Recruiting: The Sharn Inquisitive

[mcnathan80]

The Sharn Inquisitive is an ECL 3 campaign set in Eberron for six players. This will be an inquisitive campaign based in Sharn, very pulp, very noir, think CSI meets Lord of the Rings. Seriously though, I’ve always wanted to run a role playing intensive inquisitive game and a PbP seemed like the perfect vehicle for this. Be aware, emphasis is on character development, and role playing, with only one or two combats per adventure.

[sblock=Character Submission]
If you're interested in joining this game, please submit a character background. The objective of your background is twofold: First, to describe your character's history, personality, and role in the party, as well as what made them decide to begin working as a private investigator on the streets of Sharn. Some questions that should be answered: What does your characters race, class, and alignment mean to them? How did the events of The Last War affect them? Where are they from, have they always lived in Sharn or did they emigrate to Sharn? What are their goals, and why are they working as an investigator? What’s their “basic” personality, any quirks or interesting traits? Second, to impress me with your writing abilities – remember, good writing will be chosen over awesome characters. Selection will not be "first come, first served".[/sblock]
Full character sheets should be submitted after backgrounds, not before them, and should be in the format below, the more detailed the better as far as I’m concerned:
[sblock=Character Sheet]
Name: Joe
Class: Fighter 1
Race: Human
Hit Dice: 1d10+2, 12 HP
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft
Armor Class: 19 (10 +5 armor +1 dex +2 shield +1 dodge)
Base Attack Bonus: +1
Grapple: +4
Attacks: Longsword +6 (1d8+3, 19-20 x2)
Full Attack: Longsword +6 (1d8+3, 19-20 x2)
Face/Reach: 5x5/5ft
Special Qualities: Human Traits
Special Attacks: None
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1
Abilities: Strength 16, Dexterity 12, Constitution 14, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 12, Charisma 10
Skills: Craft (weaponsmithing) +4, Intimidate +4, Swim -5
Weapon Groups: Basic, Crossbows, Heavy Blades, Light Blades, Maces and Clubs
Feats: Weapon Focus (Heavy Blades), Dodge, Power Attack
Action Points: 5
Languages: Common
Alignment: Lawful Good
Deity: None
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 195 lbs

Spells:
Spells Known: None
Spells Memorized/Spell Slots: None

Inventory:
Breastplate (200 gp)
Masterwork Longsword (315 gp)
Heavy Steel Shield (20 gp)
Traveler's Outfit
Total Weight: ??
[/sblock]

[sblock=Character Creation]
-The following sources will be allowed
All Core rule books
All Eberron books
All “Complete” books
All “Races of…” books
The XPH
The Miniature’s Handbook
-Starting level: 3rd
-Hit Points: Max 1st level, ½ +1 each additional level (i.e. fighters get 6 and 2nd, clerics get 5 …)
-Starting Gold: 1,350gp
-Races: All Core and Eberron races are allowed, also I’m allowing humanoids with an LA of no higher than +1
-Classes: All Classes are allowed, but remember, I’m more concerned with character background and writing style over munchkinly characters. Please note that as this is a mystery based game and a plethora of combat related feats might not see much use in the game. That being said, I’m sure one or two “bruisers” might be of great importance if and when a fight breaks out.
-Alignment: All alignments are accepted. Eberron is a world dominated by “shades of gray”. However, massive in-party conflicts due to alignment will not be tolerated. Please keep this in mind if you desire to play an “evil” character.
-Stats: Stats will be determined using a 28 point buy. I know that the norm is 32 around here, but I personally feel that a lower number of “points” will lead to more specialized characters and more fun for the group as a whole.[/sblock]

[sblock=House Rules]
I have the following house rules that I wish to implement, I feel these will make for a more cinematic, and (hopefully) enjoyable game.

-For ease of rolling, I will handle all group rolls such as: reaction checks (spot/listen, initiative, etc…), as well as all checks that I want kept as surprise (i.e. bluff, sense motive, some search checks, etc…) also if you can succeed a check “taking 10” I’ll just assume you did that instead of calling for a roll. In fact, unless the situation warrants it, or is specified by the player, I will assume everyone is always “taking 10”.

-The various combat maneuvers no longer provoke AoO (disarm, trip, grapple, unarmed attacks, etc…), again I feel it’s more cinematic this way. However, moving out of a threatened space, casting a spell, and such still provoke.

-Improved feint no longer requires combat expertise as a pre-requisite

-Wielding a weapon 2-handed gives a static +1 to damage, not 1.5 strength bonus

-The power attack feat gives a 1 for 1 trade-off, regardless of whether it’s used 2-handed or not.

-Half-Orcs receive a +2 to intimidate checks, and a +2 to saves vs. intimidate.

-Diplomacy, and Use Magic Device are class skills for the sorceror

-Spot/Listen has been rolled into one skill: Notice, if any class has either skill they now have this one.

