Sorry man, you lost me with the stuff about Sentran studying Thea's face so closely. What's going on? If it's some kind of secret from the other players you can email me about it. You do have my address, don't you?
Nah, it's just that I've read on her background that her parents are in the Academy. So Sentran finds the face vaguely familiar, but doesn't know from where. Besides, I need something to do with him, while the others are foo...exploring around
Still working on stuff- the elven archer character is about 95% done (mundane equipment still to be finalized), and the swashbuckler is about 60% done (crunch done, except for some equipment details; background still in progress).
Posting link for HP rolls, so I have the info:
>1. Elven scout 3/ranger 3; 8+5d8+6 CON (reroll 1s)= 8+20+6=34; rolls 2/7/3/5/3= 20, bad but not awful; roll Roll Lookup
>2. Human rogue 3/fighter 3; 6+2d6+3d10+12 CON (reroll 1s)= 6+5+21+12= 44; rolls 2/3 for d6, 9/8/4 for d10; roll Roll Lookup
Okay, both concepts are up to about 95%- only mundane equipment needs to be fleshed out (and any necessary revisions). I'll try to get them posted up here, but I'm having some trouble getting the cut-and-paste from Word to work. Should have something up soonish, as long as I don't have to retype the entire sheet here.
Here is the first of the two possible concepts- the sblocks are for space
About 95% done (needs final mundane gear, plus any revisions
Name: Shendra Brightleaf
Gender/Race: female sylvan (wood) elf
Class/level: Scout 3/Ranger 3 (Order of the bow initiate?)
Alignment: NG
Height: 5’2”
Weight: 120 lbs
Hair: Auburn
Eyes: Green with gold flecks
Age: 54 years
Description:
Spoiler:
Shendra is an athletic young Summerling elf. In elven terms, she is broad-shouldered, fairly muscular, and just above average height- to a human, she is fairly short, with a slender, wiry build. She has wavy auburn hair, with faint golden highlights- she usually wears her hair pulled back into a single thick braid that falls just past her shoulders. Her skin is fairly pale, with the softest hint of reddish gold- the elven equivalent of a deep suntan. Her eyes are a sharp green flecked with gold- the sort of hue found only in those of elven blood, and her gaze is almost disconcertingly sharp, rather like a bird of prey. She generally prefers to wear simple rugged clothing, in shades of green, brown, or grey and a pair of fur-trimmed soft leather boots. A capped quiver hangs over her right shoulder with a large leather satchel beside it. At her waist she wears a wide leather belt with a heavy hunting knife and her standard-issue truncheon- a belt pouch also holds a sling and a handful of bullets, for when a bow would be inappropriate.
Personality:
Spoiler:
Shendra is an inveterate tomboy. She is very athletic and confident, always up for a challenge or a fight. Very capable and competent, and values the same traits in others. Has a quietly sarcastic sense of humor, but usually saves that for her close associates- tends to act “all business” around those she does not know or trust (the kindest word for it is “terse”). Tends to be daring and a risk-taker in many situations- except combat, where she is fairly cautious and tactically astute, favoring sniping and hit-and-run engagements to frontal assault. She retains a deep dislike for the goblinoid races and similar monstrous folk, including orcs and orcrats- while dealing with the 14th Wards hobgoblin Bravo squad, she is usually able to keep this dislike in check, but she can still be a bit sharp-tongued to them.
History:
Spoiler:
While most of the Summerling tribes only visit Lauralie Summerhome during the course of their regular migration, some of the elven folk dwell there all the time. Shendra’s mother was one such elf- she had lived in the city nearly all her life, as had her own parents. Shendra’s father, however, was part of one of the great caravans. While they loved each other a great deal, neither one was quite ready to adopt their mate’s lifestyle. Shendra spent much of her childhood in the city, living with her mother Rethellia. The older woman was a fledgling druid of sorts, and she worked as a gardener in some of the estates in the 11th Ward- while Shendra grew up in the city, she spent most of her childhood surrounded by plants and trees, and learned a great deal about nature. As she grew, though, it became apparent that she had inherited some of her father’s wanderlust to balance her mother’s love of the natural world. By the time she reached the elven equivalent of her early teen years, her parents agreed that she should spend some time away from the city- several years at least, traveling with her father and his tribe on the regular cycle of migrations. Shendra loved the nomadic lifestyle, and she learned many useful things- even among the elves her senses were considered very sharp, and she picked up the skills of a scout very quickly. She also developed a fondness for archery, not unusual among the Summerling tribesfolk. She also learned the ways of the nomadic tribes, a life far different from the one she had lived in Lauralie Summerhome.
