as the Dark Powers dislike the latter type of items. Your list should also include a wide variety of items including items that are not solely useful in combat. The Dark Powers dislike those latter items as well. It would also be helpful if you would let me know what mundane items you are selecting as well so I know what your budget is.


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## cool hand luke (Nov 20, 2011)

cool, that was just off the top of my head.  I'll create the whole thing and have a better list.


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## cool hand luke (Nov 21, 2011)

What I plan on purchasing

mw leather armor
mw longbow
mw longsword
mw buckler
poison making kit

list of magical items
wand of cmw 
ring of sustenance
handy  haversack
cloak of resistance
wand of clw
boots of striding and springing
potion remove disease
potion remove curse
potion neutralize poison
potion hide from undead
potion lesser restoration
amulet of might fists (if this will still work while wildshaped, different dms have different rules on this it seems)
lesser rod of extend
potion remove disease
potion remove curse
potion neutralize poison
potion hide from undead
potion lesser restoration
wand summon natures ally 2


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## airwalkrr (Nov 21, 2011)

cool hand luke said:


> What I plan on purchasing
> 
> mw leather armor
> mw longbow
> ...



Approved in green. This should leave you with 130 gp. This is a perfect example of what I am looking for in a wish list by the way.


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## cool hand luke (Nov 21, 2011)

cool, i'll finish up the sheet then throw it into the rogues gallery.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 22, 2011)

Okay then. That means we are just looking for a trap finder. Preferably one who can do more than just find traps of course.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 23, 2011)

Okay, [MENTION=10926]cool hand luke[/MENTION], I have looked over your character and the following things need to be fixed.

-Halfling base speed is 20 ft, not 30 ft.
-Halflings receive a +1 size bonus to AC which applies to both touch and flat-footed AC.
-Halflings receive a +1 racial bonus to saving throws.
-The base saving throws for a 6th level druid are +5/+2/+5.
-Your Dexterity modifier to your Reflex saving throw is incorrectly listed as +2 instead of +3.
-Halflings receive a +1 size bonus to hit with melee and ranged attacks.
-Halflings use smaller weapons. The damage die for a Small longsword is 1d6. The damage die for a Small longbow is 1d6. The damage die for a Small dagger is 1d3.
-Druids are not proficient with longswords or longbows.
-Because animal companions do not advance in the way a normal animal does, your wolf companion would be Medium size, not Large size. The bonuses gained from advancing an animal companion are limited to those specifically mentioned here:







			
				PH 36 said:
			
		

> Bonus HD
> 
> Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Remember that extra Hit Dice improve the animal companion’s base attack and base save bonuses. An animal companion’s base attack bonus is the same as that of a druid of a level equal to the animal’s HD. An animal companion has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). An animal companion gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.



-You seem to have listed the racial bonuses of an elf, not a halfling. Did you intend to create a halfling or an elf?
-Halflings receive a +4 size modifier to Hide, a +2 racial bonus to Climb, Jump, and Move Silently.
-You did not list 0 level spells per day or spells prepared.

Some of the above may not be relevant if you intended to create an elf. But you listed halfling as your race, so I was under that assumption when I reviewed the character.


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## cool hand luke (Nov 23, 2011)

Crap crap crap by ate what I get for cutting and pasting quickly


Meant for him to be an elf, I'll change that and the rest this evening sorry


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## airwalkrr (Nov 23, 2011)

I am about ready to get this game started. You do not have a trapfinder, but I will keep the recruiting thread open until we find one. In the meantime you still have four characters. You can hire an NPC to find traps if you absolutely feel like you need to. Or I may just tweak the adventure by adapting some of the trap encounters into different types of encounters. I need [MENTION=24234]kinem[/MENTION] to post his character to the RG and for cool hand luke to make his changes and then we are ready to go. I will have the IC thread up within a week.


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## cool hand luke (Nov 23, 2011)

I phone autocorrect fail


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## kinem (Nov 23, 2011)

OK, I posted it to the RG.

airwalkrr, waiting for your pick of 1700 gp worth of equipment.


