Insight's "In the Shadow of Giants" [OOC]

Insight · 19th September 2009, 04:38 PM

This is now the OOC thread for the "In the Shadow of Giants" game. Recruiting is now closed and the announcement on character decisions will be made on 9/28; the game will begin that day.

IC thread
RG Thread

***

Concept
This is a play-by-post game to be run on the EN World boards. It will use the D&D 4th edition rules. The campaign starts at 10th level. As background, your characters all know each other and have adventured together since 1st level. The concept for this campaign is to eventually run through the new Revenge of the Giants super-adventure recently published by Wizards of the Coast. That adventure starts at 12th level. Rather than start the characters at 12th level, I would like to run an adventure or two prior to starting Revenge of the Giants. Thus, the 10th level start. The adventures prior to Revenge of the Giants will be referred to as "In the Shadow of Giants".

On the Setting
Do not expect a particularly robust setting. I'm basing it on the "Points of Light" concept introduced in DMG1 and the setting, such as it is, will use the "commonly understood setting" referenced in the core books. Understand that this is a very loose setting, by design. Where needed, I will introduce basic campaign setting information, but I will rely on the players to provide some background information up front (see below).

On Character Creation
Characters will be created at 10th level, using the currently available rulebooks from Wizards of the Coast. Third party material will not be used. Options in the Character Builder (and Compendium) are available with the exception of Eberron material and races outside PHB1 and PHB2. The "bloodline", "dragonmark", and "heritage" feats are also prohibited. Characters should be submitted using the Summary function of the Character Builder. If you do not have access to the Character Builder, create a submission that is as clear and concise as possible.

In terms of items and wealth, use the standard rules in the DMG1. Your character has a magic item of 11th level, one of 10th level, and one of 9th level, along with 4,200gp or the equivalent. Mundane items (those not considered consumables, mounts, or magic items) do not cost gold and you can have as many of these as you like (within reason).

Finally, I would like each character submission to have some semblance of a background. The setting is very vague and that is intentional. Use what you can and make up the rest. Extra points for creating background material that will make the setting a little more cohesive. If you are accepted, it is possible that, down the road, I will ask you to expand upon setting elements in your background.

On the Selection Process and Party Composition
Character selection will be announced on or before 9/28. What I'm looking for are players who can commit to posting regularly (see below), those who have demonstrated that they can stick with a game, and those who can follow along with my instructions. I am also looking for players with somewhat of a creative flair and those who can contribute to expanding on the vagueness of the setting.

My ideal party would consist of 1 Defender, 1 Controller, 1 Striker, and 1 Leader, with 1 or 2 slots of additional Strikers or Defenders. Part of the selection process, as a whole, will be filling the party slots as detailed above. Thus, I won't be selecting more than one Controller or more than one Leader. Classes with hybrid functions (Paladins, Swordmages, etc) will be considered as such, as will actual Hybrids, if someone chooses to create one.

On Post Frequency and Content
I expect to be able to post as frequently as every other day, sometimes more frequently. I expect anyone playing in this game to do the same. What bogs down PbP games the most is someone not posting for a few days or a week at a time. If you cannot commit to posting at least, say, four times a week, please do not submit a character.

If we have a player who falls behind in responding, I will take the initiative to NPC that character. If this lasts more than a week with no notice from the player, that player will be dropped and we will re-recruit that slot.

YOU are going to drive a lot of the roleplay in this campaign. I'll be taking my cues from the players in terms of when they wish to roleplay and when they wish to gloss over and move on.

Also, please submit an image for your character and also choose a unique color for your character's dialogue.

On the Handling of Combat
What also tends to bog down PbP games are long combats. When we get into a combat, I expect everyone to try to post more frequently. If we wait on someone for more than a day (excluding weekends), I will NPC that character for their next action.

I want every combat post to be formatted in sblock with the following:

Actions

Immediate actions, such as opportunity attacks and other powers, will be handled differently. When these arise, I will post to ask if you wish to use that action prior to resolving the action that triggered it. If you do not respond within 24 hours, I will have to move on.

