Legends of Xen'drik, Chapter 1: Opening the Harbor (OOC)

[gabrion]

This is the OOC thread for my Xen'drik game. Players plz repost your characters here and let me know some how when you think your character is completely done and ready for a DM examination. I'll make an RG soon for the approved characters.

The more general purpose of this thread will be to discuss things out of character and to bring issues to my attention. This last bit is important to me - I'm by no means a rules expert or an Eberron lore expert, so if anything in the game is rubbing you the wrong way, plz air it here so we can take care of it. I find that addressing any issues that arise promptly can make things much smoother in a campaign in the long run. Other than that, I hope you guys enjoy the game!

A few points of interest before we get too far into things here:

1. Plz advance to level 9. I’ve already written much of the first part of this campaign and after reviewing it I feel like I may have been a tad low to have the characters start at 8. Adjust your gold and XP accordingly (42,500 gp and 40,500 xp).
2. I plan to keep things running relatively fast when we get the IC thread up and running. I enjoy RP as much as the next guy, but I encourage the players to act as well. In other words, feel free to ask the NPCs pertinent questions, but plz don’t stand around for a week thinking you can recon an entire mission by pumping the guards for info.
3. Because PbP games are slow no matter how they are run, XP awards will be inflated. If the game lasts, you should expect to gain at least a few levels, rather than being stuck in the same place for six months.
4. Along with that last point, I will give out extra XP for cool stuff in game. Examples are good RP, clever planning, cool descriptions of attacks, or anything else I really dig.
5. Most of the treasure you collect after any given encounter in game will simply be a gold amount. I realize this is not realistic, but it makes things easier for all of us. The game will go faster if you aren’t running around pawning things or trying to split them up. Sometimes you will get magical item rewards, but these will usually only be consumables that I think you could use, or quest/story items.
6. I would love it if you all could find character portraits that you think match your characters and add them to your sheets. This isn’t required (and certainly don’t do it if you can’t find one you like), but I think it adds to the game.
7. Speaking of characters, plz add an sblock at the end of your character sheet explaining default actions in case I need to take him/her over at some point. You can make these as complex as you like (and feel free to describe different actions for different situations).
8. I will mention this again when I start the IC thread, but it belongs here as well since it may apply to OOC discussions. Do NOT read sblocks addressed to other characters. Please? I doubt it will ever ruin the game if you do, but I think it’s more fun sometimes to not know every detail of what’s going on.
9. Lastly, I realize the party I picked is not the standard mix. It may be unclear who is "covering" which roles. I did this partially on purpose (mostly cause I like the characters though). I want to stress here, do NOT feel like you are forced into a role just because you may be the only one capable of it (for instance Shayuri healing, or stonegod adjusting to be an ultimate face man). Play your characters the way you envision them, I'll try to make the adventure work for you.

Whew…ok so that’s all I have for now. Let me know if you have any questions/comments.

 

[stonegod]

Damen Torralyn Lonadar

Damen Moved to RG.

 

[stonegod]

gabrion: Do you think Damen should invest in an artificer's monocle to identify magic items? Some DMs are faster and looser w/ IDing things.

 

[gabrion]

gabrion: Do you think Damen should invest in an artificer's monocle to identify magic items? Some DMs are faster and looser w/ IDing things.

I think someone in the party should...and Damen probably makes the most sense having one since he likes to know things. I don't mind the party having access to something like the monocle in order to ID things quick.

 

[stonegod]

I think someone in the party should...and Damen probably makes the most sense having one since he likes to know things. I don't mind the party having access to something like the monocle in order to ID things quick.

I'll look at shuffling equipment around.

Guess our druid is are blaster.

 

[gabrion]

I added a few points of interest to the OP, so everyone take a look when you get a chance.

 

[Shayuri]

Name: Maighan
Class: Druid 8
Race: Elf
Alignment: NG
Gender: Female

[sblock=Description]Maighan has the slim, fragile appearance common to elves the world over. It belies unusual hardiness though, from one who has passed grueling tests of fortitude designed by and for creatures sturdier than elves. She moves with uncanny grace, even for her kinsfolk, and her composure is seemingly unbreakable. By estimates of elf or human, she is beautiful, in a distant, ethereal sort of way. Fair, smooth skin, bright red hair, piercing green eyes. Despite her measured calm and gentle demeanor, there is a hint of wildness in her as well...of untamability. She wears distinctive armor made of the famed bronzewood leaves of Aerenal, treated alchemically to leatherlike protective quality, and then further strengthened by magic.[/sblock]

Abilities
STR 10 (+0)
DEX 18 (+4)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 13 (+1)
WIS 20 (+5) - +2 from item
CHA 14 (+2)

Statistics
HP 80/80
AC 17 (10 + 4 Dex + 3 armor)
Buffed AC 20 (+3 natural)
FORT +9 (7 Base, +2 Con)
REF +9 (5 Base, +4 Dex)
WILL +12 (7 Base, +5 Wis)

Speed: 30ft
INIT +4 (+4 Dex)

Melee +6/+1
Ranged +10/+5

Feats
1 Gatekeeper Initiate
3 Spell Focus: Conjuration
6 Natural Spell
9 Augment Summoning

Racial Features
+2 Dex, -2 Con
Low Light Vision
Immune to magic sleep
+2 save vs Enchantment
+2 Spot, Listen, Search
Detect Secret Doors
Weapon Proficiencies

Class Features
Animal Companion
Nature Sense
Wild Empathy
Woodland Stride
Trackless Step
Resist Nature's Lure
Wild Shape 3/day (Small - Large)
Venom Immunity