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## wolfattack (Nov 24, 2011)

kinem,i just saw you character sheet now. do really needed to take a sorcerer? i mean, i already had choosen a wizard and we are in need of a rogue or cleric.not trying to be a bad ass,but just looking forward to have a group with real chances of finishing this adventure.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 24, 2011)

[MENTION=24234]kinem[/MENTION], go ahead and take the following:
-a warpony with exceptional statistics (Str 17, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 4) worth 150 gp
-a military saddle
-saddlebags (to carry feed)
(I realize your character is not trained in riding, but a 4 Str gnome hoofing it across the Domain of Dread strains the imagination, plus it adds mobility in the wilderness)
-dust of tracelessness
-salve of slipperiness
-potion of cure moderate wounds
-wand of ray of enfeeblement (CL 2nd; 5 charges)

It is a little more than 1700 gp, but given that you let your DM pick it I think it is fair.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 24, 2011)

wolfattack said:


> kinem,i just saw you character sheet now. do really needed to take a sorcerer? i mean, i already had choosen a wizard and we are in need of a rogue or cleric.not trying to be a bad ass,but just looking forward to have a group with real chances of finishing this adventure.



I am not going to force anyone to play something they do not want to play. Kinem made his sorcerer quite a while ago and I accepted his character into the group. If you guys REALLY want a trapfinder, I present the following NPC, available as a hireling (or cohort if anyone wants to swap a feat for Leadership):

[sblock=SKINFLINT UNDERBURROW]
Male halfling rogue 4
N Small humanoid (halfling)
Init +4; Senses Listen +9, Spot +0
Languages Common, Halfling, Goblin, Orc
AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 19; Uncanny Dodge
	(+1 size, +4 Dex, +4 armor)
hp 20 (4 HD)
Resist evasion
Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +2; +2 vs. fear
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee mwk rapier +5 (1d4/18-20)
Ranged mwk shortbow +9 (1d4/x3)
Base Atk +3; Grp –1
Atk Options sneak attack +2d6
Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds, potion of cure moderate wounds
Abilities Str 11, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8
SQ trapfinding, trap sense +1
Feats Nimble Fingers, Skill Focus (Search)
Skills Balance +6, Climb +9, Disable Device +13, Escape Artist +11, Hide +15, Jump +5, Listen +9, Move Silently +13, Open Lock +15, Search +17, Tumble +13
Possessions combat gear plus mithral shirt, masterwork rapier, masterwork shortbow, 20 arrows, goggles of minute seeing, masterwork thieves’ tools, climber’s kit, 50 ft. of silk rope with a grappling hook

Skinflint has ruddy skin, dark hair, and full sideburns. He can often be seen reclining in the back of taverns smoking his pipe softly while listening in on all the nearby conversations. He is more than willing to tell his story. A wanderer from way back when, he came to Barovia not by choice, but by force. The mists carried him away, he says, plopped him right here for only the Dark Lords know what purpose. He has made a living thus far as an expert burglar for hire. There is no lock in Barovia he cannot pick, he claims, given the time of course. Nor is there a trap he cannot find, a chasm he cannot cross, a wall he cannot scale, or a passage he cannot squeeze through. And it just so happens he is looking for work, preferably dirty work. He does not care to keep his clothes clean, you see. But he is no assassin. Killing is not his business. He can hold his own in a fight, but he would prefer not to. Still, he has picked up a few tricks. Burgling is a dangerous business after all. He even claims to have once sneaked past a dragon without waking it, if that can be believed.
[/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Nov 24, 2011)

It has begun!


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## airwalkrr (Nov 24, 2011)

Time to address any special rules that apply to your characters. If any of these rules seem limiting or underpowering, that is because they are meant to be. This is a horror campaign. The odds are stacked against you. Evil is easy, and good is immeasurably more challenging.