In the initiative count (posted at the top of every round), characters' hit point totals will be posted along with any conditions that may exist. Conditions on enemies will also be posted, including if the enemy is bloodied. If a post includes an incorrect hit point count for your character, please let me know as soon as possible so I can correct it. The initiative count post will also be where I try to stay on top of things like temporary hit points, temporary modifiers, and so forth.

Along with the initiative count, at the top of each round, I will post a map showing the locations of each combatant at the top of the round. Please refer to the map using the square designations (A11, Q6, etc) when posting your actions.

Insight · 19th September 2009, 04:42 PM

The Submissions

- Controller

-- renau1g: Seeker, Deva Wizard/Cleric MC
-- pathfinderq1: Rikka Pouncequick, Elf Druid
-- KarinsDad: Sariel Elmbrer, Eladrin Wizard

- Defender

-- Oni: Saben, Half-Elf Paladin
-- Kobold Stew: Tok William, Half-orc Fighter
-- garyh: Jharen Stonepeak, Goliath Warden
-- Shaggy Spellsword: Gregor Stonehelm, Dwarf Fighter
-- hafrogman: Brant Sorrenson, Human Hybrid Fighter|Warlord

- Leader

-- Thanee: Dawn, Elf Cleric
-- Walking Dad: Baern Winterchosen, Dwarf Shaman

- Striker

-- drothgery: Corrin, Halfling Sorcerer
-- Vertexx69: Cole Cinder, Dwarf Warlock
-- Nebten: Jil Barra, Drow Rogue
-- Sparky: Amos Wolfbrother, Half-Orc Ranger

renau1g · 19th September 2009, 05:40 PM

Posting interest. I'll put together a Deva Wizard. I haven't played a higher level controller yet and wizards are good fun from what I've played at lower levels.

Thanks Insight!

Thanee · 19th September 2009, 08:16 PM

This definitely sounds interesting.

As it is clearly my prefered class in 4E so far, I would propose an Elven Cleric (with just one leader, a Cleric is surely a good idea).

I do not have DDI. Here's an example character sheet (as I would then write it down; I definitely consider that clear and concise

).

Bye
Thanee

drothgery · 19th September 2009, 08:51 PM

How about a halfling storm sorcerer?

background

A great many halfling traders travel the world's rivers. The River Draken, flowing from the Dragonhome mountains through the heart of Tyral, had been home to halfling riverboats since before any of the modern nations of the world had been born. The Salindral, which snaked through Winterhome and across Darkmoor before joining the Draken, saw its first halfling traders within a few short years of elven settlements appearing along the river. And the Tyrindell, which set much of the border between Winterhome and Tyral, has always seen clans of halfling traders on both sides.

But Corrin's great-grandfather Ander was the first of them to begin trading on the North Sea -- taking goods from the heart of Tyral and deep within the elven lands and bringing them to all the ports along the north coast -- very much against the wishes of his clan. He had taken his wife, and children, and those he could convince to work for him and pulled together the resources to finance an oceangoing tradeship, and began something that would become a great success. The Seaward clan -- for that was what it became known as -- began merely trading along the north coast of the continent where halflings had plied the river trade since time out of mind. That had only been the beginning, though.

Those from Tryal and the surrounding lands had always named the great ocean the North Sea, and most thought it was endless. Certainly if there were lands beyond, they had not been heard from since the great empires fell. But Perrin son of Ander had met Bree daughter of Eida of a clan who plied the river trade deep into the ancient heart of Eladrin lands, and had acquired an ancient parchment which purported to be a map of the whole world. And Perrin Seaward and his new wife had decided to chance crossing the great ocean.

They had found no great civilization across the ocean, but there were tribes of dragon-men, orcs, primitive humans, half-orcs, shifters, and other wild folk in the continent across the sea. And while they lacked great cities, they had much to trade. Over the next two generations, goods from across the ocean had turned clan Seaward from a somewhat eccentric halfling trade clan to one of the great merchant houses of Tyral.

