DF's "Those Damn Heroes" OOC

[DistractingFlare]

Hey folks, it's been a bit too long since I've run a successful PbP, but I'm back, committed, and ready to give it a shot if you'll have me.

In a (hopefully) humorous reversal of the typical "kick in a door, kill the bandits and monsters, then take their stuff" style of D&D, I'm going to make you play the "bad guys." Then you'll ask yourself "just who are the bad guys in these stories?" and "Do adventuring heroes always have to try to kill everything?"

So here are some details.

• D&D 4th edition, any printed material legal. I'm less familiar with the Essentials stuff, but I'm willing to work with it.
• Standard point buy and equipment, starting at level 5, theme optional.
• 3-5 PCs
• Hoping for one post every two days from everybody, likely one per day from me. If you have to go away for a few days, no problem. Just let me know.
• I expect the adventure to be just that, but if we have fun with it there's a solid chance of turning it into a campaign.
• Any other questions, please feel free to ask.

After you've built your character, please post your sheet in this thread, as well as a couple paragraphs of background. I can't read the Character Builder format, so anything but that will be just fine.

------
The bandit chief Cyrus Downs has called you into his chamber, and you know that's bad news.

Word has been spreading around the warren. One of the other bandit clans - could it be the Red Valley gang, or maybe that tribe of goblins with the weird facepaint, or maybe just another evil wizard? -- but somebody -- has killed one of King Leopold's couriers and taken his parcel.

Chief Downs tells you this same thing, but less gracefully, and with a lot more hand gestures.

"King-man sent a guy with a bag. Someone killed 'im. Dunno who. But King-man ain't happy. King-man's sending some big, strong hero types to clean up the riffraff. Turns out, boys, even though we don't do no murderin' or stealin' of fancy bags, we're some of the riffraff he wants cleaned."

At the mention of "heroes," a chill runs down your spine. Perhaps your mother whispered stories of them when you were a naughty little banditling.

			"Clean your plate, or the heroes are going to stomp in and torture you for information." "But I'm just a little banditling, mama. Why would they torture me?" "Because they're twisted people, and you haven't cleaned your plate."

"Paying attention, boys? Good. Hero types on their way. We got women here. Kids. Lace up yer boots. Grab yer favorite sword. Yer gonna need it."

"But can't we just explain it to them?" one of you idiot bandits asks.

"Heroes don't talk, boys. They cast magic missile first, then don't bother to ask questions later. Now go stand guard."
------

OUR GROUP

Mikal Downs - HolyMan - Human Wizard
Houndaer - Disposable Hero - Drow Rogue
Toaddy - Voda Vosa - Bullywug Warpriest
Karrak - renau1g - Dwarf Warden
Sal Aldrurn - Inspiratorium - Half-Orc Fighter/Rogue

 

[dave_o]

So down! I will make a character for this ASAP!

 

[Disposable Hero]

I am super green when it comes to 4th Ed. but I have the basic books and a sub to DDI. So...if you'll have a noob in the group I'm all for playing. Maybe a blackguard or something.

 

[Voda Vosa]

Hohooo! I love your games DF, but you better don't quit this one! It has me totally thrilled.
I'd like to play an introverted bullywug warpriest. He's grumpy, he doesn't speak, and he's a toad. Name: Toady (as he doesn't speak, people put him a name, and he can't complain)

Downs was a harsh man. But even the hardest shells hide a soft content. He and his men once raid a kobold tribe's outpost near a swamp. Kobolds had been preying on the members of another species, toads the size of pigs, who were not only smart enough to build weapons and fight back, they were also delicious, and hence why the reptiles went through all the mess to capture them. Downs didn't care for the puny problems of these beasts, and he didn't share the culinary tastes of the kobolds, he only cared about the hoard of stuff the kobolds had been stealing from unaware travellers. He had to make a fast strike, kobold bandits stealing from innocents might draw... adventurers. Downs's men attacked overnight, when the kobolds were deciding the appropriate combination of vegetables to go with a child bullywug they've captured. Caought off-guard, the kobolds were quickly neutralized, and the bandits pillaged the tribe. Feeling bad for the would be main course, Downs took him... in a bag; he was still hard shell man, right?
When the adventurers arrived to kill the kobolds, they found nothing but knocked out kobolds and empty treasure chests. They had to content with 'coup de grace'ing the creatures for the magical resource they call "Expe"
Back in his hideout, Downs gave the child bullywug a name, "Toaddy". As the years passed, Toaddy was becoming a drag. He had given him to a lone, half crazy hag to rise. The woman was an alchemist, and crafter several low quality potions for the bandits. Some of the 'potions' didn't do anything, but it was a good morale booster to think you had a vial of piss smelling magical wound curing liquid hanging from your belt. At any rate, Toaddy didn speak, wasn't much strong nor intelligent. He just stared blankly at people. That's what he did, that was his job. He stared with those huge eyes of him. He wasn't even good for bullying, if you put a hand on him, he'll puff up and secrete some fetid smelling mucus from his skin. It was so disgusting the hideout had to be evacuated, so everyone treated Toaddy nicely after the first few incidents.
Downs wanted Toaddy to be productive, to be a useful member of the gang. So he gave him weapons and armor, and a piece of a broken door to use as a shield, and took him to get some practice in the field.
His first task was to rob a journeyman, that walked innocently on the king's road. Pushing Toaddy from the side bushes, Downs remained hidden to watch. Of course Toaddy couldn't speak, so stating that he wanted the man's money was impossible, so what followed was a stare competence. Toaddy was standing rather crouched as always, the head of the mace he was wielding rested on the road. After 20 painful minutes, Downs intervened, shouting. "Smack 'im in the bloody head!" And then it happened. Toaddy jumped in the air, and as he lifts his mace, lightning emerged from it, crackling like lightning, producing a tremendous boom when he smashed the traveller into a puddle. Downs's jaw dropped. It was then that he discovered Toaddy had a character class.

 

[DistractingFlare]

[MENTION=2933]dave_o[/MENTION] Looking forward to it.
[MENTION=6693285]Disposable Hero[/MENTION] You're welcome to it, mate. I'm not familiar with the Blackguard, but you're welcome to play what you like.
[MENTION=51271]Voda Vosa[/MENTION] I certainly intend to stick around longer than I did last time. That was during a fairly tumultuous period in my life - things are much smoother now, and I have plenty of free time to spend.

That's three folks interested. I'm okay with up to five. Show me them sheets. Wow me!

 

[Disposable Hero]

I've given up the blackguard and I'm currently looking into rogue, which seems to me more tactical than just hit the guy and hit him hard types.

 

[Voda Vosa]

Good to hear that! Edited first psot with background and sheet.

 

[DistractingFlare]

Disposable: Rogues are great, and of course very thematic as far as banditry goes.

VV: I love Toaddy's backstory. The humor is spot-on and I'm excited to see how he plays in the game.

 

[dave_o]

Wretch scratches a hoof at the ground impatiently, eager for more adventurers to gore in the name of Baphomet, the Horned King!

I'm going to roll up a Minotaur Barbarian 5 tomorrow, and I'm excited haha.

 

[Disposable Hero]

Time to show my noobness. I was wondering if I had to use the 4th Ed. formula for gaining equipment beyond 1st level or can I turn it into money and go that route?

Edit: So I've found equipment that I liked in each slot and solved my issue.