While the elven folk traveled, for instance, they depended upon their own members to keep the peace, both within the tribes and with the inhabitants of the places they traveled through. Shendra’s father Berendel was one of those Peacekeepers, and he taught his daughter the virtues of honesty, integrity, and hard work. As she grew, Shendra found that she loved the ways of the migratory tribes more and more, and it seemed that she would continue to live among them as her father did, only visiting her home in the course of the annual circle of travel. But even as she loved the traveling life style, those rare visits home were a source of joy to her- she often used her role as a scout to make sure that she was the first of her folk to arrive, and visiting her mother was often the high point of her yearly trek. And while Rethellia loved her daughter, she grew to accept that Shendra would follow her father’s path- she still had the wonders of nature and the gardens in her custody.
And then, one year, things were very different… Shendra arrived in Lauralie Summerhome a full day ahead of her tribe, bursting with joy at the news she had to share with her mother- after two years of apprenticeship, Shendra had been accepted to join the tribe’s Peacekeepers. But when she arrived at her mother’s home (a small cottage in the back quarter of one of the Ward’s larger estates), she found the whole place ransacked and her mother dead- a half-dozen orcrat corpses also littered the nearby area. It seemed that a small band of thieves had snuck over the wall in search of quick loot- while they had evaded the will-o-wisp patrols, they had made the mistake of thinking the small simple cottage would be an easy target. Consumed with rage, Shendra found the tracks of the surviving marauders and followed them into the thick gardens of the neighboring estates. By now the Ward’s constables were in hard pursuit as well, but the orcish thieves were a slippery bunch, used to sneaking about Goblintown. The constables quickly realized that Shendra was an ally of convenience, and capitalized on her keen senses and tracking ability- while the chase lasted most of the night, all of the thieves were apprehended or slain. None of that would bring Rethellia back, however, and for unknown reasons magical revivification failed as well. The local constables, as well as many of the nobles who had valued Rethellia’s touch as a gardener, reached out in sympathy-when the elven funeral rites were finally finished, Shendra felt more of a sense of community than she ever had before. After much debate and soul-searching, she decided to remain in the city for a while- her father and the other Summerling elves did not agree, but they said she would have a place in the tribe if she ever wished to rejoin their migrations.
After she settled back into the city, Shendra put some of her training to use by joining the city’s constabulary. For a time, she even worked with the local militia- both as an archery instructor and as a scout and tracker in the area around the city. After her initial training, she was assigned to the 14th Ward, and she worked there for over a year. Because of her heritage and special skills, though, she was occasionally assigned special missions outside the city- she has been on one such mission (delivering a crucial item to one of the more remote mountain elf villages) for about two months, and has only recently completed that assignment and returned to normal duties.
OOC: This last detail explains her already-existing knowledge and relationship with the Alphas, while also explaining how she has missed the events of the campaign so far. OOG, we’ve been going for a year and a half, but game time has been only a month or so (if that). This is also (obviously) able to be modified if the GMs desire.
Game stats:
Spoiler:
STR 14 (+2) (4 pts, +2 racial)
DEX 18 (+4) (8 pts, +2 racial, +1 at 4th level)
CON 12 (+1) (6 pts, -2 racial)
INT 12 (+1) (6 pts, -2 racial)
WIS 14 (+2) (6 pts)
CHA 10 (+0) (2 pts)
((32 total))
Scout 3/Ranger 3 (SRSRSR)
Level 6
XP: 15000
Saves:
Fortitude: +6 (1+3 base +1 CON, +1 Battle fortitude)
Reflex: +10 (3+3 base +4 DEX)
Will: +4 (1+1 base +2 WIS)
And here is the second concept- a human swashbuckling swordsman. Again, the sblocks are just for space, and the character is about 95% done (just needs final mundane gear and any necessary revisions):
Name: Stefan Jarreth Winslow-Perriman (AKA “SJ”)
Race/gender: Human/ male
Class/level: Rogue 3/Fighter 3 (Duelist?)
Alignment: CG
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 175 lbs
Hair: black
Eyes: green
Age: 23
Description:
Spoiler:
SJ is just above average height- while he looks rather slender, he has a well-toned and wiry physique and is far stronger than he appears. His hair is slightly wavy, and just past shoulder length- he usually ties it back with a stylish ribbon. He has green eyes, with the sort of sparkle that hints at a bit of elven blood a few generations back in his family tree. He keeps his face clean-shaven, and tends to look a bit younger than his actual age. When he moves, he displays the practiced grace of a trained dancer- or a hunting cat.