That was what Corrin had been born into. If crossing the ocean was not the wild risk it had been when his grandfather attempted it, much of the world was still uncharted and the sea most definitely had its dangers. Still, if his sorcerous powers had not begun to manifest at that time, no doubt he would have taken more than first steps on the path to commanding one of the clan's tradeships.

But those powers had manifested -- something in the storms he encountered in his frequent sea voyages called to him -- and that had sent Corrin to a temple of Ioun wondering where he could learn about sorcery. And he still wasn't entirely sure how he had ended up agreeing to help a mage acolyte and his associates recover some missing church property... but he'd been with that group for five years now. They'd appreciated his friendly demeanor, quick hands, sorcerous powers... and his ability to be downright scary if he needed to be. Which you wouldn't expect from someone just a little over four feet tall.

Since that day, he had never been on any of the clan's ships except as a passenger or for brief visits with his family. The last had been too short; his mother had taken one of his more distant cousins on as an apprentice in her work keeping the clan's books, and the young woman had been pretty, smart, and matched his wit quip for quip. If he knew his mother, she had certainly set them up, but he wasn't quite impetuous enough to ask Callie to marry him on a mere week's acquaintance, and the demands of an adventurer's life had drawn him away. Still, when next his travels brought him to Drakenport, where the clan maintained its home office and where the river Draken met the North Sea, he was hopeful she would still be there.

preliminary statblock

Advancement

Oni · 19th September 2009, 08:58 PM

I'm interested.

Thinking Half-elf Paladin.

Just out of curiosity, what sort of tone will the adventure have/are there any hooks that it would be good to build on?

renau1g · 19th September 2009, 11:24 PM

Ok so here's the crunch-stuff for Seeker, the Deva Wizard MC cleric, follower of Ioun

OOC

Vertexx69 · 20th September 2009, 12:11 AM

Since it looks like my other 4th edition game died from DM abandonment, I'll rebuild that character over here. Cole Cinder the Pyromancer (Infernal pact Warlock).

[FONT=Verdana

Background]Cole Cinder was raised in the outlying edges of the borders of the kingdom of Tyral. Being the youngest of his siblings, he had no idea why his family couldn’t live in the city proper where there were other kids closer to his own age to play with. The Cinder Clan had resettled on the very edge of a fiery chasm where the red glow of the earth’s blood would sizzle and pop endlessly. While this chasm provided the clan with all the heat it needed to ply its trade in armor and weapon craft, it provided another fascination for the youngest Cinder. [/font] He would stare into the blazing maw for hours on end. And once it was clear that Cole was not becoming big and strong like his many brothers, and had no interest in the metal-crafting trade, he was left pretty much to his own devices. So when he started talking to something within the magma, nobody really noticed – at least not right away. He started getting angrier with each passing month, and his skin got very dark from the heat of lava that he stared into every day. When his family noticed the changes in the teenager they were of course concerned, albeit in a very Dwarven way. They insisted that he come help in the forge. There were quite a few mixed reactions when they learned that the baby of the family had gained some mastery over the very fire they used to heat their machinations. His brothers were amazed that his slight build could hold such power, and that his years of meditation at the flame’s mouth had tempered his flesh just like their family’s steel with great endurance. His parents were happy at first that he could start to contribute to the business, if in a slightly different way. But when his temper came with bursts of flame, it started becoming clear that the forge was not the place for him. So Cole made his way the city to find his path, but could still be found often at the chasms brink, either in deep meditation or holding one side of in depth conversations on the true nature of fire.
He found many people in the city that would pay him to use his mastery of flame to their advantage, and even a few others that shared his fascination. So Cole Cinder can be found most nights standing at the wide hearths of the local taverns with others that crave the flames embrace, or even talking to the fire still when nobody else will listen.
Description: Cole Cinder is slightly built for a dwarf, but his skin is almost as hard as iron to the touch. He stands a little below average height for a dwarf at 4ft tall, but his fiery disposition more than makes up for that. His skin is darkly tanned from years at the lava’s edge, and his dark eyes always seem to be bloodshot and swirling with bits of ash. Instead of a traditional beard Cole wears hid wiry red hair short with mutton chops that hang several inches below his rounded jaw, leaving his dimpled, but strong chin bare to the world.
Personality: Everything seems to be fire or fuel to this brash young dwarf. To say he is a hothead would be a completely justifiable pun. He reacts to every insult like someone had raped his sister (like every teenager does), but he literally has the firepower to back up his threats. He isn’t evil, so much as a loaded gun without a target. And in a world where words can truly have life or death consequences, taking cheap shots at an impetuous young pyromancer is the quickest way to meet your maker.