-Hide/Move Silent has been rolled into one skill: Stealth, if any class has either skill they now have this one.

-Open locks is now part of the Disable Device skill (since a lock is a type of device, and picking one is essentially “disabling” it; Thanks Rich Burlew)

-I also use Mr. Burlew’s diplomacy skill found here

-The dodge feat now adds a satic +1 dodge bonus to defense, has no dex-based prerequisite, and can be taken multiple times

-Skill feats: All the feats that give a +2 bonus to 2 skills have been removed instead there will be the Talented(.....,.....) feat. Just pick 2 skills and give yourself a +2 to those skills.

-Weapon groups: Rather than group all weapons as simple or martial I'll be using the weapon groups here

-Flaws: You can take 1 flaw found here for a bonus feat. Any flaws created by players (like, drug addiction, or missing limb) must be subject to DM approval.

Non-proficiency: You can choose to not be proficient with any weapon for a bonus feat

-Spontaneous domains: Instead of clerics spontaneoulsly casting cure/inflict spells, they may now cast their domain spells spontaneously. Clerics no longer receive an extra spell slot per level for domain spells. All good clerics can take the heal domain, and all evil clerics can take the destruction domain regardless of actual domains allowed by their chosen deity

-To avoid the hassle of creating magic items you can buy any magic item that you have the requisite Item creation feat of for 75% of it’s normal cost (i.e. a wizard with the scribe scroll feat wants to buy a 100GP scroll, he instead buys it for 75GP).

-You’re only 1st level once: Character’s only receive 1st level benefits for a class once (Armor prof., weapon groups, spells in spell book, …) so decide what your level 1 class will be carefully.

-It's you not your equipment: Characters will start with 1/2 the max gp limit out of the DMG (1,350gp) and will stay at 1/2 max gp per level, but they get a bonus feat at 1st level, a feat at 2nd level, and a feat at every other level after that (4,6,8,10,...) instead of every 3 levels (3,6,9,...)[/sblock]

[sblock= Posting Etiquette]
-The purpose of the PbP is the narrative, so please try to avoid OOC chatter. If you need to say something OOC to clarify what you’re doing (like in combat) please do so after your in character description.
-Again since the focus is the narrative, please be as descriptive as possible. It’s much more entertaining to say: gripping his sword tightly in his sweat-slick hands, Timor sized up the opponent before him, takes a few tentative steps forward and swings his sword in a broad arc hoping to end this fight quickly. [sblock=OOC]I take a 5 foot step forward and attack[/sblock] Than to say: I rolled a 14 do I hit?

-Please pick a dialogue color your character will speak with
Walking into the room, Jaryd instantly smelled the odor of rotting flesh, and says to his companions out the door "Hey guys, you might want to cover your noses before you come in here", NPC’s will be gray[/sblock]
[sblock=Disclaimer]
I’m new to DMing PbP’s, but I’m sure that if we all work together we can make this an enjoyable experience, and if we all have fun, we can keep this campaign going for a while. Please note: even though I’ve been using this house rule for a while, I’ve never actually put it in writing, if there are any questions, please post them, or email me, and we’ll sort every thing out.[/sblock]
Submissions will close by midnight (CST) on 10/20 and I'll choose the players by midnight (CST) on 10/22.

 

[stonegod]

Should have "Recruiting" in the title and/or the tag for this to get much attention.

 

[Enforcer]

Kalserath, Kalashtar Soulknife

Appearance: Like all kalashtar, Kalserath looks human, but disturbingly so. His face is flawlessly handsome, his build slender but athletic, and he walks with a flowing grace that's the result of years of physical and mental training--too perfect to be fully human. He has straight black hair that's shoulder-length and haunting green eyes that seem to pierce the soul of whomever gazes into them. Kalserath carries no obvious weapons or armor--he has a chain shirt concealed under his plain but sturdy clothing and Kalserath is a weapon. His mind blade appears to be a razor-sharp shard of pure light in a roughly shortsword shape.

Personality: Kalserath is an intense person, fully committed to his path, but part of that path is to enjoy life. When not hunting the Dreaming Dark or working on behalf of innocent people, he can be found in Overlook, meditating or conversing with his people. Kalserath has worked with adventurers of other races from time to time, and finds most of them to be good people who seek to help others, if too often they have financial incentive for doing so. His people's war with the Dreaming Dark remains a kalashtar affair to him, however, and Kalserath hasn't shared his life's mission with anyone outside of his race. Others find Kalserath to be too serious, though none have regreted having him fight at their side.

History: Trained in an Adaran monastery from birth to focus his natural psionic energy into a mind blade, Kalserath is a Shadow Watcher, an active agent in service of il-Yannah and opposed to the Dreaming Dark wherever he may find it. If it can be said that the kalashtar has holy warriors, Kalserath is one who walks that path. Trained in combat, stealth, and observation, he is a one-man force for the Path of Light.