SJ prefers to dress in a traditional swashbuckling style- while it might be routine in the capital, in a city like Lauralie Summerhome he tends to stand out as a bit of a dandy. He usually prefers knee-high black cuffed boots, loose cut trousers, and a wide-sleeved ruffled shirt under a heavier waistcoat. He is rarely seen without a wide-brimmed hat (and doesn’t consider his hat complete without at least one feather), and his usual concession to the local weather is a fairly heavy swirling black cloak.
Personality: (Swashbuckler)
Spoiler:
SJ is a rather brash and self-confident young man. He tends to act first and think later, and like many swashbucklers, he prefers to act in a grandiose and flashy manner. He has a good heart though, and is far more concerned with right and wrong than many of the self-centered dandies he grew up around. Handsome, graceful, and schooled in a variety of social skills, he can be a valuable ally- but he is still learning good judgment, and he has far less real-world experience and street smarts than most of his fellow constables. He also tends to enjoy life to the fullest- whether that means a fine glass of wine, a smooth dance with an elegant partner, or an invigorating chase through the dangerous streets of Goblintown. He can be deadly serious, if the situation demands it- but he doesn’t enjoy such behavior.
History:
Spoiler:
Alvern Winslow was born into one of Lauaralie Summerhome’s richest noble families, but as the third son he was never expected to inherit anything worthwhile- as such, he was trained for a career in the military and he moved away to the capital at the age of eight to serve as a squire to a knight with a distant social connection to the Winslow family. Over the years, Alvern found success beyond his wildest dreams, first as a knight, then as a general, and later as a diplomat. He married Annabelle Perriman, the second daughter of another minor noble family, and they had five children (three boys and two girls- Stefan was the youngest of the boys, and second youngest child overall). The oldest children received most of the attention and affection, and the younger ones were allowed a great deal of freedom- and with all the distractions of the capital, they spent most of their time with the dissolute children of the other rich noble families. Dancing and socializing (and the petty games of the well-to-do) occupied most of their time, and there were always hired tutors trying to actually impart useful knowledge (some of it even sunk in). While their father insisted that all of his sons learn some degree of swordplay, they saw this as simply another (mildly more interesting) type of dance lesson. SJ always had more of a fondness for the sword than his siblings did- he was the only one to actually spend more time with the fencing masters than was strictly required. As it happened, his swordmaster had been one of the King’s personal bodyguards years before, and he had a number of skills that would be considered unusual among the nobility- Stefan was happy enough to learn them for their social novelty. The old man also had some rather strict ideas about right and wrong, and about hard work and honor- while Stefan was less happy to learn these attitudes, learn them he did.
The young nobles and idle rich of the court society in the capital often banded together in social groups or clubs, and as one might expect rivalries arose between such groups. While tempers often ran high, and violence was not uncommon, few people were killed in such altercations- but as it happened, Stefan’s eldest brother was one of those few. A minor quarrel over the affections of a young lady spiraled entirely out of control, leading to late-night drunken duel- and simple misfortune turned that fight into a deadly one. When resurrection failed, the royal constables became involved, and Stefan spent quite a bit of time with the investigators assigned to the case- that experience gave some real meaning to the concepts he had learned from his swordmaster. In the end, the case grew just as far out of control as the duel which had spawned it- the ‘murderer’ was a young man of a very powerful noble family, just as his victim had been, and nearly everyone involved wielded some social or political power. Stefan was quite impressed with the constables and their ability to sort through the threads of the case without regard for the social influences and roadblocks that were thrown in their way. In the end, Alvern refused any hint of compromise- the loss of his eldest son had blinded him beyond any reason. When the king would not agree with his opinions, the old man resigned his official positions, and moved back to his family’s ancestral manor in Lauralie Summerhome. While his elder brother had inherited the estate, that worthy had no family, and welcomed Alvern and his remaining brood as his successors. Unfortunately, the family’s fortunes had fallen quite a bit over the years- they were no longer among the city’s true elite, and the estate had mostly fallen into disrepair. Alvern and Annabelle, still mired in their depression, stayed mostly within the bounds of the manor, and most of their remaining children struggled to work their way into the city’s social scene. Stefan made a few brief social forays, but could not throw himself wholeheartedly into the games and entertainment of the local nobility and the rising ‘new rich’ who so desperately wished to join the. He needed something more. On a whim, he signed up for the local constabulary- his relatives were duly furious, of course, but could not dissuade him. After he finished his training, he applied for one of the toughest assignments in Lauralie Summerhome, the 14th Ward- mostly to work for the renowned Magistrate Ignatious Ironshirt. As one might expect, he was not accepted to such a post fresh out of the training cadre. His first assignment was with the 6th Ward, usually a plum assignment- Stefan found it to be unforgivably boring. While he didn’t know it at the time, his uncle had ‘pulled a few strings’ to get that assignment, hoping to keep Stefan from embarrassing the family too much. When he found out, he immediately applied for a transfer- and now, with some actual experience under his belt, he found himself assigned to the 14th Ward’s Alpha squad.
