H4H: Red Hand of Doom (full)

ethandrew · Jun 10, 2007

Lots of Martial interest in this. I'll change my initial concept to a Cleric. What sort of pantheon is in RHoD? Standard Greyhawk?

pathfinderq1 · Jun 10, 2007

Lots of fighting types indeed, including some that I haven't seen played- this looks like it could be interesting...

After some thought, I'm down to 2 concept ideas:
1. Halfling Beguiler- more of a spell-boosted negotiator/scout than a scholar (Face/info)
2. Elan psion- blaster, using psionics rather than arcane powers.

I'm tinkering with the mechanics now, and I'll have fairly complete characters in a day or so. Any additional background/setting info to take into account?

Voadam · Jun 10, 2007

A dragonfire adept from Dragon Magic web excerpt, probably going with elf of some type.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060912a&page=2

A weak blaster (3d6 damage/round 15' cone or 30' line with reflex save for half) who can do his magic things all day long and needs no die rolls on attacks except for damage. Needs no resource tracking which is about as ideal for my preferred style as it gets.

Invocations will be magic insight and see the unseen, breath effects will be cold breath and shaped breath.

80 gold to spend.

A good aligned dragon adept might have some interest in the RHoD plot.

I have not played RHoD and I do not own it. I have avoided most threads on its plot though I do know it involves [SBLOCK]war and spawn of tiamat.[/SBLOCK]

hero4hire · Jun 10, 2007

James Heard said:
Here's a post to subscribe and proclaim my tentative interest. Don't have a character concept yet...any rough info about the region/adventure/setting or anything else that might "ground" a character concept would probably help. Usually I like to play spellcasters of some sort, but on the other hand throwing the books open wide - I've been dying to play a Swordsage from The Book of Swords just to say I've tried one out. But there are probably weirder character classes I could get behind a lot just in the interest of "when's the next time I'll get an opportunity to play class X?"

The adventure will take place in a Region called Elsir Vale.
Though by 5th level your characters can be from anywhere in the world. (Which for Game purpouses we can call Oerth, but in the confines of the adventure matters not.) and eventually formed an Adventuring Band.
Elsir Vale is a thinly-populated frontier region surrounded by Mountains, The climate is warm (subtropical?) and nearby Grassy Plains are a plenty.

hero4hire · Jun 10, 2007

Concepts all look fine so far.

Remember I will be looking to build a fairly balanced party ability wise.

So that usually means a tank, an arcane caster, a skill monkey (good with traps could help at some point), and someone who can heal.

hero4hire · Jun 10, 2007

ethandrew said:
What sort of pantheon is in RHoD? Standard Greyhawk?

Yes, any Gods in the Players, Complete Divine, BoED or any other non World specific Wizards book. (Though worshipping Urbanus wouldnt be too useful)

James Heard · Jun 10, 2007

So, even though we're not "really" using Greyhawk it would be ok to pull together a Greyhawkish bit of background maybe? Or should we be from Elsir Vale? Absolutely not from Elsir Vale (newcomers or explorers maybe)??? Or are we more or less allowed to invent the past and locales freely to satisfy our backgrounds as long as we end up in the same place? Since all the characters apparently know each other pretty well, I can see some problems with that approach.

Someone · Jun 10, 2007

Edit: Added generic bland background.

Code:

Name: Norbac Odrog
Race: Human
Class/level: Swordsage 5
Sex: Male
Alingment: LG

Stats:
Str......10 (2 points)
Dex......16 (10 points)
Con......14 (6 points)
Int......12 (4 points)
Wis......16 (8 points +1 level advancement)
Cha......10 (2 points)

AC: 20=10+4(armor)+3(dex)+3(Wis, AC bonus class feature)
HP: 42=(32+10 Con)
BAB +3, grapple +3
Initiative +5=+3(Dex)+2(Quick to act class feature)

Attacks: 
Dagger         +7 (1d4) (+3 when using a Shadow hand stance; +3 when using a Shadow hand strike)
Unarmed strike +7 (1d3) (+3 when using a Shadow hand stance; +3 when using a Shadow hand strike)

Saves:
Fort   +3=1+2(con)
Ref    +7=4+3(dex)
Will   +7=4+3(wis)

Feats:
L1                    Improved unarmed strike
L1(bonus human feat)  Shadow blade
L3                    Weapon finesse

Skills (6 +1 Int +1 Human)x8=64 skill points; max rank 8/4

                Total   Ranks  Ability  Misc
Balance          +11      8       3      -2 armor, +2 sinergy
Concentration    +10      8       2      
Hide             +9       8       3      -2 
Jump             +8       8       0      -2, +2 sinergy   
Listen           +10      8       3
Martial lore     +5       4       1     
Move silently    +9       8       3      -2 
Tumble           +11      8       3      -2, +2 sinergy 
Sense Motive     +7       4       3

Languages: Common, goblin.