Kalserath arrived in Sharn two years ago, as the seers of his people told him that he could accomplish much good there. He has since involved himself with the adventuring population of Sharn, as Kalserath believes this will be the best way to expose and destroy agents of the Dreaming Dark. While he has not yet found any evidence of Dreaming Dark activity, Kalserath has still done many things he is proud of: recovering stolen cargo for simple merchants, rescuing lost children from the depths of the city, and finding murderers and other violent criminals and bringing them to justice. Kalserath often works on behalf of those who don't have the money or influence that justice in Sharn usually requires.

Party Role: While the soulknife class itself isn't as good of a warrior class as many others, Kalserath will be able to hold his own during a fight. He'll be focused on quickly taking down the most dangerous threat that presents itself. Soulknives do have excellent scouting and recon skills, however, and so I envision Kalserath to be the investigative team's silent blade that strikes from the shadows. The Psionic Weapon feat will help with this sort of "first strike" philosophy. Also, his serious nature and foreign ways will provide some interesting interaction with the rest of the party. Mechanically, he'll be a LG Kalashtar Soulknife 3, and assuming the game gets that far, he'll multi-class into either Atavist (Races of Eberron) or War Mind (Expanded Psionics Handbook).

Oh, and if chosen I'd like his dialogue color to be turquoise.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

Crap- I wrote my proposal for Reech entirely in the last thread, and didn't save a copy at home. I don't suppose anyone still has that info so that I can repost (rather than have to go back and rewrite)?

 

[Enforcer]

Crap- I wrote my proposal for Reech entirely in the last thread, and didn't save a copy at home. I don't suppose anyone still has that info so that I can repost (rather than have to go back and rewrite)?

Click to edit your post, select all the text (which will include all the formatting brackets), and copy/paste it here. That's what I did anyways.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

D'Oh! For some reason I thought the old thread had completely disappeared; I wasn't looking hard enough for it.


Reech, Changeling Rogue

History: Reech was born into a small group of changelings some 17 years ago. The gypsy-like group would travel from community to community, making their way as day laborers and merchants, and often scam artists and thieves. When the Last War concluded, and the forces of law were able to concentrate more fully on maintaining order in their communities, life became more difficult for the changeling group.

During a con gone wrong in the city of Sharn two years past, Reech was caught and imprisoned. Confusion over its incarceration was soon followed by curiosity, as Reech had never before been exposed to such circumstances. Upon its release, Reech didn't return to its commune, but remained in Sharn, where it began to educate itself about the Galifar Code of Justice in the great libraries. Reech would also trail the City Watch in their criminal investigations, fascinated by the implementation of a formal justice system, but moreso by those who would willingly and knowingly act in opposition of it. Since then, Reech has grown from being considered a nuisance by the City Watch to a tolerated asset, as it focused its natural, chameleon-like nature on the criminal mindset; in short, it has a talent for getting inside the heads of those who would break the law.

Appearance: Reech is slightly shorter than average for a changeling (5' 4"), slim of build, and with the pale-gray complexion of the rest of its kind. It wears its hair long, but maintains a genderless appearance. Reech almost always stays in its natural state, only using its disguise self ability to enhance its investigative skills. However, Reech often unconsciously alters its appearance to reflect the developing mental image it forms of the criminals it tracks down.

Personality: Reech is very single-minded for a changeling. Having grown up in a culture where standards of behavior (not to mention appearance) were constantly in flux, adapting to new conditions, it has become fascinated by the notion of codified and regulated laws and morality. Further to that, that people exist who act against such laws and standards of behavior. Reech has devoted itself to uncovering the mysteries behind the interaction of such contradictory elements, to discover the "inner truth" behind them.

The downside, of course, is that its focus on studying law and criminal behavior has led Reech to ignore other aspects of social interaction, and it often finds itself unable to communicate effectively with others, or form significant bonds with people.

Party Role: With its interest in exploring and understanding criminal psychology, Reech will effectively serve as the party's profiler. Though LN in alignment, Reech's lawfulness represents its singlemindedness and logical pursuit of its interests rather than a genuine ethical attachment to manmade laws; it has a solid interest in such things and should serve as a useful reference in matters of legal issues, as it attempts to learn more about societal laws and mores/taboos. Its attention to such matters is purely academic, however, and not grounded in any innate sense of morality.

 

[stonegod]

(Here is my noirish investigator concept. Enjoy)

Anders Talbor, Inhuman Investigator

History
Most scholars who are knowledgeable would tell you that the power of the mind are associated with Dal Quor, the Realm of Dreams. Its denizens fuel the psionic matrix of most psi-active creatures on Eberron. Pressed even further, you might learn of the eternal war between the Inspired and the Kalashtar. But, they will all agree. All psionics come from Dal Quor.