*Powers Checks:* At the beginning of the campaign, your characters are all assumed to have clean souls. However, any time you perform an evil act, I will make a powers check, which is a % roll with a chance of failure commensurate to the level of evil. A failed powers check brings you down the path of corruption, as the Dark Powers tempt you with greater power, but at a price. It is possible to redeem yourself by facing similar temptations to those that caused the failed powers check and making the righteous choice, but redemption is more difficult than corruption. I am not inclined to warn you that an act is evil before your character commits to it except in obvious cases such as casting evil or certain necromantic spells. You must use your own judgment.

*Floch:* Barbarians enjoy an additional +4 bonus to Fear, Horror, and Madness checks while enraged. Caliban have a base Outcast Rating (OR) of 5, meaning Floch suffers a -5 penalty to Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Perform checks, but enjoys a +5 bonus to Intimidate checks.

*Barty:* Spellcasters native to Ravenloft have learned most of the limitations of magic through generations of research. Some specific effects regarding your character are noted below.

Necromancy spells disrupt the natural cycles of life and death. The only necromantic spells that do not require powers checks are those that are purely defensive, do not create or enhance undead creatures, and do not require the manipulation of your life force or that of another subject. (Example: the _deathwatch_ spell.)

_Note:_ In Ravenloft, it is often easier to create undead creatures but harder to control them.

Necromantic spells that require powers checks often feature enhanced effects. The few that do not require powers checks often carry risks not found when cast in other worlds.

Summoning spells are significantly warped by the severe restrictions on planar travel in Ravenloft. Rather than summoning outsiders for assistance, you conjure creatures taken from the surrounding region. Thus, only creatures found in the domain in which this spell is cast can be summoned.

Summoned creatures in Ravenloft do not use the outsider or extraplanar template. Thus, _summon monster I_ would summon a dire rat, not a fiendish dire rat. Attempts to summon an outsider like a succubus or kyton automatically fail unless such a creature happens to be in the domain. Attempts to summon elementals automatically produce dread elementals (evil).

Should you choose to summon a familiar, it falls to the Dark Powers to heed this call. Their response is a dread companion. Dread companions share their master's ethical alignment, but their moral alignment is always evil. Do not be mistaken; they are not mindlessly malicious, nor are they dedicated to their master's destruction. Indeed, they are utterly loyal to their masters - to a fault.

_Protection from evil_ affects only those subjects known to be evil - it cannot be used to "sniff out" evil that hasn't been previously been substantiated. Creatures with the evil subtype and those with the alignment entry "always evil" are known to be evil. Otherwise, you will need some means of verifying the evilness of a subject.

*Branth:* Elves have a base OR of 3. Branth suffers a -3 penalty to Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Perform checks, but enjoys a +3 bonus to Intimidate checks.

Animal companions may fall under the influence of powerful domain lords. A druid's animal companion does not forget their friendship, however, and will not attack the druid or her companions even if a darklord directly commands them to do so. Animal companions in this situations often flee to resolve their conflicting loyalties. These animals often shadow their druidic masters from a distance, fearfully spying on them. Druid companions are not dread companions.

Branth is aware of the same limitations for summoning as is Barty.

If you force a compelled creature (such as a charmed or dominated animal) to commit an act requiring a powers check, it is you who must make the powers check, not your unwilling minion.

Some darklords have the ability to control certain creatures within their domains. If you attempt to control (either through charm or compulsion) the mind of a creature under the influence of a darklord, or try to free a creature from a darklord's influence, that creature stacks the lord's Charisma bonus with its own Will save bonus. No creature under the influence of a darklord can be directed to attack that darklord; if ordered to do so, the pitiful creature may resolve its confusion by fleeing the scene.

Although light from a _daylight_ spell is as bright as sunlight, it is not considered to be true sunlight. Therefore, creatures affected by true sunlight (such as vampires) suffer no ill effects from _daylight_ beyond those in the spell description.

*Don:* Gnomes have a base OR of 2. Don suffers a -2 penalty to Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Perform checks, but enjoys a +2 bonus to Intimidate checks.

Don is aware of the same limitations on protection from evil that Barty is.

Don is aware of the same limitations regarding familiars that Barty is.


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## Strahd_Von_Zarovich (Nov 24, 2011)

Fixed the above comments.


