The Story So Far

[InzeladunMaster]

To all who attended on Saturday: Thank You! It was fun playing again (and I really enjoyed reliving the Central Vacuum and Hobby memories. I had completely forgotten that store).

To those who did not, here is the adventure we had:

The Characters
Bink - a wizard
Ulilia - a sorceress
Hamdin - a miller
Mara - a soul knife
Achis - a fighter

The characters all lived in a village in a verdant mountain valley, but this morning they woke to an empty village. They were all that were left of the three hundred inhabitants. They were also the only ones that had not attended the festival the night before. Mara and Ulilia found their parents murdered, however. Mara vowed vengeance.

They found a trail, was dogged by a yellow cardinal, and found out the townspeople had been turned into ravenous, cannibal zombies. They went into a cave and found an underground city tended by these zombies. They discovered a portal in a column and went down into an abandoned mind flayer hive.

After experiencing some left-over mind flayer technology (the mind flayers were all killed by intrepid adventurers some seventy years or more in the past) and killing some mind flayer zombies, they went back to the underground city above and killed the necromancer who captured the townsfolk.

 

[APewty]

Thank you to everyone for making me feel welcome. I definitely look forward to more of the same as we had today. Hopefully more people will be able to enjoy the fun.

IM, if you wish to reserve this post soley for story updates, then I will delete this post later, or please move it. I had debated whether to make a new post until I logged on and found you had made one, so here are my campaign related thoughts.

Is there a problem with discussing the game here or game strategy? Specifically, what will the game time frame be between this session and the next? I am assuming that since we levelled up, we are allowed to take care of that business before the next session? I assume that some actions, such as spell research and item crafting (at later levels) will take valuable session time from other players not directly involved in the transactions. Therefore is it acceptable to perform certain uncontested actions here between sessions? I realize that no one wants to lose the sense of roleplay, but I don't know that everyone wants to spend a half hour or more of session time just filling in the spaces of the last adventure.

I am able to attempt to write a couple of the spells from the scroll into my wizard book. I will need 200 GP total to do so. I did not roll starting cash and will do so if standard cash is allowed. From this beginning cash, how much is the group willing to stipend me for any spell research expenses?

I do have Identify in my book already and would like to Identify the wands if we are taking game actions before the next session.

Regarding the underground castle, Bink would like to spend a small amount of time researching the items (requiring a couple of days in order to rest and cast the necessary spells) and also to research his level 2 spellbook additions (taking another couple days) as well as trying to copy the scroll spells to his book, provided the group agrees to this. I don't believe Ulilia can memorize the scroll, though she could use it as a one time spell. If Ulilia wants the scroll, please say so.

While Bink peforms these actions, he would like to also map the keep, looking for possible areas within the floorplan that might conceal a room (such as a 10 foot deep wall with a corridor behind it that has another 10 foot space between the hall and the room). If such an area is found to be suspicious, then I would also like to use Detect Secret Doors within this area before moving on. This would, of course, necessitate another day or more of time spent within the keep.

Again, these actions and any discussions we have are pending approval of game actions taken between sessions. If we need to do all these things during a session, then I'll just hold my water until then.

 

[InzeladunMaster]

Thank you to everyone for making me feel welcome. I definitely look forward to more of the same as we had today. Hopefully more people will be able to enjoy the fun.

Thanks for coming!

Is there a problem with discussing the game here or game strategy?

No. Not a problem at all! I actually prefer handling the "down time" here. Game strategy is fine, too. Actually, reading game play and stuff inspires me and keeps me enthused during the period between actual games.

Specifically, what will the game time frame be between this session and the next? I am assuming that since we levelled up, we are allowed to take care of that business before the next session? I assume that some actions, such as spell research and item crafting (at later levels) will take valuable session time from other players not directly involved in the transactions. Therefore is it acceptable to perform certain uncontested actions here between sessions?

Yes, this is the perfect time and place to do this sort of thing. The actual time frame doesn't matter to me. I usually decide how much time passes between adventures based on down-time needs discussed on the board.

I am able to attempt to write a couple of the spells from the scroll into my wizard book. I will need 200 GP total to do so. I did not roll starting cash and will do so if standard cash is allowed. From this beginning cash, how much is the group willing to stipend me for any spell research expenses?

Yes, you may have standard starting cash. The rest of the group will have to determine your last question, though. Since the villain is a wizard, and has his own spellbook (which you can find if you want it), I will also say you can get the materials needed for a quarter of their usual cost as he has much of it one hand already.

I do have Identify in my book already and would like to Identify the wands if we are taking game actions before the next session.

There is a Wand of False Life with 6 charges and a Wand of Ghoul Touch with 20 remaining charges.

Regarding the underground castle, Bink would like to spend a small amount of time researching the items (requiring a couple of days in order to rest and cast the necessary spells) and also to research his level 2 spellbook additions (taking another couple days) as well as trying to copy the scroll spells to his book, provided the group agrees to this. I don't believe Ulilia can memorize the scroll, though she could use it as a one time spell. If Ulilia wants the scroll, please say so.

She says she will take it if you are sure you don't want it. You are welcome to the time needed to do all this, though.

While Bink peforms these actions, he would like to also map the keep, looking for possible areas within the floorplan that might conceal a room (such as a 10 foot deep wall with a corridor behind it that has another 10 foot space between the hall and the room). If such an area is found to be suspicious, then I would also like to use Detect Secret Doors within this area before moving on. This would, of course, necessitate another day or more of time spent within the keep.