They are wrong.

Dreams are only part of the mind and spirit; Madness is just as large a part. And the mind-bending powers of the mind flayers, generals of the Xiorat daelkyr, are testament to this darker source of the mental arts. These lords of malfeasance are known for their experiments on the other races of Eberron, and some of these abominations walk the earth, easy to recognize and quick to be put down.

And then there are the half-breeds.

Anders Talbor has put much of this lore together from his secret studies and from the whispers in his head--the whispers from the lumpy mass of flesh which marks his true heritage. How it happened, Anders is unsure. His mother scraped by in the bowels of Sharn for much of his existence, and was barely sane during that time. If it was not for the guidance of the whispers and his innate talent for *knowing* things, Anders' life would have been short. But Anders was touched---gifted or cursed---by his heritage, and using it, he survived the trails of his youth.

When his mother finally died, and Anders made his way into the world, his strange talents served him well. The City of Towers is a city of secrets, and the clarity of madness gave Anders ocular powers that could pierce these obfuscations. Now, Anders lends his abilities to whoever can pay, allowing him more funds for his research into his true roots.

Appearance
Anders appears disturbingly human---he has a handsome, youthful face with clear blue eyes and dark hair without a beard. He is well dressed, and keeps up appearances. But, there is something---off---about the way he moves, and the mass of flesh that it this symbiote would immediately mark his as *wrong* if he ever showed it.

Personality
Anders is an affable fellow, and hides the touch of madness in him as best as possible. He speaks in a soft whisper, supposed due to a throat injury, but it also forces others to pay attention to him.

Role
Assuming we are part of an investigative agency or such, Anders would fit the role of "department psychic," assisting in investigation and finding of clues with his psionics. Mechanically, Anders is a daelkyr half-breed seer focused on Clairsentience and Telepathy powers. Thus, Anders is the go-to guy to know things that are not easily knowable. He will also be a bit of a Controller role with charm-like powers from his Ithillid Heritage (Complete Psionics).

 

[DEFCON 1]

Moving the character over to the new thread here!


POHL D’VELDERAN – Human Urban Ranger

Appearance: Pohl is tall and bulky, with muscles that lack definition but have a lot of mass. His parents claim his arms and thighs are like treetrunks, and Pohl will back up those statements. His blond hair is cut very short, his skin is tan and smooth, and his face has a ruggedness that does not instantly scream out "gorgeous", but many a young girl has swooned at the sight of him. His dragonmark is prominent on his left forearm, and he makes every effort to keep his arm open so that everyone he meets will see it. His dress is very stylish of the times, and he makes sure to keep his chain shirt sparkling and clean.

History: House Tharashk has moved into positions of power through the continent because of their abilities to find things that people need... whether that be people or things. The humans, orcs, and halforcs together have set up a guild of exceeding necessity in this day and age, and Pohl d'Velderan has been right there at the forefront of his family's expansion. A young man of intellect and strength, Pohl grew up in the City of Towers in the warm confines of the House... fully expecting to be a success. An only child, his parents (both dragonmarked members of the House as well) raised him with the expectation that he would be a strong, priviledged, and important member when he grew up. Being raised with this incredibly strong support system, Pohl firmly believed in himself and his future. Upon reaching adulthood, there was no one within the House that didn't believe he was destined for greatness... including and especially himself.

However, Pohl learned a very hard lesson once he left the warm, comforting grasp of his loving family and House Tharashk... people just don't like an arrogant, self-centered jerk. This of course came as a shock to him, as his entire life he was looked upon as a shining star. But now, without the glow of his parents to reflect his "greatness", he is considered nothing more than an obnoxious, self-congratulating, blowhard, but who (unfortunately) can in fact back up a lot of his self-serving claims. As he himself says... "it's not bragging if you can back it up"... but that doesn't keep people from getting pissed at him. But he deals with it with a smile and a condescending nod, because after all... lesser people should be jealous of him. It's only human nature.

Pohl specializes in tracking down other people... and he works hard as a bounty hunter for House Tharashk. If you need someone found, you could do a lot worse than by hiring him. He has spent his entire life in Sharn, learning the streets and wards like the "back of his hand" (or so he claims), and is always ready to take a job when it is offered to him. He knows it's just a matter of time before he steps into a place of importance within the House, and he looks forward to the day when his name is known throughout the city.

 

[mcnathan80]

Hmmmm, it seems that the only people responding to the new thread are the people from the old thread. Well, we'll give it till this weekend and see what happens from there.

 

[Widowmaker]

Well I have to say I am interested in playing, but I am having a strange problem. I am having difficulties getting a character concept. I am going over a lot of books looking for inspiration.

So I thought I would try something different and see what the current players think. What type of role do you think the party needs? Maybe somebody saying something will spark some interest.

- Widowmaker