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## wolfattack (Nov 24, 2011)

airwalkrr said:


> I am not going to force anyone to play something they do not want to play. Kinem made his sorcerer quite a while ago and I accepted his character into the group. If you guys REALLY want a trapfinder, I present the following NPC, available as a hireling (or cohort if anyone wants to swap a feat for Leadership):




Sorry,but i must had missed something. where did you saw i saying you was forcing anyone here play anything?


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## airwalkrr (Nov 24, 2011)

I just did not see it appropriate for you to question another player's choice of character type when I had already told the player it was okay. It seemed to me that you were claiming "first dibs" on the arcane caster, but I never made that a requirement. It would be nice for a player to pick a trapfinder, but it is not necessary.


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## kinem (Nov 24, 2011)

airwalkrr, I agree with that assessment.

BTW, at the time I chose a sorcerer, it looked like we had a cleric.

wolfattack, since you are the one who thinks we may need a different class mix, then you are the one who is welcome to volunteer to throw out all of your work and your concept and start over with a new character.


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## wolfattack (Nov 24, 2011)

I made my choice first then you kinem.and airwalkrr,its not about claiming anything,its just that from my POV,it useless and not funny to have two characters who do almost the same thing in the same adventure.if kinem had chosen a sorcerer or wizard first,i would have picked another class that was not similar.you and kinem have the right to don't agree with me,and i have the same right about you two.since you guys think i'm the ''wrong one'' of this matter,there is no mood for me and you two to play this game.I'm really sorry for this,but its to late for me to make another character,the game has already begun.Good game to everyone,nevertheless.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 25, 2011)

I do not see why there is any reason for hard feelings here. I never said there was anything funny about the situation either. Having two arcane casters in the group is not a problem; it can actually be a strength. Both of your characters have actually picked quite different spells for the most part and have much to contribute to the group. No one is wrong here. No one has to make a new character. It is just a game and not worth getting upset over.


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## kinem (Nov 25, 2011)

At the time I entered the game I was the 5th man, so any class would have been "redundant". But really, that's not the point.

wolfattack, what I find bizarre is your attitude. As airwalkrr said, having two arcane casters can be an advantage. If you think that any two characters which are mechanically identical would always "do the same thing in an adventure", then I think you are missing the point of a role playing game. Suit yourself, but maybe you should give it a try.

airwalkrr, since we may need more firepower, perhaps I should substitute fireball instead of haste for my 3rd level spell.

I think we should take on Skinflint as a hireling.


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## cool hand luke (Nov 25, 2011)

internet message boards catering to gamers, is there a more socially challenged group on the planet?

Just an idea, You said have backup characters ready, since survival is pretty tough.  My backup character was a scout skill monkey, I could create him, use him as a hireling right now and then the first PC that kicks it can either take him over or create someone else, and of course if my character dies I'd take him over.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 26, 2011)

Hirelings and cohorts are provided by the DM for this game. You already have Skinflint if you agree to hire him. He will make an appearance very soon in the IC. So you have your bases covered.

[MENTION=24234]kinem[/MENTION] and [MENTION=6670510]wolfattack[/MENTION], please consider the matter closed and do not discuss it further. There is no point. I understand if wolfattack felt his territory was being infringed by having another arcane caster, but I have already explained my position on the matter and the DM's position is final.

kinem, if you want to swap haste with fireball that is fine.


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## airwalkrr (Jan 27, 2012)

Sorry for the extended absence, everyone. Got burned out at work and took a vacation. I should have posted something, but I really needed to just get away from stuff for a while. I will be getting this game back up and running within the next few days assuming everyone is still on board.


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## airwalkrr (Mar 5, 2012)

I am really sorry about this, everyone, but clearly with all the recent changes in my life I do not have time to run or play in pbp games right now. I was having a lot of fun with this, but I am going to have to suspend the game indefinitely. Thank you everyone for playing.


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## kinem (Mar 5, 2012)

Thanks for posting that, not just disappearing.

Good luck!


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## Strahd_Von_Zarovich (Mar 7, 2012)

I will be offline in the upcoming weekend. NPC me as necessary


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