Skills
Concentration (Con) +13 (11 ranks + 2 Con)
Handle Animal (Cha) +7 (5 ranks + 2 Cha)
Heal (Wis) +10 (5 ranks + 5 Wis)
Knowledge (nature) (Int) +6 (5 ranks + 1 Int)
Knowledge (history) (Int) (cc) +2 (1 ranks + 1 Int)
Listen (Wis) +9 (4 ranks + 5 Wis)
Spellcraft (Int) +6 (5 ranks + 1 Int)
Speak Language (cc) 2 ranks
Spot (Wis) +9 (4 ranks + 5 Wis)
Survival (Wis) +15 (10 ranks + 5 Wis)

Languages
Common, Elvish, Druidic, Sylvan, Terran, Auran

Spellcasting (Druid: Caster level 8, DC 15+lvl, +1 DC Conjuration spells)
Prepared
0 - 6
1 - 6
2 - 5
3 - 4
4 - 3
5 - 2

Equipment
Money 650

Weapons
Bowstaff +1, 4600
- Staff +1/MW, +7 to hit, 1d6+1 dmg, can change into bow as mv action
- Longbow +1, +11 to hit, 1d8+1 dmg, 100', Can change into staff as mv action.

Mundane Gear
Pending

Magical Items
Periapt of Wisdom +2, 4k
Vanisher Cloak, 2500 (MIC: 3 charges per day, spend as std action. 1 turns self invis 4 rnds. 2 self and 1 other invis for 3 rnds. 3 turns self and 3 others invis for 2 rnds. As Invis spell.
Ring of Mighty Summons, 14k (Complete Mage: Summoned creatures have max HP per HD, 3/day)
Bracers of Lightning, 11k (MIC: Swift action grants +1d6 elec dmg to all attacks for 1 rnd, works in wildshape, part of item set)
Wilding Clasp, 4k (connected to armor)
Leafweave Armor +1, 1750gp

-------
Animal Companion
8HD Dire Wolf +1 Str/Dex +2 nat armor Link, Share Spells, Evasion +2tricks
7HD eagle, +3 str/dex +6 nat armor Link, Share Spells, Evasion, Devotion, Multiattack +4tricks
8HD dire bat...

-------
Background
[sblock]From the start, Maighan didn't quite fit into the swing of things among the Aerenal elves. She was always faintly troubled by the Undying... At what point did they become so alien; so cut off from other beings, even elves, that they could no longer empathize? They were so removed from the world...neither eating nor drinking nor dying nor truly living. What troubled her the most though was their effect on young elves. How many of her childhood friends had envied the Undying so much that they felt as if life were a curse? That they felt trapped in their flesh before they ever really tried to appreciate it? These things, to the embarrassment of her family, led her away from the outright worship of the Undying Court...though she eventually made her peace with them non-ecumenically.

She fould too that she wasn't alone. There were druids in Aerenal...not many, and they lived quiet lives, careful not to attract too much attention. The druidic language was the one true sign of membership. Knowledge of it without spell or device meant one who had taken their Vows as a druid and steward of nature.

During her studies as a druid, she learned of the Gatekeepers...a sect in distant Khorvaire who had taken on the sacred duty of protecting Eberron from invasions by other planes. The histories only spoke of one such invasion, but it was terrible enough...it ended the goblin empire and cleared the way for the nation of Galifar...and even those consequences were because the war was WON.

The idea struck Maighan's interest. After all, nature faced foes both internal and external...but she was more interested in dealing with internal threats diplomatically. But to be a warrior of nature...a fierce and proud spear-carrier in the face of threats from beyond space and time...the romance of that appealed to her youthful nature. She began the difficult and arduous trip to the Eldeen Reaches.

Her adventures in going were great. Pirates and sea monsters...intrigue and politics...bandits, assassinations, and no small amount of fortune both good and bad dogged her every step it seemed. By the time she stepped into the druid circle in Eldeen, she was not the same person she was when she started. It was only because of those hardships that she was able to endure the orcish druid tests that qualified her as a Gatekeeper; a mantle she wears with pride.

(insert stuff about Last War and previous adventures...haven't detailed yet)
[/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

I'll look at shuffling equipment around.

Guess our druid is are blaster.

Mew. I hadn't really built her with that in mind...I didn't take any Wis boosters or any DC increasing things...

Maybe I should re-think that ring of mighty summons...

 

[gabrion]

Mew. I hadn't really built her with that in mind...I didn't take any Wis boosters or any DC increasing things...

Maybe I should re-think that ring of mighty summons...

Check out #9 in the OP. Feel free to change around anything you like, just don't make the character into something she's not!

 

[Shayuri]

Oh, I read 'em.

And I'm not compromising the spirit of the character here. Druids have many options for combat. Attacking with spells directly is one. Summons is another. Companion another. Direct physical attacks yet ANOTHER.

Although things like feat choices and so on govern which of these approaches work best, any of them can be used with a day or so of notice. Right now, Maighan is 'specced' for Wildshape/Summoning combat, with her spellcasting being in a support healing/buffing capacity.

But I shan't ignore party needs either.

Beguilers, for example, do quite well with buffing...not so well with direct attack spells. I can easily reduce my current emphasis on summons to get some DC boosts necessary to make druidic blasties at this level competitive.

Oh wait...we're going to level 9 now.

HMM...that may change things. That gives me Augment Summons now...and access to SNA V...

...

Earlier today, I was toying with having Maighan having taken an oath "Never to use magic to bring harm to natural creatures." Purely for fun, mind...since her spec was pretty solid in my mind as a buff/heal spellcaster.

Lemme take a look and see what blasties are available at level 9. What sources do you allow for spells?