This action discloses the hiding place of his spellbook, personal journal, and personal library. His spellbook and journal are written in a cypher. The other books belonging to his library include the following titles (along with average value to a book collector):

"Whispers on Zaman's Hill" by Boynton (55 gp average value)
"Down a Black Hole" by Enver Kayalidere (62 gp)
"The Reanimated" by Niyazi of Pakyürek (98 gp)
"The Eaters" by Mukhali Checheg of Süke-Bator (13 gp)
"Facturing Raffish Necromantic Wands" by Khudu Daldurkhan (80 gp)
"Nonary Rules of Noctambulation" by Niyazi of Pakyürek (98 gp)
"The Proselyte Necromancer and Neonatal Sacrifice" by Enver Kayalidere and Niyazi of Pakyürek (100 gp)
"The Necromancy of A Lich" by Niyazi of Pakyürek (812 gp)
"Alchemy and Necromancy: A Relationship" by Vedis III (788 gp)
"Unspoken Secrets of the Cult of Ragnfast" by Ugot (510 gp)

An hour's worth of study with this small library will confer a +10 bonus on a check relating to Knowledge (Undead) or Knowledge (Necromancy), or a +5 bonus on a check relating to Spellcraft or any other skill involving necromancy. Each check requires an hour studying and cross-referencing the various works.

The spellbook, as mentioned earlier, is written in cypher. It is pentagon-shaped, with a cloth-board cover (the cloth is actually a burial shroud). The hinges and clasps are made of brass. The pages are vellum. Should you spend more than ten minutes looking through it, you have to make a Will save (DC 15) in order to resist treating the spellbook as though it were a living thing (it likes to be spoken to, sung to sleep as one puts it away when finished with it, caressed and held, etc). You find it lying on a silk pillow, tucked under a blanket.

The journal also has a cloth-board cover (again, actually cloth from a shroud) with brass trappings and vellum pages, but it is rectangular.

 

[Grimhelm]

APewty, this is the perfect place to talk, as IM stated. It keeps a certain momentum going, and fosters thinking and plan making that we won't have to spend during our limited game time.

On a side note. Due to the fact that this is a completely new world we are playing in, I am considering starting a web site that can chronicle (as IM did above) and host pictures, heroes, stats, countries, and things we have discovered. If anyone has a good free way to do this (Geocities or something like that) let me know.

As for Hamdin. I don't think anyone will care if I change the story of his past. Let's attribute that last story to mixed information and heresay. Suffice it to say, his parents are dead, but it was not due to some catastrophic tragedy. His brother did die of plague and left him the mill. The only thing he will do is board up his mill (as there is no one to sell it to or take it over) and set his modest affairs in order. This can be done while you are exploring other things.

Hamdin suddenly has a curious desire to map and chronicle the world around him. He is amazed that such power and wonder could have existed in his own back yard and he is amazed that he had no idea it was there. Since his time in the caves, he feels like some strange power has been woken within him as well, a power that has long lain dormant. His family had told stories of a strange connection with the earth, but it was always a powerful family secret and he was never allowed to speak of it to anyone. You guys, however, seem to have some knowledge of such things, and he is beginning to trust you and consider you as friends.

Hamdin feels that he has missed out on a great deal in his life. He has missed the company of fellow human beings. He was always slightly anti-social. And, clearly there is much more to the world than he once knew... He is ready to discover more.

He remembers his father speaking of a great city to the north. His memory is fuzzy, but he believes it was called Kalindu. He thinks that he would like to see this place for himself...

 

[InzeladunMaster]

The alchemical lab discovered in the castle uses up about 400 square feet of space and includes volatile chemicals, beakers, bottles, mixing & measuring equipment, and so on. It adds a +2 circumstance bonus to Alchemy checks. In addition there is a an alchemical research library containing the notes from several alchemists' experiments through the ages, including the notes from Vedis III, a noted alchemist.

 

[Grimhelm]

Hamdin was also rather notorious among his apprentices for going for long walks in the woods alone. He takes one of these while the others are addressing other issues. He is particularly interested in finding the yellow cardinal...

 

[InzeladunMaster]

Hamdin was also rather notorious among his apprentices for going for long walks in the woods alone. He takes one of these while the others are addressing other issues. He is particularly interested in finding the yellow cardinal...

The cardinal is easily found, but it avoids coming too close. He hovers around, then flies north-west, then returns and flies in circles overhead, then, again, taking off to the north-west.

 

[Grimhelm]

Well, I have always felt a sort of empathy with animals ( ), so I sit quietly and watch it...

 

[APewty]

EDIT by Fyrestryke - You should have just been able to edit the message and delete the text and put in something like "Delete me, please". I'll nuke this in a few days. IM, myself, and Odovacar's Ghost (well, his other incarnation) can delete posts for you. =)

 

[APewty]

On a side note. Due to the fact that this is a completely new world we are playing in, I am considering starting a web site that can chronicle (as IM did above) and host pictures, heroes, stats, countries, and things we have discovered. If anyone has a good free way to do this (Geocities or something like that) let me know.

I have a forum set up for an online computer game. It can be found at http://vandelayindustries.muux.org/ and is the first thing of that sort that I've done. I assume that you don't want a message board, but rather an actual website so I doubt this is helpful. I've not started a webpage before so I can't help there. But, if you want a separate forum for the campaign I can set it up and give whomever global moderator permission so that you can take it over.

______________________________________________________________


As you come to know Bink, you find out that his name is really Alistair. Growing up he was known as Bink by the townspeople before his family died and he was shunned. Even so, he does not seem to mind being called Bink.

He also offers to make scrolls for anyone that would like them, though he does not say what kind of scrolls. (Note to DM: What kind of supplies can be found in the keep for scroll making and how many scrolls can be made, if any?)