Race and class abilities:

Extra skill points, extra feat, favored class any
Maneuvers
Quick to act +2
Discipline focus (Weapon focus - Shadow hand; Insightful strike - Shadow hand)

Maneuvers and stances:

Maneuvers, 1st level: Burning blade(DW), Sapphire nightmare blade(DM), Clinging shadow strike(SH), Shadow blade technique(SH), Stone Bones(SD), Wolf Fang strike (TC), Sudden Leap(TC)
Maneuvers, 2nd level: Cloak of deception(SH), Shadow Jaunt (SH), Mountain hammer (SD) 
Maneuvers, 3rd level: Insightful strike(DM)
Stances, 1st level: Island of blades(SH), Child of Shadow(SH)
Stances, 3rd level: Assasin's stance(SH)

Typical maneuvers readied:

Insightful strike, Wolf fang strike, Burning blade, Shadow blade technique, Cloak of deception, Shadow Jaunt.

Equipment

Dagger                   2  gp  1  lb
Chain shirt            100  gp 25  lb
Backpack                 2  gp  
-Torch                          1  lb
-bedroll		 2  gp  5  lb
-flint and steel         1  gp  -  lb

Light load: 33- lbs Medium load 66- lbs Heavy load 100- lbs

[sblock=background and description]Background:

Norbac Odrog had a very tough early life. His parents refugees: poor, uneducated people that could aspire just to the most menial of works. Life hard: with the years, two of Norbac’s brothers and his father died because of the poor living conditions and illnesses.

As Norbac’s older brothers either died or left the town looking for a better future at more prosperous cities, Norbac’s mother, Athima, became increasingly depressed and neglectful; that’s how Norbac had freedom to explore the town on his own: get got into a lot of trouble, but even as a child he was quick and had wits, so nothing serious happened to him.

At this time there was a man living not so far from the town, an hermit who lived in one of the abandoned cairns and caves that dotted the landscape. This man said his name was Atellag, a tall man that despite his solitary life kept himself clean and his clothes clean and himself well groomed. Atellag apparently developed an interest on Athima at the time of one of his visits to Diamond Lake, an interest that Norbac’s mother didn’t notice.

Atellag turned to the young Norbac, perhaps thinking that the son could be a way to he mother, tempting him with teaching some tricks that would help him in his life. Atellag was surprised to see how talented the boy was, and how quickly he learned the basic lessons. Soon he had to start teaching him deeper secrets to keep his interest, arts that required a higher level of discipline and understanding, just to keep his attention and interest. In time, Norbac moved to live with Atellag and train full time with him, with brief visits to the town from time to time to see his friends. In time, Norbac made his own Atellag’s values and faith, so he now has a more rigid outlook in life he previously had. He now rarely, if ever, visits his mother, though from time to time he leaves some of the little money he gathers at her house.

Atellag was a mysterious man. He never spoke about his past, and went angry when Norbac insisted. It was only after Norbac attained a higher level of understanding and proved that his heart was finally pure, that Atellag confessed his secret: he was a former swordmaster in a fortress-monastery, founded on secret blade techniques refined from ancient hobgoblin traditions. Once the fortress was destroyed by traitors, he was forced to flee until the day he could avenge his companions and restore the monastery. But now that he was old and frail, that task rests on his disciple’s shoulders, who first must refine and put his technique to the test in the harshest way, before he’s ready to challenge the traitors.

Description:

Norbac is a short and slim man of mixed heritage; his features betray mixed blood of many origins, like dark hair, olive skin and blue eyes. He’s typically dressed in dark grey loose clothes and worn out shoes that blend well with the normal outfit that commoners wear in his home town. When he expects trouble he wears under it a light chain mail armor.

Other than a dagger he has no other weapons. While his training has made him good with a wide variety of them, he enjoys the appearance of being harmless it gives him - and he's deadly even totally unarmed.[/sblock]

hero4hire · Jun 10, 2007

James Heard said:
So, even though we're not "really" using Greyhawk it would be ok to pull together a Greyhawkish bit of background maybe? Or should we be from Elsir Vale? Absolutely not from Elsir Vale (newcomers or explorers maybe)??? Or are we more or less allowed to invent the past and locales freely to satisfy our backgrounds as long as we end up in the same place? Since all the characters apparently know each other pretty well, I can see some problems with that approach.

Newcomers and Explorers would probably work best.

Backgrounds should be open enough that at some point you all banded together to adventure. Being that you are limited to an all good party. It shouldn't be *too* hard to rationalize working with one another.

Using inspiration or even names from the Greyhawk setting is fine, or making up locales would be equally fine within the confines of the adventure.

If you live to the end of the module and we decide to continue with the characters I can go from there about fleshing out the world beyond Elsir Vale based on your backgrounds and my 30+ years worth of D&D notebooks laying around.