How are we doing gear? Standard DMG n+1/n/n-1 (or the lesser cash equivalent thereof)?

Insight · 20th September 2009, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oni

I'm interested.

Thinking Half-elf Paladin.

Just out of curiosity, what sort of tone will the adventure have/are there any hooks that it would be good to build on?

Any hooks, in terms of character creation, will come from you guys. There's nothing definitive about the adventure that should affect how you build your character.

Insight · 20th September 2009, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vertexx69

How are we doing gear? Standard DMG n+1/n/n-1 (or the lesser cash equivalent thereof)?
[/font]

Wealth and gear are standard as per the DMG1 rules for creating characters higher than 1st level. It is spelled out in the original post.

Sparky · 20th September 2009, 01:34 AM

Wow, I want to make a 10th level character!

So. We're to have known eachother since 1st level. What if we were all closely or peripherally involved in an Order of Ioun dedicated to the recovery of Ancient Knowledge and/or the militant opposition of Vecna (which, it might be argued, is the same thing)?

PARDON ME WHILE I RUN OFF ON A BRAINSTORMING JAG...

Some PCs could have started out as mercenaries and gotten behind the group's mission as the years passed. Others could have een dedicated to the Order from the start.

Seeker (renau1g's Deva Wizard) or Thanee's Cleric (if of Ioun) would be likely candidates for the leader of the group.

I'm interested in a Paladin of Ioun (Oni, care make complementary paladins? Twins even?) who accompanies the sometimes absentminded scholars on their missions.

OR

An Avenger placed in the group by the Order as a zealot watchdog, to keep the party free of Vecna's corrupting influences. Of course, over the years (years?) he's 'gone native' and would die for any of the party members. Except that halfling... still not sure about that one... *squints at the halfling*

OR

Anything really, but my PC would be one dedicated to service of the Order.

Some questions I'd like to answer...

-- Has the group lost any members along the way? If so, who? And under what circumstances? (yes is the more interesting answer here)
-- What has the group accomplished?
-- About the Order:
---- Is it affiliated with one particular nation?
---- Or is it an extranational organization with chapters in major cities the world over?
---- Is it large or small?
---- Is it well known or unknown (I would think it counter to Ioun's dogma to have 'secrets.'

---- What are members of the Order expected to do?
------ Teach the ignorant (hah, that could be a tenet subject to MUCH debate)
------ Help the poor, "The cares of life crowd out the Light of Knowledge. Ease the suffering of your fellows."
------ Fight Vecna and his operatives!
------ Oppose those who seek to control the flow Knowledge (they might be anarchists!)

...okay. Rambled enough.

If you didn't read, sign Sparky up for an Avenger of Ioun (at the very least assigned to Seeker).

Nebten · 20th September 2009, 02:19 AM

Hey, I am interested. Drow Rogue Crossbow-woman or a dwarf/gnome fighter. I don't have a lot of time to put down info, but I wanted to reserve a spot while I had the chance.

pathfinderq1 · 20th September 2009, 04:16 AM

I'm interested as well. Preliminary concepts would be either eladrin swordmage/MC warlord (Defender/leader) or Elf predator Druid (Controller/striker). I'll post some more details tomorrow.

Vertexx69 · 20th September 2009, 05:52 AM

Ok here's Cole the Pyromancer, I think everything is just about right. I'm still toying with the idea of an ebony fly figurine of wondrous power, but I don't know if the adventure is indoor or outdoor yet.

stat block

Background

Description

Personality

Kobold Stew · 20th September 2009, 08:11 AM

Hi there!