Game stats:
Spoiler:
STR 12 (+1) (4 pts)
DEX 17 (+3) (10 pts, +1 at 4th level)
CON 14 (+2) (6 pts)
INT 14 (+2) (6 pts)
WIS 8 (-1) (0 pts)
CHA 14 (+2) (6 pts)
((32 total))
Rogue 3/Fighter 3 (RFRFFR, next F4)
Level 6
XP: 15000
Saves:
Fortitude: +7 (1+3 base +2 CON, +1 cloak)
Reflex: +8 (3+1 base +3 DEX, +1 cloak)
Will: +5 (1+1 base +2 CHA, +1 cloak)
Ok, looks good for the Scout/Ranger. Just a few points (well, one, anyway): You've spent quite a few skill points on Search. We tend to role-play searches instead of making skill checks for them, so you'll probably be happier if you re-allocate all or alomost all of those skill points. That's really all that I see that you might want to reconsider.
The same goes for SJ, too, it's just one point there, but still......... and, BTW the Capital of the Kingdom of SilverTree is: [dum da da dum!] the City of SilverTree!
Now comes the HARD part -- choosing between two great characters! (I don't envy you that)
Last edited by Leif; 19th January 2009 at 01:35 AM..
Have we really been playing this game for over a year now? Yeah, I guess we have, haven't we? Thanks for sticking with us, guys! At this rate, we won't get through all of the adventure seeds that are planted in our brains until sometime around, oh, say, the year 2050!
Ok, looks good for the Scout/Ranger. Just a few points (well, one, anyway): You've spent quite a few skill points on Search. We tend to role-play searches instead of making skill checks for them, so you'll probably be happier if you re-allocate all or alomost all of those skill points. That's really all that I see that you might want to reconsider.
The same goes for SJ, too, it's just one point there, but still......... and, BTW the Capital of the Kingdom of SilverTree is: [dum da da dum!] the City of SilverTree!
Now comes the HARD part -- choosing between two great characters! (I don't envy you that)
At least for Shendra, I'm happy enough leaving the points in Search- partially for the passive secret door location that elves have, and mostly because it is the skill check used for tracking (not just finding a trail, but also staying on it- I'm not convinced that RP is good way to handle that, in a non-visual medium like PBEM; I like it fine when I'm LARPing).
A slight modification to my previous post- it looks like tracking is handled with the Survival skill, and Search only gives synergy bonus. I guess I've just been playing too many house-ruled rangers- anyway, I'm still going to leave the points in Search, with the understanding that they may be less useful (it does fit with the concept).
A slight modification to my previous post- it looks like tracking is handled with the Survival skill, and Search only gives synergy bonus. I guess I've just been playing too many house-ruled rangers- anyway, I'm still going to leave the points in Search, with the understanding that they may be less useful (it does fit with the concept).
Yes, I should have instantly caught that Survival is for tracking, not Search, because I knew that! But I missed it anyway, sorry.
Now, as to the RP for searches, yes, it works in PBP just like in a table-top game: you just tell us WHERE and HOW your character searches, and about any precautions he/she takes. No rolls are necessary. The success of your search depends upon looking in a place where there is something to find. What could be simpler?
I did indeed get it. I think I sent an e-mail about possibly playing an Eladrin Rogue, along with a link to a really cool beta version of a character maker (very helpful for those of us who've taken on so much we don't have time to do anything else, but are considering it anyway).
I'd actually like to give 4E a try - the problem being that I've already backed out of JA's Colony game until I can get all my other irons heating properly, and can't see starting another game (much less learning another system) for the same reason I backed out of his. I definitely don't want to give up Manny, SoulFetter, H'Roosh or Katherine (though truthfully the last doesn't take much of my time) to start a 4E game, nor do I want to give up my HERO game or my dreams of one day starting my planned Pathfinder game. I'd really rather not sacrifice my familial relationships either . . .
So I'm going to have to VERY reluctantly turn you down. Sorry, dude.
I understand totally. Just hit me up when you do have the capacity for it, ok, dude?
But, by the way, learning the system is what this whole deal is about. It's not like you'd be behind the rest of us, really. Scott and I have a passing familiarity with 4e, hell, Scott may already be an expert, but I'm having to give Rhun a lot of help making a character, and he doesn't have the books, either, if that makes any difference.
Last edited by Leif; 21st January 2009 at 12:10 AM..
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That's too cool! I love it! Maybe when Sentran hears her last name he will remember?
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