I love the precision of your call -- really good, and it's clear you'll have a lot to choose from. I'd be interested as well -- I'm thinking a halforc fighter, if I can make a concept I have work. I'll give it a try and see later.

Thanks for considering me.

KS

Vertexx69 · 20th September 2009, 08:17 AM

Sparky · 20th September 2009, 12:18 PM

[SUBMISSION WITHDRAWN] Another posted here.

Spoiler:

garyh · 20th September 2009, 06:41 PM

Okay, I've never played level 10, and the Giants adventure sounds interesting, so I'll toss my hat in the ring.

Character Sheet

Background will come later.

pathfinderq1 · 20th September 2009, 08:29 PM

I don't have DDI, so I'll post in a similar fashion- hopefully it is clear and concise enough. Here is the first concept- human swordmage, raised in the desert citadel of the eladrin. This is a work-in-progress- I'll post anote when it is done.

Kaladir ibn Rohassi
Human Swordmage/MC Warlord
Aegis: Shielding
Background: Geography- desert (add Nature)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 14, Con 15, Dex 10, Int 21, Wis 8, Cha 12.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 13, Con 14, Dex 10, Int 17, Wis 8, Cha 12.

AC: 24 or 27/Fort: 20/Reflex: 23/Will: 21
HP: 84/Surges: 10/Surge Value: 21

TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana, Athletics, Endurance, Heal, History, Nature

UNTRAINED SKILLS (+2 feat bonus)

FEATS
Racial bonus: Jack of all trades
Level 1: Student of battle
Level 2: Intelligent blademaster
Level 4: Weapon expertise (heavy blade)
Level 6: Implement expertise (heavy blade)
Level 8: Acolyte power
Level 10: Combat medic

POWERS
Swordmage at-will 1: Greenflame blade
Swordmage at-will 1: Luring strike
Swordmage at-will 1: Sword burst
Swordmage encounter 1: Flame cyclone
Swordmage daily 1: Dragons teeth
Swordmage utility 2: Fear no elements
Swordmage encounter 3: Blazing lunge
Swordmage daily 5: Purifying wound
Swordmage utility 6: Stand tough (from Acolyte Power swap)
Swordmage encounter 7: Dazing rebuke
Swordmage daily 9: Forceful dismissal
Swordmage utility 10: Feywild grace

Major Items: (other gear TBD)
+2 Lightning long sword
+2 Deathcut leather armor
+2 Cloak of survival

Background:

Spoiler:

Since the dark times which followed the breaking of the great empires, the eladrin have mostly dwelt within the Feywild and shunned the mortal world. But they have maintained a few citadels, hidden in the most remote corners of the lands, where they watch and wait and prepare for some terrifying event to come... From time to time, emissaries of the fey journey into the human lands, looking for children with some special aura or qualification that the eladrin cannot or will not explain. These children are spirited away to the far-off citadels, where they are trained in the arcane arts and in the craft of war. When eladrin diplomats or scholars must journey openly in the lands of men, their human "apprentices" serve as guards and assistants. Kaladir was one such apprentice- taken from his home on the Barren Coast before he was a year old, he was raised in the desert citadel of Kha'ross. He learned swordsmanship and the basics of magic, and much of history and warfare. At his master's insistence, he also learned the basics of the healing arts. When his master journeyed into human lands, Kaladir went with him, as bodyguard and research assistant. That journey began when Kaladir was little more than a boy, and lasted but three years. His eladrin master fell prey to the dark magic of an undead wizard, who was angered at the intrusion into his fortress-tomb. Kaladir managed to escape, though his master's last minute sacrifice- a debt the swordmage has never forgotten. Alone in human lands he barely understood, Kaladir joined a fledgling group of adventurers. That was years ago, and that group, through its various incarnations, is the only real family he knows, though he seems to have a great reverence for the few eladrin that he has met along the way. A skilled swordman and a surprisingly well-read scholar, Kaladir is also a trained healer, and has saved several of companions over the years- recently he has learned a few tricks from the healers working with a friendly mercenary troop and has become even more effective.